Shopsmith Forums

Well done!

Shipwright! Glad to see you are still around. Missed ya!

Thanks, I’m back.
We are downsizing and I’ll be selling all my big tools here at home in Canada. I am gearing up for a smaller shop and have acquired a nice 510 and a 1956 500 that will be a bandsaw/belt sander shorty.
More to come.

John - your exquisite restorations have got me thinking about a clean up and new coat of paint for my 1985 500 now a PowerPro 520. What steps do you go through on typical restoration? My SS is in very good shape but is a bit worn. No rust removal required but would like a solid re-paint and polishing of shiny surfaces.

Matanuska wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2025 6:51 pm What steps do you go through on a typical restoration?

That depends on a few factors, including: the model I’m restoring, its starting condition, and the outcome I’m looking for.

Older Mask 5s don’t tend to retain their paint very well (Magna was not very good at keeping paint on their aluminum castings back at that time), so those jobs typically entail stripping and repainting all the metal surfaces. This compares to Model 10ERs, where I can often get away with removing slight surface rust and grime, and preserving that condition with some paste wax.

Of course I need to do some mechanical repairs inside a lot of older headstocks, but nothing is typical there (and not relevant for your project either), so I’ll spare you the details…

Where I really get a lot of “wow factor” on restorations is from the bare metal surfaces. Since I do a fair number of these, I have tried to at least mechanize some of the work (sanding pads under a palm sander for first pass cleanup on flat surfaces, custom jig for cleaning/polishing tubes), but a lot of it is still hand sanding and polishing, especially if I’m trying to achieve a “showroom new” look on a 70-year-old machine.

I don’t know what the original surface condition was on your vintage machine, but the early Greenie Mark 5 models had very nice polished surfaces on the aluminum knobs and handles, and you need to avoid using a wire wheel on those, as it’ll mar that original polished surface that’s usually still sitting there under decades of grime! In those cases, it’s fine steel wool and Blue Magic brand metal polish to bring them back to life:
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I’ve also spent a lot of time following the contours of the original machining marks on tables (they accidentally created some beautiful Art Deco looks on older models that are worth preserving!) with delicate hand sanding and steel wool, but that’s not going to be relevant on a 520 style table…
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And then sometimes, I’ll put all those techniques (a little new paint, a little preserved paint, some mechanical fix-up, and a LOT of polishing!) to work in a single machine, and the results can be pretty impressive!
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Hope this inspires you a bit - good luck!

Well done.

Matanuska,

Like John my restorations vary depending on which Shopsmith tool is being restored. I have done full restorations on Shopsmith tools ranging from 2 of the original Model 10E's from the first shipment sent out by Magna Engineering Corporation in 1947 to a 1982 Mark V and many in-between. Newer Shopsmith tools don't always need a full restoration, but some touch up work can make them look new. I use many of the same techniques as John and since I have done so many I have a jig setup for turning the Way and Bench Tubes on a Mark for polishing.

It appears the main focus for your Mark V is the paint. You have two main choices there. The first is to use the Shopsmith paint which is expensive compared to another alternative paint. Do get the correct formula paint from Shopsmith if you go that route. That is the Gray for tools made prior to 10/01/2001. The other option is to use paint from another source. For the Model 10's I have restored I use Rustoleum Charcoal Gray Paint. That is a gloss paint but I add a coat of Matte finish to dull the gloss down.

I restored the 1982 Mark V 8 years ago and used 3 cans of the Shopsmith Gray (prior to 10/01/2001) paint. Since then, the cost of that paint has almost doubled. The Rustoleum Charcoal Gray Paint I use has about doubled in price since then too. Add to that the cost of the Rustoleum Matte Clear Coat and any paint job done to a Shopsmith tool has increased a lot in the last decade.

Below is that restored 1982 Mark V.

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Below are the 2 1947 Model 10E Shopsmiths I mentioned.

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jpdalton wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 7:18 am Where I really get a lot of “wow factor” on restorations is from the bare metal surfaces. Since I do a fair number of these, I have tried to at least mechanize some of the work (sanding pads under a palm sander for first pass cleanup on flat surfaces, custom jig for cleaning/polishing tubes), but a lot of it is still hand sanding and polishing, especially if I’m trying to achieve a “showroom new” look on a 70-year-old machine.

I don’t know what the original surface condition was on your vintage machine, but the early Greenie Mark 5 models had very nice polished surfaces on the aluminum knobs and handles, and you need to avoid using a wire wheel on those, as it’ll mar that original polished surface that’s usually still sitting there under decades of grime! In those cases, it’s fine steel wool and Blue Magic brand metal polish to bring them back to life

The tubes on my upgraded Mark V are still nice and shiny and free of pits. I've had good luck polishing the cast iron tables on my jointer and bandsaw but mixed results on the aluminum tables. I hadn't thought about polishing the aluminum knobs, handles, and miter gauge grip but after seeing your pictures I think I'll give the Blue Magic polish and steel wool a try. Thanks!

chapmanruss wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:15 pm It appears the main focus for your Mark V is the paint. You have two main choices there. The first is to use the Shopsmith paint which is expensive compared to another alternative paint. Do get the correct formula paint from Shopsmith if you go that route. That is the Gray for tools made prior to 10/01/2001. The other option is to use paint from another source. For the Model 10's I have restored I use Rustoleum Charcoal Gray Paint. That is a gloss paint but I add a coat of Matte finish to dull the gloss down.

Russ,

Your right about the rising cost of paint. The Shopsmith paint is now $23 for a 12 oz can vs. $8 for the same size Rustoleum Gray paint. I think I might go the Rustoleum Gray route and then decide if I want to dull it down with the Matte finish.

Have you found a good paint for the red metal saw table inserts? I stripped mine down and repainted them with Rustoleum but that began to wear off in less than a year. I'm thinking I might want to get them powder coated (I've got a friend in that business).

Matanuska wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2025 9:51 pm I think I'll give the Blue Magic polish and steel wool a try.

This would probably work well on your aluminum tables as well…

https://a.co/d/3acXW64 - link to the product on Amazon