Another learning curve (gloat)

fiatben · Post by **fiatben** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:31 pm

Well, you just never know what the day will bring....

As one of the many part-time ways I try to stay afloat financially, I pick up and deliver riding mowers for a small repair shop. Today I went for the second time to pick up a little mower for a little old lady (no, really, she's 93 and kinda bent-over, but very spry for her age.) The house her late husband designed and built has a shop area on the floor level between the garage and a storage area (living is overhead). Last time I was there I saw this really nice big Craftsman table saw. As I walked by it this time I mentioned to her that if she ever took a notion to sell it, I knew someone who would be interested. (Stay with me here.) She reminded me that she had already given it to her son-in-law, who used it occasionally, but she'd "like to sell that old Shopsmith to someone who could use it."

What???? As unbelievable as it may be, I had walked through that shop the last time I was there (last fall) and did NOT see the Shopsmith. Well, my ears perked up and I basically responded something along the lines of "uh, oh, huh? what? a what? did you say Shopsmith?" or something like that.

Turns out her hubby had bought this when they lived in New York or Vermont a long time ago. In fact, he had given a son or son-in-law his old one and bought this one new.

So we walked into the shop and I guess the reason I didn't really notice it last year is because it is a Mark VII !!! She wanted $200 and I didn't even think about dickering. Turns out he gave the son his Mark 500 and "upgraded" to a Mk VII.

Here it is upon arriving at its new home:
[ATTACH]16891[/ATTACH]

And here it is "kinda" put back together:
[ATTACH]16892[/ATTACH]

And here is the bandsaw they bought new at a demo in the local mall, but which appears to have hardly been used:
[ATTACH]16893[/ATTACH]

It costs me an extra $100 for the bandsaw. So, I'm out $300 but I'm the proud new owner of a Mark VII, of which I know practically nothing except little bits I've picked up here. I am now on a new learning curve.

I haven't turned it on or anything (see, I have learned a little bit), but I'm pretty sure it is all there (except for a saw blade and lower guard (if they had one)). Actually, all I've had time for today was to figure out how to load it in my truck, then unloading it at the shop and rolling it in before it starts raining.

She even had the original books that came with it!!!!

I'm kinda excited! I now have THREE Shopsmiths in the shop and didn't have to beg my son-in-law to give back the one I "sold" him for a drill press.

This is my reward for patience, because there have been two Mark Vs on craigslist in the past month, $300 each, and I kept myself from calling on either on of them.

I can't wait to bring this baby back to life and I want to do it up right. When is another story as this is a VERY busy time for me. But at least I know what I'll be reading about online for the next several nights.

More pics to come, I promise....

[edit] OK, first questions; 1. where do I find the model number, and 2. is there a list of years/model numbers?

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:03 pm

Super nice score sir! Things happen in weird ways. (check out my thread in the community forum from the last few days, I feel like its gloating as well, but it's just excitement and no one to share it with).
Post more pics when you can

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:30 pm

[quote="fiatben"] . . .

[edit] OK, first questions]

The vent plate would be a good place to look! Probably says Mark VII.

They were not in production long enough to have 'significant' variations.

What shape is the cam in?

fiatben · Post by **fiatben** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:35 am

I know there are some plastic parts that are "unobtanium" and prone to failure. I haven't looked inside it yet. I literally unloaded it into the shop at dusk, with a storm brewing, and came inside to eat, post about it, and put together some el cheapo knockdown shelves from Wally-world so I could put part of my woodworking magazine collection up off the floor.

With any luck tomorrow I will have time to give it a real inspection (but only if it's raining so hard that I can't work outside.)

I am hopeful it is in good shape. The lady I bought it from gave me the impression they were the kind of people who took good care of their stuff. She drive a '93 Mercury and has it serviced regularly. She helped him clean the shop after a project and was quite embarassed that the Shopsmith was covered in dust. We dug through a roll-around tool cabinet to find all the accessories that went with it. Among those was a shaper fence, which is one of the things I did not have yet. I also found a 6" faceplate, and to think I nearly bid on one on ebay the other night.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:41 am

fiatben wrote:I know there are some plastic parts that are "unobtanium" and prone to failure. I haven't looked inside it yet. I literally unloaded it into the shop at dusk, with a storm brewing, and came inside to eat, post about it, and put together some el cheapo knockdown shelves from Wally-world so I could put part of my woodworking magazine collection up off the floor.

With any luck tomorrow I will have time to give it a real inspection (but only if it's raining so hard that I can't work outside.)

I am hopeful it is in good shape. The lady I bought it from gave me the impression they were the kind of people who took good care of their stuff. She drive a '93 Mercury and has it serviced regularly. She helped him clean the shop after a project and was quite embarassed that the Shopsmith was covered in dust. We dug through a roll-around tool cabinet to find all the accessories that went with it. Among those was a shaper fence, which is one of the things I did not have yet. I also found a 6" faceplate, and to think I nearly bid on one on ebay the other night.

Be aware that the MVII shaper fence is 'different'. That makes three versions(M5/500, MVII, MV-505...520.

A quick look into that hole in the first pix will reveal the cam condition!!!

P.S. It appears to be missing the vacuum mechanism.

hdoilcan · Post by **hdoilcan** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:08 am

Awesome Deal!! Looks to be really good condition.

wiredone · Post by **wiredone** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:31 pm

Sweet!
That's next on my list when I trip over one (like you just did) Now here's my standard reply to a great tool gloat...wait for it.....
BASTARDO!!

mikemarkvii · Post by **mikemarkvii** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:03 pm

congrats,
looks to be one of the later units. has a better table raising whatchamacallit [actual name is on tip of my tounge, but can't remember]
ssug has a list of markVII changes tthru the 4-5 years in production.
keep it cleaned and lubed and it will last.
btw the vacuum is over rated. very noisy and doesn't work well [not surprising as the impeller spins both ways] I took mine off, I've read the shaft can be used to power other accessories, but never tried that.
mike

gchapman · Post by **gchapman** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:21 pm

Awesome! If you need any specific parts, I have 2 Mark VII's, one is a parts machine so PM me

fiatben · Post by **fiatben** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:50 pm

I've got more pics and lots more questions and a couple of problems already. Maybe I should move over to the Repairs threads and start over?
Whaddya think Red?

[edit] The serial number if 408551. Is there a build chart to correlate that to date of manufacture?

Shopsmith Forums

Another learning curve (gloat)

Another learning curve (gloat)

condition unknown

relocation?