Shopsmith Forums

Well, the free ShopSmith is now sitting in my shop, and oh boy do I have some questions and of course lots of pictures.

First some pictures. Looks like old dust and dirt on the headstock.


Saw table, needs lots of scrubbing/cleaning.


Don't think the screw and knob should be shaped like this.


The rust overall is not too bad. This seems to be the worst of it.

This looks like a casual cleanup. When you are done, it'll look like new.


Yeah, you'll probably need a new bolt and knob but I have never worked on this model so I don't know exactly what you are up against. I doubt that it will be difficult.

I'd start with rags, soft bristle brush and mineral spirits to remove the heavy crude.

The inside of the headstock is next if I was doing this.

I am assuming this is the Model 500 as it has the small saw table and a few others have said that it is the Model 500. I have not been able to find a serial number on it yet.


Now, I did plug it in and flipped the on switch. Nothing happened. Yes, the outlet is on its own circuit and is working. Now, after looking at the power cord, probably a good thing nothing happened.


Where the heck is the grounding post?


Obviously it looks like I need to replace the power cord. Is this doable?

I will say that I am technically the third owner. This is the condition of the machine as my friend received it, who never used it. He only had it for a couple of months from the time his friend gave it to him, and then me receiving it. It looks like the first owner had packed up to move, found out he did not have room for his ShopSmith, and just gave my friend what was left, or stuff was lost over time. I think the first owner bought this in the 60's or 70's.

Some missing stuff. It appears I am missing the drill chuck and the necessary stuff for the lathe. Also missing the rip fence and miter gauge, though these two parts are not as necessary right now as I have a table saw. Also should there be some kind of lower saw guard that covers the bottom of the saw blade? I have the saw guard for the table top.

Other than some chisels and the bandsaw, this is all the stuff that came with it. Saw guard, feather board, some push pads, and the headstock to bandsaw adapter. Other than what I have mentioned, anyone see anything else missing, or missing on the saw guard itself?

rdavidp wrote:Obviously it looks like I need to replace the power cord. Is this doable?

I'd say it's very doable. Just buy a 10/15 ft 12/3 ga extension cord and cut off the female end. Inside the headstock, cut off the old cord, but leave the wires long. SO ya know where the new ones go.

nothing wrong with a 500, made many of things on my orginal one.

cleanup looks doable and with this forum, you'll be making sawdust soon.

You will find the serial number on the metal plate on the end of the headstock (the end with the short shaft that connects the power coupler to SS accessories). Many of the parts you are missing can be found relatively cheaply on ebay. There are also a bunch of great guys on here that have multiple SS 500's that they have turned into shorty's or power stations for their accessories (bandsaw, joiner, belt sander etc.) that may have some extra parts that they are not using. Personally, I think you got a great deal, looks like it will clean up fairly easily, and sounds like the price was right.

It was free. You now must spend many hours restoring it. Outside doesn't count for much and the outside isn't pretty so that means the inside isn't either. Take everything apart. You have a camera so take pictures of everything as you disassemble it. Line everything up, including bolts, washers, nuts, etc. Take a picture because you will forget. Put everything in a separate can with a top as you take it apart. I have several Frito-Lay bean dip cans that I use for this purpose.

Clean it all. Remove all rust, dirt, grease etc. and inspect everything for wear. Lacquer thinner is great for getting grease off things. Never throw away a used toothbrush because they are good for this too.

You can use 320 sand paper on the way tubes and finish with wet-dry 400 or 600 (use wet) and wipe often. Do the same with the table and end-table. A cheap vibrating sander is needed (go on Craigslist to find one). Wax everything except the disc sander.

If you don't know about lubricating ask here or do a search. WD40 is NOT a lubricant. Don't ever use that.

When you reassemble there are lots of sources for knowing how to do things, what to lubricate and what to use.

If you remove rust, dirt, and clean everything you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Don't forget to take the motor out and remove the end-cover and blow out all debris. While others may have indicated that this is a piece of cake, it isn't.

Watch the movie, My Fair Lady. That's what it is. Taking something that has not been taken care, maintained, ignored, neglected and then making a lady out of her. Takes time, patience and knowing that you will have a fine Shopsmith when you are finished. But, you are never finished because continued maintenance is required.

Don't be in a hurry, take your time and ask here if you want suggestions.

I just spent about 60 hours rebuilding a somewhat well maintained 510 that I inherited. I'm not through yet.

All the best!

rdavidp wrote:I am assuming this is the Model 500 as it has the small saw table and a few others have said that it is the Model 500. I have not been able to find a serial number on it yet.


Now, I did plug it in and flipped the on switch. Nothing happened. Yes, the outlet is on its own circuit and is working. Now, after looking at the power cord, probably a good thing nothing happened.


Where the heck is the grounding post?


Obviously it looks like I need to replace the power cord. Is this doable?

I hope the missing ground post is not bad news. On the few Shopsmiths I encounted with a missing grounding post or the ground wire missing from the motor, the motor had an internal short that would trip the breaker if the ground was connected. The motor would still operate with this short but I would not want to stand on wet ground and touch the Shopsmith. Replacement of the motor is the only solution if this occurs. I would never have a Shopsmith motor rewind as information for this task was never released to the public. The rewind shop would only be guessing the correct procedure and turns for these motors. I quickly learned to pass on buying any Shopsmith that was missing the grounding post in the power cord. These Shopsmith owners had learned that removing the grounding of the Shopsmith would prevent the electric breaker from tripping when powered on.

billmayo wrote:I hope the missing ground post is not bad news. On the few Shopsmiths I encounted with a missing grounding post or the ground wire missing from the motor, the motor had an internal short that would trip the breaker if the ground was connected. The motor would still operate with this short but I would not want to stand on wet ground and touch the Shopsmith. Replacement of the motor is the only solution if this occurs. I would never have a Shopsmith motor rewind as information for this task was never released to the public. The rewind shop would only be guessing the correct procedure and turns for these motors. I quickly learned to pass on buying any Shopsmith that was missing the grounding post in the power cord. These Shopsmith owners had learned that removing the grounding of the Shopsmith would prevent the electric breaker from tripping when powered on.

As it currently stands, the ShopSmith is not powering on at all. Should I try replacing the powercord first to see if it even works? What do you suggest?

Or should I see this as a sign to upgrade to a PowerPro?

I would say it depends on your budget. A PowerPro upgrade will run you about $1,600 if you do it yourself. At least everything under the hood would be new and wouldn't require any maintenance or repair. You probably would want to upgrade to either a 510 or 520 to take advantage of what the PowerPro could so for you as well. Every once in awhile you see 510 upgrades on E-bay for around $450. You might want to consider obtaining a good 510 off craigslist that has all of the nice attachments and currently runs and convert your freebe to a shorty to drive some of your attachments. If the motor is bad, you can obtain one from somebody who has upgraded to a PowerPro for almost nothing. I obtained my 510 for $300, which I have just upgraded to a PowerPro and 520 fence system.