Shopsmith Forums

Hi all, newbie here. Great forum.

Today I brought home a practically new 1988 Mark V (Model 555510, SN 120888) that appears to have been used very, very little. In fact, the band saw was still in the original box, with its table box still stapled shut. The chuck doesn't appear to have ever been set on the arbor and the small set of drill bits still have the protective wax on them. The only thing I can find ANY wear on is the original Shop Smith table saw blade.

Here's the story, and please don't hate me... My wife's boss acquired it in a deal many years ago and it's "just been in their way". He said it was mine if I came and got it. Yes, I realize I'm a very lucky, fortunate guy.

My dilemna is I have no idea what may have happened to it while it was sitting all of these years. From what information I've gathered so far (and from the label on the head), it is critical not to turn the speed dial w/o the motor running. Considering I don't know what may have happened to the last several years, I'm reluctant to just plug it in and turn it on.

Are there some basic checks I can perform to make sure everything is 'ok' before I fire it up? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Sincerely,
Justin

mapcowboy wrote:Hi all, newbie here. Great forum.

Today I brought home a practically new 1988 Mark V (Model 555510, SN 120888) that appears to have been used very, very little. In fact, the band saw was still in the original box, with its table box still stapled shut. The chuck doesn't appear to have ever been set on the arbor and the small set of drill bits still have the protective wax on them. The only thing I can find ANY wear on is the original Shop Smith table saw blade.

Here's the story, and please don't hate me... My wife's boss acquired it in a deal many years ago and it's "just been in their way". He said it was mine if I came and got it. Yes, I realize I'm a very lucky, fortunate guy.

My dilemna is I have no idea what may have happened to it while it was sitting all of these years. From what information I've gathered so far (and from the label on the head), it is critical not to turn the speed dial w/o the motor running. Considering I don't know what may have happened to the last several years, I'm reluctant to just plug it in and turn it on.

Are there some basic checks I can perform to make sure everything is 'ok' before I fire it up? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Sincerely,
Justin

Put the 12" sanding disc on and rotate it by hand. If everything seems ok, adjust the speed control(while continuing to rotate the sanding disc). Adjust it towards fast first, then all the way down to slow. Again assuming all is well, plug it in and turn it on(be prepared to 'pull the plug' if problems occur. Do not run for an extended period of time until after giving it a lube job!

That should verify the non-existence of serious problems. If 'all is not well' at any point above, stop, tell us about it and we will try to help you 'fix' it.

Do give the power cord a visual inspection before plugging it in.

JPG40504 wrote:Put the 12" sanding disc on and rotate it by hand. If everything seems ok, adjust the speed control(while continuing to rotate the sanding disc). Adjust it towards fast first, then all the way down to slow. Again assuming all is well, plug it in and turn it on(be prepared to 'pull the plug' if problems occur. Do not run for an extended period of time until after giving it a lube job!

That should verify the non-existence of serious problems. If 'all is not well' at any point above, stop, tell us about it and we will try to help you 'fix' it.

Do give the power cord a visual inspection before plugging it in.

Thanks JPG, that's the kind of thing I was looking for. I was just reviewing several of your other technical posts (which are great btw) and was already worrying about finding time to perform a complete teardown (which may still be necessary anyway). Thanks again.

Be advised if it's been unused for quite a while, the belts may have taken a "set" and there may be some vibration when it runs.

Nothing new belts won't fix. Belt replacement is a pretty straight forward operation.

Welcome to the forum, please let us know where you are located by updating you profile with location info. You never know who may be near by for help.

FWIW New belts come with a vibration producing 'set'. Rolling them narrow face out and storing them for an extended period(until actually needed) can help minimize set.

You can also open the logo cover on the back and shine a flashlight on the back of the speed control. Make sure the porkchop (the geared wheel) has relatively straight teeth. Sawdust also collects in there which will be a good indicator if it has seen any use.

Also read the first two posts (the sticky links) in maintenance and repair.

Espcially this one:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=5092

The sawdust sessions in that post will allow you to watch a video about newly acquired Shopsmiths with unknown history.

Overall, you probably have no issues that can't be solved with a little work. After all, there many of the used machines out there that have sat for a long time and are now getting used.

Many thanks for all of the great advice and insight. I've begun reviewing some of the maintenance stickys. Have a very busy weekend coming up, so I probably won't get a chance to really play with this until next week.

Just wanted to follow-up...I can't believe it was way back in October when I acquired this machine. Many thanks to all for the advice; I watched the great maintenance videos and everything checked-out fine and seems to run great. It really is/was practically brand new with very little use, and unfortunately I haven't had time to use it either. But, I'm looking forward to warmer weather and learning how to turn.

Again, thanks for the advice and the informative forum.