Shopsmith Forums

Just wondering how many shopsmiths does everyone own. Just asking because I have become addicted to buying them. My 16 yr son is now asking me if we can take another road trip to buy more lol. Right now I have 17 shopsmiths in the basement, 1 power station, 7 power stands, and one double power stand. Not sure how many SPT's. I really need to stop because I'm running out of room haha

Well no wonder there's a shortage of ShopSmiths in my area, you have the market cornered I have a 500 shorty set up with my OPR, a 520 PowerPro for everything else and I'm about half done with a restore of a 10ER I picked up two weeks ago. I can see how one could get addicted to acquiring these great machines and fixing them up.

I have 5 machines.

One (500) is 400 miles north of me for use when I'm up there.

1 is a 10ER that is pretty much painted but in boxes until I get back to it.

I have one (500) in drill press mode and it stays that way. The rest of it is used as a storage rack for spt's so it would be a lot of effort to lay it back down.

I have a 520 that I have taken out of service so I can swap out left over (better/newer) parts from my power pro upgrade. This one was a 500 upgraded to a 510 and I have a newer table with the smooth center section as part of the redo. Might need some "other parts" when I get in to it which will not be until spring.

The other machine is my 1976 purchased new machine which is now a 520 with power pro and dual tilt. At this point I have only two working machines in my local shop but that seems to work out pretty well.

I have non-shopsmith stand a lone tools as well, non of the shopsmith units are dedicated for STP stands.

I think 3 working machines would be plenty for me at this point in my life. I have NO room for anymore so getting more is not going to happen. I'd say 5 is more then enough for me.

I've spent a lot of my life with only one machine. Back a few years I started thinking that the machine is 30 something years old, something could wear out or fail and I'd be without a machine for a period of time. That is when I found a second machine, with the intent of having a spare. Soon it became clear that having two machines was better then having one.

I found myself missing the 500 and the pile of jigs I had for it so I got another machine of that vintage. Then I decided having one for use up north would be a good idea.

Then after getting a 10ER for my brother I fell in love with the heavy metal and had to have one for myself.

So this is how it went for me.

Ed

currently three - powerpro Mk7, plus two 510/520 units.

My basement space limits me to only the three.

Three. My first was a very incomplete 10ER that was given to me. It is now my dedicated drill press. The second was a 10ER with jigsaw I bought after posting a wanted ad in the Thrifty Nickel. Then the Mark 5 model 500 with a bandsaw that I traded a Hitachi jobsite table saw for.

I did a full tear down and restoration on all of them. And they are all work horses in my shop.

Oh, I have another 10ER I'm working on restoring, but progress has been slow. I'm going to give it to my dad when I'm done.

A goldie Mark 5 purchased new in 63. Only one completely together at the moment.

A early 510 still partially refurbed.

A 1947 10E refurbed and awaiting reassembly.

A mini made from scavenged parts still being assembled.

A few Mark 2 parts that are being turned into a 'portable' machine or a wall mounted drill press.

A power station fully functional.

Jointer, ss mount planer, two jig saws, scroll saw, band saw, two belt sanders, strip sander.

And a Mark VII currently in disassemble mode.

I have only one that I have had for thirty years. Started as a 500 was upgraded to a 510 then to a 520 and now a 520 with a PP headstock. Don't have room for any more.
Bill V

Three. Bought a 500, then wanted the bigger table so I bought a 510. Probably paid too much. Then another 510 came around with tons of accesories and I bought it too. Three is too many for me since I have a separate table saw.