Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

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dusty
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by dusty »

As always, Everett - this is "excellent". An absolute wealth of information all in one place.
"Making Sawdust Safely"
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JPG
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by JPG »

As is typical of thee, the extra mile(s) were taken.
╔═══╗
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝

Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

I inherited a Used Shopsmith...

I wrote this recently to a young aspiring woodworker with a hand-me-down Shopsmith that hadn’t been turned on in 3 decades.

—-

One must spend the time to care for, maintain, adjust and develop advanced knowledge of the equipment you have.

That comes on the installment plan one day at a time.

Any tool or instrument out of adjustment will not produce superior results, likely unacceptable results, and could be dangerous to operate.

The Shopsmith can be restored to service given time, varying amounts of elbow grease, and perhaps a few modest parts.

Some units need very little, and that coupled with the fact that many of the parts are still available new from Shopsmith, or in the used marketplace speaks to the quality of the design.

The Mark 5 came out almost 70 years ago. Many changes and upgrades exist.

Finding what one now has and how it’s been maintained or upgraded through the years is necessary as they look very similar.

That could not be more important when you’re buying used serviceable parts from folks you don’t know.

You may not know what variant of a part revision you need and they may not know what variant they have.

Knowledge is out there in Shopsmith Forums and groups everywhere.

That said, Wading through myriads of posts to find what you need can be a bit irritating because there are so many folks asking the same questions but phrasing them in different ways.

They often give up looking and ask the same questions over and over, separated by a few days or weeks and hundreds if not thousands of posts apart.

I tried to bring some sensible sources together by providing documents and information I publish free of charge in the Maintenance and Repair Forums at Shopsmith.

Most everything is too large to post in Forums so I do so on a link “My Google Drive” which I will cite below.

KEEP READING before you follow the link.

However, There are some very useful files on the main page in my Shopsmith Forum Post itself so look around on it before you follow the link.

You confirmed you have a machine untouched for over 30 years previously owned by your father and bought initially by your grandfather.

That means you don’t have to research 30 years of changes to know what you might have*, only those in play from the time yours was made until it went idle by your father.

I would suspect any rubber part such as belts should be refreshed with new parts. Don’t forget the power cord.

Next disassemble it carefully and clean everything servicing it with appropriate rust removal, lubrications and waxing or painting where necessary. Next reassemble, properly align and adjust it. Learn the safety devices and how to use them. Make sure they are present.

*Research what safety upgrades may now exist that weren’t present when your machine was made. They exist for a reason. Explore the reason.

I often tell folks; I don’t know of a single safety upgrade that costs as much as even one emergency room visit.

Owning a Shopsmith doesn’t make someone a master woodworker any more than owning a Stradivarius makes one a virtuoso violinist.

Even with the most precise and expensive machines in the world, that remains an inescapable truth.

Considering the artisan a craftsman can produce exceptional results with modest tools.

Shopsmith is an example.

The workmanship that went into its design has to be coupled with it’s alignment, Maintenance, and skill of the operator.

It’s true of the most expensive stand alone tools as well.

There has been some very fine craftsmanship exhibited by some Shopsmith owners.

Don’t get discouraged. Your project whatever it is likely was a tree before someone harvested it.

That was just the first operation done on it.

What joinery techniques one uses is based on what one is making, what species of wood or multiple species of wood are involved, what finish you want to put on, and the environment your creations will live in; indoors or out.

What tools, accessories and joinery techniques you can use are limited by what you have. You may want more.

Can you make pocket screw holes on a Shopsmith - yes. Is it as easy as using a Kreg Pocket Screw Jig - no.

Can you route on a Shopsmith - yes. Is it as easy as a modern variable speed router and router table - no.

Can you make compound miters on a Shopsmith - yes. Is it as easy as using a compound Miter saw - no.

Point is the machine can do many operations as a multi purpose tool designed in the 1950’s.

Some of the newer devices capable of performing one kind of operation only may make you more productive.

Will using those newer tools give you a connection to your father and grandfather before him using your inherited Shopsmith - no.

Will restoring that 30 year inactive Shopsmith so valued by your father and grandfather into service help you honor their memory - I would say likely so.

If you were so inclined as they were toward Woodworking I would say absolutely.

Only you know that, but since you asked me, I think you have already recognized you are that kind of person too.

You will find an ever growing family of like-minded people in the Shopsmith Forums and Facebook and other groups who are on that journey with you.

I have met many friends, met incredible mentors and leaned much in my journey.

Now yours is beginning and someday, perhaps you will be that mentor to the next group who explore this world we call Shopsmith.

Be safe above all and never stop learning.

Everett

viewtopic.php?p=185690#p185690
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

Just a reminder... In addition to the documents I have written, rewritten or restored, there’s extensive free information Shopsmith published on the Shopsmith site ...

Such as
https://www.shopsmith.com/academy/introduction.htm

Or

https://www.shopsmith.com/getting_start ... anuals.htm

Everett
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

I am still seeking a copy of a vintage Mark 5 Manual to restore that shows the the introduction of the Gilmer Drive Clutch Assembly.

The earliest of the Mark 5’s with sand cast Headstock and perhaps some of the early B series Headstocks had a solid drive mechanism.

While through the courtesy of other members I have restored three early versions of Mark 5 Manuals, none reflects the Gilmer Drive with clutch assembly to allow drive to slip if there were a blade bind and lock-up.

The torque was so severe without that clutch, that components would bend destroying parts.

If anyone has that vintage of Mark 5 Manual, I would welcome a copy to restore and share with everyone.

Also I am looking for a copy of the product announcement that they would have released as this was a retrofit option offered to existing owners with the solid drive

Thanks,

Everett L. Davis
a.k.a. The Shopsmith Historian
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by chapmanruss »

Everett,

Sorry I didn't read this request before. If you will note the change between the first and second editions of the Manuals you will see the change in the Drive Sleeve going from individual parts (non-clutched) to an assembly (P/N 102100) which I believe the assembly is the clutched drive. It is the same assembly and part number for all the Gilmer Drive Manuals that follow. If it didn't change at that time and the assembly was first a non-clutched Gilmer Drive than the assembly was changed later and retained the same part number. Not uncommon. The change to a clutched drive and the addition of the Idler Bearing Retainers were two of the first changes made to address problems users were having. Owners of the early Mark 5 Greenies may be able to help identify when the change occurred. I have restored 2 Greenies. The first was a mid 1956 that had been upgraded to the Poly V Drive (no help there) and the other a late 1957 that had the clutched Gilmer Drive Sleeve.

Let me know when you are ready for more Manuals and which editions. I have through the sixth edition copied already.
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

Thanks. I was seeking most the version of the manual that had an illustrated parts list that shows components of the Gilmer Drive and hopefully anyone who had a copy of the original announcement of it in a tech bulletin to dealers.

I have two old Greenies (one with sand cast ‘A’ headstock that has a solid drive with no clutch.

Our late friend Bill Mayo and I had talked about me going to Florida and staying with he and Ann as I was doing research.

Somewhere in his boxes of paperwork he felt he had originals of both. Sadly Bill had to have surgery before I could schedule a time to visit them.

Each surgery took more time to recover and he went downhill very quickly. Bill passed away and I was so saddened by this loss I couldn’t write or contribute for nearly a year.

He had invited me to spend a month with them and scan everything he had accumulated over fourty years with Shopsmith.

He had those documents, and I am confident that others exist somewhere. I seek to discover them, restore them, and share them with the rest of the Shopsmith world.

Later this fall I will restore some additional documents and make some requests for other copies.

Rather than uploading all of them it might be easier to copy them to a USB thumb drive and mail them in a single submission.

Let me know what you prefer when the to comes.

Everett
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by chapmanruss »

Everett,

I will continue to scan the manuals to have them ready. If you prefer I could send them on some DVD disks or a thumb drive which will hold a lot of data. I do not have what I believe would be the 8th edition of the Owner's Manual when Yuba took over or the 10th edition when Magna American took over. I have spare parts lists with the diagram supplements for them. I believe there should be an early 1964 Magna American Owner's Manual and/or at least a spare parts list/diagram supplement for the change in the part numbers. JPG has the Spare Parts List 9142C - 2/63 Copyright 1958 which I have the Manual for. Anyone having these missing Manuals or Spare Parts List supplements let us know.

I will have to look through the Dealers Book I have to see if there is any documentation in there about the change to the clutched Gilmer Drive Sleeve assembly. Anyone with an early Greenie having the non-clutched and those with a clutched Drive Sleeve Assembly can give us the serial number which would help identify when the change occurred. Most important would be non-clutched units as some may have been upgraded.
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

Russ

I believe I would prefer to receive them on a Thumb Drive if that's not too much trouble.
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everettdavis
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Re: Shopsmith Large Format Drawings, Illustrations and More

Post by everettdavis »

Some minimal reorganizations have taken place on my Google Drive. Folders names were altered to allow folks accessing by cell phones to read the most relevant naming convention word first since their screens often truncated the names. Files within folders did not change.

Everett
My Google Drive Folders.png
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