Shopsmith Forums

Hi All,

After we bought a house with a genuine garage last year, my uncle dropped off my grandfather's Shopsmith (10er?), which had been sitting in pieces in his garage for at least a decade, probably more. The serial is F 54693.

I plan to use it mostly as a lathe and disc sander, but I may take the opportunity to ditch my bench-top drill press as well. It has got a lot of rust and for right now, my goal is not a restore, but to get it in good working order and start making sawdust. Any help, experience, and expertise you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.

The big issues:
1. Surface rust everywhere. I assume I just need to get to work with the wd40 and some 600 grit sand paper, followed by paste wax.
2. The back of the switch has pulled out of the head stock and been crushed. I think it's toast. I plan on just getting a new paddle switch and mounting it to the bench. Any reason this won't work?
3. Post on tool rest is broken off. I'll probably just find one on ebay.
4. Drive spur is stuck on the spindle. I loosened the alan bolt and gave it a soaking with wd40, but it still won't budge. Is there something else I need to loosen? Also, how do I get the spindle out and install the drill chuck?
5. No belt. I'll probably get a link belt. Any reason not to?



Longer Term:
Assuming I like turning on this, I will either get the speed changer or try to get me hands on 1hp DC motor with a speed controller. Anybody done this?

Thanks ahead of time for all your help.

babieca wrote:Hi All,

After we bought a house with a genuine garage last year, my uncle dropped off my grandfather's Shopsmith (10er?), which had been sitting in pieces in his garage for at least a decade, probably more. The serial is F 54693.

I plan to use it mostly as a lathe and disc sander, but I may take the opportunity to ditch my bench-top drill press as well. It has got a lot of rust and for right now, my goal is not a restore, but to get it in good working order and start making sawdust. Any help, experience, and expertise you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.

The big issues:
1. Surface rust everywhere. I assume I just need to get to work with the wd40 and some 600 grit sand paper, followed by paste wax.
2. The back of the switch has pulled out of the head stock and been crushed. I think it's toast. I plan on just getting a new paddle switch and mounting it to the bench. Any reason this won't work?
3. Post on tool rest is broken off. I'll probably just find one on ebay.
4. Drive spur is stuck on the spindle. I loosened the alan bolt and gave it a soaking with wd40, but it still won't budge. Is there something else I need to loosen? Also, how do I get the spindle out and install the drill chuck?
5. No belt. I'll probably get a link belt. Any reason not to?


Longer Term:
Assuming I like turning on this, I will either get the speed changer or try to get me hands on 1hp DC motor with a speed controller. Anybody done this?

Thanks ahead of time for all your help.

1) Try ammonia soak first.(it really works on 'thin' rust').

2) Suit yourself.

3) That'll work.

4) Try penetrating oil(pb blaster/kroil) or kerosene(WD40 ain't penetrating oil. The quill shaft is a 5/8" with a tapered flat. The drill chuck has a 5/8" bore with set screw like the spur center. Any of the SS drill chucks will work.

5) They can be abrasive on aluminum pulleys

LT) You would not be the first!

babieca wrote:4. Drive spur is stuck on the spindle. I loosened the alan bolt and gave it a soaking with wd40, but it still won't budge. Is there something else I need to loosen? Also, how do I get the spindle out and install the drill chuck?

I'll add to JPG's advice. Take the setscrew out, squirt the penetrating oil in the hole. Rock the drive center back and forth a couple times, add a little more penetrating oil and let it set for hours or over night.

You can download a 10ER manual, and lots of other useful info, at VintageMachinery.org.

As for the stuck drive spur, penetrating oil is a good first step. But it didn't do the trick for the arbor that came stuck on mine. So after a week of soaking, I tried heating the arbor with a propane torch. That still didn't get it off. Finally, I resorted to inserting the blade of a junk chisel behind the arbor, and tapping the chisel until the arbor came free. I expected that operation to trash the spindle bearings, but it didn't. Once I had it apart, if memory serves, I found that the load path for the chisel thrust didn't actually go through the bearings.

I haven't tried it, but a bearing splitter would probably be a better tool for that operation than a chisel.

Don't discount all of the features of the 10ER. It's table saw is probably the weakest function, but it is still a very functional saw. the horizontal boring is first class and worth it's weight in gold, the Drill press is awesome, the lathe is hard to beat, and the disk sander is outstanding.

Did I say that I really like the 10ER

Use all of it's configurations just to prove to yourself they are functional or not. Then, start looking for another Shopsmith to augment the 10ER (either another 10ER or a MV or M7)

Welcome to the club!

babieca wrote: 4. Drive spur is stuck on the spindle. I loosened the alan bolt and gave it a soaking with wd40, but it still won't budge. Is there something else I need to loosen? Also, how do I get the spindle out and install the drill chuck?

Another trick I've used for frozen metal to metal parts is to RAP the sides using a ball pein hammer. Just RAP, don't strike very hard. The metal of the hammer will set up vibrations that help free rust, etc.

How many raps? Quite a few.

Thanks for your advice, everyone. I'll keep posting in this thread as I go.

rjent wrote: Then, start looking for another Shopsmith to augment the 10ER (either another 10ER or a MV or M7)

Welcome to the club!

I'm already spilling into my wife's half of the garage. I was able to throw the family heirloom card for this one, but I don't think that will work again. I've got to pump out some more furniture before I can think about bringing another toy home.

babieca wrote:Thanks for your advice, everyone. I'll keep posting in this thread as I go.

rjent wrote: Then, start looking for another Shopsmith to augment the 10ER (either another 10ER or a MV or M7)

Welcome to the club!

I'm already spilling into my wife's half of the garage. I was able to throw the family heirloom card for this one, but I don't think that will work again. I've got to pump out some more furniture before I can think about bringing another toy home.

But Honey, when not in use, they only take up as much room as a bicycle .....

I'm going to back up what the others have said. The Model 10 is
REALLY a workhorse. (The factory STILL uses them to build the
current models!) As a lathe, or drill-press (either configuration)
the Model 10 is as good as you can get, in a Shopsmith. Disc sanding,
except for the small table, is the same as the others.

Except for the planer, I haven't seen ANY feature that can't be
adapted to fit the Model 10. And, if you get a DC conversion
motor, you (ALMOST) have the same features of the new M7.

steve

But Honey, when not in use, they only take up as much room as a bicycle ..... (Quoting Dick, from above.)

Realistically, each one takes up as much room as 2 bicycles, parked beside each other, front to back.

steve