Shopsmith Inc. quality of sources

[benjamin]

I think it is fair to say that Shopsmith tools have a reputation for quality. I believe that reputation was first built by Magna Engineering and Magna Corporation. That reputation and the customer base is one of the things that made the Shopsmith Inc. revival viable. The tools' have continued to enjoy a reputation of quality and because they continue to this day to be made in the U.S., people perceive their quality is more trustworthy than that of tools that are manufacturered offshore for cost-cutting reasons. As a result, Shopsmith prices are able to be kept higher than comparable import tools because there is a demand. But is perception reality in this case?

I recently began rebuilding a first-year Shopsmith Inc. Mark V. The serial number is in the 2500's. Now if I understand Shopsmith tool history, Shopsmith Inc. was a startup based on the acquisition of Magna Corporation's tooling. The tooling was there, but what about the know-how? What about the materials and parts sources? What about the manufacturing process? Could Shopsmith Inc. take Magna's tooling and start building Shopsmiths as well as Magna had been? If they had no inventory control, I wonder what their quality control was like. And was the Mark V really an improvment on the 10ER or did it ultimately comprise cost-cutting design with cheaper materials and manufacturing processes?

When I took apart my early Shopsmith Inc. Mark V, I found Japanese bearings. In the early '70's, that was junk, imported to cut costs. I doubt Shopsmith Inc. obtained those bearings from Magna. Instead, they sourced cheap stuff.

My Mark V was missing a few of the bolts that hold the bench assembly to the legs. I ordered them from Shopsmith Inc. Instead of the slot-head countersunk bolts and square nuts of the original, I paid Shopsmith Inc. prices to get zinc-plated Chinese junk.

I also ordered a replacement quadrant assembly for the speed control. You know, the one that's on the 17 most frequently-ordered parts list because it's easy to get "boogered up." The new one came same as the old: die-cast pot-metal junk. Most US manufacturers producing a rack and pinion part like this today would use CNC machining, but Shopsmith Inc. apparently still does it the way everyone else has outsourced to China.

Ok, so I'm probably ranting now but I would like to believe I have a tool that was made with integrity in a shelter from the machinations of globalized financial capital, cost-cutting CEOs and unaccountable financiers. What I have seen is the same-ole same-ole. Was it always a myth?

[ldh]

You can still get the parts to repair Mark Vs built in the 50s from Shopsmith and if you have to have a little better bearing you can find them. My mid 50s Mark V still performs beautifully on the parts that Shopsmith sends me. I wish Shopsmith would start selling parts for my old Craftsman saw then I could repair it and send it to a new home.
ldh

[nuhobby]

Just a quick ironic note. My 2nd acquired machine ('81 500) differed from my main machine (newer 510) in having countersunk type bolts and square nuts to join the legs to the base castings. I actually liked the newer bolts better (bolts that go on flat surfaces), so I filled the '81-machine countersunk holes with J-B Weld and sanded them flat and re-painted the castings. I put brand-new Shopsmith bolts and nuts and I'm fat/dumb/happy.

Seriously though, I think some things improved from '81 to late-vintage machines. The lathe tools on the new one are clearly heftier, regardless where they were made. I think the new lathe tool rest is heftier too. And there is no contest between a 500 carriage and the newer carriages.

The whole China syndrome isn't going to last much longer with High Seas Shipping charges going up with oil costs....

[RobertTaylor]

if your 50's vintage machine had japanese bearings in it my best guess is that someone has already replaced them. i have two 50's machine's and they have fafnir 205k bearings clearly marked "made in usa". i hope that bill mayo jumps in here as he has many more apart than i. bob

[cincinnati]

The new one came same as the old: die-cast pot-metal junk.

Oh no. You say my Shopsmith is only going to last me a lifetime instead of two lifetimes? I better call and get a refund. LOL!!!!

Seriously-I don't think you can call a part junk if it last most people 20 years or more. How many company's still make replacement parts for a tool made since the 1950's? I had a mower that was less than 10 years old and I could not get part one for it.

[a1gutterman]

Some of the SS cast parts do seem to be "light weight" but I think that is exactly what they wanted: less weight. Seems like most of the parts last a good long time and they are replaceable, unlike most other company's machines. If you are reading this Nick, can you reiterate that the cast parts ARE made in America?

...The parts of the Shopsmith are all made in America, and most of them within spitting distance of Dayton, Ohio. We support our own when we can. At the present time, the only tool that we sell that is partly made offshore is the overarm router. The supplier of the plastic castings is an American company, but they have farmed out our particular job to Taiwan.

at this thread: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=1646&page=4

[Nick]

Yes, they are cast in America. And a few more things: For most of the twentieth century, Dayton was the third largest manufacturing center in America, behind Detroit and Flint. We pioneered four industries -- automobile, aerospace, refrigeration, and business machines. Together those now account for about a third of the global GNP. So we have more than enough talent in this town to nail together a few power tools. Seventies-vintage Japanese bearings were never junk; since before that time Rolls-Royce Allison and General Electric have been relying on them for jet engines because of their superior quality. Our F-15s, F16s, F-18s, and F22As all fly on Japanese bearings. As for boogered-up speed changers, those parts are many times stronger than they need to be for heavy use. They get boogered up because people either (1) don't clean and lubricate them, or (2) attempt to turn them while the machine is not running. And we provide plenty of literature on the proper maintenance and operation of the speed changer.

The long and the short of it is that wherever Shopsmith's parts may be made, we put together a machine of high enough quality to last the working lifetime of most owners.

With all good wishes,

[greitz]

The long and the short of it is that wherever Shopsmith's parts may be made, we put together a machine of high enough quality to last the working lifetime of most owners.

Amen to that, Nick! I'm sure that my Shopsmith's parts will be in a lot better shape than my own in 50 years!

Gary

[gregf]

The long and the short of it is that wherever Shopsmith's parts may be made, we put together a machine of high enough quality to last the working lifetime of most owners.

Actually as we are seeing with the many second generation owners, Shopsmiths will last the working lifetime of more than one owner.

[Nick]

"...die-cast pot-metal junk..."

Just to clear up another misconception: There is no pot metal in the Mark V speed changer. All the parts are cast from a state-of-the-metallurgical-art aluminum alloy chosen for its durability and lubricity. The company that makes them, by the way, is Apex of Piqua, Ohio, USA.

With all good wishes,