Shopsmith Forums

Hello to all.

I am new to woodworking (only high school experience), Shopsmith and this forum. My father was into woodworking and when he retired he continued that hobby with a Mark 5. I was always impressed with what he could do with that machine.I recently retired and thought I would follow his lead.

In January I went to a live demo at Lowes and ended up buying a Mark 7. I also purchased the Starter Package and that is the problem. I still have not received the Starter Package. I have inquired by phone and via email several times and have gotten nowhere. Apparently the problem is with the chisels. There is a problem with the manufacturer/supplier and Shopsmith cannot get them. I have asked them to send everything else and then send the chisels later, or I could just buy other chisels. They refuse to do that, saying they "prefer not to break up a kit".

I know Shopsmith has a good customer service reputation, but I am totally frustrated. My Mark 7 is Mark 3 at this point (table saw, band saw, disc sander).

Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions? I don't want this experience to sour what I was hoping to be a long term hobby.

I have not had that sort problem and I don't think you should either.

However, I attempted to determine what is in the Starter Package other than chisels. A set of five chisels (505586) costs $101.91 while the Starter Package costs $478.3. What is that for. Maybe knowing the contents will explain why they won't ship. Is this what they used to refer to as "standard accessories" - push stick, push block, feather boards, etc.

At any rate, I would be a bit more firm with them and insist that they ship the available items.

If chisels are the only thing missing, you can begin to use the Mark 7 for everything other than turning. If there are other items missing - what can you not do.

Sure would like to see a list of what is in the "Starter Package".

The Starter Package includes:

3-3/4 Lathe Faceplate
Five piece lathe chisel set
Five piece brad point drill bit set
Six assorted 12" sandpaper discs
Five piece carbide tipped router bit set
Shopsmith shaper fence
Five piece shaper cutter set

Do you know if I can get the shaper fence separately? If so, I think I will just cancel my order, get a refund and buy the other items from other suppliers.

Thanks for your reply.

I had pretty much the same problem with the lathe chisels. I ordered my set in April of last year, and they were on back order. In June, they sent 4 of the 5, as the 1" gouge was still on back order. I finally received that chisel in December. Similarly, I ordered the bandsaw table upgrade (full system) at a Lowe's demonstration in January. Most of the parts were on back order, with anticipated availability dates getting pushed back and back and back. On 3/20, they shipped everything but the fence, which is still on back order, with the anticipated date of availability moving again from 3/31 to 4/14. We'll see what happens then.

While all this is fairly frustrating, it only seems to happen when I order larger items. The lathe chisels were a bit of a fluke. Everything else that I've ordered, from blades, bearings, and belts, to the sharpening guide all shipped within a few days of ordering. Additionally, SS has done a pretty decent job (IMO) of helping me out a bit with these delays. When my PP headstock took 2 months to ship, they sent me a $30 gift card, with the chisels, I got a pretty decent set of calipers thrown in.

Other than shipping costs, I don't know why they're giving you a run around about breaking up the order, but looking at what's included in the starter package, you're still able to do a LOT. Much more than your original post indicated. While you might have to buy some drill bits and sanding discs, those can be obtained pretty affordably at any home store. Then you've still got the 5 basic functions (which are pretty damn amazing), and the bandsaw. I'd suggest just giving SS a bit more time. I'm sure they'll make it up to you, and in the meantime, there's a lot about your machine to learn.

devyn59 wrote:The Starter Package includes:

3-3/4 Lathe Faceplate
Five piece lathe chisel set
Five piece brad point drill bit set
Six assorted 12" sandpaper discs
Five piece carbide tipped router bit set
Shopsmith shaper fence
Five piece shaper cutter set

Do you know if I can get the shaper fence separately? If so, I think I will just cancel my order, get a refund and buy the other items from other suppliers.

Thanks for your reply.

Sorry you are having problems. That is not something I have experienced. That looks to be a good deal when you add all the parts up. You can certainly piece all that out individually.

The lathe tools are OK but you can do better but will pay more. It is in the quality of the steel.

As for the sand paper I would go for the velcro system.

I would guess the shaper fence is part of the shaper package which includes a guard and insert. (unless those come with the Mark 7)

The drill bits I got with mine are old but exceptional. I don't know if they changed suppliers. I got the set up to 1" and it came in a wood box.

You might see if they would give you a discount on one order to create your own package.

Just some random thoughts.

My secondhand Shopsmith didn't come with any brad point drill bits. When I did my research, I found that Shopsmith's own bits were quite pricey, and some felt that their quality was not what it had been. Looking further, I found that a LOT of brad point bits were now made in China, and user reviews for them did not speak very highly of their quality.

I ended up buying an assortment of brad point bits from Lee Valley Tools. I am very impressed with them, and I got a better assortment and a better price than I could have gotten by going through Shopsmith.

Similarly, I would suggest looking elsewhere for router and shaper bits. These are not made by Shopsmith, but simply purchased by them. You can eliminate the middleman.

You could buy the other items in the starter package separately, if and when you find you need them.

NOTE: I am not anti-Shopsmith! Over the years, I have bought a LOT of stuff from them. I just think there are better places to look for bits.

Thanks to all of you for your input. It gives me a few things to think about.