Shopsmith Forums

Hi, I'm new to the forum, new ShopSmith owner, and relatively new to woodworking in general.

I bought an old 10ER off craigslist for what I think is a pretty good deal, I am at least the third owner. Everything works great so far, but I haven't tried to do too much with it yet.

My question is, how do I get all the parts to slide around smoothly? I looked through some posts on this forum and found the one for new owners. I had some paste wax lying around so I waxed everything that needed waxing but it still seems pretty difficult to move parts around. There isn't really any rust on the machine, so I'm a bit at a loss on what I should be doing to get it to move and I also don't really know how it should be expected to move. Any guidance is welcome!

How tough is it to move?
Are the clamps digging into ,,,,,,scratching,,,,,,the rails when you move it ?
be sure to blow the dust off and clean it up ,,especially any thing that moves or tightens after each use , it will last longer.

Usually wax is enough on my MKV.

dzawacki wrote:Hi, I'm new to the forum, new ShopSmith owner, and relatively new to woodworking in general.

I bought an old 10ER off craigslist for what I think is a pretty good deal, I am at least the third owner. Everything works great so far, but I haven't tried to do too much with it yet.

My question is, how do I get all the parts to slide around smoothly? I looked through some posts on this forum and found the one for new owners. I had some paste wax lying around so I waxed everything that needed waxing but it still seems pretty difficult to move parts around. There isn't really any rust on the machine, so I'm a bit at a loss on what I should be doing to get it to move and I also don't really know how it should be expected to move. Any guidance is welcome!

Congratulations on your purchase, , and welcome aboard.

There is a good thread specific to 10ER's that you will find helpful. (sadly it hasn't been made a "sticky") Everything E / ER - Technical info, documentation, links

Re the resistance to movement, check to see if there is a build up of old wax and crud inside the bores of the headstock and carriage (take them off the way tubes)

We would love to see photos of your prize and the accessories that came with it.

I'm not a 10ER enthusiast but much the same issue arise with the Mark V. Clean everything that you would like to be "friction free" with mineral spirits. You want to get rid of ALL that has accumulated on those surfaces. After cleaning, wipe it all off with a clean rag to remove any remaining residue and then wax with a light coat of "Johnsons Paste Wax". Then polish with a clean, soft cloth.

Thanks for all the quick feedback. I ran out today to get some mineral spirits but I haven't had the time to do a thorough cleaning of any of the parts yet. I'll report back once I have.

Paste wax is not all the same stuff. Auto paste wax is not good nor are any that have things in them to not make them slippery so look for original Johnson Paste wax not the new kind they sell for floors......

Ed

Good to know! I assumed all paste wax was created equal, or at least all Johnson's Paste Wax. I will double check what I have at home this evening and get the right stuff if I have the wrong stuff.

dzawacki wrote:Good to know! I assumed all paste wax was created equal, or at least all Johnson's Paste Wax. I will double check what I have at home this evening and get the right stuff if I have the wrong stuff.

You want a wax that is a Carnauba wax with no additives. Original Johnson's wax is that but there a few different brands that are the same. Minwax makes one and another one is Trewax.

Shopsmith is currently selling Trewax on the web site. Trewax is what I got with my brand new 510 in 1994.

Good news, I have the original Johnson's paste wax.

I'll have to wait a few more days to get around to a good cleaning. There's a long list of todo items and fixing a leak in the roof just got added.

I find a fine to medium coarseness steel wool to be very useful when cleaning up a Shopsmith.


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