Shopsmith Forums

This originated in a discussion in the Facebook Shopsmith Community and I brought the discussion here.

These are my thoughts on Rebuilt vs Refurbished or Restored

Rebuilt - bringing a non-working machine with non-functioning, broken parts and assemblies, from a rusted non-moving condition to a working condition that allows machine to function again by replacing non-serviceable parts with new or used parts required. Aesthetically it will not have to have paint and finish of a new or well maintained machine but it should provide years of trouble-Free use if protected from the elements, used in the manner the OEM intended.

Refurbished - bringing a working machine that still performs all functional operations to a higher near original state by replacing any materially worn consumable components with new parts while performing all routine maintenance. These would include belts, or bearings where needed. It would include the waxing and protection of the overall machine.

Restoration - would be the most inclusive top to bottom replacements of mechanisms and assemblies with new parts and assemblies, repairing every cosmetic fit and finish to the visual and functional appearance of a new machine.

Then there’s Restored and Upgraded which includes the elements of Restoration plus adds the current production components of later model machines to include those production changes made through the years.

Using the Automotive analogy there are also machines that have been Modified, Altered, Etc indicating significant divergence from OEM.

A machine converted to a dedicated drill press, extended bed, shortened bed, powered by a DC, variable speed Treadmill motor comes to mind.

There are Hybrid versions out there as well that contain parts from two or more vintages of machines. A 1980’s Mark V repainted as a Greenie, or Goldie come to mind. A Power Pro Headstock can be fitted to 1954 and up Greenies, 1960’s Goldie’s, 1970’s Gray Crinkle finish or later Gray hammer-tone units. They could be a replacement headstock, a headstock sent in and Upgraded by Shopsmith or a DIY Power Pro upgrade. Worse, there were significant numbers of low quality foreign clones that appeared as Shopsmith’s, but weren’t.

It’s why I rewrote Nick Engler’s text only Buying a Used Shopsmith document into a version two edition with extensive additions of photographs, many hot-linked back to the forum threads where they first appeared.

It’s also why I authored the original Shopsmith Bearing Guide and the Got Rust documents that appears under folders at My Google Drive. There is a lot more there as well.

Yes I am still working on my Shopsmith book.

Yes 2020 should produce my Shopsmith Motor Guide.

Yes I am still restoring early Magna and Shopsmith manuals, articles, and advertising with the communities help and submissions

And Yes, the above are my opinions not the Gospel according to Everett.

Maybe I need to write a companion guide for restoring them and flesh out with many of your help a glossary of the terms we can largely agree upon.

Meet me in the Shopsmith Forums and we can collaborate on that last topic. You will need to join if not a member, but there is no cost and finding things in the Forums some find far easier than on a Facebook timeline

Kindest Regards,

Everett L. Davis - AKA ShopsmithHistorian.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 39#p185690

Everett,

I can agree with your definitions for Rebuilt, Refurbished or Restored. I use the term Restored in the ads when selling the Model 10's and some of the Mark 5's I have restored because as per the definition you give that is what has been done to them. When resold they have all the parts included that they came with from the factory. Sometimes a challenge to get all of them for the Model 10's. There have been a couple of times they were like items. On one I used a current Drill Chuck instead of the Model 10 version of the Jacobs 3326 comes to mind. There was also a Model 10E with the metal extension upgrade instead of the wood one that a previous owner had changed. I guess I should have listed that one as Restored and Upgraded.

I Refurbished a 1983 Mark V which is how I listed it when I sold it. All the painted surfaces were touched up as needed and parts replaced as needed to have a tool as it originally came from the factory with all parts it originally came with. One of the parts replaced was the main table and insert. The picture below shows why.
The insert is ready to break in half.

Let me know when you are ready for more of the Mark 5 Manuals for restoration.

Reminds me of restoring old guns , had a fella want to argue with me once at a gun show that a gun isn't worth anything if it was restored or refinished , for the life of me he would't stop following me around ,you can only be polite for so long ,it was one of he old 22 I restored several years ago , finally I just told him that I understood if he couldn't afford the gun , that it wasn't for any one , and that it was being offered as a restored piece not factory new or museum condition , even though it was as close to factory specs as the factory made it , and that a rusted piece wasn't worth anything to some one who wants to use it instead of putting it on a shelf to say look at me and what I have , I also brought to his attention that a non restored one of the same model being offered by others my asking price was more then generous , he finally left me alone and I ended up trading the thing for more then I was asking . to me restored and rebuilt means that it has been brought back from the grave to reasonable accuracy and operation and to safe working condition . JMO