Shopsmith Forums

I hope this it's not off topic. But how many outside repair services do you guys know of. I know Jacob has retired. And there's a authorized one. But who else?
Sorry if I ask to many questions but I like knowledge and want to learn

I don't know how many there are. Jacob's website is still up so is he still selling parts or is he fully retired now? I know of at least one other guy that supposedly does Shopsmith repair in NC. His website is linked below:

https://shopsmithrepair.com/

I've seen that guy he's o.j. YouTube James Hopp. He's factory authorized Theres another guy Alex who does it to guess that's it?

I believe James Hopp "WAS" an authorized repair service. I do not think SS is currently supporting any authorized
service.

And "battles"(?) hardware somewhere in CA.

MKC Tools offers Shopsmith repair services. I do not know anything about them.

http://www.mkctools.com/repair%20service.htm

More so an up grader than a repairer. i.e. a machinist.

If you can't drive to a repair shop with your headstock you'll have to add the cost of shipping to the parts and labor involved. That cost can be significant because headstocks are heavy.

DIY is an option for almost anyone. The repairs on a Shopsmith headstock could easily appear daunting to someone without relevant experience and the knowledge base available on this board. However, IMHO if you can set up, align, an use a Shopsmith then you can also repair it with the help provided here. I managed a few repairs with only the standard info Shopsmith can provide before I even came to this board.

In the worst cases of speed controller and/or motor damage you can often obtain a used headstock for the same kind of repair costs you'd face. And that used headstock would often be part of an entire used Shopsmith giving you an abundance of extra parts.

Battles Hardware in California has closed.

Skip Campbell at MKC Tools has parts for sale, some of which he has machined to replace OEM parts. He also did restorations mostly on Model 10's.

The only Authorized Service Center I know of is Shopsmith itself.

As Ed said you can do your own repairs. I agree it can be daunting at first. I felt that way the first time I took apart a Mark 5 headstock for a restoration but don't let it scare you. As you open it up study it to see how thing work. Compare parts in the headstock to the exploded parts diagram in the Manuals, supplements or online. See how the power goes from the motor to the quill and what makes the speed change. How the quill moves in and out of the headstock while still turning. Understanding how it all works will help when working on the headstock. Take plenty of pictures as you take it apart to help in reassembling it. Note anything that seems out of place. Example, loose parts in the bottom of the headstock. Lastly know we are always happy to help.

Alex did a repair for me a few years ago and his work was flawless. Right now, he has a two month backlog according to his site.

https://505smithrepair.com

I've visited James around Dec 2020. Pulled and pressed some bearings for me .
He still had his services running at that time.


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