Shopsmith Forums

Shopsmith asked me to write something for the Forum to help introduce you to the new DVDs that we have been working on and answer some of the questions you have posed. So here goes:.

A Video Owner’s Manual
Before the collapsing economy so rudely interrupted Shopsmith’s Hands Online! programs last autumn, Drew, Phil, and I were working towards creating a series of videos that – together – would serve as a manual for using, maintaining, repairing, and upgrading a Shopsmith Mark V. We released the first of these in September to help support the upgrade sale – Upgrading the Shopsmith Mark V, 500 to 510 to 510. (Not exactly a title that trips off the tongue, is it?)

About the same time, Shopsmith began to toss things overboard to better weather the coming economic storm. We, as you know, were among the toss-ees, although we were tossed in a most kind and gentle manner. Among the life-lines Shopsmith threw us was the ability to continue to use the video studio we had built. So Drew, Phil, and I decided that while the cameras were still warm, we would take a few weeks and record the remaining videos. That we did, and over the last few months I have been editing the footage in my spare time. The result is a complete “video manual” for Mark V owners – new owners, long-time owners, owners who are restoring a Mark V, owners who want to upgrade a Mark V, and owners who want to service their own Mark V.

There are seven DVDs in this line-up, counting the “Upgrade” video released in September. Shopsmith, for good reason, has decided to release the remaining videos singly or in pairs. Recording and editing are only a small part of the work that must be done to bring a video to market, and Shopsmith hasn’t the manpower to put all of them out at once. So Mark V Essentials, Volumes 1 and 2, were released last week and there will be more to come (I hope). I tell you this in the strictest of non-confidence and ask you please not to pester the good people in Shopsmith Customer Service as to when others will be released. If I were in Bob’s shoes, I’d want to see how well the “Essentials” videos sold before I decided whether or not the others were worth the effort in this hostile economy.

What’s In the Videos?
Each DVD contains one to two hours of live demonstrations by yours truly (Nick Engler) and can be viewed in three different formats:
• On your television with a DVD player
• On your computer with a DVD drive
• On your iPod or MP4 player
The MP4-compatible vids are “podcasts.” I know this won’t carry much weight with those of you who haven’t yet been stricken with the iPod plague, but I bought one to research the podcast market last year and I’ve grown to love it. I'm completely brainwashed, no doubt.

Additionally, all but the “Upgrade” video disc contains printed reference materials in PDF format that you can read on any computer with a DVD drive or print out on any computer with a printer. These reference materials not only enhance the information that is presented in the videos, they expand upon it so the sum total of the information you get is much more complete and detailed than what we could present on video alone. A good example is the DVDs that deals with maintenance and repairs. It would take thirty hours or more to tape every single repair procedure for all the Mark Vs and the three different headstocks we have manufactured over the last sixty years. So Drew, Phil, I and carefully chose some common repair procedures that – taken together – show you how to completely disassemble and reassemble your Mark V, as well as how to deal with the differences between headstocks. Then I put together a complete Mark V Service Manual, including all the procedures we couldn’t show on video, and encoded it in PDF format. With Acrobat Reader (available for free with many programs as well as on the Internet), you can read the manual on your computer. You can also print out just the pages you need and take them with you to your shop.

What Topics are Covered?
That depends on the video, and in order to answer this question completely I have to divulge the titles of those videos that Shopsmith has not yet released. I don’t see any harm in doing so, but I have to remind you not to bother Customer Service about them. If the video isn’t in the online catalogue, it hasn’t been released. If it isn’t in the catalogue six months from now, it probably won’t be.

Mark V Essentials, Volumes 1 and 2
The first two videos comprise an expanded owner’s manual. I wrote my first Shopsmith owner’s manuals in the early 1980s when I had been working with the machine for just a few years. This is the updated version after another quarter-century of experience. I begin by giving you my own skewed vision of this tool not so much as a 5-in-1 multipurpose tool, but as a reasonably complete woodworking system that can be configured to perform hundreds of woodworking tasks. I believe the way I put it on the video is that the Mark V is “an overgrown erector set,” although this is faint praise. Then I take you through all five “modes” – table saw, drill press, horizontal boring machine, disc sander, and lathe. I don’t stick to just the standard accessories; I also show many of the optional accessories I consider to be exceptionally useful and capable. The videos finish up with an incredibly complete demo of the cleaning, lubrication, and preventive maintenance owners should do from time to time. Who needs it: New owners (especially owners who have purchased a used machine with missing or outdated manuals), long-time owners who want to learn some new tricks, owners who would like a review of some of the info presented in our Traveling Academy.

Critical Alignments for the Mark V
In the video, I demonstrate the five most critical alignments you need to make your Mark V safe, accurate, and efficient. This includes aligning the main table to both the saw blade and the drill chuck, aligning the miter gauge and fence to the main table, and aligning the extension table and auxiliary tables to the main table. In the reference material, I’ve included a 98-point checklist (expanded from the owner’s manual I wrote so long ago) that gives you step-by-step instructions for aligning or adjusting every single part of the Mark V that can be aligned or adjusted. Who needs it: New owners, owners who want increased precision, owners who want to know the reasons behind these critical alignments and adjustments.

Mark V Maintenance and Repair, Volumes 1 and 2
These two volumes begin with a review of the three Mark V headstocks Shopsmith has manufactured since 1953 and how the repair procedures differ for each one. Then I literally turn the Mark V inside out as I show you how to make the most common repairs on the headstock, the table, and the carriage. These include replacing and tensioning the belts and the quill, repairing and adjusting the speed changer, replacing and servicing the locks for the headstock and the carriage, how to replace both the old toggle switch and the newer safety switch, and lots more. The reference materials include a 114-page service manual and troubleshooting guide that I brought together from several sources to make a complete reference on how to repair the Mark V Model 500 as well as the 510/520. Even if you opt to send your machine back to Shopsmith for major repairs, this will help you get your Mark V running when something minor goes wrong. Who needs it: Both new and long-time owners than want to keep their machines running like clockwork, and owners who are restoring a used Mark V.

Restoring a Mark V
Unlike so many machines that are designed for planned obsolescence and have a limited lifespan, you can keep a Mark V running for generations. Even the oldest, most neglected machine can be brought back to working order then upgraded to perform better than new. In this video, I take a 1964 Mark V “Goldie”, strip it down for a thorough inspection, decide which parts to replace an what to keep, then put the machine back together so it runs like the day it left the factory. The reference materials include two extensive checklists – one to help you find a bargain when you go looking for a used Mark V, and the other to perform a thorough inspection -- what to look for once you get your used machine home and before you turn it on for the first time. I also show you the various levels of upgrades that are available, should you want to improve the performance of a used machine. Who needs it: Would-be owners looking for a used machine, new owners who restoring or upgrading used machines, long-time owners considering upgrading their older machines.

Upgrading Your Shopsmith Mark V, 500 to 510 to 520
This is the DVD we introduced last September. In this video, I first show you step-by-step how to upgrade a Mark V Model 500 to a Model 510. Then I take that Model 510 to a 520. Along the way, I discuss the reasons behind many of the improvements that have been made to the Mark V over the last sixty years. Who needs it: New and long-time owners who are upgrading a Mark V, owners considering an upgrade.

And there you have it. The first three DVDs on this list – Mark V Essentials 1 and 2, Critical Alignments – form an extended owner’s manual. The next two – Maintenance and Repairs 1 and 2 – make up your service manual. The last two – Restoring and Upgrading – show how to revive a neglected Mark V and bring it into the 21rst century.

Continued in Part 2

Is This Information Available in the Sawdust Sessions?
Some of the topics – use, repairs, alignment, maintenance – are the same. For the most part, however, the information in the videos is greatly expanded from what you will find online.

Our original plan was to include all of the video segments in Sawdust Sessions, then re-edit and repackage them in DVDs on the appropriate topics. We had begun doing that with the “Restoration” DVD when the economy tanked and we closed down the Sawdust Sessions. So some of the segments in that video are borrowed from last two Sawdust Sessions. We would have like to have borrowed more, but there were “technical issues.” Let me explain:

We first began webcasting on the thinnest of shoe strings. There was no budget for professional equipment. Our sound equipment was years-old stuff the salesmen had once used; the cameras were first generation digital-to-8mm tape. We did not have a proper sound stage or the ability to record DVD-quality video until just a few months before we had to shut down. So anything we might have borrowed from the vast majority of the Sawdust Sessions had to be reshot to upgrade the audio and video quality. Those segments that we did reshoot, such as the “Table Alignment” segment in the “Alignment” video, were enlarged and changed to answer questions and include information that we had garnered since the original recording. Even those few segments that we did borrow are upgraded from what you can see online. There is over four times the video resolution that is available in Shopsmith’s streaming Internet videos, and the sound has been remastered and compressed to increase its clarity.

For the most part, however, the segments in these videos are completely new.

Are These the Same as the VBooks?
No. Each of the VBooks was to be built around the original Sawdust Sessions, adding and expanding the information to add value and create a marketable product. These new DVDs do not cover the same information nor are they organized in the same way as the VBooks.

While I am on the subject of the VBooks, I owe some of you an apology and explanation. When first conceived, the VBooks were a way for Shopsmith to salvage the early Sawdust Sessions and either sell them or use them as a sales incentive, much in the way the old Hands On! CDs are used. We added a good deal of both print and graphic information to increase the educational value. It took Drew and I several months to work out the coding and the structure, and when we had then first example we thought it would be relatively easy to pour the remaining Sawdust Sessions into the mold. Based on our optimistic appraisal, Shopsmith advertised the first six VBooks.

There is an old adage in the aircraft restoration industry that dictates, “When you think your project is 95% complete, you have 95% to go.” And that is what happened to us. First of all, there were some “standards compliance” issues with the coding. These were easy to change but time-consuming to track down. Secondly, the additional print and graphics took a great deal of effort to generate – they couldn’t just be “poured into the mold.” And finally, the video and sound quality on the earliest video segments was so bad that we couldn’t let them out the door with our names on them. They had to be re-recorded.

Drew and I had all of this to do at the same time we were trying to organize and produce two new Academy classes and an Owner’s Weekend. We brought Phil on to help man the oars, but there was still too much for three people. We had just decided to only produce only one Sawdust Session a month to give ourselves time to complete the VBooks when Treasury Secretary Paulson announced the end of the world as we know it.

I’m still working on the VBooks as time allows, keeping in mind that time must also allow me to do things that generate an income. But those of you who ordered them will get them, along with my apologies.

Are These DVDs Worth the Money?
If you are a reasonably confident craftsman, you are comfortable with your Mark V, and you’re happy with the results you’re getting from it; then, no, they aren’t worth it. For the most part, this is basic information that you probably already know.

If you are new to woodworking or Mark V ownership, if there are some basics you don’t yet understand, if you don’t feel safe or comfortable when using your Mark V, if you are getting poor results when you use it, if you have problems that you can’t pin down; if you want to repair a damaged or worn Mark V, if you want to restore a neglected or incomplete Mark V, if you want to upgrade your Mark V to improve your woodworking experience, or if you think you just might be able to learn something new no matter what your level of know-how, then I think you’ll find the videos provide equal or better value for the price.

Any More Questions?
I’ll try to check back here once every few days or so for the next two weeks to answer any questions you may have on the new videos. If you need to contact me after that, e-mail me at nick@workshopcompanion.com. The web site to which that refers – http://www.workshopcompanion.com – is not yet uploaded; but I’ll post an invitation here when it is.

With all good wishes,

Thanks for the info Nick.
As a novice these will be a huge help.
Your tip on using the 520 rip fence is something I use each time I rip material, you were dead on right, as you usually are.

Thanks Nick!

I do have one question. If I am interested in learning to do any or all repairs to the Shopsmith Headstock. Is the "Mark V Maintenance and Repair, Volumes 1 and 2" going to be a repeat of the same info as the "Restoring a Mark V" will give?
In other words to repair the headstock do I need Vol 1,2 and the restore video?

Inevitably, Cinci, there is some crossover in these videos, but it is minimal. The "Restoration" video focuses on finding a good used Shopsmith, diagnosing problems in a neglected machine, dealing with rust and corrosion, and the many options available for upgrading an older machine. The "Maintenance and Repairs" video is all about fixing the machine. If you are restoring an older Mark V and it needs a lot of repairs, having all three videos would be a big help. If you just want to know how to repair the machine you already have, you just need the two "Maintenance and Repair" videos. I might add that you get the Service Manual only with the "Maintenance and Repair" vids.

With all good wishes,

Thank you, Nick, for your time and your answers to the many questions that this clears.

THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THESE VIDEOS ARE WORTH IT but just like Shopsmith, I too am weathering a financial storm and must be very selective in where the discretionary funds are spent.

I only hope that they will still be available when this recession is over and it will be over. Who will be Making Sawdust and helping others do the same when that time comes is yet to be seen. I will buy them all, if they are, as a legacy to go with my shop.

I know you shall be "Working Hard To Be My Lifetime Woodworking Partner".

Dusty

Thanks for the info., Nick!

It certainly clears up many of the questions I had about the DVDs. Hopefully I can work them into my budget at some point in the near future.

No, Bob, the Hands Online! videos do not concentrate on the Model 520. I believe that in the "Essentials" videos, I show the 520 in most of the set-ups; but these would be exactly the same whether I was using a 500, 510, or 520. Where it makes a difference, I show the all the relevant machines. For example, in one of the "Maintenance and Repairs" videos, I show how to disassemble and replace parts in the table carriage. The procedures are slightly different for the 500 carriage and the 510/520 carriage. So I have both carriages on the workbench and show how to perform the repairs on each in turn.

With all good wishes,

Well, folks, I just checked the E-mail Specials and I guess Shopsmith decided to release all of the DVDs. I guess Bob liked the way the "Essentials" videos were selling. Here are the links:

Mark V Essentials, Volume 1: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC33.htm

Mark V Essentials, Volume 2: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC34.htm

Critical Alignments for the Mark V: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC37.htm

Maintaining and Repairing the Mark V, Volume 1: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC35.htm

Maintaining and Repairing the Mark V, Volume 2: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC36.htm

Restoring a Shopsmith Mark V: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/specials/6HC38.htm

Upgrading Your Shopsmith Mark V: Couldn't find a link to this. Maybe someone else knows where it is. The part number is #522546.

With all good wishes,