Shopsmith Forums

If you want to get to the end of the story just scroll down... you will find pictures... if you like to read stories then keep reading.

I grew up in the northwoods of WI in a small town. The sub-culture in these places has this underlying theme that if you survive you have made a success of your life. Life is a struggle and you live it that way. You make do with what you have and share when you can. If your uncle has a chain saw then the whole family has one, and it's the one he has. As a result of this people exchange things, or barter or borrow. If you can't do any of that then you make your own, often of parts from who ever.

A lot of this has changed over the years and rich people said I love it here and spent their money to live in this wonderful spot... and then proceeded to change it so it was more like back it in the city where they use to live??????

That's the back ground. Now I was up on a visit and one of the things happening during the visit was a car show. My brother has a couple of cars and he and his buddies get together and venture off in there old cars for a day of meeting more old buddies and checking out what is new at the show. The show this time was sponcered by some local charity, so they had food, crafts, car show, and what we use to call a white elephant sale.

Towards the end of the day we decide to see what might be left at the sale... especially since they had announced that everything was half price. So we are looking around and my brother spots this "table saw". I wanted to fight him for it but he is my older brother and he did spot it first... We look at it and the price is $1.00! Need less to say for 50 cents it had to come home with us.

I think it was like old home week... the way the saw was put together, the look of it sure reminded us of years gone buy. This could have been in one of our uncles shops, setting under a lean too at one of the resorts... heck it could be family.

So I'm going to show you a few pictures. Take note of the method of mounting the motor... note the method of mounting of the saw, take note of the electical, the more modern stand it sits on... the motor... What you can't see is the pulley is adjustable, yes it can have the belt deep in the groove, and depending on how much it is tightened it climbs up... yes it is varible speed! Ok it doesn't change much but it does change. It even came with a saw guard!

I just see one of my uncles looking at all these parts and then coming up with a plan... yep that looks and feels like home. You might now guess why I looked at those new shopsmiths in the back of magazines and saw such possiblility.

Enjoy if you can:
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ed

These could be pictures from the Saturday Post.

I love that motor mount idea. I'll keep that in mind. I have an old Craftsman Table Saw that needs to be rejuvenated.

It is not near as classic as this though.

Darn, the miter bar is too narrow to be used on the Mark V.

Wish I had that modern 6 gallon wire milk crate. Good way to tote things.

I think I forgot to mention it actually runs and cuts wood... could use a new blade and it is too bad it as no rip fence... well that is what you get for 50 cents these days.

Keep in mind the saw sat almost the whole day with a $1 price tag and no one purchased it!!!!

Must have been mostly city folks shopping... I should talk I've been living in the city since 1973. (You can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy or however that goes).


Ed

When is the NEXT Sale?????:D

I wood say that your brother got a good deal! Thanks for sharing.

Ed,

The photos reminded me of a saw that was sold years ago by a company called American Machine and Tool (AMT). If my memory serves me correctly, if you purchased their saw they also included a set of plans for a wooden base cabinet with a plywood top that the saw would drop into to give the owner "all the advantages of an expensive cabinet saw". I visited their facility in Royersford, PA many years ago.

Thanks for sharing the story,

Dennis

Looks like one spectacularly dangerous piece of machinery.... I WANT ONE!

Looking at this thing, I am reminded of my dad and his penchant for "cobbling" things. He made a table saw out of an old desk and a skill saw, by cutting hole in the top of the desk and mounting the saw from the bottom. ( from a Mechanics Illustrated Mag plan I think) . He also had a powered recipricationg saw to cut fire wood logs. It ran off of an electric motor. It was all wood except the blade and the slides for the arm. It was as some one said a spectacularly dangerous thing. Although once it had a grove ( kerf would be to fine a word to use) it would cut through a big log in a hurry. Dad, like so many of the WWII vets made a habit of thrift, but having survived the pacific war, felt nothing was really to dangerous!! ( I would love to have a picture of these two monsters):)

A bit of MDF and a couple clamps, BINGO! Rip fence!
I used to like going to the local community sales in central Il. You could find treasures to tinker with.
The good ole days indeed!