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I have learned a lot about the Mark 2 doing this restoration. Before I even began really working on parts besides some disassembly, I had purchased two Mark 2 mostly complete units and had also acquired some extra parts including an additional headstock with motor. The first Mark 2 was serial number 82268 and the second is serial number 84221. The extra Headstock is serial number 85959. These serial numbers will come into play as we go along.

Both of my Mark 2’s have the metal bench tubes and metal base frames. On the one I just finished restoring the bench tubes were bare metal and were a bit rusty while the other unit has silver painted metal bench tubes like Mark 5 Greenies. I don’t know if the paint was original from the factory which would be a change from the earlier bare metal bench tubes. Something to note is there were also Mark 2’s with wood bench rails instead of the metal tubes.

The importance of the serial numbers and why I have an extra headstock is the original headstock S/N 82268 (in the picture below) had at some point the switch replaced with a common household light switch which required making a rectangular hole and 2 screw holes. I didn’t want that for my finished restoration. This changed the finished Mark 2 to serial number 85959 although most of the other parts are from the original unit. Why is this important? If there were changes in the Mark 2 between S/N 82268 and S/N 85959 than those changes will not be reflected in my now S/N 85959 Mark 2. While working on restoring this Mark 2 I found out the Logo/Serial Number Plate on the headstock is simply glued in place so I could have switched the plates and kept the original serial number but if you look at the plate on the original headstock S/N 82268 you can see a previous owner “stamped” some numbers and letters, likely to identify it, across the top of the plate. I didn’t want that either so now it is serial number 85959 from the extra Headstock I purchased.

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Other than the headstock this first one I purchased S/N 82268 was in better condition than the second Mark 2 I purchased S/N 84221. The second one was more complete than the first one having all of it’s original parts except the miter. As I said before the Mark 2 now S/N 85959 used mostly the original parts from S/N 82268 except I replaced the missing parts which includes the Miter and Table Riser Crank Extension. I don’t believe either of these parts changed during the Mark 2’s production.

Something I have noticed when looking at Mark 2’s for sale is the parts that are included or more accurately the parts that are not included in the sale. Commonly missing are the Tailstock Assembly, Miter, Belt Cover, Table Riser Crank and especially the Crank’s Extension. The Belt Cover is fairly thin molded plastic and, if found on one, tends to be brittle. It is easily damaged and most were likely thrown away after breaking. The Tailstock Assembly is a small part that clamps on to the extension Table to hold the lathe center. Small enough to easily be misplaced. The Table Riser Crank Extension is a spacer that goes over the end of the crank and once separated from the Mark 2 could end up lost in miscellaneous parts with the Tailstock Assembly. Why the Miter is missing from many Mark 2’s for sale simply puzzles me but happens. Both Mark 2’s I purchased were missing the Miter but the second one S/N 84221 still had a Miter Safety Grip with it.

Here is some history I know about the Shopsmith Mark 2.

It was made for a short time from 1958 to 1960.

Introduced in December of 1957 by Magna Power Tool Corporation. This unit was made at Montgomery Ward’s request and sold primarily by them. It was not made to the same quality standards as the Mark 5 and was a lower cost alternative while still providing the same five functions. It has an 8” saw blade capacity instead of the 9” saw blade of the Mark 5 at the time. It is a Lathe but with a shorter length capacity. A 12” Disk Sander, Drill Press and Horizontal Boring Machine. The Mark 2 uses a ½ HP or optional ¾ HP motor while the Mark 5 had a ¾ HP motor that later changed to a 1-1/8 HP motor but after Mark 2 production ended. It uses two 2-step pulleys (a 2”/3” and a 3”/4”) to change the 7 speeds much like the Model 10E and 10ER instead of the variable speed of the Mark 5. The Way Tubes are shorter at 48” long.

An interesting feature of the Mark 2 is the Headrest which is a pin-able version of the Base and Arm which functions much like the newer Mark 7 Double Tilt feature. It has lower quality locks to hold the headstock, carriage, etc. in place. They work like the locks found on the Model 10’s but are made of lower quality materials and finish. It has an extra saw blade slot on the main table (a feature added to the Mark 5 in the 1960’s and 1970’s). Some Mark 2’s had round metal bench tubes while others had rounded top rails made out of wood to connect the bench ends and legs together. It could be purchased with or without the bench. Instructions included making your own wood bench.

The Miter looks similar but is different than the Mark 5’s as it has no angle stops and a shorter bar without the lock to hold it in place in the table slot. The Mark 2 Miter can use the Safety Grip as an option. It has a narrow step shape extension table that creates its own fence and serves as the tailstock with a small block attachment.

There are very few individual parts that are interchangeable with the Mark 5. The Mark 5 Headstock will fit on the Mark 2 frame. Even the table system can be changed to the Mark V or 7’s. The Mark 2 can also hold and power Add-a-tools later known as Special Purpose Tools made for the Mark 5/V’s and Mark VII/7’s. It has only one hub for powering SPT’s so different length posts may be needed for some SPT’s. It started out with the “Greenie” colors and later changed to gray.

At the time of its introduction the Mark 2 was priced at $179.90 (less bench and motor) compared to the Mark 5 at $329.50. The Bench legs with tubes cost $19.95 and the ½ HP motor was $34.95 making the total for a Mark 2 to be comparably equipped to the Mark 5 at $234.80 and still considerably less than the Mark 5.

The Mark 2 works more like it’s a Model 10 trying to look more like a Mark 5.

At some point it was sold with a Montgomery Wards Powr-Kraft label replacing the Shopsmith logo/serial number plate. The Powr-Kraft Mark 2 had a variable speed pulley system that works similar to the Model 10E & 10ER Speed Changer.

Back to the restoration information.

Some of the things I learned restoring this Mark 2 is they truly were a low-cost alternative to the Mark 5. As an example, the rip fence casting is very thin at 3/32” thick for the face and can be easily bent. The thickness for the face on a Mark 5 or V 500 fence is 1/8”. Both fences I have from the two Mark 2’s I bought have fence damage. One had wood blocks inserted in the underside to keep the face straight and not bending inward. The other has a crack in the face and both, oddly enough, have a broken off piece of the casting in the same place. One was missing parts for the locking mechanism. The Belt Cover could have been sturdier with a thicker casting than the 3/32” plastic walls used. This would likely have made them less susceptible to damage and still fit with the extra thickness going to the outside dimensions.

I added a pair of retractable casters which helps with a problem on the bench legs. Adding something to the legs near the bottom helps keep them from spreading outward. Something I had seen in both Mark 2’s I purchased. The retractable casters for the Mark 2 use the same parts as the ones for the Mark 5 except the Drive Rod which the cams & foot pedal wheel mounts to and Tie Rod are about 2” shorter. Anyone not finding the retractable casters to add to their Mark 2 might consider adding a cross brace between the legs near the bottom front to back on each end. A pair of Mark 5 retractable casters could be modified by drilling new holes in the end of the tie rod and drive rod 2” in from the existing holes for the bracket and cam and cutting off the excess 2” of the rods.

Right now, my second Mark 2 S/N 84221 is disassembled and stored. It was not in as good of condition as the other one. The carriage has a crack around one of the table post holes. The fence rail for the main table is bent and the fence is missing parts. This has left me with the decision of what to do to remedy this. Since it is difficult to find Mark 2 parts for sale, I am currently considering using a Mark 5/V 500 table system on it that I have. The good news is the Headstock and Table systems of the Mark 2 and Mark 5 are interchangeable. The Mark 2 can use the Mark 5 tailstock and may be included in this modified Mark 2. Another problem with it is the belt cover having more damage than the other one I have and will take a lot of “plastic” work to fix it if I am even able too since it is very brittle. This Mark 2 will be sold after restoration so I want to try to keep costs down but I still expect to be in the red when it is sold. Oh well hobbies do cost money but for most of my restorations I am able to break even or sometimes better.

sweeeet!

Nice looking rehab, you're not going to sell your new baby are you?

stew,

This one I plan on keeping but the other Mark 2 I will sell.

I will post more detailed information about the Mark 2 this week and more pictures.

Just gorgeous Russ. No matter what condition it came in, that's what a new Mark 2 would have looked like in the eyes of it's original owner. These restorations are important to me, I'm more about function than appearance in the real world, but the beautiful work you and other restorers have done allow me to see in reality the idealized images that would only exist in my mind otherwise.

Please reveal the table riser crank EXTENSION.

As I promised here is some additional and more detailed information about the Mark 2. As I compare the Mark 2 to the Model 10E and 10ER I will use just Model 10ER for simplicity. For comparisons to the Mark 5 or Mark V 500 I will use just Mark 5 since the Mark 2 and Mark 5 are from the same era. For those not as familiar with the change of the Mark 5 going to Mark V and later Mark V 500 they are basically the same tool but in 1980 the number 5 changed to the Roman Numeral V on the tools themselves. With the introduction of the Mark V 510 & 505 in 1985 the original table system Mark V became the 500.

Below are the main assemblies.

Bench Assembly

The Mark 2 came with or without a bench assembly. Instructions for making a wood bench came with the Mark 2 similar to the way the Model 10ER was sold. The optional Metal bench frame came with either metal bench tubes or wood bench rails. I am not sure when the change from metal tubes to wood rails occurred. Each end of the metal bench frame consists of a right and left Leg and a Tie made from angle stock to go between the legs. These are bolted together and bolt to the bench tubes or rails. There is a lot of excess “play” in the bolt holes of these parts to allow for adjustments but also allows leg assemblies to become misaligned. As I said previously adding the Retractable Caster Set or a brace between the legs will help. Without additional bracing the legs pieces can end up out of alignment which happened on the second Mark 2 I purchased and a leg and tie ended up bent.

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Mounting Assembly

The Mounting Assembly attaches to the bench and includes the bench ends of the base/arm and headrest/tie plus the Way Tubes. On a Mark 5 these parts are actually part of the bench assembly that the single piece leg for each end attaches to along with the bench and way tubes. For purchasers of the Mark 2 wanting to make their own bench the Mounting Assembly would attach to that homemade wood bench eliminating the need for the Mark 2 Bench Assembly. One of the most interesting features of the Mounting Assembly is the base and tie. The tie is actually an arm with a slot cut to the hole for the pin that holds the base and arm together and the base/tie work just like the Double Tilt of a current Mark 7. Unlike the current Double Tilt ends the Mark 2 has a very simple lock to hold the base and tie together. The Mark 2 uses 2 base castings and the arm has a rod holding the parts together much like the Mark 5. The headrest end uses the other base and the tie that is an arm casting with a slot cut to the holes for the rod allowing it to separate from the rod/hinge point when the lock is unscrewed enough.

The picture below shows the base/tie separated.

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Carriage Assembly

The Carriage is one of the parts that truly works like a Model 10ER but looks more like a Mark 5. It is shaped more like the Mark 5 carriage with a single lever controlled front and rear wedge way tube lock but much lower in quality in how it is made. The lock used two wedges and I believe the same ones used on the Mark 5 on a threaded rod with a plastic handle on the angled end of the rod. The Table mounting of the carriage is similar to the Model 10ER. The table assembly has posts that slide in the carriage holes and are locked in place with screw in locks like the Model 10ER. The table is raised and lowered in position with a crank that has an extension that slips over the top of the crank and rests on the bottom of the tie bar of the table assembly. The Extension is 11/16” in diameter and 4-1/4” long with a ½” diameter 1-1/4” deep hole in one end with an oval shaped top on the other end. The crank is a ½” threaded end rod that has two 90-degree bends to make it a crank. It is a much cheaper version of the Model 10ER crank that has the cast handle attached to the threaded shaft.

Below is a view of the crank and extension in place in the carriage supporting the main table. The front table post lock is just to the right of the edge of the picture.

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Table Assemblies

The main table assembly is similar to the Mark 5 table assembly. The Mark 2 table top is 16-3/4” deep x 14” wide. Compare that to the Mark 5 at 18-1/2” deep x 14” wide or the Model 10ER at 17” deep x 14-1/2” wide. The tie bar is very similar if not the same and uses the same front & rear trunnion as the Mark 5. The posts of the table assembly are smooth round posts without gear teeth like the Model 10ER but are the same diameter as the Mark 5 posts. The table itself introduced the second saw blade slot which was a feature added to the Mark 5 but discontinued by 1980. The miter slot on the Mark 2 table is the same size as the Mark 5. The table insert is a stamped thinner metal piece and the table itself has the dimples cast in the insert space to set the height. The insert is slightly bowed. The fence rail is a bolt on part and different than the Mark 5 fence rail which at the time was still part of the table casting itself. There is a ¼” threaded hole on the back edge of the table like the one found on the Model 10ER table. The upper Blade Guard/Splitter for the Mark 2, available as an optional accessory, may have been the same or similar as the later one for the Model 10ER.

The extension table is very different having a “Z” stepped shaped aluminum casting as shown in the picture below. It cannot use the fence but is its own fence with the stepped shape. It also becomes part of the tailstock for Lathe Turning.

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Headstock Assembly

This is where the biggest differences occurred. When looking at a Mark 2 from the front one might think the handle on the front of the headstock is to adjust the speed. It is not but does play a part in the speed adjustment. The Mark 2 uses two 2-step pulleys to change between the 7 speeds. One is a 2” & 3” pulley and the other is a 3” & 4” pulley. These two pulleys mount on the motor and drive sleeve assembly. Like the Model 10ER the Mark 2 does not have an idler assembly. It is rearranging the pulleys on the motor shaft and drive sleeve to achieve the 7 different possible pulley combinations for the 7 speeds. A speed chart sticker is attached to the inside of the plastic belt cover. The Owner’s Manual doesn’t include this speed chart but only references the speeds that can be achieved. The crank handle on the front of the headstock moves the motor up and down allowing belt changes on the pulleys and adjusts the belt tension. Much easier than changing the belt on the pulleys of a Model 10ER. Like the 10ER the Mark 2 uses a 1725 RPM Motor.

The Quill on the Mark 2 is shorter and only has a travel distance of 3” which is less than both the Mark 5 and Model 10ER. It is a single bearing quill. The Pinion Shaft Assembly only comes out on the back side of the headstock and has a depth control there. A separate lever handle is used on the front of the headstock for both locking the Quill and has a full dog end to keep the quill from rotating replacing the full dog set screw found on the top of the Mark 5 headstock that must be removed to take the quill out of the headstock.

When the Mark 2 was made only 2 wire power cords were common like the ones used on the early Mark 5 and Model 10ER. In adding a three-wire grounded power cord the ground wire must be connected directly to the headstock besides the motor. The mounting for the motor is insulated by the 2 grommets used between the motor mount and the rod that attaches it to the apron of the headstock. The other end of the motor mount rides in a nylon “nut” as it is referred to in the parts list. It is this “nut” that travels back and forth on the threaded shaft of the crank handle that moves the motor up and down as previously described. These three contact points between the motor mount and the rest of the headstock insulates the motor from the rest of the unit.

The Additional Assemblies and Attachments.

Unlike the fence for the Mark 5 or Model 10ER the Mark 2 fence has a single casting for the fence face and base. The casting itself is thinner and more easily damaged. The locking system works similar to and has similar parts when compared to the Mark 5 fence. As I said in my first post both Mark 2 fences I have had damage. The Mark 2 fence is shown in the picture below.

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The Miter Gauge at first glance looks like the Mark 5 Miter Gauge but with closer inspection differences become apparent. It uses the same Protractor casting as the Mark 5. The first and most obvious is the bar does not have the split space and tapered set screw to lock the fence in the table’s slot like the Mark 5 Miter does. The Mark 2 miter bar is shorter at 13-3/4” long compared to the Mark 5 miter bar at 16” long. One might think the Mark 2 Miter has a Model 10ER bar on it but the bar size, thickness and width, is the same as the Mark 5’s. There was a Mark 5 Greenie Miter set up available with a Model 10ER bar to use the Safety Grip Miter on the Model 10ER. The other less obvious difference is the Mark 2 miter does not have the 90 and 45 degree stops so the indicator mount does not have a hole for the stop plunger. The protractor is not drilled or tapped for the set screws for the stops either. The Mark 2 Miter Gauge can use the Safety Grip. The Mark 2 Miter can be replaced with a Mark 5 Miter. The pictures below show the Mark 2 Miter and the second shows the lack of the stops.

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The Lathe Tool Rest Assembly for the Mark 2 has a post without any gear teeth since the carriage uses locks similar to the Model 10ER carriage. The post has a flat face for the carriage lock to press against. Unlike the early Mark 5 Lathe Tool Rest post and arm being “permanently” attached to each other the Mark 2 post is held on to the arm by a set screw to allow it to be turned during use. The 8” tool rest itself is the same as the Mark 5. The Mark 2 Lathe Tool Rest Assembly is shown below.

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The Mark 2 used 8” saw blades that had a 5/8” arbor hole so the Mark 2 came with a new Arbor (P/N 12 431) for its 5/8” saw blade arbor. That arbor has a shorter threaded part with a single machined washer similar to the 5/8” universal arbor and nut. It could use the 5/8” universal arbor as a saw blade arbor but the arbor for it was, of course, cheaper to produce. Pictures of the Mark 2 Arbor are below with the second a comparison of the Mark 2 arbor machined washer on the left with a standard 5/8” arbor machined washer on the right.

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A very unique item for the Mark 2 was the Tailstock. It is a small casting that attaches to the extension table and holds the cup center or even a live center having the same #2 Morse taper as other Shopsmith’s. It is one of those Mark 2 parts that seem to disappear but the Mark 5 Tailstock Assembly can be used in its place. Below are pictures of the Mark 2 Tailstock.

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The remaining attachments that came standard with the Mark 2 are the same as those for the Mark 5. They are the 12” Sanding Disk, the Drill Chuck & key, the Lathe Drive Center and Cup Center. The Mark 2 can use accessories used on the Mark 5 but there are some limitations.

Like the Mark 5 during that time the Mark 2 did not come standard with an upper or lower saw blade guard. Catalogs reference the Mark 2 upper (P/N 26 070) and lower (P/N 12 370) saw blade guards but do not show pictures. The Mark 2 can use the upper and lower Saw Blade Guards from the Model 10ER and I believe that was their actual guard option. The Mark 2 table has a threaded hole on the back side of the table edge like the Model 10ER. Because the guards did not come standard, I believe most Mark 2 owners never bought saw guards. Again, the Mark 2 was made to save the customer money. The Mark 2 cannot use the optional upper/lower Saw Guard Assembly (P/N 22 370) for the Mark 5 from that era.

An additional detail I wanted to include is the locks used on the Mark 2. There are 5 different ones used on the Mark 2 besides the Carriage Way Tube Lock. They are numbered in the picture below.

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1. Is the Quill Lever Assembly – note the full dog end
2. Is the table height Lever Assembly from the Carriage
3. Is the Lock Assembly for the Base/Arm extension table/SPT mount for the front. Note the flange
4. Is the Lock used on the rear of the Base/Arm & both Headrest/Tie extension table/SPT mounts
5. Is the lock for the Headrest/Tie that holds the two together

As you can see these are very simple locks used on the Mark 2.

If anyone has any questions about the Mark 2, I would be happy to try to answer them. At this point I believe I could answer most questions. I do have pictures of the individual parts for reference. In some cases, pictures of the individual parts show them much better than the exploded parts diagrams in the Manual.

JPG had asked about the Table Riser Crank and specifically the Extension which I hopefully included enough information about it with the picture when I covered the Carriage Assembly.

Although this Mark 2 I have restored is fully functional it will likely see little, if any, actual use.

Indeed thee did!