Shopsmith Forums

Hey all,
I've been browsing thus forum for a few days now and figured that instead of hoping I find an answer, that I would just ask.

I have this Shopsmith ER from my grandpa. Even has original instructions. I have not had the time to even poke at it, but it was running well about a decade ago and hasn't been turned on since. I'm hoping somebody, "with an obviously rough eye all test," can let me know if this thing looks worthy of fixing up. I'm planning on using the lathe and press, as I understand it, the table saw on this thing leaves a bit to be desired (yes it's set up for that now, no I have not used it).

I'm out of my depth on this until I have a chance to research and start tinkering.

Thank you kindly for any time or knowledge you have. It is much appreciated.

Welcome to the forum Christian.

There are a number of threads here on Model 10 restorations. Your machine looks to be in VERY nice condition. It is absolutely worth cleaning up and using.

Here is the link to one I restored. As you can see it was in much worse shape than yours.

viewtopic.php?t=16333&hilit=10er+restoration

There is lots of 10ER knowledge here so if you have any questions just ask

[quote=jsburger post_id=301316 time=1662505797 user_id=

Here is the link to one I restored. As you can see it was in much worse shape than yours.

viewtopic.php?t=16333&hilit=10er+restoration

There is lots of 10ER knowledge here so if you have any questions just ask
[/quote]

Great read and a beautiful restoration. I learn so much every time I read through one of these remarkable restorations and end up with a could have, should have and what if I would have list leaving me scratching my head when I look at mine. I look, listen and learn every time I visit this forum. Thank you all.

Jsburger, Mike,
Can't thank you enough for the insight. I think I'll give this thing a whirl. Those links are super helpful.

My grandpa worked on this thing for years turning out beautiful bowls and containers, some with lids only 2 inches tall. I always wanted to make something like that and used to beg him to use this thing. Then I inherited it and didn't know the first thing about it or whether it was even usable.

I'll go through these links and start making progress.

Christian,

Welcome to the forum. Your machine has to be the cleanest unrestored 10-series I've seen pictures of. If you haven't already, put some paste wax on those tubes to help keep them from getting rust.

I'm not 10ER knowledgeable, but I see you have the desirable speed changer on your machine. Here's a post that includes a couple tidbits plus a speed chart: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=20689.

If you don't have any other table saw, you might find this machine okay for simpler cuts, such as cross cutting turning stock to length while using the miter gauge. If you don't know how to use a table saw, do some research for safety purposes.

You might consider updating your forum profile with your location. You never know, you might be near an 10ER guru.

McCabeChristian,

As you can see already there is a lot of good information available here. Already noted is that you have a Speed Changer with your Model 10ER which can be a great help for lathe turning as you can get lower speeds with it than just the step pulleys. The link Mike posted has a couple of my posts with PDFs of speed charts you may find helpful.

Your Model 10ER is in really good-looking shape already so you are off to a good start on restoring it. You said you have the original manual for it but I would like to have you add the following page to it. Waxing has already been mentioned and this PDF will explain it further.
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Something to check while the motor is still off the tool would be the motor itself and more specifically the bearings. Spin the motor shaft by hand to see it turns freely. If so, a good indication the bearings are okay. Remove the upper belt from the upper pulley and remove the Quill from the Headstock. Turn the upper pulley which is attached to the Drive Sleeve Assembly to see if it turns freely and smoothly. With the Quill out of the Headstock turn the Spindle Shaft to see if it turns freely and smoothly too. There will be more to do but checking the bearings in the motor, Drive Sleeve Assembly and Quill Assembly are a good starting point. If any of these bearings are bad trying to run them with motor power will only put extra strain on the motor and could cause problems.

The motor could use some additional attention since they usually collect dust in them during use. Cleaning/blowing out any dust will help. Another thing to check for on the motor and the power cord is the cords condition. I find that after around 70 years these cords need to be replaced and this also is a good time to add a grounded cord to the tool.

In the picture below of your accessories I noticed 4 items that are not Shopsmith parts. This happens quite often that non-Shopsmith parts get mixed in. The copy of your picture below has those items marked by an X.

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There is so much more we could tell you about restoring your Shopsmith but it may be easier for you to ask questions as you go.

Something I noticed about your Model 10ER is the fence appears to be missing the front lock knob. The picture below shows the front lock knob on a version 2 fence (yours is version 3) which is different from yours by not having the knob angled down.

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The knob itself should look like the one pictured below from a version 3 Fence.

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