Shopsmith Forums

I just picked up a project shopsmith overhead router setup 555413. to join my pair of mark 5s. It needs work and a manual! I found a two page parts diagram which is useful and the mark V mounted overarm router manual but I would dearly like the stand alone manual. Apparently, it used to be available on SS website, but no more. Since it was available as a digital download I am hoping that someone here would be kind enough to upload it or PM me and send a copy?
Thanks!

I recently acquired one of those. I can get the manual scanned next week sometime probably. Can you post close up photos showing how the casters are mounted on those legs? The legs are too far apart for the standard casters rods but maybe the way they are mounted gets them close enough to use.

Ed,

It's a Shopsmith item I don't have but looking at the picture above and other pictures I have seen of the stand for this I believe it uses longer bolts and spacers for attachment of the retractable castor assemblies. This is also one of the Shopsmith tools I don't have a manual for.

]Obviously, I need to derust these! Hope these pictures help.

My recommendation is to start by evaluating what appears to be some delamination of the MDF table top. These tables also commonly have flatness issues, especially if they have been stored away with a heavy router in the under-table routing location. I love mine, but have had to spend some cash on upgrades to get it to that point.

My two cents: the system does not have to be utilized as an under-table router at all. But if you want that capability, you may also want features common to modern variants. Those include, IMO, a modern fence and router lift. The table isn't readily compatible with any lift that I know of, the dimensions are much smaller than the two commonly available versions, and Shopsmith chose a "portrait" orientation while the standards are "landscape." I didn't look very hard because of other issues with my table top, but I didn't see a compatible lift and haven't read of one here. What I ended up doing, though not all at once, was buying the major components of a modern router table and adding the SS OAR to it.

- David

I have two different manuals. This one is for the MK mounted version but it should work for you.

DLB: Yes, the top is toast. I have no need for the undertable capability as I built a very capable router table many years ago. i just want the overarm capability. I am wondering what a good bang for the buck top would be, maybe two layers of 3/4 melmine? The original is 1-1/8" and you don't get that at Home Depot!

Thunderbirdbat: Thanks! Actually though, I do have that one. You're right it covers most things, but I would really like the original manual for the stand alone - I'm OCD I guess?

kenc wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 9:51 pm DLB: Yes, the top is toast. I have no need for the undertable capability as I built a very capable router table many years ago. i just want the overarm capability. I am wondering what a good bang for the buck top would be, maybe two layers of 3/4 melmine? The original is 1-1/8" and you don't get that at Home Depot!

The problem with melamine is that it sags over time, like the OEM table. If you go that route, I'd recommend adding some structural stiffeners to the underside of it.

Have you considered unbolting the overarm post-mounting bracket from the original stand, and attaching it to your existing router table? It sounds as if that's pretty much the configuration that DLB ended up with. Your OPR stand looks pretty rough, so that approach would save you both cleanup/restoration time and shop space. You could use your undertable router as the pin holder for pin routing, but getting the fore/aft alignment just right could be a little fussy.

kenc wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 2:48 pm Obviously, I need to derust these! Hope these pictures help.

Thanks, very useful. They must have made special brackets to hold the caster brackets at the right distance. I think I can cut blocks of wood to do the same thing. I'll scan the manual this week for the stand-alone and it's options.

BuckeyeDennis wrote: Sun Nov 03, 2024 9:39 am
The problem with melamine is that it sags over time, like the OEM table. If you go that route, I'd recommend adding some structural stiffeners to the underside of it.

Have you considered unbolting the overarm post-mounting bracket from the original stand, and attaching it to your existing router table? It sounds as if that's pretty much the configuration that DLB ended up with. Your OPR stand looks pretty rough, so that approach would save you both cleanup/restoration time and shop space. You could use your undertable router as the pin holder for pin routing, but getting the fore/aft alignment just right could be a little fussy.

I briefly thought about it,and maybe in time that's possible. My fence though, is 6" tall which is probably suboptimal for the overhead option. Of course, there's nothing saying I couldn't make a fence specifically for overhead only.
The other thing is, I really enjoy restoring old tools, before I saw the light and sold off (nearly, I still have a 1952 Oliver table saw) all my old iron, every one of them was stripped and restored.