Shopsmith Forums

hi everyone,
i just picked up a used SS from one of my customers. i am trying to find a serial number on it before i get to cleaning and refurbing it. here are some pics of it as it sits now. i just unloaded it off the truck. any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!

think it is a legit anniversary edition? looks like all the colors don't match. i dunno

lunchbox wrote:hi everyone,
i just picked up a used SS from one of my customers. i am trying to find a serial number on it before i get to cleaning and refurbing it. here are some pics of it as it sits now. i just unloaded it off the truck. any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!

FWIW! Do not waste your time looking for a SN. The belt cover obviously does NOT match rhe Goldies color scheme. The SN is on the shiney plate in the middle of the belt cover(the idler shaft protrudes hrough the center hole). Unless the shiney disk says"MAGNA AMERICAN" it is NOT the 'original' and the SN would be meaningless.

You have obtained a collection of various models of shopsmith. Fortunately most of the different model parts ARE interchangable.

1) Do NOT move the speed dial without the shafts turning.

2) If not already determined that the motor does indeed 'run', do NOT start it up until you have checked that doing so will NOT damage anything.

3) Resist the temptation to RUN at this point. You do have some 'learning' to do and you do not have the 'literature' to assist you(I did not see any in your pix).



I will let others point you to where you need to go to get that 'learning'. I gotta run.


HELP HIM GUYS! It looks like he really needs it!

JUST SAW THE LATER PIX! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE! Not only do you have various model shopsmith parts, you hav a bunch of NON-SHOPSMITH parts in the headstock.

Boy, I thought I had made and/or seen most Shopsmith modifications but this one has many that I have never seen. My first impression is that this is a knock-off machine as there are quite a few differences between your pictures and a Shopsmith. The name plate is missing therefore you will have to fully disassemble the headstock to take pictures of all the internal parts, motor name plate and belts viewed inside out as belts, motors and internal parts were different on most of the knock-off machines. With all of these pictures, we should be able to give you a better idea of what you have. The speed control assembly appears to only have 270 degree rotation where the Shopsmith has multiple 360 degree rotations for the full speed range. The headstock casing around the eccentric bushing area is quite different and appears to have a grease fitting installed. Pictures of this end of the headstock with the belt housing removed would be nice. The headstock and carriage locks looks different than any I have seen. The quill housing OD is different on most knock-offs. All the home-made parts makes this an interesting question.

lol, good thing i didn't pay a lot at all! i bought this as a project to screw around with over the winter, and to eventuly use to do some light hobby work. i just stuck all the tables and everything he gave me on there for the pic so you all could see what was included. the thing i am fustrated with is the grey headstock (is that right?) piece on there.

i have a manual that was ordered by the previous owner in 1982. just didn;t take a pic. i have read thru most of it though.

i have not started it yet, but he did this afternoon before we broke it down . he said it still ran fine. he was not out to make money off me, he just wanted to see someone else get some use out of it like him and his father did. very nice man.

keep in mind, i did not pay alot at all. i could easily clean up and sell the parts for 4 times as much as i paid.

billmayo wrote:Boy, I thought I had made and/or seen most Shopsmith modifications but this one has many that I have never seen. My first impression is that this is a knock-off machine as there are quite a few differences between your pictures and a Shopsmith. The name plate is missing therefore you will have to fully disassemble the headstock to take pictures of all the internal parts, motor name plate and belts viewed inside out as belts, motors and internal parts were different on most of the knock-off machines. With all of these pictures, we should be able to give you a better idea of what you have. The speed control assembly appears to only have 270 degree rotation where the Shopsmith has multiple 360 degree rotations for the full speed range. The headstock casing around the eccentric bushing area is quite different and appears to have a grease fitting installed. Pictures of this end of the headstock with the belt housing removed would be nice. The headstock and carriage locks looks different than any I have seen. The quill housing OD is different on most knock-offs. All the home-made parts makes this an interesting question.

great, just my luck, LOL. i'm not angry at all. i will get you some pics in a few if you are still on. now i'm curious. all i now is that it was given to the PO for free, it used to be in a woodworking shop that his father worked in ( the PO was in his late 50's maybe?)
on a side note, what an awesome response time on this forum! i can tell from looking around that you all take these machines seriously and love them dearly. i'll check back in later tonight or tomorrow.

this is all i can get done tonight, its too damn hot in the basement right now, and too loud to be dragging this turd around late at night. the guts don't look anything like what i've seen on ebay......

you guys would know better then me tho.

lunchbox wrote:

Real interesting pix. Good quality pix by the way!:) The motor resembles a 3/4 HP 'greenie' or early 'goldie'. vintage*(1950's). Do not recognize the dome shaped thing on the end of the motor shaft.

The idler shaft is totally foreign. The drive belt(going to the output shaft) does NOT match the current SS part no.

The speed control is totally foreign. Cannot tell if the housing mount for a ss speed control has been modified(maybe not[good]). Cannot tell if idler shaft mounting has been altered.

Gonna need to see the speed control opening, the idler shaft mounting(on the headstock casting). The casting appears to be original ss goldie. current concern is what alterations have been made which make restoring it back to a 'true' ss either difficult or impossible. So far a complete speed control and idler shaft are probably needed(if still mountable). More pix needed, quill/output shaft etc still a big ?????

BTW Bill Mayo will be your best source for advice/guidance/parts/... We are fortunate to have him on our side!!! :>)