I just got my first Shopsmith...

resawman123 · Post by **resawman123** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 5:47 pm

Hello everyone,

The good news is I just got my first Shopsmith (a Greenie) off of Craigslist for FREE!. It's only the base unit, no attachments yet. But the guy I got it from is pretty sure he has the bandsaw, drill press, table saw and possibly more in storage. He's going to get them to me for short money.

The bad news is it was in a barn for about 20 years. Lots of rust, several generations of mice lived and died in the headstock, and the Gilmer belt is broken.

So now I'm trying to get up to speed on Shopsmiths.

A few questions:
What's the best place to get an owners manual?
What's the best place to get replacement parts? ebay? other?

Thanks

mikelst · Post by **mikelst** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:02 pm

First, Congratulations and welcome. This is probably your best source of information on these great machines. Some of the folks here are VERY knowledgeable and more than willing to share their information.

WE like pictures!!!:D

Now

resawman123 wrote:Hello everyone,

The good news is I just got my first Shopsmith (a Greenie) off of Craigslist for FREE!. It's only the base unit, no attachments yet. But the guy I got it from is pretty sure he has the bandsaw, drill press, table saw and possibly more in storage. He's going to get them to me for short money.

The bad news is it was in a barn for about 20 years. Lots of rust, several generations of mice lived and died in the headstock, and the Gilmer belt is broken.

So now I'm trying to get up to speed on Shopsmiths.

A few questions:
What's the best place to get an owners manual?
SHOPSMITH sells the manuals

What's the best place to get replacement parts? ebay? other?
and most replacement parts. If you can not locate what you need or feel the price is more than you wish to invest that auction sight is a possibility. Remember you are buying used parts there. Frequently common parts (bearings etc) are available locally.

Thanks

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:19 pm

resawman123 wrote:Hello everyone,

The good news is I just got my first Shopsmith (a Greenie) off of Craigslist for FREE!. It's only the base unit, no attachments yet. But the guy I got it from is pretty sure he has the bandsaw, drill press, table saw and possibly more in storage. He's going to get them to me for short money.

The bad news is it was in a barn for about 20 years. Lots of rust, several generations of mice lived and died in the headstock, and the Gilmer belt is broken.

So now I'm trying to get up to speed on Shopsmiths.

A few questions:
What's the best place to get an owners manual?
What's the best place to get replacement parts? ebay? other?

Thanks

You can order a manual here. I recommend that you call Customer Service about the manual so that you are fully aware of what you may be ordering. Some manuals are photocopies while others are original prints.

Parts are also available from Shopsmith even though your machine may be older than Methuselah.

PG-Zac · Post by **PG-Zac** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:28 pm

resawman123 wrote: What's the best place to get replacement parts? ebay? other?

Welcome Resaw.

I'm in the process of resuscitating a Goldie that was in terrible condition.

I have been trawling eBay for the last 3 weeks to find replacement parts and I have to say that if you are careful (and patient), you can get decent parts at very good prices.

This evening I summarized my purchases and calculated all the costs.
Excluding shipping, I have spent almost $200 on eBay compared to what would have cost me over $1200 if I have bought all new parts from ShopSmith.

I still have a few small parts to buy direct from ShopSmith that I haven't yet seen on offer on eBay.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:33 pm

Welcome resaw. Glad you found the forum. A wealth of info here.

Take some time to digest these before you hit the power switch. You won't be sorry.

Sawdust sessions - SS Reborn 1: Bargain or Basketcase, SS Reborn 2: Cleaning and Inspecting, SS Reborn 3: Rebuilding the Drive Train, SS Reborn 4: Rebuilding the Quill

wannabewoodworker · Post by **wannabewoodworker** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:17 pm

Welcome Resaw!

I found this forum after acquiring my first Shopsmith a Mark VII about 2 months ago. The guy's here are absolutely the best bunch of folks you will ever have the chance to interact with and many of them have parts that they will be willing to sell to you in a pinch. After acquiring my Mark VII I was irreversibly infected by the SS Flu which is a life long illness that you will have to learn to live with....

I have since acquired a Mark V 1954 vintage that was in pretty sorry shape, but with a little know how and elbow grease she is almost ready to once again make sawdust. These machines are very simple mechanically and if you have any experience with fixing mechanical equipment then you will be in for some real enjoyable restoration as these machines take very well to a little TLC and will cleanup and shine like new in no time. Mickyd, JPG, Heathicus, Shipwright, Reible, and Bill Mayo as well as many others are very knowledgeable with these machines and are very willing and ready to assist you with any questions you might have. I also would be willing to help out in any way I can if the need arises and I have the answer but will defer to the experts when I do not. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

swampgator · Post by **swampgator** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:55 pm

Welcome, Resaw. I came to this forum a few months ago since acquiring my first SS to get information. Also, trolled eBay for parts that I didn't get and still don't have all the parts, but have many more than if I'd bought them new. All parts that I have purchased from Shopsmith are great tools and reasonably priced. You may find an owner's manual on eBay. Since coming to this forum, I have started cleaning up my first, added a second and plan to send my first headstock into a service person in the next month as it sat up too long. Runs but makes some noise. Anyway, as others have said, much great information is here. I think you'll find that once you get this machine in proper running order, it may last you the rest of your life as it is well built. I hope you enjoy your stay here.

jayhawk · Post by **jayhawk** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:52 am

I have an owners manual for a Mark V model 500 that I would give you for the price of the postage. It isn't for a Greenie but it would give you a good start on setup, use and maintenance of your Shopsmith. Welcome to the forum!

wannabewoodworker · Post by **wannabewoodworker** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:23 am

jayhawk wrote:I have an owners manual for a Mark V model 500 that I would give you for the price of the postage. It isn't for a Greenie but it would give you a good start on setup, use and maintenance of your Shopsmith. Welcome to the forum!

That is what I am talking about great people HERE!

resawman123 · Post by **resawman123** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Thanks guys!

Those videos are very comprehensive. I started watching last night and almost missed the NCAA championship game.

As for my Shopsmith. Further inspection today revealed a lot of damage. The motor will alomst certainly need to be replaced. There's a ton of rust and corrosion inside the headstock due to moisture and mice activity. The rust and pitting on the bars is pretty bad. I might have to rethink restoration. It all depends on what shape the accesories are in. If they are decent, it might be cheaper and easier for me to pick up a base unit which is in better starting condition.

Either way, I think I'm hooked.

Thanks again for all the advice and encouragement.