Mark 7

[SDSSmith]

Anybody have one of these: http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/index.htm

[doug45601]

Kinda expensive just out of the shute. Sure with they held their value a little longer and could offer some trade in/up value.

Of course you can buy an upgrade for your current Shopsmith but that too is costly and each person has to evaluate the need to spend the $$ just for a hobby tool!

Still waiting to visit Santa this year to discuss my desires! How bout you?

[ryanbp01]

Under a related thread in the Community section, Dusty posted an update about that site. I'm going to repeat the question I asked there: if a Mark V 520 is converted to the new Powerpro does that mean you now have a Mark VII?

BPR

[rkh2]

In my opinion, no, and I may be wrong. It appears that the mark 7 can lift up from either end, the way we are used to in drill press mode which would give you the motor over the table for the router over table mode but now with the faster rpms needed and then from the other end to allow for the motor to be beneath the table for the shaper and router mode for under the table shaping and routing.

[truxton]

I would guess Shpopsmith is useing the name Mark 7 because they don't own the copywright for the name MKVII. The original MKVII was built as the improved replacement of the MKV in the early 1960's by Magna. They were only produced for 4 years and under 10,000 units. The VIIs were more expensive, many of the castings were made from solid titanium, the unit was heavier and more industrial. The heavy headstock had to be hand cranked along the way tubes with its more powerfull reversable motor. The rack gear would tend to snap under the weight of the headstock. Ahead of its time and not right for the market of its day, the MKVII and Magna company failed. They never corrected the few problems the MKVII had. When Shopsmith was reborn, the new company only had the patent and copyrights to the MKV. I understood a company in California bought the rights to the MKVII. I don't know what if any machines they ever produced. That being said, the new Mark 7 looks really well thought out. With the more powerfull motor, wider range of RPMs, the ability to tilt both ways to allow a proper shaper funtion, it's a merger of both the MKV and the MKVII designs. Now if they can just add a little dust collector......

[dusty]

Under a related thread in the Community section, Dusty posted an update about that site. I'm going to repeat the question I asked there: if a Mark V 520 is converted to the new Powerpro does that mean you now have a Mark VII?

BPR

Others have answered your question "If I install the PowerPro upgrade kit, do I now have a Mark 7"? and the answer is NO. Why?. Because you can not tilt from both ends. Why might you want to tilt from the other end? you ask. So you could have an under table router/shaper driven by the new more powerful PowerPro headstock.

Don't know about you but it makes me want one.

[JPG]

Under a related thread in the Community section, Dusty posted an update about that site. I'm going to repeat the question I asked there: if a Mark V 520 is converted to the new Powerpro does that mean you now have a Mark VII?

BPR

Newer M7 end castings, tierods(both ends) and new tubes(maintable) would also be needed(maybe more). Since the service parts has not YET included the M7, part numbers are unknown(to us).

Methinks it would be possible though!

[JPG]

Under a related thread in the Community section, Dusty posted an update about that site. I'm going to repeat the question I asked there: if a Mark V 520 is converted to the new Powerpro does that mean you now have a Mark VII?

BPR

Newer M7 end castings, tierods(both ends) and new tubes(maintable) would also be needed(maybe more). Since the service parts has not YET included the M7, part numbers are unknown(to us).

Methinks it would be possible though!

[wa2crk]

Dusty and Ryan;
Now that my Mark 5 has a power pro headstock and it is not a Mark7 is it a Mark6?:p
Bill V

[dusty]

[quote="wa2crk"]Dusty and Ryan]I don't know what you might want to call it but I do believe you have one very fine machine. It has all of the power that any home woodworker would ever need and that is coupled with a machine that can be used with great precision.