Shopsmith Forums

Just bought a used Mark V 510, serial number 011420 for $400, including a dado set, lathe tools, extension table, and some assorted jigs. It hasn't been used much. It was originally purchased by someone who didn't take to woodworking. He sold it to the person I bought it from, who used it primarily as a drill press for a couple years. It hasn't been used at all in the last 5 years.

Except for a little dirt, it looks really good. What advice would you guys offer as to what to do before I start using it?

thanks.
nick

Thanks, Bob.

how much cleaning is necessary? The instructions in the article about cleaning and inspecting the headstock are beyond my mechanical ability. I have zero experience with this kind of thing. I'm a wood guy.

Welcome Nick
Recommended reading for a new owner:
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... t=newowner

The model 510 is a great machine and lots of fun.
Where are you in NH?
be safe!
Peter

Nick:

Welcome to the site. The previous message with the link gives good advice. If you didn't get a manual or Power Tools for Woodworking with the unit, I would suggest you try to get them either from ShopSmith or on the internet.

I also am curious to know where in NH you are from. We did a lot of travelling down there and love the state.

John

I'm in New Boston, which is in the southern part of the state, near Manchester and Concord. I grew up in the Metro NY/NJ area.

nickb wrote:Thanks, Bob.

how much cleaning is necessary? The instructions in the article about cleaning and inspecting the headstock are beyond my mechanical ability. I have zero experience with this kind of thing. I'm a wood guy.

I would say at this point that you need to look at your Shopsmith (or any machinery) as being just like your car. Without regular maintenance and repairing as needed your car will be pretty much useless. If you can't do it yourself then you just need to hire / barter / ? someone else to do it for you.
Unlike auto mechanics however there is not a power tool repairman on every fourth corner...
That is where a great resource like this forum comes shining to the surface.
There are hundreds and hundreds of members here that have "been there and done that". Ever since you first posted many of them have lined up, chomping at the bit, to help you. All you have to do is ask. If this crowd was as well versed at medicine as they are at working on Shopsmiths they could talk you through a double lung transplant...
If you are still hesitant inquire here and see if there is someone here that lives close enough to you to perhaps drop by and go over your machine or walk you through the process.
There is always the "send the headstock to Shopsmith" option. Like wise there are several guys around the country who are Shopsmith repair experts that can be forced to take money for servicing your Smith.

I would usually recommend option one, letting this group just walk you through it.
If you do look around I would say to avoid places like your local lawnmower shop etc. unless they happen to know and respect SS's...


.

I appreciate the willingness of the SS community to share their knowledge. That's why I'm here. :-)

Right now, I don't need service or repair. The machine is working fine.

I've just finished watching the video about cleaning and lubrication, and it doesn't require the disassembly that was described in the pdf that I read. I'll have no problems.

thanks again
nick

nickb wrote:I appreciate the willingness of the SS community to share their knowledge. That's why I'm here. :-)

Right now, I don't need service or repair. The machine is working fine. I would just like to know if it's really necessary at this point in time, for me to disassemble the headstock.

thanks again
nick

A lot depends on your own interest priorities. While I finally admitted to myself and the world that I am more interested in the shop and the machinery than actual woodworking there are others that have all sorts of varied interest priorities.
Some with a more technical interest (engineer types ) wouldn't dream of using a SS until tearing it down to the last nut bolt and washer, washing everything in holy water and reassembling everything with a set of quality control standards that would embarrass NASA.
Others don't even care what is going on as long it goes around when the switch is flipped and is quiet enough to hear a hand grenade over while running.
I tend to fall somewhere in the middle. While I have restored a couple I have always been pretty quick to flip a new acquisition on and as long as it runs quietly (no growling or grinding sounds) and goes through the functions well I am ready to just blow it out, do the simple lube procedure and start using it. Things like a badly frayed belt, an obviously broken pulley or a screaming bearing should be pretty obvious to even a non mechanic. I tend to belong to the "if it ain't fixed, don't broke it" club. That doesn't mean that as I use it I won't be constantly coming up with ideas for modifications or tweaks but I can let sleeping dogs lie on a good running unit. I already know what one looks like inside and how it should perform. I don't feel the need to climb in there with a stick and stir the parts around as long as it is working good.
Each of us is right in our approach, just different.

nickb wrote:I'm in New Boston, which is in the southern part of the state, near Manchester and Concord. I grew up in the Metro NY/NJ area.

Welcome...I get to your neck of the woods every year or so...got a son in Rochester.