Shopsmith Forums

For far too long I've read of guys "stealing" Shopsmiths, paying $90 at a pawn shop, a pittance for one with all the STPs, or even having someone give them a machine. And I've tried each time to bemoan the fact that everyone but me gets a break and how scarce Shopsmiths are in this virtual vacuum where I live.

Now I have to shut up or gloat. I chose gloat. haha

But first, the story....

My recent thread "What's It Worth," concerning a local Mark II, mentions having found a Shopsmith at a garage sale just a couple of miles from my house. The craigslist ad gave no real information, just "shopsmith" in a list. So I got up EARLY on a Saturday to go see this mystery machine. There, in the corner of this guy's garage, under a light layer of dust, sits the prettiest 510 I've ever seen. (Well, actually, one of the very few I've ever seen.) It's even got a scroll saw sitting on one end. It also had a factory accessories shelf hanging on the side. Even better, out in the yard are some SS boxes, including a conical sander and a jointer that had never been opened! Drool, drool, drool. Interestingly, I didn't see a bandsaw anywhere. The sad news is that the guy is asking $1200, which is about $1300 more than I have. The story behind it is that his dad bought it, used it once, got sick and passed away. This guy is a golf course manager and fixing to move out of state. As we talked, he allowed as how he had already had an offer that morning for $800 and wouldn't go any lower than that. So, I thanked him and went back home, trying to figure out how to scrounge up $800+.

A few hours later I'm out running errands and decided I'd stop by just to drool on it one more time and see if maybe the guys could work out some easy terms, or at least give my number to the guy who offered the money because I had a suspicion he is one of these guys that hits sales on weekends for a resale shop.

As we're standing there, talking about this "new" machine, another guy walks up because the ad said "tools." When he asks, the owner says the only tools are some cheapo power stuff in the side yard, the drill press and the Shopsmith. This guy makes the following comment, "Yeah, those things are hard to get rid of." OK Ben, I tell myself, stay cool, work this. So I try to casually ask him what he meant. He says he's got one in his barn in pieces and he'd take (hold for the punchline) to free up the space. I'm still trying to stay cool, but it ain't easy. We trade names and numbers, and I tell him I'll call later.

Here it is a few hours later, in the back of my truck, headed for its new home.
[ATTACH]12317[/ATTACH]

It isn't really complete and missing a lot of the little standard accessories, but I figure for $75 I ain't getting hurt too bad.

Here it is after first getting home and unloading the boxes that came with it.
[ATTACH]12318[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]12319[/ATTACH]
It is a bit dusty but relatively rust free. The guy had plugged it in and ran it before I got there, but I won't run it until I've gone thru it some more.
[ATTACH]12320[/ATTACH]
Here's a first view of the stuff that came out of the boxes.
[ATTACH]12321[/ATTACH]

I know of a few issues already and know I'm missing those tube thingies that the floating tables ride on, but there were also some pleasant surprises in the stuff when I got it home. I'm pretty pumped about my first 510!!

So, now for the details.....

Here's a bit better view of the "stuff" that came with it.
[ATTACH]12322[/ATTACH]

And now for the problems to be dealt with.
[ATTACH]12323[/ATTACH]
The dead center is stuck in the eccentric. It's currently soaking with some penetrating oil which hopefully will be enough to kick it loose. Also the various arbors are pretty rusty. Looks like a bath in Evaporust is in order.

This is a more serious issue.
[ATTACH]12324[/ATTACH]
The chuck is stuck! Again, filled the set screw hole with penetrating oil. Now I have to go back and review previous threads on this problem. This is the biggest problem I'm aware of (because it will be hard to use it for anything with a chuck permanently attached!).

Then there's the miter gauge. Just a rusty bar needing cleaning.
[ATTACH]12325[/ATTACH]

And the tool rest is rusty along the top, again, no big deal.
[ATTACH]12326[/ATTACH]
but it does lead me to my first question about 510s.....

I noticed the tool rest has a 2nd post/setscrew location. This is new to me. How does this work?
[ATTACH]12327[/ATTACH]

Amongst the nice surprises was finding a biscuit joiner. But I have a couple of questions/problems with it. One, no manual. Anyone got a PDF of one they can email me? The other is that the little locating pin on the right hand side is missing (along with one setscrew). Guess I'll be ordering that.

[ATTACH]12328[/ATTACH]

and now for the mystery parts.....

These parts were in the box and seemed to be related to one another...
[ATTACH]12329[/ATTACH]

I kinda think it goes like this....
[ATTACH]12330[/ATTACH]

But even if this is right about how it fits together, I have absolutely no idea what it is, what it does, how it works, where it fits into things and what to do with it. Anyone seen one of these? Better yet, anyone got a manual for one of these whateveritis's???

Then there's all these pieces which seem to be some kind of clamping/vise rig:

[ATTACH]12331[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12332[/ATTACH]

and here it all is kinda put together. It seems to have a couple of plastic vise face covers and couple of aluminum ones. I'm not sure how the little triangular castings fit in.

[ATTACH]12333[/ATTACH]

Again, anyone know what this is and have some instructions for it???

I think these things go together because the finish matches and the rod fits:
[ATTACH]12334[/ATTACH]

The really fancy extrustion has a numbered nob but it spins freely, so I don't know what it does.

[ATTACH]12335[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12336[/ATTACH]

Any guesses? Any helpful hints? Any instructions??

Anyone recognize any of these?

This is a cover for something (2 pics, front and back)
[ATTACH]12337[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]12338[/ATTACH]

And this reminds me of a gear puller. Actually, there is no guarantee that the strange things in the box are ever woodworking related. The guy said he just boxed up everything that looked like it might go with the shopsmith (but apparently that didn't include saw guards, saw blades, lathe tools, a sanding disk, etc.)

[ATTACH]12339[/ATTACH]

And, yes, I do know what this is. I was just curious if anyone might know what lathe it goes to.
[ATTACH]12340[/ATTACH]

OK, I'm done for now.

fiatben wrote:Anyone recognize any of these?


[ATTACH]12339[/ATTACH]

This is part of Shopsmith double bar clamp.

You have a Zyliss Vise or at least a knock off (there have been many). Knock off or not, I think you will find it very useful. I got mine when my work bench was a picnic table in a trailer park. I could not have done without it and I still use it very regularly. As you can see, it is mounted on my main work bench. I seldom remove it.

[ATTACH]12341[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12342[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]12343[/ATTACH]