Shopsmith Forums

Greetings from Virginia,

A friend gave me a Shopsmith today! He is a professional cabinet maker and acquired it somewhere along the way but never used it. It was taking up space in his shop and he wanted it gone to a good home where it would be used and appreciated - and that is me!

Google quickly sent me here. I've spent some time this evening reading up on this forum and elsewhere on the web. From what I've read, it appears I have a Greenie - a Shopsmith Mk5 manufactured by Magna in May 1955. It came with a Magna jigsaw also manufactured in May 1955, and a Magna jointer, April 1955. There is no access hole behind the rear Shopsmith emblem. The top drive belt is a cog belt (Gilmer belt). The motor is an A. O. Smith 3/4 hp.

Everything appears to run and move freely. I am missing the chucks (drill/boring and lathe). I think I am missing the couplings that allow the jigsaw and jointer to be attached to the headstock. It also looks like I am missing some of the jigsaw parts to mount the top of the blade. What type of jigsaw blades does it take? What do the ends look like? How long are the blades? If they are not available, I'll try making some from an old broken bandsaw blade. I am also missing the table saw blade guards.

Please take a look at the pictures and let me know what other pieces I'm missing. I'll search the forums and try to answer some of my own questions, but any help to get me going in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.




Semper Fidelis,
Culprit

More pictures...

Last three...

You have an 'A' headstock Greenie. That is both good and problematic. The good part is that it is stouter that the later versions. However it is a bit rough compared to the newer die cast headstocks. The missing access hole is an undesirable attribute, and may indicate that the sheaves do not have oil holes.

She looks in good condition. The jointer will clean up nicely, and the jig saw looks decent.

Any 5" coping saw blade will work, but you will have to remove the pins.

Welcome to the forum! I lived in Dumfries/Triangle, right outside the Quantico gates, briefly. I still have really good friends in the area (Woodbridge).

That looks like a really nice machine you have! Treat it well, and it will treat you well. And if you don't treat it well, those things are usually pretty forgiving.

Here's a thread you might find informative:

http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=5092

Speaking of MickyD, where he at?????????

Great pictures, decent looking Greenie. I'm guessing but it possibly didn't come new with guards.
Forget the Shopsmith, what is that possibly an engine driven water pump sitting behind it.


.

I'm in manassas. Same era machine. I cut the access hole and everything else you could do. PM me if you have specific questions or need something.

Culprit, welcome to the forum. Nice friend you have there.

You should pick up a copy of Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone. It's the "bible" for the Shopsmith. Here's a copy for just over a buck -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007E ... =&v=glance -- And, here are some copies available for 99 cents -- http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwo ... 20everyone -- these however are a later version of this book, but these will do, especially for the price. There also is an on-line version here -- http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/introduction.htm -- but it doesn't cover the jig saw.

The parts you're missing are available from Shopsmith or on Ebay. JPG posted this earlier regarding some of the parts you are missing -- http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... ostcount=2 -- I'd forego a used drill chuck because the used prices approach the new ones and you can't always believe the descriptions regarding condition.

The jigsaw will accept standard pinless scroll saw blades.