Obsolete Shopsmith Part Numbers

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:12 am

When one does a search by part number, there are at least three possible responses.

1. Information is provided,

2. A link to a new part number is provided,

3. "Item number xxxxxx was not found".

I have three SS part numbers for which the later response is given.

My Shopsmith (555539), Power Station (515663) and Pro-Planer (514300)

Is there any significance to this? I have never had a problem buying parts or accessories for these items but it makes me curious. Why do some items like my Bandsaw (555507) have an alternate part number (555943) and others do not.

What started me looking was a post regarding the Scroll Saw; I attempted to do research on 555272 only to find that there is no link. I then referenced the on-line catalog, http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... /61-96.pdf, and found that the scroll saw depicted there does not seem to be the same as mine.

I don't have a known problem because I have the manual for my specific Scroll Saw but if I did not have that manual (like persons who have purchased used equipment)......mmmmm what then?

Incidently, neither of the scroll saws depicted in my scroll saw manual have the "o-ring belt" (518166) that started all of this. That leads me to believe that there are at least three versions of the SS Scroll Saw and I thought there was at most two (stand alone and mark v mounted). Ooooh, so much we don't know!

ryanbp01 · Post by **ryanbp01** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:02 pm

That bring up an interesting issue:

On the owners web page where we asked to provide a part number for what we are ordering, it would be helpful if we would also be able to substitute the part name for the number. I only offer this as a suggestion to the "powers that be" since part numbers do have a tendency to shange over the years. I do better at remembering part names rather than their numbers.

Only 22 days left 'til Christmas
BPR

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:07 pm

Dusty
First there is a name confusion and then there is the fact that Shopsmith made a Jig saw (many call them scroll saws) that was strickly gear drive.

First the name confusion.

When I started wood working there were three tools
A Jig saw, a sabre saw and a scroll saw.

Today most jig saws are called scroll saws, and most sabre saws are called jig saws.

In my day a jig saw was a machine much like a scroll saw but the upper end of the blade was connected to a dampened spring. The lower end was inserted in a gear box that would make the blade go up and down. You increased or decreased spring tension on the upper end to keep the blade straight. The blade only cut on the downstroke.

A sabre saw was the hand held tool most people call Jig saws today.

A scroll saw was a blade that was connected between a frame and the frame moved the blade up and down. The frame was tensioned like a metal cutting hack saw. The whole frame was lifted up and down imparting a cutting action to the blade. The blade could have teeth to cut in both directions.

Then they developed a parallelogram frame work to keep the scroll saw blade perfectly perpendicular to the table through out it whole cut. Early scroll saws the blade tilted slightly as the frame pivioted up and down.

I don't know for sure what you got but I know the early Shopsmith Jig saw did not have a belt drive and the top section where the blade mounted there is a big metal can surrounding an adjustable spring. The early Jig saw had a gear box filled with oil and did an excellent job cutting but was slower and I think more prone to break a blade.
Ed

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:42 pm

I have all three. The jig saw is a Craftsman which I hardly ever use anymore - blades are hard to find. The Sabre Saw is a Bosch 1657VS. The Scroll Saw is a Shopsmith 555272. It is similar to, if not identical to, 555685 except that 555685 is Teal.

This is the point of my post. What exactly do I have; that is, how do these items compare to those available today in the Shopsmith catalog. Why can I not find these items on the web site?

I don't have any problems with any of them but this thread points out the fact that lineage is NOT easy to verify/validate. I bought these new from Shopsmith and I have all of the normally relied upon documentation. Someone who bought the same items used and without documentation doesn't have that.

I was just surprised when I tried to do a data search on the Shopsmith web site and was unable to do so - even though my search began with a Shopsmith part number.

YouTube · Post by **admin** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:53 pm

I really can't answer what the difference is between a 555507 Bandsaw and a 555943 Bandsaw is...or a 555685 and a 555272 Scroll Saw other than after 30 years there have been some changes and not all of those changes are readily available to us today.

On the other hand our customer service people, many of whom have been here almost 30 years, are much better at answering questions regarding obsolete items and possibly finding parts for them...much better than we could explain on our website for each individual item.

I have been the webmaster here for a couple years now and when a part becomes obsolete I am simply instructed to remove it from the site, as it is removed from the catalog. My best guess for this would be to curb any confusion with multiple older part #'s that are similiar but different enough to be explained in detail.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:19 pm

admin

My real question is not what is the difference between two versions of bandsaws or two versions of scroll saws or two versions of any other piece of SPT. It is easy to understand that over time, changes are made. When the changes become significant enough, part numbers change.

My questions is why when some items are obsoleted there is a clear trace to the new item ..and..when other items are obsoleted, the trace no longer exists.

555539, Shopsmith; 555272, Scroll Saw; 515663, Power Station are three examples where there is no obvious link to the item that obsoleted them.

On the other hand, the Bandsaw (555507) has been obsoleted by 555943 and this is indicated on the web site.

YouTube · Post by **admin** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:42 pm

"My best guess for this would be to curb any confusion with multiple older part #'s that are similiar but different enough to be explained in detail."

I would assume that some items are different enough that forwarding a person searching for them to an alternate would be confusing because of the many differences, It took 2 customer service reps 5 minutes to explain to me the differences between the older bandsaws (3) and the new one.

Searching for a part # on our site only gives you a short description, a price and a buy button. If the item is that much different the description of the new item would not represent it correctly, a price and a buy button would not be of much help unless they are looking at a catalog thats 10 years old and wanted to buy it.

What most people need who have an older obsolete item is a manual or a service part. The search function on our site would not help someone in that position even if every obsolete part # was forwarded to an alternate.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:57 pm

Again Dusty I think the confusion is the fact that one is a jig saw and the other is a scroll saw. Look similar but work differently. The scroll saw did not replace the jig saw. I think there was a time when Shopsmith sold both a jig saw and a scroll saw. In any case they discountinued the jigsaw.
Two different tools

My son in law has a Shopsmith Jigsaw. I believe it is grey, I know it has a gear box with a sight glass and lube in it.
The biggest difference is the upper arm. On the jig saw when your cutting the upper arm does not move. The piece that holds the blade moves up in down in the upper arm but the arm itself does not move.
On the scroll saw the whole upper arm assembly moves.
Ed

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 6:12 pm

Ed in Tampa;

I'm sorry but I don't believe that there is any confusion between scroll saws and jig saws.

The Shopsmith data base simply does not show a link to Shopsmith part number 555272. Either that or I possess a knockoff. I doubt that because I bought my Shopsmith Scroll (555272) from Shopsmith in November 1991.

As stated before, Shopsmith also does not show a link to part numbers 555539 and 515663 which are, respectively, my Shopsmith Mark V 510 and my Power Station. Now I know why everyone who owns Shopsmith equipment should keep a file of old catalogs, fliers, etc. If you don't.....!

The attached photos are of the Scroll Saw (555272) in question.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:27 pm

Hi,

I have several "old" shopsmith tools. I have found the parts are not shown online but if you call they were (are) able to find things. I don't think we get to see the same data base as they do. I also found out that if you have catalog numbers from long ago catalogs that they did (do) have then to look in.

I have also experenced problems getting some things which are "replacement for ...", as they were not.

I have also found that parts have changed over time so that when I once needed a fasterner with an odd head shape needed to fit in a casting that the part had changed from a fine to course thread or the other way round. They were nice enough to dig though some bin of old fasterners and find me one there... else I would have been grinding a part to fit.

They have also gone though to reduce the number of sizes of fasteners so they don't need to stock as many. The result is that sometime they are longer then they use to be and don't even look like the same part. This is a good engineering but was not practiced in the old days at shopsmith.

The biggest problems I've had is with fasteners... it is better to get them local if you can. I think out of maybe 10 or 12 orders 2 have been correct the first time... got them from the wrong bin/ wrong parts in the labeled bin/parts have changed/numbers have changed/.... and no this is not just in the last while this has been over years and years so it is nothing new.

If you can't call then do the email thing to them, it takes longer now but they are still the same willing to help you people, and the answer will come. It may or may not be the one you want, but it will come.

Ed

Shopsmith Forums