Shopsmith Upgrade - Before and After

That is a great restoration job Festool. It should last you a lifetime.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

That’s nice looking. My dad gave me my grandfather’s Shop Smith a couple of years ago. My dad had given it to his dad back in the 70’s but he could never get it to work right and after he passed in the 80’s my dad got it back but never did anything with it. I tore the headstock apart and had the motor rebuilt then put it all back together and it works like brand new. You’re right Shop Smith is still in business and sells everything you could need for it and they also have a search on their website to find out what year Shop Smith you have by the serial number. Mine was built in 1955. I haven’t really used it too much yet, I have stand alone equipment that are a little more convenient. Mine also came with the 4” joiner and shaper attachments. I have tons of stuff that I haven’t even discovered yet. If you go onto eBay there’s a gentleman who regularly sells Shop SMith parts and pieces for much less then the factory. Anyway, great looking Shop Smith I’m sure you’ll get many years of service out of it.

Take Care,

Irwin

-- If you're walking on eggs, don't hop!

Great restoration job!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

What an improvement, great job getting her back up to speed.

My dad is donating his entire shop to me (just have to go get it all),
and along with all of his other tools he has a Shopsmith he purchased
new in the 70’s. These things are table saws/drill press/disc sander/lathe
combination machines right?

-- Still learning everything

And wow, it even upgraded it’s location from in front of the garage to inside the house, impressive.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

Great transformation! The Shopsmith company may be interested in purchasing your photos for advertising purposes. Worth a shot. Fantastic job Festool.

-- http://dustynewt.webs.com/

looks great. i agree that the folks at shopsmith would be interested to see it

-- making sawdust....

nice restoration

As a life long shopsmith user, I applaud all those who keep them running and especially those who keep them looking like new (or better). Also, the previous comment about ebay is a good one. I would not bother to buy new since there is a wealth of great used (and sometimes new) stuff on ebay. I’ve used several regular vendors for all my accessories. -SST

-- Accuracy is not in your power tool, it's in you

Wow, what a difference! Very nice work, looks new to me!

-- Bob A in NJ

Good work, Frank. It will out last you for sure.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Nice work, What did you use on the rails to polish them?

-- Just another day in paradise.

What a great restoration. Good job.

-- Maplewood, MN

Wow! Great job! Is it a functional piece in your shop? Ya know, Shopsmith must’ve really produced a fine product when you consider the model hasn’t been improved on in all those years. Every other manufacturer has gone plastic or cheap steel. Not Shopsmith.

My father-in-law left one of these to my nephew…and he asked me the other day if I wanted it. Think I’ve just made my decision!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Sandhill,

I used some Hoppe’s #9 and steel wool to polish mine but I had to deal with some surface rust from none use. Dadoo, I’d certainly run to get that Shop Smith, you won’t be sorry :) rpmurphy509, yes the Shop Smith is all of those and a lot more. I’ve even seen a small air compressor attachment for them! I think I’m going to use mine mainly for a lathe but it’s nice to have the options, you know?

-- If you're walking on eggs, don't hop!

Beautiful job!!! What did you paint it with and where did you get the paint?

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Yes, a Shopsmith is a Lathe, Disc Sander, Horizontal and Regular Drill Press, and Table Saw. Now this is a combination machine and it does some things better than others. It is an excellent Disc Sander and Drill Press. The Lathe is ok. The Table saw is pretty much lacking. If you are extremely limited in space, it is a great choice. If you only plan to use it for its strong points, it is a great choice. If you are expecting it to perform like a full blown cabinet saw, then you will be disappointed.

-- Festool4

Shopsmith is more than welcome to have the photos. It is something that I did for myself. Here is someone who did the same thing for a Shopsmith 10ER (This is much more difficult because the parts are harder to come by): http://www.songofthegreatlakes.com/ss10errcrestore.htm

-- Festool4

Sandblasting is the most aggressive way of removing rust but it is very messy. I had pretty good success with a wire wheel mounted on an angle grinder. Believe it or not, a random orbit sander did a pretty good job as well and left a nice pattern.

-- Festool4

I generally use it as a sander and a drill press – works like a charm.

-- Festool4

I used Krylon Rust Preventative Enamel with a Primer. If I had my druthers, I would have used automotive paint.

-- Festool4

Really nice job on the restoration. Restoring old woodworking machinery can be one of the most rewarding projects.

We get a lot of people in our tool store talking about what good old machines Shopsmiths are… but what’s funny is that what they say about them is identically to your remark: ‘I use it as a sander and a drill press.’ Most people universally love Shopsmiths but hate it as a table saw. I guess if you’re gonna do everything, you can’t be perfect.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

Combination machines usually involve a compromise at some level. I do feel for those poor souls who purchase a new Shopsmith. There just isn’t enough return on your money. If you are going to purchase a Shopsmith, buy it used!

Of course, if you insist on buying new, I would highly recommend something like a minimax: http://www.minimax-usa.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage_norm&product_id=43&category_id=8&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26. There is no doubt in my mind that you can get professional results out of a machine like this.

-- Festool4

looks great…I am adding you as a buddy since you are an SS owner…at work so havent read the whole story…but looking forward to conversing with you on SS advice…we are now getting quite a few SS owners…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...177 days to sanity...

Wow! Nice job. This reminds me of one of those weight loss – before and after photo comparisons. It looks like a brand new machine now.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Great job Festool! I also have a shopsmith from the ‘50s, and plan on restoring it someday. I currently use it only for a drill press and lathe..

-- Jamie, Kentucky

I have a SS in my shop and it is one of the most accurate tools I have. It is sometimes a pai n to do the set ups, but it always does the job. I mainly use it as a specialized tool for some of the add ons I have like Ringmaster but it is one of the finest tools built for the price. Bought it for$999 in 86.

-- WOOD/DON (...one has the right to ones opinion but not the right to ones own facts...)

Perfect upgrade.

-- Jiri

Oh, there is nothing wrong with the accuracy of a Shopsmith if you take your time with it. It just doesn’t make a very good tablesaw. It is underpowered, not deep enough, and the fence isn’t what it should be. Having said that, I think a 1000 dollars is quite reasonable, but if you look at their website, they are now asking 3000 dollars for the base model. Ouch…

-- Festool4

I to have the ER, that is a fine restoration job you did (and the guy in the link) mine was well maintained and doesn’t look like it needs a cleaning and polishing, but maybe I’ll just do that anyway! Still performs excellently, regardless of it’s age, and is a worthwhile addition to any shop. even if you only use it for one or two of its functions, there is the odd time you wish you had something else, and with a few attachments or a clever set up, the shopsmith can totally fit the bill, and spare you a dedicated disk sander, horizontal drill press or lathe if you only need to turn a couple parts (and don’t forsee making a hobby out of that)

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Vincent Van Gogh -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

I used Krylon Rust Preventative Enamel with a Primer. If I had my druthers, I would have used automotive paint.

—Festool4
Did you consider the Shopsmith paint at $12 an aerosol can? I have a Kennedy machinists box I need to repaint and have been unable to locate the Kennedy crinkle brown and have been thinking about the Shopsmith color.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Oh, there is nothing wrong with the accuracy of a Shopsmith if you take your time with it. It just doesn’t make a very good tablesaw. It is underpowered, not deep enough, and the fence isn’t what it should be. Having said that, I think a 1000 dollars is quite reasonable, but if you look at their website, they are now asking 3000 dollars for the base model. Ouch…

As the owner of a Model 520, the fence is as good as (if not better) than any others I’ve seen available for “real” table saws. The various fences before the 520 were, yes, sub-par. And, regarding the table saw aspect as being the SS’s weak-point, there I would agree.

Now, as far as the price tag… check to see where all the rest of the tools to which you are comparing the Shopsmith are made. When you are buying a Shopsmith, you are buying an American-made woodworking tool. I’m guessing there aren’t too many American-made woodworking tools left.

-- † Hops †

I disagree with those who stress that the Shopsmith is inferior in saw mode. Yeah, in comparison to a 3 or 5 HP cabinet saw, it comes up short. However, a cabinet saw falls into the realm of the professional, or larger free standing shop, where there is the space and electrical capacity.

Compared to contractor’s saws and even hybrid saws, the Shopsmith stacks up pretty good. If the Shopsmith is a “compromise”, note that contractor’s and hybrid saws are also designed with a lot of compromises. Yes, on the Shopsmith, the table tilts when you have to cut bevels, but it can do these cuts, and do them with precision. You can even leave the table in it’s set position, replace the saw blade with the 12 inch disk sander, and precisely sand your bevel – can’t do that on a contractor’s or hybrid saw. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Shopsmith in saw mode is variable speed. This helps to eliminate burn marks in certain woods, and even makes it possible to cut sheet plastic without getting a melted mess. The newest upgraded Shopsmith version, the 520, has a much larger table than the original model 500 and has a fence that is equivalent to the best aftermarket fence. with the extension and floating tables the 520 has over 50 inches of ripping capacity. Contractor’s and Hybrid saws fall short.

As for being underpowered, blade manufacturers consider saws 2 HP and below as being underpowered. If this is a disadvantage of the Shopsmith, then the vast majority of saws used in home workshops also fall into this category. For underpowered saws, the blade manufacturers recommend thin kerf blades. With thin kerf blades, the Shopsmith will make any cut that a contractor’s or hybrid saw can. Actually, the Shopsmith has another advantage, in that it is so easy and quick to change blades. On many other saws, changing blades is a chore, and sometimes a “reach for the bandaids” task. My blade collection includes the combination, rip, crosscut, and plywood/laminate blades. I have even ripped the full ten foot length of a rain soaked pressure treated 2×10. So much for “underpowered”.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

Clearly there are those among us who are emotionally attached to their Shopsmiths. I can appreciate that because I’m one of them. If I wasn’t a fan, I wouldn’t have spent so much time and effort on mine. Having said that, there are people who come to this site looking for guidance on their next woodworking purchases and I’m not going to steer them wrong by slanting the truth to make a certain product look better than it is.

My Shopsmith has the original ¾ HP motor and it is pretty tired. In my opinion, adding another ½ HP isn’t going to make that much difference. I’m not so concerned about the performance factor, but safety is very important to me. I came into this world with ten fingers and I plan to leave it that way. In the same way that a sharper knife is safer a more powerful tablesaw is safer. A more powerful saw is far less likely to run into a hard knot and throw the material back at you. Of course, a more powerful saw is far less likely to stall out or burn the wood as well.

In the process of building my work bench, I was ripping down ten quarter alder in ten foot lengths. My present cabinet saw cut it like warm butter. I’m pretty sure that my Shopsmith would have choked on it.

Thin kerf blades are fine, but they have their disadvantages too. They are more likely to distort under heaving loads. They also tend to wobble slightly, leaving a slightly rougher cut. Keep in mind, if you switch to a thin kerf blade, switch out your splitter to match. I know a lot of people who have had great results with the MJ Splitter: http://www.microjig.com/MJ%20Splitter.htm\. It usually sales for around 15 dollars.

-- Festool4

Festool:

There is nothing emotional about my above comments. I’m a graduate ME and worked for many years for companies that made industrial electric motors and drive systems. Believe me I understand the relationship between HP, torque, and rpm very well.

Your original Shopsmith is 50 years old. As it was, It would not begin to compare with the modern 520 version. Yes, like many other saws made for the home hobbiest market, The Shopsmith falls in the “underpowered” classification. However, unlike the other saws, the shopsmith has variable speed. As you crank the speed down, the torque increases. Thus, you can do heavy ripping at a slower speed, provided that you decrease the feed rate accordingly. This adds a few seconds to the cut – hardly noticeable. Variable speed makes it possible for the shopsmith to make cuts that would bog down other fixed speed “underpowered” saws. Keeping your blades sharp and clean will also make a big difference.

Many saw manufacturers recommend “stiffners” on thin kerf blades. However, these saws all have a 5/8” arbor, not a whole lot of support. The Shopsmith arbor fully clamps the blade in it’s 1 7/8 inch diameter, acting as it’s own stiffner. All saw blades have a certain amount of run out, and in many ways it’s a “you get what you pay for” proposition. Using my Freud thin kerf 60 tooth carbide crosscut blade, I have done some precision work, cutting 6,8,10,and 12 sided segments for bowel turning, with angles tuned down to the last “hairs breath”.

There clearly are advantages to a 3 or 5 HP cabinet saw. However this is getting out of the realm of the home hobbiest who works in his garage or basement, where there is limited space and electrical capacity. While my 520 is certainly not in the same class as a cabinet saw, I’ll stand by my statement that it stacks up very well in comparison with contractor’s and hybrid saws.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

Great transformation!

-- jeanmarc manosque france

really nice.. what do you use it for? horizontal boring and disc sanding?

-- making sawdust....

Presently, I’m not using it at all. It is sitting in my garage aka the Dutch oven. I so want to move back to Oregon. Anyway, once it cools down, the Shopsmith makes a really good drill press / boring machine. It makes an ok lathe, but it makes an excellent sharpening station. Their sharpening guide with conical sanding disk can sharpen a gouge in nothing flat with a beautiful edge. It is the best that I have ever seen.

-- Festool4

That definitly is a nice restore job! I was given a whole SS after a friend’s uncle passed. This unit I think is from the same era, but the original color is copper or gold. I am slowly restoring it just as an extra shop item. It came with box’s of tooling, belt/disc sander, band saw, jointer, and a compressor attachment. I could not figure out what it was so I had to inquire to SS. If anyone has never seen their orig compressor attachment, let me know and I’ll try to fiqure out how to attach a photo. I still have to figure out what many of these items are and have been aquiring manuals to help. Anyway, nice job once again Festool.

-- woodman488

Actually, you can visit Shopsmith’s website and they offer their tool history. If you Shopsmith is brown/gold; it is newer than mine – between 1960 and 1963. Of course, it is still older than I am.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/toolhistory.htm

The belt sander is excellent – don’t loose it. The jointer is ok, but two narrow for my taste. I can’t help you with the compressor – I have never seen one before.

Have a good weekend,

Frank

-- Festool4