Shopsmith Forums

Perspective:
Several years ago I had a well equipped ShopSmith shop at my winter place in Az. Just when I had upgraded to PowerPro and was getting right into it health concerns necessitated selling out there and returning to my fully equipped large shop in B.C. Canada year round.
Fast forward to this summer when we decided to put our house on the market and downsize. This meant downsizing my 30’ X 40’ shop to maybe a much smaller space or a garage. We won’t know until it happens but it was all the cause I needed to start thinking about selling the big stand alone stuff and getting back to the ShopSmith stuff I had come to love.
Then it began. First I found a 1996 510 with lots of goodies. Then a “too good deal” popped up on a 1957 Mark 5 with some things I wanted. The 510 was 100% and the Greenie was in need of little more than maintenance and paint.
Well this week I spotted a Mark VII listed on marketplace for $100. Canadian! (That’s ~ $75 USD) I jumped at the chance to restore the 1958 Edsel of the ShopSmith line and today I brought her home to do an inventory and see how much work I was really in for.

Here are the before pix. You can see that the plastic rack is intact and the headstock actually moves even over the rust.
The cam seems to be intact although it has been reinforced (repaired?) with a cleat and the other troublesome piece of Mark VII kit, the switch, had already been replaced with one that really looks like it means business. The inspection cover turned up in the accompanying goodie box.

After taking before pictures and inventory I looked into the reason for the low price. It would start in both directions and run for 10-15 seconds and then blow a breaker. (A dead motor was my worst fear.) My first thought was that I needed to try the motor alone to see if it was just stiff sheaves and belts.
By the time I wrestled the drive belt off I was pretty sure I knew what the problem was. The sheaves were very reluctant to move on the shafts and the cam had been left in high speed setting. With the belt removed the motor spun over in both directions with a very powerful and smooth hum. Now it’s time to read up on JPG’s great tutorial on disassembly for cleaning and lubrication. I think I may have a winner.
Here are some pictures of the extra stuff and a few things I can’t identify that you might be able to help with.
And then there is this. Very heavy and with precise adjustment. Thanks for any help…

ALL the 'arrowed' stuff is from some other entity than SS.(as well as many other thingies)

I suspected that … except the little winged nut at the bottom left of the first pic.
However, even if not SS standard fare, it’s still fun to try to figure out what they are.

Update on the speed control cam. It was more than a simple cleat on the side of the cam. A PO had actually fabricated a piece of UHMW or the like to replace a broken (or melted) area. And it is absolutely rigid. I’m sure it works.
Fortunately we now have 3D printing and a friend is making me a couple of new ones but I will definitely try this one when I get the clean up lube up done.t

Not against you trying a 3D printed cam but I think your repaired cam looks repaired fairly well. I would take it a step further. I would fill in the recessed area with some JB Weld/epoxy along with some "rebar"(i.e. finish nails, large paper clips) and see how well it holds up

The printed ones are costing me nothing but as I said, I’m definitely giving this one a chance to prove itself. I think any addition to what is there now would be cosmetic only. It seems rock solid.

Today’s progress. I got the casters removed, cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted first and then some painting and tube cleaning.

Well the 'easy' one is done!

Looking good.

I would like to see a close up of the main table/aux table retaining thumb screws.

Thanks!
I haven’t got there yet but I’ll take a look today. I had to check one of the above pictures to make sure I even had them. Looks like I do.

The tube with the rack is just about done too actually. I used the 510 for it too but just as a holding device. I did the deed with my ROS and hand sandpaper. The tough job today may be getting the roll pins out of the clamp rods to free up the lower tubes.
They aren’t tapered are they?