Porta Shop. An interesting mini Shopsmith-like tools

The following is a quote from a current eBay auction:

Now here's something you don't see every day. It's a Porta Shop by Universal Electric Co. Think of it as a miniature type of Shopsmith. Here's a description of the Porta Shop from the Old Wood-Working Machines web site:

"During a five-year period in the 1960s, this company made an amazingly compact little combination unit: drill press, saber saw, scroll saw, shaper, disk sander, tablesaw, and table sander; all contained within a fiberglass case 10"x20"x12" (estimated from a photograph.) [it is actually 10" x 14" x 21" on measurement] About 5000 were sold, for about $1200 each."

I received an email from a man who worked for the company and he indicated that the dates of production were roughly 1961-1968. And that the $1200 price included a lifetime guild membershp. The unit by itself was around $395. (considering the value of a dollar back then, this makes sense)

This one is in overall excellent condition. It appears to have all of its parts except for some drill bits, and a cleaning brush. There is some damage to the fiberglass case, where one of the latches has been torn out. (see last photo). But being fiberglass, this can be repaired and a new latch installed. (The latches are necessary in order to carry the case with the handle.) Nothing else in the set appears to be damaged in any way. There is a bit of caked-on sawdust and a few spots of oxidation here and there, but with a few hours of cleaning and polishing, I believe it could be made to look nearly new.

Most of the metal parts are either of cast aluminum alloy, or of stainless steel, so rust is not a problem. The motor runs smooth and strong, and while I haven't actually used the machine, all functions appear to be working correctly.

It comes with a folder that illustrates the drill-press functions, and shows how the items fit in the case. (hard to do without a map). And there is a goofy cardboard circular slide-rule that displays how the basic unit is converted into the various modes.

I don't have instructions for the Porta Shop, but I think most functions can be figured out fairly easily. This is a compact, but heavy unit --nearly 40 lbs. We charge actual shipping cost plus insurance. We don't add packing or handling charges. Federal Express Ground is often the most economical way to ship heavier packages. But the shipping calculator will not allow FedEx calculations. So I have set it up to calculate UPS ground. I can ship another way if you prefer.

I hope to have more info on this tool shortly, but I owned one of these some time back and even sold it on eBay. Here's a link to Porta Shop tools for sale on eBay

Visit the Porta Shop Yahoo Group here.