See, it pays to shop at the Habitat for Humanity Restore

Every other weekend or so I drop by the local Habitat for Humanity Restore to see the latest stuff.  This weekend I was hoping that they'd still have a RTA (Ready To Assemble) cabinets that they had on my last visit.  As I make my way past the front counter I noticed that just to my left they had a Shopsmith Mark V model 510 on display with a large price tag.  I was almost past it when I noticed it, so I turned to get a better look at it as I continued to walk by.  I could see that it was one of the first generation of the 510 because it had holes in the table tubes which is how Shopsmith originally bolted the tubes to the table.  (See second pic) I also finally saw the sign that indicated that it was priced only $275!  I though "Wow, someone's gonna get a good deal!"

As I rounded the corner I noticed something that stopped me in my tracks. It was a shopping cart parked next to the Mark V that contained a Shopsmith bandsaw.  The table was cast iron, so it was probably purchased with the Mark V in the mid to late 1980's.  Just behind the bandsaw in the shopping cart and standing uptight was a Shopsmith 4" Jointer.  Now I had to know what all was included in this sale, and if these items were priced separately.  I looked around the outside of the cart and found another $275 sign.  Is that just a coincidence, or are they trying to say that it's included with the Mark V? 

The cart also contained push blocks and what looked like most of the Mark V's accessories, and as I looked-up to take a better look at the Mark V I finally notices the SECOND SHOPPING CART!  This cart also had a $275 sign.  I looked over at the check-out counter and saw that despite a line of a half-dozen customers ahead of me, the cashier was just wrapping-up with a customer, so I made eye contact with her and while pointing at the tools asked "Is that $275 for each, or for all?  She replied "It's for all", and I said "I'LL TAKE IT! 

I still had to check on the cabinet that I was there for, and after anxiously loading one onto a flat-bed cart I made my way back to check-out and paid for my new Mark V! 

There were a couple HFH workers on the loading dock, and their supervisor had them each grab a load and bring to to the back of my van so I could load it.  They were amazed that I was able to load the Mark V by myself, and I explained the little trick that I learned while working for Shopsmith about moving the headstock to the low end while lifting one end of the MKV, and then sliding the headstock up the waytubes and then lifting the other end.

The guys then brought the shopping carts out and a large Rubbermaid tub.  I hadn't noticed it before, but without questioning it I popped the lid to make sure that it was Shopsmith related.  Inside was a stack of new, boxed bandsaw blades, the Mark V's owners manual and several other things.  Yep, they belong together, so I tossed it into the front seat and returned to load the rest of the stuff.

The first cart contained the bandsaw and jointer and to my surprise an early Shopsmith lathe duplicator!

The second cart contained a few surprises too.  It had a SS jigsaw and better yet a SS 6" belt sander!  The pic shows my van with everything including the cabinet jammed into my van. (Click the pic to Biggie Size It.)

Everything needs some TLC, and I'm thinking about shooting some video as I clean her up and do a few repairs and upgrades. 

Finally, let me encourage you to drop by your local Habitat for Humanity Restore or Goodwill or Salvation Army store and leave some of your money.  I used to think that these stores were for folks who were down on their luck; but after working on a few HFH bulids and with a couple Christmas toy builds with St Vincent DePaul, I learned that these stores employ some sweet and hard-working folks who may otherwise be considered unemployable, and the cash that they make from the sales help them do the good works that they do.    

Lots more to come.  Scott

Tips and Techniques for Selling Your Shopsmith Tools

As much as it pains me, some folks just don’t need their tools. Perhaps you’ve outgrown them, or maybe you inherited them and need the value they represent more than their functionality. That’s OK. So what do you say we do everything we can to get you them most money for your tools? Since 1987 I have sold hundreds of Shopsmith tools, and I’ve also bought more than my fair share, and in this blog I’ve written about my experiences in order to help connect buyers and sellers of Shopsmith tools. Here are of few tips to help you accomplish your goals…

• My first tip is that when you are through reading this post that you take a look at my post titled “Tips and Techniques for Buying Shopsmith Tools”. In it I explain to buyers what they should do to make sure that they are confident and totally satisfied with their tool purchase. Knowing the tips that I share with them will give you some good ideas about what you need to do as a fair and honorable tool seller. In the end you’ll know your tool will go to a good home, and that you’ll be able to sleep soundly knowing that they are not going to fall into “buyers remorse”, and perhaps even causing you headaches by using eBay’s feedback to retaliate or by embroiling you in a needless Paypal dispute.
  

• Take a look at the individual posts relating to the tools you are selling to make sure you know about the history of that tool. Shopsmith tools have gone through a lot of change over the years, and you need to know the details to make sure that the tool you think you are selling is in fact the tool you have to sell.

• If you are selling the tool online make sure that the photos are clear and cover every detail you can. Choose a well-lit area to take the photos, and when in doubt, add another light.
  

• Don’t leave the buyer to assume anything! In my “Buying a Suit on eBay” Blog (seriously!) I mention that many suits today are made in China by people who don’t read English. The English labels inside a suits lining may say “Wool“ or “100% Silk“, but that doesn’t mean that the suit is made of wool or silk! There is a label in a suit that must disclose the country of origin and the actual material, but the “show labels” can say anything you want! Back to tools. If a prospective buyer sees a “Forest Woodworker II” carbide saw blade on a Shopsmith saw arbor hanging on the pegboard behind your Mark V in the photo in the eBay listing, they may believe that it is included with the Mark V. Is it? Isn’t it? Make sure that you include a COMPLETE listing of all items which are included in the listing; and if something makes its way into the photo that shouldn’t be there, either edit it out of the picture using Microsoft Paint, or state clearly something like: “Please note that the blade shown on the wall in the photo is NOT included in this auction.”. If something is included in the listing but not shown in your photo, I highly recommend that you consider taking another photo, or make sure that you note this prominently in your ad. Say something clever like “There is an awesome 8 Gallon Ingersoll Rand Model SS3J2-WB air compressor included with this Shopsmith Pro Planer; but it was too shy to be photographed with the planer.”
  

• Offer to send additional photos upon request. Buyers understand that eBay charges for extra photos and that you may have additional photos. Rather than waiting for them to ask, offer this extra touch up front. The other advantage is you will now have their email address, so you can send them a friendly reminder the day before you auction ends! (This may not be available now due to changes in the eBay rules. Feel free to comment if you know more about this.)
  

• All major Shopsmith tools have serial numbers or date codes on them. If your tool is a Shopsmith Mark V you can visit Shopsmith’s web site and find the birth date of the tool. http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/serialnumber.htm On the Mark V the serial number is located on the left side of the Headstock (Power Plant), on the vent plate that surounds the lower drive shaft or on a Red/White Sticker. Note that the serial #’s were switched to a date code in 1988. If your tool is another Shopsmith tool you can either email or call Shopsmith’s customer service. Ask for Linda and tell her Scott Markwood says “Hey”.

• Because the color of Shopsmith tools MAY indicate the age of the tool, make sure your mention if the tool has been repainted. The fact that it’s been re-touched or repainted isn’t a bad thing; but changing the color to mimic a newer production model, then not disclosing this fact is tantamount to fraud.
  

• I suggest to Mark V buyers that they ask the seller to confirm that the speed dial turns freely and that there is no bearing noise. To do this you want to make sure that the headstock isn’t coupled to a bandsaw or any other SPT tool, and make sure that the tool is running before you turn the speed dial. Once you confirm that all is in order, mention in your listing what you learned. Say something like: “We cycled the Mark V’s speed dial through the entire speed range, and no unusual noises or vibrations were observed.” This may be a great time to state the obvious to the buyers with a disclaimer that states “Please keep in mind that though this tool has given faithful service all these years with no maintenance problems, I am not a tool expert, electrician or mechanic, and this is a 25 year old tool. There may be unknown conditions that are not warranted by me or the manufacturer.”

• The Mark V has been manufactured by no less than five companies, so provide either a photo of the name plate from the headstock or at the very least the serial number and the other text from the name plate.
  

• There have been several versions of the Shopsmith 5-in-1 tools, including the 10e, the 10er, the Mark I, II, V, 7 and VII. There has NEVER been a Mark IV, though the Mark V is regularly listed as a Mark 4 on eBay. The Mark V has been made in several models with distinct differences. There has been a Mark V model 500, 505, 510 and 520, and you can find more information about this in our Mark V post within this blog.

• If you’ve added any upgrades to the tool, mention them! This is important because some of the older tools have undesirable features that you may have addressed with an upgrade or retrofit. For example, many older Mark V’s have been upgraded with a new two bearing quill, and many Shopsmith bandsaws have been retrofitted with ball bearing blade guides. Describe what the upgrade does, and give a testimonial while you’re at it. Say something like: “The original bronze bushing guides were like fingers on a chalkboard and were in constant need of lubrication. Since upgrading to the new ball bearings the noise is gone and the sealed bearings require zero maintenance.” What if your tool has no upgrades? Say something in your listing like: “The Shopsmith 11” Bandsaw has continued to evolve since its introduction, and unlike so many companies, Shopsmith never leaves their older tool owners behind. All upgrades since this bandsaw was produced are retrofitable to this classic saw and are readily available from Shopsmith.”

• How will you ship the tool? Will you ship it assembled, partially disassembled or totally disassembled? Include photos or better yet a video of the disassembly process and make sure that all loose parts, set screws, etc. are placed in well labeled Zip-Loc bags. The Mark V is a very easy tool to break-down and reassemble, so don’t let this scare you off. It the tool is to be shipped assembled I would still suggest that you remove the legs. They are held in place with fives screws each, and with them removed the tool will ship much more compactly (saving you or the buyer money) and the tool will be less likely to become damaged due to toppling as the center of gravity will drop dramatically.
  

• Before listing your item, do a quick Completed Auction Search of similar items. This will let you know what the current going rate is for that item, and unless there is something special about your deal, your location or your copywriting skills, use the going rate as a rule of thumb for establishing your opening bid.
  

• That reminds me to mention that buyers HATE reserves! If you know you must have $2000 for your tools or else you are going to give it to your son-in-law, then start your auction with $1997 as the opening price. At least that way potential buyers know where they stand, and only serious bidders will jump into the fray. Personally I’m a little more confident in my ad writing abilities, and I’m a bit of a gambler, so I would start the auction at $997 or $1447.
  

• Don’t mess around with 10 day listings. They cost you more, and after three days you are still left with a seven day auction! Buyers are looking for instant gratification, and seven days is long enough.
  

• Consider a “Buy It Now” price. This will cost you a bit more, but it will have a valuable psychological effect on the bidders. If you are reasonable in your asking price, and assuming that someone didn’t win that last Shopsmith Mark VII that they’ve been dreaming of, they just might take it off your hands right away and not risk missing out to a sniper. Likewise, the “Buy It Now” price serves as a benchmark for potential buyers who may not know the going rate of your tool.
  

• If your goal is to make the most money you possibly can for you tools, please note that tool prices are seasonal because woodworking is seasonal. Woodworkers are active hobbyists and as such are in their gardens, on their Jet Skis and climbing rocks during the Spring and Summer. That means you will have fewer buyers competing for your items if you can wait to sell them in the Fall and Winter.
  

• Feel free to send me your ads, and I’ll be happy to offer tips and suggestions. I’ll even post them on my blog at no charge.
  

• Lastly, consider adding a link to our “Tips and Techniques for Buying Shopsmith Tools” (linked above) within your eBay listing. This will show that you have nothing to hide, and that you are looking out for their best interests. They might find it in a Google search anyway, so you might as well be the one to offer a good tip.

Good luck! Scott

Tips and Techniques for Buying Shopsmith Tools

Tips and Techniques for Buying Shopsmith Tools

You are at an exciting place in your woodworking hobby; you’ve been sold on Shopsmith tools and now you’re looking for the best way to add them to your shop. I’ve written about my own experiences, so I’ll try not to bore you any more than totally necessary…

• My first tip is that when you are through reading this post that you take a look at my post titled “Tips and Techniques for Selling Your Shopsmith Tools”. In it I explain to sellers what I would do in order to get you to part with as much of your money as possible! Knowing this will give you some good ideas about what to look for, and what I would consider fair and honorable behavior when selling tools.
• Take a look at the individual posts relating to the tools you are interested in buying to make sure you know about the history of that tool. Shopsmith tools have gone through a lot of change over the years, and you need to know the details to make sure that the tool you think you are buying is in fact the tool you get.
• If you are buying the tool online make sure that the photos are clear and cover every detail that concerns you.
• Don’t assume anything! I write in my “Buying a Suit on eBay” Blog (seriously!) that many suits today are made in China by people who don’t read English. The English labels inside a suits lining may say “Wool“ or “100% Silk“, but that doesn’t mean that the suit is made of wool or silk! There is a label in a suit that must disclose the country of origin and the actual material, but the “show labels” can say anything you want! Back to tools. Just because you see a “Forest Woodworker II” carbide saw blade on a Shopsmith saw arbor hanging on the pegboard behind the Mark V in the photo in the eBay listing; that doesn’t mean it’s included with the Mark V. What should you do? Make a list of all the items you see in the photos, then read slowly through the listing and check-off the items from your list. If something on your list but not in the description, send a message to the seller and ask of the item is included in the sale. If something is listed but not shown, ask if they can email you a photo of the item. There may be a reason why they didn’t show the bandsaw… because it fell off the shelf and has a huge crack in the casting! This tip has saved me so much money, and has even won me some great items that were not noticed by buyers who just look at the photos.
• If the serial number of all the tools are not shown in the listing, write the seller and ask for them. With the numbers in hand visit Shopsmith’s web site and find the birth date of the tool. http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/serialnumber.htm On the Mark V the serial number is located on the left side of the Headstock (Power Plant), on the vent plate or on a Red/White Sticker. Note that the serial #’s were switched to a date code in 1988.
• The color of the tool MAY indicate the age of the tool. The Original Shopsmith 10er’s was gray. The original Mark V of 1954 was two-tone green. (Known among Shopsmithers as “Greenies”) This was changed to two-tone brown (or gold) in 1960 and so on. Again, read the post for the individual tool that you are shopping for. The point is if you are looking at a grey Mark V you may be looking at a Mark V from the 1960’s, or 70’s, or 80’s, or 90’s or 00’s or maybe it’s a Greenie with a new grey paint job! The only way to know for sure is to check the serial # or to ask the seller if the paint job is original. I actually like the color of the Greenies and the Gold Anniversary Mark V, but I loathe Mark V’s with non-standard paint jobs because they always look like Chinese knock-offs to me.
• Ask the seller to confirm that the speed dial turns freely and that there is no bearing noise. If they aren’t sure, as them to turn the Mark V on and run the speed up to fast, then back down to slow and to report their findings back to you. If they are selling the tool for a friend, or if it’s a tool they inherited let them know that they want to make sure that the headstock isn’t coupled to the bandsaw or any other SPT tool, and that they make sure that the tool is running while they are turning the speed dial. Feel free to suggest that they view this and the Sellers post mentioned above.
• The Mark V has been manufactured by no less than five companies, so ask for either a photo of the name plate or at the very least the serial number and the other text on the name plate.
• There have been several versions of the Shopsmith 5-in-1 tools, including the 10e, the 10er, the Mark I, II, V, 7 and VII. There has NEVER been a Mark IV, though the Mark V is regularly listed as a Mark 4 on eBay. I think sellers must know that the tool they own is an older unit, so it must be the model before the current Mark V. Now, the Mark V has been made in several models with distinct differences. There has been a Mark V model 500, 505, 510 and 520.
• Ask the seller if they’ve added any upgrades to the tool. This is important if the tools age would indicate the presence of undesirable features. For example, many older Mark V’s have been upgraded with a new two bearing quill. Without this newer feature the drill press will have more side-play, and faceplate turnings will tend to grab and chatter.
• How will the seller ship the tool? Will it ship assembled or will they partially disassemble it? If so ask them to include photos or better yet a video of the disassembly process and to make sure that all loose parts, set screws, etc. are placed in well labeled Zip-Loc bags. The Mark V is a very easy tool to break-down and reassemble, so don’t let this scare you off. It the tool is to be shipped assembled I would still suggest that the seller remove the legs. They are held in place with five screws each, and with them removed the tool will ship much more compactly (saving you money) and the tool will be less likely to become damaged due to toppling as the center of gravity will drop dramatically.
• Never fall in love with something that can’t love you back. Just because you think a tool is a great find doesn’t make it worth all the money in the world. Set your top price and stick to it. Rather than sitting around waiting to snipe at the end of the auction, set your top bit from the get-go. Should someone outbid you let it go. That said, don’t bid in even numbers. A top bid of $10 will always be beaten by an earlier bit of $10.01. I tend to bid 1.0507 times my pre-established top price. That means if my top price is $100, I’ll bit $105.07, or something like that. Again, I’ll beat all the folks who try to snipe at the last minute with a $100 or $101 last minute bid.
• Before you bid, make sure that there isn’t an identical tool for sale elsewhere on eBay. Nothing sucks worse than entering a bid only then to notice the identical tool selling for half the price several auctions down the page.
• Before placing that bid do a quick Completed Auction Search of the item. This will let you know what the current going rate is for that item, and unless there is something special about the deal such as the location or additional items included in the auction, use the going rate as a rule of thumb for establishing your top bid.
• That last tip reminds me of one of the most valuable tips on this post. (see, there’s a reason you read this far!) Tool prices are seasonal because woodworking is seasonal. Woodworkers are active hobbyists and as such are in their gardens, on their Jet Skis and climbing rocks during the Spring and Summer. That means you will have fewer competitors if you can plan your purchases and buy in the Spring and Summer.
• Use the links on this blog to find hidden Shopsmith tools. I’ve been searching for, buying and selling Shopsmith tools on eBay since 1998, and I’ve gotten pretty good at sorting through the SPAM that clogs the tool category. eBay’s own analytics have proven that you have a stronger than normal likelihood of winning the bid when you go from my links to tools on eBay. Cool huh? Good luck, and let me know how your tool purchase goes. Scott

Delta Answers Shopsmith With A Multi Tool Of Their Own

In 1953 Rockwell introduced their response to the Shopsmith tools: the Delta-Shop. Rather than a true multi-purpose tool this was actually 3 tools mounted on a single stand. It was a Table Saw, Jointer, Disc Sander and a Drill Press. While the saw and the jointer were mounted in the conventional side-by-side configuration on a common base, was Drill Press is hinged on the right end of the saw table, and when needed it is lifted up and the belt is fished-down through the saw insert and around a pulley which takes the place of the saw blade. Many of these tools survive, though many if not most of the disc sander and drill presses have been removed to be mounted on a work bench. There was really no comparison to the Shopsmith, but Magna felt the need to reply to this threat with an ad of their own. See this post for that response, and if Delta Tools are of interest to you, visit our Delta-Rockwell-Tool-Hunter blog

Shopsmith Jointer Information, Review and History

Don't get so excited with eBay prices that you pay more than the price of a new tool! The current MSRP of the Shopsmith 4" Jointer is $587.00.

At only 4" wide the Shopsmith jointer is small by comparison to today's Chinese imports, but it just about lives full-time on my Mark V and for me is irreplaceable even though I now also own a large jointer too. The inventors of the Mark V were smart enough to know that the jointer would be needed while sawing, so while the upper spindle is spinning around 3500rpm the lower drive spindle that drives the jointer is spinning 1.6 times faster at 5600rpm.

As for its size, ask yourself how often you'll be jointing boards that are thicker than 4" and you'll see that 4" is wide enough for all but face-jointing. Just like the Shopsmith Bandsaw, the inventors of the SS jointer took a fresh look at the tool and came-up with some unique features that have proven the test of time. Some of these innovations are:

• One captured handle is used to loosen and tighten the fence tilt as well as for locking the fence in the proper place over the blade. Why move the fence? As you use a jointer the knives will begin to dull, so when you need to make a final pass on your stock you can move the fence to the sharpest point on the knives. In my case, I like to move the fence to the back of the jointer if I know the wood I'm jointing has the potential to nick the knives. For example, even though I do this rarely I do occasionally find the need to joint a piece of plywood. The glue line on the ply is murder on the knives, so for this, I'll slide the fence over to the far right and leave the left side pristine.

• Most jointers have an adjustable front and rear bed. You raise and lower the front bed to expose more or less of the blades to remove a set amount. I usually have mine set to remove 1/16". The rear bed on most jointers also moves up and down to allow you to line it up with the blades whenever you change them for a freshly sharpened set. The SS jointer doesn't need an adjustable rear bed because the inventors patented a unique cutter head that allows you to accurately position the knife's level with the fixed rear bed. You'll notice that several companies sell knife setting gauges because all jointers except the SS jointer have goofy knife holders which can cause the knives to shift left, right, up, or down when they are being tightened. Worse yet most jointer knives can come loose if they aren't properly tightened. The SS jointer knives are ground in a wedge shape, and they are locked in place with an opposing wedge. If the capscrews which hold the wedges in place are even lightly tightened, centrifugal force will cause the knives to hold tight against the locking wedges. I'm not explaining his well, but most importantly this design is just plain smart.

• Ever wonder if the piece you're thinking of jointing is long enough to safely joint? A little-known feature of the SS jointer fence is that it has two bumps cast into the top. If your board fits between the bumps it's too short to joint.

• The current SS jointer features an improved guard which is called a feather-guard. It combines a guard that can be set to limit how much of the cutter head can be exposed and a feather board that helps to keep the board held tightly against the fence. If your SS jointer has the older cast aluminum "pork chop" type guard it can be easily retrofitted with the new feather-guard by purchasing the feather guard retro kit from Shopsmith.

• One last recent improvement to the SS jointer sounds a little gross, but the motive is pure and the results were very effective. A few years ago SS increased the diameter of the cutter head and increased the size of the knife locking wedges in order to tighten-up the spaces that can cause injury if an operator happens to get their hand too close to the running cutter head. Again, this is available as a service part, but I'm not prepared to go to this extreme. My feather guard keeps me at a safe distance, and my fear of injury handles the rest.

Click here for Shopsmith Jointers For Sale on eBay

Here's a neat tip on how to increase the bed length on your Shopsmith Jointer