old shopsmith

[woodsmoke]

Any one know anything about the older shopsmiths? I am thinking of getting one and using it as a drillpress for a special setup to drill angled holes with a forstner bit in my log benches. How big of a motor do they have? My drill press has a 1/2hp and works ok. are these 1hp?

[SteveR]

I can not answer your specific questions.....but check this site out and ask there.
http://www.ssug.org/

[Tundra_Man]

The sanding station/drill press/boring machine/lathe functionality is pretty good. The table saw is a bit lacking mainly due to the small table size (makes the BT seem spacious) and the scary method of bevel cutting. I don't know what the HP rating is, but it's enough. The variable speed motor is real nice, meaning no belt changes.

Their resale value stinks (as compared to what a new one costs) so if you hunt around you can find them pretty cheap.

My dad got one for free from a guy who purchased it, set it up, ran two board through it then let it sit for 12 years. He finally wanted the space back in his garage and decided to give it to someone who would use it. It works well for my dad's occasional use and very limited space in his garage.

[wardprobst]

HP depends on age- my 1954 model has a 1 3/4 horse Franklin on it and it is a pretty dang impressive drill press and horizontal boring machine. If you think the table saw is scary on the new ones- the blade is exposed completely on my old unit, no lower guard.
DP

[WoodButcher26]

One caution that I would have is the viability of the company to provide parts.

The 'factory' is located about three miles from my house here in Dayton, and they are consistently having less and less in their showroom. When I moved here a few years ago, the showroom was great--had a lot of accessories and tools that were essential, nearly equivalent to a smaller Woodcraft store. Now, shelves are mostly bare and dusty.

I asked a while back how long before they were going to get one item back in, and the guy behind the desk looked at me and laughed. Didn't say anything, just turned away and laughed.

Based on those observations, I would be leery of buying anything that had to have factory parts. Universal or aftermarket, no worries.

[russd]

The 10E and 10ER came with a 1/2 hp or 3/4hp motor. They use a 56 frame motor and are easy to replace. Some guys use either a variable speed DC or a AC motor and dial in the RPM they want.

http://www.songofthegreatlakes.com/ssmodels.htm


http://mkctools.com/index.html