Shopsmith Forums

JHall wrote:The woman I spoke with told me that I had to make an appointment with an engineer to find out if the parts were interchangeable and it would cost me $20 to speak with one!

If ya bought the part and it didn't fit. You'd be out $10.00, not the $20.00 to talk to the engineer.

jsburger wrote:

JHall wrote:Shopsmith sure isn't the company they used to be when I bought the jigsaw.

The woman I spoke with told me that I had to make an appointment with an engineer to find out if the parts were interchangeable and it would cost me $20 to speak with one!

I am curious where you found this part number and maybe there would be an exploded parts diagram that would help to determine whether the parts were the same. I looked at the diagram for the newer scroll saw and saw nothing like it.

If this is the way SS is going for simple questions to customer service the SS we all have known for 50 years is gone. Sad! I guess that CS personnel have no clue about the machine like the old employees.

Well, what constitutes good CS has certainly been debated in some of the threads I have posted on here in the past 6 months regarding some of the challenges I have experienced with my orders from them. I understand Shopsmith is running a business and they have to do what is profitable for them. However, it seems to me that perhaps their business model has changed now. I mean, in the past, their dominant source of revenue was selling brand new machines (big ticket items). Today, I think it has shifted for them. There are countless used Mark V and accessories to be had online for a couple hundred bucks. So, I would guess more of their revenue is now coming from servicing spare parts and upgrades (low ticket items), rather than selling whole machines. I believe the very fact that they were successful in the past (and for many years) has resulted in an enormous boneyard of Shopsmith equipment to pick from. In essence they act more like a 3rd party replacement parts house now, than as an actual manufacturer that owns the product lines. In addition, senior, knowledgeable CS people have retired or left the company and have been replaced with inexperienced personnel who haven't been trained. I doubt their current profit margins would permit them to hire more knowledgeable CS people. If my musings here are correct, then is it any wonder that they are now charging for technical support (and customer service might have surcharges before too long as well)?

RFGuy wrote:

jsburger wrote:

JHall wrote:Shopsmith sure isn't the company they used to be when I bought the jigsaw.
I am curious where you found this part number and maybe there would be an exploded parts diagram that would help to determine whether the parts were the same. I looked at the diagram for the newer scroll saw and saw nothing like it.

If this is the way SS is going for simple questions to customer service the SS we all have known for 50 years is gone. Sad! I guess that CS personnel have no clue about the machine like the old employees.

Well, what constitutes good CS has certainly been debated in some of the threads I have posted on here in the past 6 months regarding some of the challenges I have experienced with my orders from them. I understand Shopsmith is running a business and they have to do what is profitable for them. However, it seems to me that perhaps their business model has changed now. I mean, in the past, their dominant source of revenue was selling brand new machines (big ticket items). Today, I think it has shifted for them. There are countless used Mark V and accessories to be had online for a couple hundred bucks. So, I would guess more of their revenue is now coming from servicing spare parts and upgrades (low ticket items), rather than selling whole machines. I believe the very fact that they were successful in the past (and for many years) has resulted in an enormous boneyard of Shopsmith equipment to pick from. In essence they act more like a 3rd party replacement parts house now, than as an actual manufacturer that owns the product lines. In addition, senior, knowledgeable CS people have retired or left the company and have been replaced with inexperienced personnel who haven't been trained. I doubt their current profit margins would permit them to hire more knowledgeable CS people. If my musings here are correct, then is it any wonder that they are now charging for technical support (and customer service might have surcharges before too long as well)?

I can't help but wonder...just how do we know all of this OR is this all just sour grapes.

dusty wrote: I can't help but wonder...just how do we know all of this OR is this all just sour grapes.

Dusty, seems like any slightly negative or critical post regarding Shopsmith, you pounce and attack the person posting. If we can't have open and honest discussion on this forum, then what is the point of the forum?

I do believe that open and honest discussion is appropriate and welcome BUT not when based on unsubstantiated negative assumptions.

As an example: personnel being new to the CS area does not necessarily mean that they are inexperienced and need training AND upon what basis do we have to doubt the Shopsmith profit margin.

dusty wrote:I do believe that open and honest discussion is appropriate and welcome BUT not when based on unsubstantiated negative assumptions.

As an example: personnel being new to the CS area does not necessarily mean that they are inexperienced and need training AND upon what basis do we have to doubt the Shopsmith profit margin.

Dusty,

I was repeating "assumptions" others have made on this forum before (some of us consider these more than assumptions). Just one example is in the thread below. You didn't challenge these assumptions when posted by other forum members, just when I decided to post about it this time. Again, I don't know why you choose to take offense when I post on this forum half the time. It is getting very tiring for me to participate here...

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/comm ... 0-s10.html

condemnant quod non intellegunt

OKAY. I'll try to do better in the future. I'll think real hard before I post disparaging comments in favor of Shopsmith and especially when your posts are involved.

At the same time I will challenge the entire forum membership to avoid assumptions as the basis for that sort of criticism.

I'm sorry that I seemed to have generated all of this. I just thought it was real strange to have to speak to an engineer for $ 20 for a question about the suitability of a part. It's time to let it go.

JHall wrote:I'm sorry that I seemed to have generated all of this. I just thought it was real strange to have to speak to an engineer for $ 20 for a question about the suitability of a part. It's time to let it go.

You are NOT alone as 'we' have been sorry of that new policy since first encountered.

I doubt it will 'be let go' by folks 'here'.

I realize the need for doing so with 'technical' questions, but it appears the threshold is set too low.

The wholesale reassignment of parts numbers is a likely cause of the original question. Seems nobody bothered to create equivalency info.(either time)

Let me hopefully get this thread back on track. Yes, rebuild/restore the jigsaw. Or let me know and I'll take it off your hands:). If anyone here would like a 3d printed yoke, let me know. I designed and printed several and they are working great in a couple of rebuilt machines.

I also would like to add my 2 cents/paragraphs on the air blower and pump assembly. I was given my jigsaw as a gift and it was in storage/non use for many many years close to 30+ most likely. The gasket on the front cover was dried out and had a few cracks, and the two mating surfaces, on the cover and main body of the jigsaw were far from flat. I used a granite slab and 220 then 400 grit wet dry to get them flat and polished. Like was said earlier, make sure to leave a relief cut for the vent hole on the top of your new gasket.

I took the air pump assembly on top and soaked the top gasket in oil for a day and reinstalled to check for leaks. Lightly pressurized the assembly and noticed bubbles coming out of the bottom part. There is a gasket on the lower park where the air comes out and goes to the air hose. To replace that gasket you need to knock out a couple of pins on the tube near the bottom. Then slide off the tube. Be very very careful separating the two lower parts. There is a little nylon ball that will jump out and bounce all around the floor and hide under the darkest corner in your shop. There is also a small spring under that ball you'll need to keep from jumping out. Clean and make a new gasket and replace. I also found that the top piece was not flat and had dents from the casting process. I flattened it the same way trying to be very careful not to remove to much material, just untill it was uniform. I filled in the dents and scratches with super glue before sanding it flat. Made a new gasket, put the spring/ball back in place, and reassembled the tube with the pins and repressurized the tube again to check for leaks. Nothing coming out of the bottom now, I did add a 1" rubber washer between the top metal washer and the original gasket washer in the top of the square tube as a precaution. No leaks or anything. It will puff air very strongly now and I have little doubt of any air leaks in the future. I'll try and post pictures/write up of this if it would be helpful.

I am looking for a table trunon for my jigsaw if anyone has one laying around. Mine was broken when I received it, and they're mighty hard to find.

Thanks,
Paul