[Jimtodd]

NID, the most you should pay is about $750 fully loaded and in pristine condition. I find them all the time on the West Coast for around $500 but negotiations are in order to lower their price. They all think they are worth a ton but they just sit and gather cobwebs. I am looking for the motorized carriage unit for mine but when I find one the owner wants me to purchase the entire unit usually loaded with rust and stripped gears. Good lunch with your endeavor.

JIM

 

[DantheToolman]

NID- If you want metal working, get one with a carriage motor- Fox was standard but Smithy optional. I have 3 Fox and 1 Smithy and am 1/2 south of Knoxville TN and am considering selling one but debating because with 3 Fox machines, I have one for spare parts- ;+D. I also repair Shopsmith and other select tools- now including SuperShops depending on problem. All 3 Foxes also have reverse- I added to #2 & #3. I paid $500 for the Smithy (no carriage motor) with SuperShop bandsaw & 6" jointer. Sold jointer cause I already had one but kept bandsaw and made it metal cutting saw to go with my metal cut-off horizontal saw for light metal fabrication. I over-paid for last Fox SuperShop because it was in poor shape but I have reconditioned it and now is a good machine- paid $300 and drove 4 hours into east Georgia to get it. #1 I traded a Shopsmith rebuilt headstock for #1 missing some main parts- about $350 in value. Make sure everything operates as it should and as many parts as possible- like any extra collects. Good luck in the hunt and I am sure we will keep an eye out because it is always a good time helping someone spend their money and further their addiction.

 

[JethrowClampett]

NID, I have one lightly used with jointer. $1,000.00, I can help to dismantle and load into vehicle.. This is a Smithy Super Shop. One of the last ones sold by Smithy and one of the few that is wired by Smithy for 220v. No carriage motor, comes with basic lathe fittings , sanding disk. The only reason for letting it go is I'm loaded up with Shopsmith and just about every accessories.. Some say you can get it for less, but I have no urgent need to get rid of it because its a much better dedicated bowl turning lathe than Shopsmith. Philadelphia pickup.

 

[Ted724]

There's a Super Shop listed on the Charlotte NC craigslist for $1995. Seller says it's in like new condition, but there aren't any relevant photos to determine if that's the case. It's in the Arts & Crafts listing, not the tools section.

It's way overpriced as far as I'm concerned, but the seller has an invoice showing it cost about $3500 new. It appears from the invoice it was purchased with a dust collector and bandsaw, but can't tell what else may have been included. There's a contact phone number in the listing.

I've got a Fox and a Smithy. If I were looking for one to do a bit of metalworking, I'd pick the Smithy because of it spindle thread (2 1/4" x 8 TPI) versus the Fox thread of 2" x 4 TPI Acme thread, because with the Fox you'd need a custom back plate to mount a metalworking chuck, and then you'd probably need two-one for a three-jaw and another for a four-jaw. The Smithy thread was a standard some years back for some US lathe manufacturers and you can still find chucks and faceplates on ebay and elsewhere. Also Smithy sold a metalworking toolpost/compound, making the set-up for metalworking that much easier, although it would be possible to fabricate something similar and you can always get a machine shop to make custom back plates. The motorized carriage would be beneficial depending on what you're doing.

On Craigslist, you can enter a radius of 200 miles from your zip code to check surrounding locations. Also, search for both "Super Shop" and "Supershop" because they can be listed either way, and don't limit it to the "tool" listings, but rather search "all" sections, as you wouldn't have found the one in Charlotte if you had only searched the tool section. You also can use searchtempest.com, which will search craigslists in a 500 mile or more radius and it also searches Ebay. Another place to look is facebook.com/marketplace, but I have no clue how this thing actually works. Some days it will search far and wide for things, other days only nearby locations. I don't use facebook for anything but the marketplace, so perhaps that's why I don't understand it.

 

[DanKrager]

Good thoughts, Ted.

I wonder what it would take to make a new spindle for the Fox with the finer threads. Perhaps the nose of the spindle could be modified to form the 2 1/4" x 8 TPI. If a new spindle was made, the changeover is fairly quick. It'd be interesting if a Smithy spindle would fit into the Fox quill. It's probably not worth it for the value enhancement, but in hobby work, is that even a consideration? LOL.

DanK

 

[Ted724]

I don't know about the spindle itself, but the whole quill assemblies are ever so slightly different, at least according to my vernier caliper. The Fox measured 3.000 inches and the Smithy was 3.031 inches, so I'd call it 77mm. Don't know about the spindle itself, but likely it's inches to mm as well.

 

[NoiseIntoDust]

I recommend considering the Smithy Midas LTD 3 in 1 Metal working machine with the free tool pak starter kit for less than $2400 plus shipping. You get support, services, training, parts, and a machine that works and has plenty of accessories you can buy.

SSX3, that is a great suggestion based on my "stated primary focus". My initial statement might have been a little bit misleading. I had ruled out the ShopSmith some time ago as a good idea that did not quite suit my needs. I later watched a Den of Tools video about ShopSmiths, and he showed a few images of modifications and repurposes of ShopSmiths. These included a conversion of a ShopSmith into a wall-mounted drill press. If I remember correctly, that might have been what led me to look at prices and postings of used ShopSmiths, which then led me to the Smithy SuperShop. Sometime in between, I had been looking at used/budget metal machining equipment (lathes and mills), and I had decided that I would not be able to pursue milling and/or machining for the foreseeable future. The learning curve, the space, the cost, and the time to actually machine parts seemed to keep growing as I did more research. I was hoping that the SuperShop would reduce the required space and cost a bit compared to other machines. I had looked into both the Midas and Granite at different times. They seem like really great machines, and Smithy's complementary tool packs are quite enticing, and set them apart from most of the competition in the small/combination machines market. That being said, I am also very interested in using the machine for woodworking. Metal machining is supplemental to that end. I have limited space, funds, and time for the foreseeable future, so combination machines are very appealing to me. A dedicated, metalworking lathe/mill would sit unused too often to warrant it's own footprint, at least for the time being.

I have trouble sourcing satisfactory hardware with satisfactory quality control both at work and for my own projects. This results in a combination of angle-grinding, drilling, and filing. A more sophisticated, efficient method would be most welcome, but, at the risk of redundancy, I have constraints for space, expense, and time. That's why it's important to me to save space, and be able to switch between woodworking and metalworking. I tend to work on my personal projects in bursts of a few hours, about twice a month. Five to ten minutes of changeover time is no big deal, because I will rarely be completing more than one step of a project in one work session.

I also have some prototyping projects in mind that require specialized alloys and applications, which take acoustic properties into consideration as well as all of the usual concerns of rigidity, ductility, corrosion, and whatnot. I would rather handle the sourcing and prototyping rather than paying a machinist who might not really understand or respect my requirements. It would be great to be able to tinker with those ideas independently, without having to pay machine shop hourly rates. Not that good machinists aren't worth their cost. I just can't afford their service regularly.

Smithy discontinued the SuperShop primarily because the rising cost of aluminum made it cost prohibitive.
I guess my extrapolations were a bit too limber. It seemed odd to me that a company would discontinue such a capable machine, so I assumed it had to do with a change in consumer's perspectives and expectations.
If I send Smithy enough aluminum cans, do you think that they would melt them down and make a SuperShop for me at the old retail price of $3,500? That might be a long-shot…

There's a Super Shop listed on the Charlotte NC craigslist for $1995. Seller says it's in like new condition, but there aren't any relevant photos to determine if that's the case. It's in the Arts & Crafts listing, not the tools section.

Ted724, thank you for letting me know. I have seen that posting, and I emailed the seller last week. No reply. Also, I believe that I have seen those same pictures in previous, expired postings. It might be the same person renewing a post, or it might be someone "recycling" other people's images. I asked for a new picture as confirmation. I'm not driving six hours without being sure of what I'm getting. Even if it weren't at the high end of my budget.
I use the CPlus App to search for things on craigslist. I can choose different locations, so I can decide whether the distance is worth driving.

Everyone else, thank you for your replies! I'll consider your offers and advice.

 

[Ted724]

There was a phone number in that Charlotte listing, Perhaps a call will get you the information you need to make a decision.

 

[KilnBilly777]

I'm always on the outlook for smithy accessories. Steve

 

[Ted724]

There is a Smithy Super Shop on the Chattanooga Craigslist site for $850. Comes with a bandsaw.

 

[Ted724]

There is a Supershop in Harrisburg, PA listed on Facebook Marketplace for $200. Here's the listing-https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/459787218437597/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner-

I contacted the seller and he only has what's shown in the ad, and that amounts to only the saw table-no fence, miter gauge, or lathe accessories. The draw bar is included.

 

[DantheToolman]

It sold very fast! It was a gray Smithy and as you said, missing parts. Unfortunately, many parts between Fox and Smithy do NOT interchange. The tables have different teeth in the rack and the fences have different width miters and
the quills have different threads, etc. That would have been good for spare parts or if one already had a Smithy.

 

[Ted724]

I figured it would go quickly at that price. I would have gotten it myself but just don't have room for another one. Hopefully the new owner has another Smithy, otherwise he'll have difficulty getting the missing items. I figure the motor alone was worth the asking price.

 

[Ted724]

Smithy Ironwood with jointer in Cleveland, Ohio for $900. Looks pristine. Owner says bought 10 years ago and used once. See-https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/448801269541113/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post

 

[Ted724]

There is a Smithy Supershop listed on the Facebook marketplace for $700 in Holly, Michigan. Has bandsaw, jointer, and belt sander, plus metalworking chuck and tool post. Can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/549772016388059

 

[Ted724]

There is a Smithy Supershop listed on Facebook Marketplace for $1750 near Cleveland, Ohio. Comes with bandsaw, jointer, and belt sander. Seems to show in photos that metalworking cross slide comes with it as well. Seems a bit expensive, but you can see at: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/388239919382432/

 

[jmosborne24]

My grandfather recently passed away and he had both the SuperShop and ShopSmith. Unfortunately, I do not have the space to keep both and was wondering if anyone knew if there is a market for selling either. I would hate for either pieces of equipment to be scrapped but I am afraid there isn't much knowledge anymore about the capability of these tools.

 

[Ted724]

My grandfather recently passed away and he had both the SuperShop and ShopSmith. Unfortunately, I do not have the space to keep both and was wondering if anyone knew if there is a market for selling either. I would hate for either pieces of equipment to be scrapped but I am afraid there isn t much knowledge anymore about the capability of these tools.

- jmosborne24

There are a lot more Shopsmith owners than Supershop, but you likely could sell either, with price depending on condition and accessories (and of course location). You could try listing both and selling whichever one gets a buyer. You can list on craigslist or facebook/marketplace for free. You could also list on Ebay with local pick-up.

On the other hand, perhaps someone here may be interested. Why not tell us where you're located and what accessories are with the Supershop. Photos always help.

 

[DanKrager]

Yes, there is a limited market for both machines, like Ted said, depending upon location. Urban and suburban areas are generally productive.

I finally broke down and put a reversing switch in my Fox machine and I'm glad I did. Now I'm using it to spin a 3/8 steel rod to make thread for hand screw clamps, which take LH threads on one end and RH threads on the other. At the lowest speed settings, it has enough power to spin the rod on a continuous hand held die stock feed. 7 1/2" of RH thread and 9" of LH thread opposing. The extra is for the handle. These will have 12" capacity and the jaws are made from some very interesting red oak. I found rafter cutoffs that had been tossed into a steel barrel and had been soaking in the accumulated rain water so long that they were black all the way through from the chemical reaction of tannic acid from the oak and steel from the barrel! Gonna be really pretty when oiled. London pattern handles--wish I had more darkened oak to match the jaws

DanK

 

[TMarv]

I'm seeking advice: My aging brother has given me the task to find a new home for his Fox Super Shop. He bought it new in the 80's and parked in the corner of the garage about 12-15 years ago. It worked great for him. About 5 years ago he went out to check on it, turned it on and the motor quickly clicked off. He had someone look at it who agreed that the wiring had "failed" and shorted out. The insulation is brittle to the touch.
I'm not wanting to fix it so I'm wondering if I should just sell off the attachments. Or do you think there might be someone wanting to buy it to fix it and use it. I'm up in the Twin Cities area. Thanks!