What machine do you enjoy using most?

[Steve Mathews]

While talking to a fellow woodworker and discussing the type of work we enjoyed, I was asked what machine gave me the most enjoyment to use. The subject never occurred to me before as I always considered the process or equipment merely a means to an end. But after giving it more thought and running down through the list of my shop equipment in my head I settled on the wood lathe. All of my saws, jointer, planer, etc. are a means to an end and don't give me any particular enjoyment but the lathe for some reason is different. My time in front of that machine is usually quite satisfying. Go figure. Anyone else with a similar experience?

[Mike Cutler]

Bandsaw, followed by shaper.
One lets me start from rough and end up with usable material that I chose.
Shapers are just cool. Poke a board in and out comes a finished edge. It's still fascinates me to watch it happen.

[Erik Loza]

Hands-down, an MM16 bandsaw. That machine is like my phantom limb.

Erik

[Jim Becker]

I have to admit, the machine in my shop that floats my boat highest in the water is my CNC machine. But I truly enjoy all my machines, for the most part. Any that haven't satisfied generally "left the building".

[Michael Burnside]

Like Eirk, mine is easy too. My CNC. I don’t build a lot of knick-knaks or v-carves on my CNC as it doesn’t give me the same enjoyment as building a set of legs or drawer fronts or X for a piece of furniture. A close second is my table saw. I just works so well and never fails to make a square cut.

[Andrew Hughes]

My sprit machine is the jointer.
I prefer Rough sawn lumber. Nothing beats offering it up to the finest jointer ever made. Oliver 166
Bandsaw second
Table saw last

[William Hodge]

My shaper.
I spend hours at a time on it running moldings. I also design the knives, and the molding geometry is fascinating. Scanning and digitizing hand made moldings, or stacks of machine made stuff on entrances, allows me to make stuff that looks just like the existing.

[Phillip Mitchell]

A tie for me between bandsaw and shaper.

Bandsaw because it just feels like an extension of my body in helping me do what I want to do with the wood, whether curve cutting, resawing, ripping, etc.

Shaper because it’s so satisfying to methodically setup, all the heavy duty tooling, setting and using a powerfeeder and simply the amount of work it can do / problems it can solve. Such a satisfying and versatile machine.

[mike calabrese]

The is only one machine that can bring me so close to my work
In no other machine do my hands directly hold and direct the cutting edge so carefully
In no other machine can I so dramatically change the work piece form start to finish
From my imagination and a controlled touch against a blur of wood where the magic becomes visible when the movement stops
A choreographed ballet of body moves taking ques from the feel of the wood
There can be no better joy than being bombarded so happily from the exit of material flying away from the workpiece.
Long live the spin of the wood lathe
calabrese55

[Bill Dufour]

Using my, air powered, engine hoist to lift a heavy machine up onto a mobile cart. So nice to spin 1,500 pounds with one finger to mate up. Makes me feel like superman
Bill D.

[Sam Force]

Easy answer, 3520B if it's spinning I'm smiling

[Tom Bain]

My random orbit sander … NOT!

[Ron Selzer]

60" panel saw, radial arm saw next
Ron

[eugene thomas]

my cnc. so nice to have quality cnc in shop sgain....

[Wes Grass]

Toss up ...

The Graziano lathe, or the Fadal.

Oh, woodworking... the Fadal whups the Graziano ...

Not that actual 'woodworking' machines don't beat them both when it comes to 'everyday' woodworking...

But I'm not so skilled at creating 'fair curves' by hand...