As long as we're all here now, let's talk "Shopsmith"

[John Ricci]

Back in 94 my dad, RIP, gave me his entire Shopsmith system which he bought in 79 and faithfully upgraded with every release of new parts some of which I am literally still opening "new" to this day. He then bought stand alone tools to duplicate the functions of the SS, most of which I inherited as well when he passed away but that's another story.;)

The Shopsmith Mark V is a lathe, TS, DP, horizontal bore and a disc sander in its simplest form but with the addition of numerous accessory packages it transforms itself into a 4" jointer, belt sander, strip sander, drum sander, jigsaw, 12" planer, shaper, biscuit joiner and more all driven from its 1-1/8 hp. induction motor driving a CV belt drive with infinitely variable output speed inside of the enclosed powerhead via splined/tapered connectors attached to three output shafts.

Here's a bad pic from in my garage...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/LPBlue/Workshop/PICT0005.jpg

In the foreground is the SS 510 with its rusty bench tubes (sitting in pieces in an unheated space for six years) and the trusty BS mounted on the tail end and table extensions mounted just to put them someplace. Behind it to the left is the stand alone version of their planer called the Pro Planer and to its right are the belt and disc sanders mounted onto a Powerstand which is essentially the same CV drive system as the Mark V for the accessory tools in a smaller stand.

These things are American made, built like tanks and there are all sorts of guys on the net who are still using their Mark Vs that were built in the 50s so they really stand up to time and use like one expects a tool to do. Once again I appologise for the pic but I don't feel like going out and moving those machines from where they are now to shoot new ones. My rant is over.:D

Thanks, J.R.

[Mike Heidrick]

So I also own a Shopsmith - a 1993 Mark V and the powerstand. I have the same belt sander and also the 20" new style jigsaw. I love my shopsmith. I use it for sanding, jigsaw, horizontal boring, for my lathe work, and my favorite use is as a drill press. The movable table is OUTSTANDING when used with the drill press! I will not get rid of mine for a long time, it is very handy.

[John Ricci]

Mike, since you have a Powerstand then you may be interested in this...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/LPBlue/Workshop/PICT0028.jpg

My MK-V was originally a 500 and with the upgrade to the 510 there were some very useful leftovers. The 500 table mounted to the back of the PS is perfect for the disc sander.:rolleyes:

[Mike Heidrick]

Wow, What a great idea! Thanks for for that picture. Very cool.

So far I have only installed a 6" drum on that other arbor. This is much better!

[Jack Dickey]

I got the 510 two years ago with the bandsaw .. It can be aggravating at times , but I dont get in a hurry anyways .. I have a good size shop , but the way its built ( pole barn , and poles are in the middle of everything ) space is limited .. I wore out all my other stuff , and replaced it with the Shopsmith ..
I have some regrets about getting it , but , I have it now , so I move along ..
If I take my time it does pretty accurate work , but it's no MM or Laguna , etc..
If I would have had a better shop setup , I would have gotten a MM16 bandsaw , and a 50" table unisaw ..
A fellow at work , is like you , he inherited everything they have for it , when his father passed away .. He does some amazing stuff with his ..
I wont pay the prices for anything else they have , as they're kinda proud of the individual tools ..
I like it , and am pleased with it , but if I had it to do over again , I would have reconfigured the work area , and gotten the MM and Unisaw ..
I take my time and try to work around it's weaknesses ..

[Mike Heidrick]

Ebay can land some huge deals on ShopSmith parts. I have rebuilt my partial machine almost 100% on the cheap from ebay and local classifieds.

Jack Ricci - sell me you model 500 tail end table (non adjustable one) on the cheap if you are not using it.

Mike

[Dave Lehnert]

For some reason a Shopsmith is a tool that people like to rip on bad. Yes, it does have it down sides but what tool doesn’t? There are many things you can do with it that are just not possible with other tools. I like to think of it as a universal jig. I always tell people it’s kinda like owning a Harley-Davidson. Till you own one, you just don’t understand. I like the idea of Made in the USA.but kinda wonder why they don’t start to do some overseas work to get the price down a little. I gave $1299.00 for my 510 in 1989. Now it’s like $3,000. I only live an hour away for Shopsmith and stop in from time to time. Kinda like a family run place. Not a large company at all.

[skip coyne]

I have had three all 10e (the first 1940s model ) there is a active shopsmith yahoo group you guys might find intersiting

TOS here says no links but if you go yahoo home page click on groups and enter shopsmith you will find it .

if you have limited space their great otherwise I prefer seprate tools , I use my current one for the drill press and disc sander . I like having a horizontal and veritcal drill press.

as a table saw it leaves a lot to be desired . I have a 10"delta a 10 craftsman RAS and ez smart so no shopsmith cutting for me .

[Steven Wilson]

I'm glad you're happy with yours. When my father died I took a torch to his Shopsmith and tossed the pieces into the dump. The Shopsmith is bad by design, fairly well built, but a fairly useless design. Ok, as a variable speed disk sander it is pretty good. Unfortunately as a table saw its crap. If you think of your work space in 3 dimensions you can fit a lot of separates in a small space, the Shopsmith isn't the only way to handle a space problem. I learned woodworking on a Shopsmith and have the scars to show for it - enough that I gave up on woodworking for 20 years or so. Even if you fix its inadequacies as a tablesaw and loose its small footprint (i.e. install a sawtrain with proper outfeed tables) you still have a package who's components (jointer, drill press, bandsaw, lathe) that underperform separate units or other combination machines.

[Chuck Nickerson]

It somehow made it seem possible. Although the SS is gone, I still have the powerstand and the better accessories.

[Sam Chambers]

John, there was a lengthy thread a few weeks ago about the Shopsmith. I started out with one, but quickly learned that it's a "jack of all trades", but master of none. Mine wouldn't stay in alignment, no mattter what I tried. I sold it, bought dedicated tools, and have been much happier. I do miss the belt sander, though. That's the one accessory I haven't replaced yet.

[Richard Wagner]

I don't know why you could not keep it in alignment. I hardly ever need to "realign" mine BUT mine sits pretty much in the same location all the time. Moving it around may have been the cause of your alignment woes. Also, the locks all need to be secure or everything moves in relation to everything else. It does not take much. What is important, however, is that you found the equipment that you need and that it keeps you satisfied.

Yes, I have great respect for my Shopsmith.

[Ronald Blue]

Richard, the original posts were nearly five years ago. But since we are here....I have two SS 510's and a multitude of the accessories. I know that it would be easier to have a dedicated cabinet saw and someday I will. The truth is if a one plans there work and doesn't rush it is quite capable. There are things it can do that nothing else can or it would be very expensive to buy a tool that would. So while some despise it, some are neutral, and some love it they are still out there alive and well. I know they have struggled during the weak economy but they are surviving. I hope that they are around a long time to come. You can pick up some accessories worth the money on the e thingy. But look at new cost from SS first because sometimes people get carried away. So you can put me in the corner as a satisfied SS user.

[Forrest Bonner]

I agree with Chuck: "If it wasn't for SS, I wouldn't be woodworking." Our house has only a 2-car garage. I have commandeered - he says quietly - one side for my home-built workbench, tool cabinet and other miscellaneous things that woodworkers need. That leaves one side of the garage for my wife's car where she really, really likes to park every night. So I don't have much room for a tablesaw, drill press, lathe, jointer, planer, disc sander, router table, and bandsaw.

Until, that is, I saw a demo of a ShopSmith at at local store many years ago. In 1985 I purchased a ShopSmith Mark V and the 4" jointer. Over the years I have added all of the above 'attachments.' The 'attachments' are stored against a wall and my ShopSmith rolls into place in front of them. And my wife can park her car inside each night.

Yes, there are limitations in the ShopSmith. But without it there would be no made-to-order bookcases, 6' light fixtures, tables, new interior doors, etc. I find that with patience and fore-thought its limitations for the most part can be overcome. It really does require me to think through a project so that I am not constantly changing from one 'attachment' to another and back.

And the forum on shopsmith.net has folks that have a good answer for any problem or situation that you might run into with your ShopSmith. I haven't run across any other woodworking tool that has that level of available help.

Forrest

[Rod Sheridan]

I've used a Shopsmith, and found that it pretty much was a jack of all trades, master of none.

That said I own two combination machines, a Hammer B3 Winner and a Hammer A3-31.

The combo machines are extremely popular in Europe, and are beginning to become popular here.

The Shopsmith, in my opinion, started with a great idea (space saving and multi-purpose), yet failed on the execution due to pricing.

The modern combo machines are farm more capable, having been designed to a higher price and performance point.

The Shopsmith certainly has a devoted following however............Regards, Rod.

[James Morton]

I have a model 10er that was my grandfathers. I use it only as a drill press, at which I think it does a great job. As it was my grandfathers, it holds some sentimental value to me, and as such, it will remain operational and in my possesion for as long as i am alive.

[Jerome Hanby]

I kind of wonder if the physique of the user has something to do with their feelings about a Shopsmith. As a table saw it is a little tall. It does take some muscle to lift it into drill press position. The add-on accessories aren't light either and it takes a little muscle to align the pins when you mount them. Personally, I don't use the table saw mode on my Mark V, but I bought my contractors saw before I bought the Smith. I would never ever have purchased one for the new price, but at about $600 with the jointer I score it as one of my best CL acquisitions. I'm pretty sure I'll never replace its sanding functions with stand alone tools, but even though I'll eventually buy a stand alone drill press and already have a stand alone band saw, I still use those modes on the Smith. Its just handy having two different band saw blades setup and be able to go back and forth. I anticipate the same thing with the drill press... If I could get the new headstock upgrade for less than the cost of the 18" delta drill press I've been lusting after, then going that route instead would be tempting.

[Rod Sheridan]

Good point jerome, I'm short and found the tablesaw high.

My main complaint was the small table and fence, it seemed to have adequate power for the bookcase project I was working on..........Regards, Rod.

[Dave Lehnert]

I started out on a Shopsmith. Got a JET cabinet saw and wonder how people work on a saw set so low. All what you're use to.


"The Shopsmith, in my opinion, started with a great idea (space saving and multi-purpose), yet failed on the execution due to pricing."

Kinda a puzzling statement since it has been around since the 1950's

[Jay Allen]

I have an older model too. It's a 10er from the late 40s. My great uncle bought it new and it has been in the family all of these years. It has the jointer and mortiser attachments (along with the basics) but the newer stuff doesn't fit it. I have stand-alone tools for most of what it can do, but I still keep it around.


204040

[Jerome Hanby]

Good point jerome, I'm short and found the tablesaw high.

My main complaint was the small table and fence, it seemed to have adequate power for the bookcase project I was working on..........Regards, Rod.

Main table is definitely on the small side. I've got a pair of DVDs of some show that I think was on PBS at one time and they were using the small extension tables on the end to make a big virtual saw top for cutting sheet goods. Not my idea of a good setup, but it appeared to work. Only real thought I've given to the Shopsmith Table Saw mode is for cuting dados (just to avoid changing blades on my Table saw), but i haven't set that up yet.