Shopsmith Forums

Understanding Women?

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derekdarling wrote:... then why not just hire someone to make stuff out of wood for you and be done with it.

I am NOT meaning to insult you (please imagine my tongue firmly embedded in cheek here), but if you make your own tools, you get a. better tools, b. an intuitive and highly practical knowledge of how and why they work, c. the ability to fix it when it goes south, and d. gloating rights!

Derek

I still fail to see the logic in making your own dust collector when the DC3300 was made for the Shopsmith. When it comes to creating to tools, A) The DC 3000 does what its supposed to do, B) I don't need to know how an why it works, only that it does, C) Fixing the DC is already a simple process and D) to paraphrase Dr. McCoy "I'm a woodworker, not a toolmaker!" As far as my "gloating rights" are concerned, my time is precious and I'm satisfied with what I create with the tools I use, not the tools themselves.

BPR

I got rid of all my books, I don't need them since I got married my wife knows everything.

terrydowning wrote:Isn't the Shopmate just a wet/dry vac??

I dunno. I kinda doubt it, tho. But I've never had or used a wet/dry vac (knowingly) so I don't know how to compare, or tell.
The SS Shopmate is a 30 gal (I think) drum (coated and lined rust proof), on a cart, with the motor/filter stuff mounted on its lid. Then there's a filter bag on a heavy wire frame that is forced over the lip of the drum, motor/filter/lid then placed over that and clamped down. Inputs are on the side of the drum near the top, and are angled horizontally just as the "cyclonic" types seen on the miracle vacs.

I can't imagine using this thing to pick up wet stuff. Not that it wouldn't do it, but sheesh what a mess- wet sawdust- and running wet air thru the motor doesn't seem like a recipe for longevity to me.
But I dunno. I'm weak on vacuum theory.

And I also dunno what the specs are on this, but it does a wonderful job, esp. what with that huge filter bag, and it's super easy to empty. The only metal thing I have that doesn't rust, too, not in 25+ years all within a mile of salt water.

And I keep forgetting-- there's a decent picture of the top half of the thing in the SS Band Saw Manual 505641 (cpyrt '84) on P. 6. And that reminds me, the cart handle height matches the SS table saw table when doing most cutting, serves nicely as an outfeed support. Three wheel cart- one 2" caster in front, 2 8"(?) wheels in back, great for rolling out into the garden to dump when full.
Dang. I really like this thing. It aint just some shop-vac, that's fer sher. Too bad they don't make it anymore. Heck, people at Shopsmith don't even know they used to sell it!

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it was the wet/dry canister vac manufactured by ShopVac (I believe Shopsmith sold that for a while as well). Just something I remember reading here on the forum. My Current DC is a 16 Gal Rigid Wet/Dry Vac. Thinking about doing a Thein separator for it now that I have read up on it and it appears I have most of the materials on hand. Emptying the bucket and cleaning that filter is getting really old and I already lost a dust brush when I emptied the bucket in the trash and forgot to remove the brush from the holder.

[quote="lightnin"]
For the vortex funnel thingy I first thought Plexiglas and resin then tin
But.... I really want to go with wood so now I'm thinking through the process for different
ways to make one. First assemble wood rings kinda like ringmaster bowels or second,
taper and miter slats kinda like making a barrel. ether way it would end up being smoothed
out on the lathe.

Just run across this by: Ronald Walters
http://woodgears.ca/reader/walters/cyclone.html

stumpbuster wrote:
Just run across this by: Ronald Walters
http://woodgears.ca/reader/walters/cyclone.html

That's about what I had pictured in my head but a little thicker slats.
Thanks....

you could always bead and cove the edges of the slats for a tight fit.