Shopsmith Forums

Shops are funny things... Many of us do not have some tools that others feel that they could not live without. A lot of it stems from the way we all work differently and the differences in the goals we have for our shops. For about all of us $$$$ is a factor. I have spent a good deal of money over recent years building my tool supply up for my retirement. Now that I have somewhat "arrived" at retirement I have trouble finding time to work in the shop.
Purchases have at times been based on the presence of money at the same time that an exceptional opportunity presented itself rather than on my mental priority list.
Some tools present are also based on the type of projects we want to make. I for example am fully equipped with hand tools to hand hew timbers like regular axes, broad axes and hatchets and a good foot adz and beam drill. I also have a lot of tools like draw-knives, froe's, wedges and big mallets as well as all manner of logging tools. Those would be of little use for most clock makers, intarsia makers, or fretwork fans.
One of the items I recently realized that I have neglected to acquire is a hand operated power planer. I have a herd of hand planes but as I get older I notice that a lot of heavy use of one soon appears as pain in my shoulders. I now have a power hand plane on my written wish list.
Another item I want to add is a large tenon cutter for putting big tenons on rustic furniture parts. This sort of stuff:
http://www.log-furniture.ca/tools.html
I also have one of these on my written list:
http://toolmonger.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/post-squire.jpg
And one of these:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drum-Flap-Sander/G8749
Somehow I have acquired tools for years but have failed to buy a rabbet plane or a router plane. Those are on the list too.
It's not a huge priority but I would also like to have a "store bought" regular tenoning jig.
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What does everybody else have on their list?

The only tool I feel my shop is lacking right now is a decent router set up. I have a good router, just no router table or overarm unit. I have delayed building a table because I am hoping that soon enough I will be able to afford an overarm pin router from Shopsmith. I would like to permanently install one on a second "mini" base. With that, I feel my shop will be complete, at least as far as power tools are concerned. On second thought - I would also like to have a small Porter Cable "pancake" compressor and a couple nail guns! As for hand tools, well, there are always plenty of those to want! I have been on the look out for an old Stanley or Craftsman metal mitre box lately, and I sure would like to have some nice japanese flush cut saws. I also need some decent chisels. Quite a few holes in the hand tool dept. actually. Alec

I feel I am pretty well equipped as I started woodworking over 30 years ago and have accumulated quite a lot over that time. My first MAJOR purchase was my Shopsmith with bandsaw, jointer, belt sander.

Most recently my additions have been a Ridgid 3650 table saw (Craig's List, 10 miles away and too cheap to pass up), Ridgid oscillating sander I picked up for $99, the Freud 2 1/4 fixed/plunge router package when Lowes sold them for $99, a few new(old) hand planes including a Lie Nielsen I picked up on eBay, a set of Narex chisels from Highland Hardware for $59 (GREAT chisels for that price).

Things I am currently looking at are a benchtop mortiser, a v-drum sander (porbably the kit from Stockroom Supply), and a bandsaw capable of resawing to 12", and maybe an 8" jointer probably a Grizzley.

In addition I will always add small things when the sales are too good to pass up like the digital angle gauge I got at Peachtree Woodworking for $19.99, a 12" Starret combination square I picked up on eBay for ~$25, ALWAYS more clamps and any other deal that's too good to pass up.

I would like to have the pin router. It was on sale this past week but I had better wait for the bank account to catch up.

I feel adding to the shop will happen only after we move. I still desire a Mark V base shortened about 18" to set up as a dedicated OPR stand. Clamps, man I never seem to have enough clamps. This year I started adding the new style Jet screw clamps. I bought 8 of the 50" and just ordered two sets of 36" cabinet door type. Clearly there will be more Jet Screw Clamps. Of course the one item I am salivating over is the yet to be introduced Pro head stock. Is it late summer yet??? fjimp

I have the jointer but would like to get the band saw and the speed increaser, so I can use the shopsmith like a router table. Also I would like the upgrade from the 510 to 520.

Wow I just felt like a little kid there making a list for Santa Claus

Jeff

I'd like to find a good cheap Mark V (510) so I could have two of em. Also the Belt Sander. More clamps, of course.

For me I think the OPR is the tool of choice and the speed reducer. I pretty much have the rest of the tools I need for my SS. Of course I needed four more clamps today. I am building a kitchen table and chair set for my youngest daughter. The extra clamps would have allowed me to glue up two cross member instead of waiting till tomorrow to do the other. But being in the country there really is no hurry. The OPR will be for mortising. I really like Arts and Craft sytle furniture and want to make more. Oh and of course I want to finish my new shop.

A bigger shop.... Really. my shop is a building with exterior dimensions of 8X16 and that is just to small for a lot of work. To work with any sheet goods I have to move outside and ripping a standard board is not possible either.

Mike