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New to this site and have questions

beeg

Knot knowing where ya live. Check here to see if a live demo in near ya.

http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/event_schedule.htm

terrydowning

Yes, the Universal Tool Rest (UTR) is the work around for tool rest instability. This adds to expense and may reduce overall turning diameter. (depending o tn positioning of the tool rest relative to the turning.) It also increases weight by 35 pounds which helps. Adding weight to the SS is as simple as attaching a cabinet to the bench tubes and loading it with all of the accessories.

I have seen a few work arounds for the tailstock as well by adapting a standard lathe tailstock to function on the SS, this can reduce capacity though.

JPG

pieceseeker wroteThanks Dusty for your opinion. I remember my Dad's Mark 5, it was a beautiful machine. My Dad was not computer or internet savy, and I think that the lack of sufficient information and support the internet gives, was a source of frustration with the machine. Not knowing how to use or even have a dial indicator for setup or for that matter the patience to persevere to get it right I think was my Dad's ultimate downfall to being happy and satisfied with such a beautiful machine. Maybe it is a little more high maintenance as far as setting up from what I read, but you can really get intimate with a machine that way. Please, no play on words here OK?

OK! We will leave yer 'nom de plume' alone as well!:D

Ed in Tampa

pieceseeker wroteI have not done much woodworking, mainly because of time issues (I work alot), but I have done some in the past. I am 60 (can't hardly believe it myself), live in a duplex that I own and am remodeling one side right now, but have visions of doing cabinet work and furniture pieces as time permits. I am in excellent health, so I should have 20 years or so to "play around" with woodworking. Given the longevity of the SS, it should last the rest of my life. I would like to start off by building some top quality jigs as beginning practice

Okay ask yourself this, instead of dropping $4000 for a SS would it be better to spend, let us say around $1000 to see if you really are into wood working?

You mentioned a remodel. The remodel is good place to start, and remember most homes and remodels are done without stationary machines.

My guess is once you are into the work you will find you want an circular saw, air compressor and nail gun, recipocating saw, angle drill, flush cutting saw like a (fein) a really good shop vac, a hammer drill, some flex drill bits to run wiring in existing walls, chisels, hammers, wrecking bars and many hand tools.

You said you already have a Dewalt cut off saw, that and a circular saw will handle most if not all of your wood cutting. You might need a way to rip and that can be done on a guided saw system, SS sells one. All of these would still be used if you then bought a SS.

For cabinet making I redid two bathrooms and a kitchen, I used my SS to do two things on the cabinet rip cut my wood, and joint the wood I did cut. All cross cutting was done on my Dewalt cutoff saw. Everything else was done with hand tools or hand tools mounted in specially tables (router table).

But again I have all the saws, air hammers, nail guns, routers, bits, drills, vacs, and things that you have yet to buy.

Again all of the tools would still be used if you do buy a shopsmith and by then you will know if wood working if for you or not. But more importantly you will know if you want to invest in a Shopsmith or not.

Again I think you already made up your mind you just want us to say yea you need one. Okay yea you need a Shopsmith if nothing else they look so very good sitting in the shop. I love mine.

algale

Pieceseeker,

All the pros and cons can be listed and scrutinized with cold detachment. But in the end this Mark V thing "speaks" to some of us (most of us on this forum) in a way that goes beyond the tangibles and possibly beyond the rational. :D I just find it "cool" and frankly "fun" to use. I never felt that way about my table saw or any other power tool I've owned.

That's not to say there aren't frustrations and arguably a few relatively minor limitations -- there are. But my analogy would be fine old E class Jaguar. There may be more modern, better handling and faster cars that require less maintenance. But if you "get" it, you still want the Jag. On the upside, the Shopsmith isn't going to breakdown as much as the Jag or at all with regular maintenance.

Al

fjimp

Pieceseeker,

Welcome aboard. As I found myself approaching retirement I was determined to make woodworking my hobby once the work life ended. I visited a Shopsmith Demo at a Lowes store in Charlottesville Virginia. My wife was a bit nervous about that demo as she was aware I had coveted a Shopsmith forty year before when finances would not allow. I went back the second day and ordered a Mark V "520" machine which then was the top of the line. That machine replaced my entire shop full of standalone tools that had become grey around the edges from a great deal of use. The biggest issue with those tools being inability to find parts followed by designs requiring frequent replacement. My 520 is now an upgraded Mark 7 and has been joined by a second Mark 7 along with every special Purpose Tool Shopsmith makes. The best part being that I have learned more about my abilities and stretched my mind and those abilities far beyond any perceived dreams. My shop has grown to a really nice 500 square foot space. Learning the Shopsmith world from the experts at Shopsmith and those available 24 hours a day seven days a week here on this forum has truly expanded my life in ways I value greatly. I look forward to your joining us and have no doubt in my mind that you will value the experience beyond anything we can suggest. Incidentally there are a couple of ways of reducing the initial outlay of new equipment. One is to visit a Lowes Demo. The second would be to take part in an online demo from Doug Reid. Doug taught a three day course after I bought my first Mark V. His online videos are priceless. Jim

pieceseeker

Ed in Tampa wroteOkay ask yourself this, instead of dropping $4000 for a SS would it be better to spend, let us say around $1000 to see if you really are into wood working?

You mentioned a remodel. The remodel is good place to start, and remember most homes and remodels are done without stationary machines.

My guess is once you are into the work you will find you want an circular saw, air compressor and nail gun, recipocating saw, angle drill, flush cutting saw like a (fein) a really good shop vac, a hammer drill, some flex drill bits to run wiring in existing walls, chisels, hammers, wrecking bars and many hand tools.

You said you already have a Dewalt cut off saw, that and a circular saw will handle most if not all of your wood cutting. You might need a way to rip and that can be done on a guided saw system, SS sells one. All of these would still be used if you then bought a SS.

For cabinet making I redid two bathrooms and a kitchen, I used my SS to do two things on the cabinet rip cut my wood, and joint the wood I did cut. All cross cutting was done on my Dewalt cutoff saw. Everything else was done with hand tools or hand tools mounted in specially tables (router table).

But again I have all the saws, air hammers, nail guns, routers, bits, drills, vacs, and things that you have yet to buy.

Again all of the tools would still be used if you do buy a shopsmith and by then you will know if wood working if for you or not. But more importantly you will know if you want to invest in a Shopsmith or not.

Again I think you already made up your mind you just want us to say yea you need one. Okay yea you need a Shopsmith if nothing else they look so very good sitting in the shop. I love mine.

Well, this remodeling has been an ongoing project, I have all the necessary tools and skill for that. My wife has recently called me a perfectionist. She has wondered why it should take so long to do a room. I always tell people that 95% of a paint job is the prep work. She now amazed at how well a room can really look if done with enough detail work.

I hope to put that kind of detail into making jigs, cabinets, shelves, etc.

pieceseeker

fjimp wrotePieceseeker,

Welcome aboard. As I found myself approaching retirement I was determined to make woodworking my hobby once the work life ended. I visited a Shopsmith Demo at a Lowes store in Charlottesville Virginia. My wife was a bit nervous about that demo as she was aware I had coveted a Shopsmith forty year before when finances would not allow. I went back the second day and ordered a Mark V "520" machine which then was the top of the line. That machine replaced my entire shop full of standalone tools that had become grey around the edges from a great deal of use. The biggest issue with those tools being inability to find parts followed by designs requiring frequent replacement. My 520 is now an upgraded Mark 7 and has been joined by a second Mark 7 along with every special Purpose Tool Shopsmith makes. The best part being that I have learned more about my abilities and stretched my mind and those abilities far beyond any perceived dreams. My shop has grown to a really nice 500 square foot space. Learning the Shopsmith world from the experts at Shopsmith and those available 24 hours a day seven days a week here on this forum has truly expanded my life in ways I value greatly. I look forward to your joining us and have no doubt in my mind that you will value the experience beyond anything we can suggest. Incidentally there are a couple of ways of reducing the initial outlay of new equipment. One is to visit a Lowes Demo. The second would be to take part in an online demo from Doug Reid. Doug taught a three day course after I bought my first Mark V. His online videos are priceless. Jim

Thanks Jim, BTW, what kind of savings is to be expected by ordering at a demo compared to ordering direct from SS? There is no demo anywhere near the Atlanta area this month. The schedule only covers January and Feburary and first of March. I've called SS and having the info pack delivered, but I've already learned a lot about SS from this forum and the SS website.

pieceseeker

algale wrotePieceseeker,

All the pros and cons can be listed and scrutinized with cold detachment. But in the end this Mark V thing "speaks" to some of us (most of us on this forum) in a way that goes beyond the tangibles and possibly beyond the rational. :D I just find it "cool" and frankly "fun" to use. I never felt that way about my table saw or any other power tool I've owned.

That's not to say there aren't frustrations and arguably a few relatively minor limitations -- there are. But my analogy would be fine old E class Jaguar. There may be more modern, better handling and faster cars that require less maintenance. But if you "get" it, you still want the Jag. On the upside, the Shopsmith isn't going to breakdown as much as the Jag or at all with regular maintenance.

Al

I know all about automotive breakdowns, I'm a Master Auto Technician by trade. I used to have a love affair with a Ducati 1198S, till I fell off it in a curve. I have a Graco HVLP V Comp which I love to paint with. So, when it comes to machines, I just may be a little beyond rational myself. In other words, I may fit right in here! :D

pieceseeker

terrydowning wroteYes, the Universal Tool Rest (UTR) is the work around for tool rest instability. This adds to expense and may reduce overall turning diameter. (depending o tn positioning of the tool rest relative to the turning.) It also increases weight by 35 pounds which helps. Adding weight to the SS is as simple as attaching a cabinet to the bench tubes and loading it with all of the accessories.

I have seen a few work arounds for the tailstock as well by adapting a standard lathe tailstock to function on the SS, this can reduce capacity though.

Yea, I've seen a couple of those storage units here somewhere that really look good. Besides, all that space under the SS is wasted otherwise.

terrydowning

pieceseeker wroteYea, I've seen a couple of those storage units here somewhere that really look good. Besides, all that space under the SS is wasted otherwise.

Unless you plan on using a Lift Assist which some on here do. I don't and have a rather ugly cabinet attached to my bench tubes. Someday I'll make a pretty one. Time and resources allowing.

fjimp

I believe the discounts are about 10%. May I suggest calling customer support at shopsmith (800) 543-7586, telling them you are interested in taking part in one of Doug Reids online demo's with interest in both learning more and potential ownership. I have a sneeky suspicion they willl assist you. Jim

pieceseeker

fjimp wroteI believe the discounts are about 10%. May I suggest calling customer support at shopsmith (800) 543-7586, telling them you are interested in taking part in one of Doug Reids online demo's with interest in both learning more and potential ownership. I have a sneeky suspicion they willl assist you. Jim

Thanks Jim, I'll do that. In the meantime, I called them today and requested their info pack that they send to interested parties. I'll look that over and then see if there is any reference to that online demo you speak of. Thanks again!

jimthej

I sort of gathered that you are in the Atlanta area, and are planning to enclose what is now a screen porch. Something you need to put into your thinking, is the effects of humidity on tools. All equipment that has metal work surfaces and sliding surfaces needs regular scheduled maintenance. You also need to think of controlling that humidity if possible.

I live in Bakersfield, CA, normally a very dry area. Right now during the cool weather, humidity is very high in the shop as I don't have enough ventilation. I find myself waxing tables and way tubes every other day. Takes me about 3 minutes. Biggest problem is the jointer tables. They are cast iron and rust easily.

Welcome to the forum, no matter what you decide.

backhertz

If you happy to have a Lowe's Demo near you, you might get lucky and be eligible for an 18-month interest-free financing. It really takes the bite out of a huge purchase. Lowes will also give a 10% discount to members who have an active/retired military ID, as well as a VA ID card. They apply the 10% off to the items and the shipping. As I recall last May, the demo items & shipping prices were both reduced by 10%. At the Lowe's in Plymouth Meeting, PA, on Memorial Day, the demo prices were still the lower pre-increase prices before Shopsmith's large increase on April 30th. The Webinar prices went up right away, but the Demo prices were still low.

So I did what I had to do & got a second DIY Power Pro and I have 18 months to pay for it. I had picked up a Mark 520 & a new bandsaw for a very low price and bought everything for transforming it into a Mark 7.

As soon as the warm weather comes, I will start sorting out all my Shopsmiths. I got carried away and have far more than I need. Imagine that! I plan to upgrade all to new condition and hopefully find buyers who will appreciate them.

But for those of you starting, I warn you BEWARE! It can really get out of control when people start giving them to you or have Mark Vs for $150 or less. Then I picked up 5 10E/ERs which each have a speed changer an jig saws. I have to set up and them find homes for I'll need use.

But I will inventory on a spreadsheet. Yes, I have that much stuff! Eye, ye, ye… Good luck.

edinbako

Welcome to the forum. I have a '56 Greenie and it is a solid machine. I've made some nice stuff on it for the women in my extended family and they are enjoying my hobby as much as I am. There is a frequently asked question asked of the Shopsmith and you, like others, have asked it. The question deals with the accuracy of the SS. If you study the set-up and alignment of the machine and like you said, experiment with making jigs, you will not be disappointed in the SS. The SS is limited, however, in that it isn't a large anything kind of tool. It is made to fill a niche for the hobbyist with limited room to work and I think it does that really well. I haven't done anything but clean and oil my Greenie for the 4 years that I have owned it and it has never failed me. I paid $400 for it and would pay that amount for it again tomorrow. The SS lasts for generations if it is maintained properly. Shop around in your area and I bet you can get a good deal on one with lots of bells and whistles.

BuckeyeDennis

A year ago, I had never heard of a ShopSmith. I needed something better than my old Craftsman tabletop saw, but the Great Recession had seriously cut into the take-home pay from my business. So I started checking out Craigslist for deals on a good used table saw. A couple of used Shopsmith ads caught my attention right away, and I was intrigued. The ShopSmith sites, this forum, and a few other sites provided a wealth of information.

With about 300 square feet of walkout-basement workshop space, I probably had some options for stand-alone tools. But the elegance of the ShopSmith design tantalized my engineer's brain, much like my son's reaction to a Transformer toy when he was six years old.

Scouring Craigslist daily for several months, plus a few timely bids on eBay, netted me a shop full of late-model ShopSmith equipment for 25 cents on the dollar. Some of the items needed a good cleaning and a few dollars worth of bearings and such, but are now as good as new. All this activity was good for Shopsmith as well, as I've spent several hundred dollars with them on parts and consumables.

The strange thing is, the best deals that I found on Craigslist tended to come with power stands. Jigsaw on a power stand ($55), bandsaw on a Power Station ($150), Pro Planer ($225). So I actually wound up with mostly standalone tools -- I'm still trying to figure out which special-purpose tools should get the dedicated stands!

Now I'm getting to the fun part, learning how to use all the tools. The careful alignment work is paying off big-time. I invested in good used Mitutoyo dial calipers, plus some inexpensive machinist squares, and followed all of the alignment procedures in the Shopsmith manuals. To my amazement, every cut is accurate to within 0.005" on the saw. Results on the jointer and planer are even better. This is good quality machinery.

Like others, I'm not thrilled about having to tilt the table for bevel cuts. But I have a decent compound miter saw, which helps with that issue. Just this last weekend, I discovered that using the compound miter saw to rough-cut joints, followed by disk sanding on the 520 to the precise angle and length, gives far better results that I could get on the miter saw alone.

What I really like about the ShopSmith, though, is the versatility. I've decided that if I can't figure out a way to set up an operation on a ShopSmith, I'm just not being creative enough. In which case, the real experts on this forum are all but certain to have a solution. It appears to me that the possibilities are limited only by your skills, and more importantly by your imagination.

pieceseeker

jimthej wroteI sort of gathered that you are in the Atlanta area, and are planning to enclose what is now a screen porch. Something you need to put into your thinking, is the effects of humidity on tools. All equipment that has metal work surfaces and sliding surfaces needs regular scheduled maintenance. You also need to think of controlling that humidity if possible.

I live in Bakersfield, CA, normally a very dry area. Right now during the cool weather, humidity is very high in the shop as I don't have enough ventilation. I find myself waxing tables and way tubes every other day. Takes me about 3 minutes. Biggest problem is the jointer tables. They are cast iron and rust easily.

Welcome to the forum, no matter what you decide.

Yes, I'm well aware of the humidity problem. I recently discovered rust on my Forsner bits. Brass brushed them and used WD-40, stored on z-loc bags. All ways clean and oil my hedge trimmers and pruners. I still have the original garden hose I purchased 20 years ago because I drain it and store it indoors. Things can last a long time if properly taken care of. Thanks!

pieceseeker

backhertz wroteIf you happy to have a Lowe's Demo near you, you might get lucky and be eligible for an 18-month interest-free financing. It really takes the bite out of a huge purchase. Lowes will also give a 10% discount to members who have an active/retired military ID, as well as a VA ID card. They apply the 10% off to the items and the shipping. As I recall last May, the demo items & shipping prices were both reduced by 10%. At the Lowe's in Plymouth Meeting, PA, on Memorial Day, the demo prices were still the lower pre-increase prices before Shopsmith's large increase on April 30th. The Webinar prices went up right away, but the Demo prices were still low.

So I did what I had to do & got a second DIY Power Pro and I have 18 months to pay for it. I had picked up a Mark 520 & a new bandsaw for a very low price and bought everything for transforming it into a Mark 7.

As soon as the warm weather comes, I will start sorting out all my Shopsmiths. I got carried away and have far more than I need. Imagine that! I plan to upgrade all to new condition and hopefully find buyers who will appreciate them.

But for those of you starting, I warn you BEWARE! It can really get out of control when people start giving them to you or have Mark Vs for $150 or less. Then I picked up 5 10E/ERs which each have a speed changer an jig saws. I have to set up and them find homes for I'll need use.

But I will inventory on a spreadsheet. Yes, I have that much stuff! Eye, ye, ye… Good luck.

No demo's in my area in the near future sadly.

pieceseeker

BuckeyeDennis wroteA year ago, I had never heard of a ShopSmith. I needed something better than my old Craftsman tabletop saw, but the Great Recession had seriously cut into the take-home pay from my business. So I started checking out Craigslist for deals on a good used table saw. A couple of used Shopsmith ads caught my attention right away, and I was intrigued. The ShopSmith sites, this forum, and a few other sites provided a wealth of information.

With about 300 square feet of walkout-basement workshop space, I probably had some options for stand-alone tools. But the elegance of the ShopSmith design tantalized my engineer's brain, much like my son's reaction to a Transformer toy when he was six years old.

Scouring Craigslist daily for several months, plus a few timely bids on eBay, netted me a shop full of late-model ShopSmith equipment for 25 cents on the dollar. Some of the items needed a good cleaning and a few dollars worth of bearings and such, but are now as good as new. All this activity was good for Shopsmith as well, as I've spent several hundred dollars with them on parts and consumables.

The strange thing is, the best deals that I found on Craigslist tended to come with power stands. Jigsaw on a power stand ($55), bandsaw on a Power Station ($150), Pro Planer ($225). So I actually wound up with mostly standalone tools -- I'm still trying to figure out which special-purpose tools should get the dedicated stands!

Now I'm getting to the fun part, learning how to use all the tools. The careful alignment work is paying off big-time. I invested in good used Mitutoyo dial calipers, plus some inexpensive machinist squares, and followed all of the alignment procedures in the Shopsmith manuals. To my amazement, every cut is accurate to within 0.005" on the saw. Results on the jointer and planer are even better. This is good quality machinery.

Like others, I'm not thrilled about having to tilt the table for bevel cuts. But I have a decent compound miter saw, which helps with that issue. Just this last weekend, I discovered that using the compound miter saw to rough-cut joints, followed by disk sanding on the 520 to the precise angle and length, gives far better results that I could get on the miter saw alone.

What I really like about the ShopSmith, though, is the versatility. I've decided that if I can't figure out a way to set up an operation on a ShopSmith, I'm just not being creative enough. In which case, the real experts on this forum are all but certain to have a solution. It appears to me that the possibilities are limited only by your skills, and more importantly by your imagination.

Unfortunately, I only have about half that much space, so I won't be doing any collecting SS machines. The best I can do is one new machine and hang any accessory units on the wall. Floor space is premium....woodworking/assembly/painting/staining table...dust collection....etc.

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