My Shopsmith storage cabinet

rdavidp · Post by **rdavidp** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:28 pm

Now that I have all the parts to my Mark V, I needed a place to store it all. I looked at a few cabinets that some of you have built, plus some plans from Shopsmith that someone posted as .pdf, and did a few things to suit me. Also I needed a project where I could really test my Mark V out on. I have never heard of, seen, used, nor read about a Shopsmith until this past August, so I was really wanting to try out all the different features. I made the cabinet case from 1" x 8" pine joined with dowels for the sole purpose of testing out the horizontal boring. Of course the horizontal boring of the Mark V made the task of dowel joinery almost a no-brainer. The shelves and compartment dividers are plywood as is the back that you do not see. The shelf supports is just some lengths of 1 1/2" X 3/4" poplar that Home Depot had in a big bin marked "Hobby Poplar". Most everything is put together with screw and glue. Other than the dowel joinery, I did not do any fancy joiner other than just butted joints. It is a shop storage cabinet, and I just wanted to throw something together fairly quickly. All wood cut by the Mark V, and I used the sanding disks to help with any final fit.

The Mark V and storage cabinet in what I think is going to be its standard location in my small shop. The Mark V easily rolls right over the top of the cabinet, and my big feet can still get to the lever to retract the wheels. Also I can completely retract the wheels and the Mark V set on its legs and not hit the sides of the cabinet.

Miter gauge, rip fence, tailstock, and lathe rest can sit on the top. Left side shelves hold sandpaper and sanding disks. I plan to add another sanding disk, plus have the sharpening guide currently en route to my house. Middle compartment holds push pads, fence straddler, and feather board, plus the cross cut and rip blades I currently have. I plan to purchase two more saw arbors, plus a plywood blade eventually. Third compartment has a top shelf that slides out that holds drill chuck, lathe centers, and faceplate. Since the size of forstner bit that I used for the lathe centers was rated for an RPM that was within the range of the Mark V, I put it in drill press mode and made the holes the center shafts fit in. Saw guard pieces then fit on top of the box I made that holds some spare parts and such. I do plan to make some doors for it. I am going to build a frame around some peg board as the doors. I would like to be able to hang a couple of arbor wrenches, a screwdriver, pair of pliers, and a basic drill bit set in the cabinet. I have a much larger selection of drill bits and forstner bits near my table top drill press. Of course I am using a magnent to hold a couple of allen wrenches and the drill key to the headstock. I will use the lathe to make knobs for the doors eventually. The lathe is the only part I have not tested out yet.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:46 pm

Fantastic job!

rdavidp · Post by **rdavidp** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:50 pm

heathicus wrote:Fantastic job!

Thank you. In the process I did find another feature of the Shopsmith that I have not seen mentioned in any manual. Makes an excellent glueing rack for shelves.

dgale · Post by **dgale** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:16 am

Well done! Looks great. I need to make something similar - we are in escrow right now on a big new house that has a large two-bay detached workshop...I gave my wife free reins on the house if she leaves me alone r.e. the workshop. So I'm going to have more room then I'd ever dreamed by late January if all goes well. A storage cabinet similar to this will be on my short list, as will some sort of wall-mounted rack for my SPT's I can't wait to actually have enough room to work - I've been relegated to a single car garage that's 1/2 crammed with my stuff, so it's been tight to say the least for many years and my productivity and enthusiasm to make things has waned accordingly.

rdavidp · Post by **rdavidp** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:38 am

Not sure how big you current space is, but mine is 9' x 15'.

dgale · Post by **dgale** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 1:19 am

rdavidp wrote:Not sure how big you current space is, but mine is 9' x 15'.

Mine is ultimately bigger than that but with a ton of stuff to constantly shuffle around to make room to work, so actual working space without a ton of rearranging is probably 8'x10'. I can't wait for that new workshop...I'll have room for a couple more SS easily, but don't tell the wife

I'm already eyeing a 510 that's been for sale for $700/OBO for a while now down in Santa Rosa (~4 hour drive each way). Now just cross my fingers all goes well in escrow...so far so good.