Shopsmith come back?

[timster68]

Looks like Nick's videos are having an impact.

Nick&Drew vs. China - could they be the saviors for the U.S. against Chinese made garbage?

This is one reason that I now frequent places like Home Depot & Lowes much less and instead visit my local Ace/TrueValue hardware store which is not only closer but the staff there are actually able and willing to help you find a particular nut,bolt or toilet brush if need be.

Almost every time (unless they are real busy) it's usually less than 30 seconds before one of the employees ask me if I need any help. Just last night I had a list of several things and the employee took me to each aisle to show me where everything is. Ace is the best. Lowes and Home Depot have become too coroporate. I'll actually pay more to support Ace and only goto the others if I absolutely have to.

[osx-addict]

Almost every time (unless they are real busy) it's usually less than 30 seconds before one of the employees ask me if I need any help. Just last night I had a list of several things and the employee took me to each aisle to show me where everything is. Ace is the best. Lowes and Home Depot have become too coroporate. I'll actually pay more to support Ace and only goto the others if I absolutely have to.

Unfortunately, there are some things that my local Ace doesn't carry such as lumber beyond simple stuff.. If you're in need of 2x4s or any hard woods of most sizes or sheets of plywood, they just don't carry them.. The store is too small to deal with that stuff.. That's when I'll go to either a real lumberyard if they're open when I need materials or succum to a Lowes/HD visit..

[timster68]

Unfortunately, there are some things that my local Ace doesn't carry such as lumber beyond simple stuff.. If you're in need of 2x4s or any hard woods of most sizes or sheets of plywood, they just don't carry them.. The store is too small to deal with that stuff.. That's when I'll go to either a real lumberyard if they're open when I need materials or succum to a Lowes/HD visit..

Agreed, lumber is the one thing that they don't have. I've gotten various MDF pieces from BMC West, and the next I need sheets of plywood, I'm going to see if they have any US plywood there.

One thing I think Ace has which is way better than HD is their nuts & bolts. I'd even go there before Lowes since they seem to have just about any nult/bolt or nail that I'd need.

[paulmcohen]

Lowes and Home Depot have become too corporate. I'll actually pay more to support Ace and only goto the others if I absolutely have to.

I was a big Lowes/ Home Depot shopper until I needed the hardware for the Caster upgrade and someone said try Ace. I have two very near me and I am sold. The guy who helped me on one of my visits has worked there 15 years and on my first visit he helped me purchase an $.08 washer with a smile and a please come back.

I can honestly say I have never been to a WalMart but I actually think they are good for American low income families. If America wants to stay competitive we need to learn from them. American's had the same issue with Japanese products when I was growing up until they kicked our butt with higher quality cars and electronics. My problem with Chinese goods is quality and safety not because they cost less then goods made in the US or even that they are putting American business out of business.

[Bruce]

I was a big Lowes/ Home Depot shopper until I needed the hardware for the Caster upgrade and someone said try Ace. I have two very near me and I am sold. The guy who helped me on one of my visits has worked there 15 years and on my first visit he helped me purchase an $.08 washer with a smile and a please come back.

I can honestly say I have never been to a WalMart but I actually think they are good for American low income families. If America wants to stay competitive we need to learn from them. American's had the same issue with Japanese products when I was growing up until they kicked our butt with higher quality cars and electronics. My problem with Chinese goods is quality and safety not because they cost less then goods made in the US or even that they are putting American business out of business.

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis. Also, there are no American electronics manufacturers that I know of to compare the quality of Japanese electronics to. I do believe that American electronics design can't be beaten by the Japanese or anyone else for that matter. Just look at Apple.

As for Wal-Mart, they have a successful business model but at what expense. The mom and pop shops are going out of business in droves. Their low prices are attractive to lower income people but Wal-Mart is contributing to the lower incomes with low wages.

[paulmcohen]

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis.

Today they are made in the US, I was refering to when they started improving their quality.

Why are there no Electronics manufactures any more, they are all out of business. Apple stuff is designed in the US but where is it manufactured, not the US.

If a mom-pa store is selling the same stuff as Wal-Mart for more money they should go out of business, that is capitalism. The ones that survive and thrive offer something that Wal-Mart doesn't, why should someone pay $3 for Ajax when Wal-Mart is willing to sell it for less that a dollar.

Wal-Mart is not holding a gun to their employees head or that of their customers. People like the prices and what they get so Wal-Mart is successful.

[paulmcohen]

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis.

Today they are made in the US, I was refering to when they started improving their quality.

Why are there no Electronics manufactures any more, they are all out of business. Apple stuff is designed in the US but where is it manufactured, not the US.

If a mom-pa store is selling the same stuff as Wal-Mart for more money they should go out of business, that is capitalism. The ones that survive and thrive offer something that Wal-Mart doesn't, why should someone pay $3 for Ajax when Wal-Mart is willing to sell it for less that a dollar.

Wal-Mart is not holding a gun to their employees head or that of their customers. People like the prices and what they get so Wal-Mart is successful.

[paulmcohen]

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis.

Today they are made in the US, I was refering to when they started improving their quality.

Why are there no Electronics manufactures any more, they are all out of business. Apple stuff is designed in the US but where is it manufactured, not the US.

If a mom-pa store is selling the same stuff as Wal-Mart for more money they should go out of business, that is capitalism. The ones that survive and thrive offer something that Wal-Mart doesn't, why should someone pay $3 for Ajax when Wal-Mart is willing to sell it for less that a dollar.

Wal-Mart is not holding a gun to their employees head or that of their customers. People like the prices and what they get so Wal-Mart is successful.

[paulmcohen]

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis. Also, there are no American electronics manufacturers that I know of to compare the quality of Japanese electronics to. I do believe that American electronics design can't be beaten by the Japanese or anyone else for that matter. Just look at Apple.

As for Wal-Mart, they have a successful business model but at what expense. The mom and pop shops are going out of business in droves. Their low prices are attractive to lower income people but Wal-Mart is contributing to the lower incomes with low wages.

Japanese cars are made in the USA, so you can't say their cars are of higher quality on that basis.

Today they are made in the US, I was refering to when they started improving their quality.

Why are there no Electronics manufactures any more, they are all out of business. Apple stuff is designed in the US but where is it manufactured, not the US.

If a mom-pa store is selling the same stuff as Wal-Mart for more money they should go out of business, that is capitalism. The ones that survive and thrive offer something that Wal-Mart doesn't, why should someone pay $3 for Ajax when Wal-Mart is willing to sell it for less that a dollar.

Wal-Mart is not holding a gun to their employees head or that of their customers. People like the prices and what they get so Wal-Mart is successful.

[dusty]

I read a lot of woodworking forums. I have noticed a little more interest in Shopsmith tools like the Pro-Planer. I for one have been linking like crazy to Nick's videos for questions like planer care. Looks like Nick's videos are having an impact.

There certainly is more mention of Shopsmith on some of the other forums]other than[/U] members of this forum.

It could simply indicate that members of these other forums have commented on the many posts that cincinnati and others have put out there. But wasn't that part of what we intended - make these other woodworkers at least think about Shopsmith.

If these people look at Shopsmith, it will sell itself. After all, it is a quality machine capable of doing what most all of us really need. Only the needs of a high production professional woodworker cannot be satisfied by the Shopsmith and maybe even that is debateable.

I know that I have had some very interesting exchange with woodworkers at www.sawmillcreek.org. I have learned from these exchanges that there are more Shopsmith users over there than I had previously believed.

I have also learned that there are far too many Shopsmiths covered up, back in the dark, damp corners in the basement. What Shopsmith needs is a program to draw this Shopsmiths out into the middle of the basement. Once that happens, there will be a resurgence and we (this forum) will have been a part of that.

The Sawdust Sessions, the much improved Shopsmith web page, the uTube presentations - all of these are certainly beginning to work.

Incidently, if you haven't been there recently, schedule a couple hours and go browse the the website, especially the ownersite. There have been some fabulous changes and updates made there. When you go there, burrow down, don't just skim the surface.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/productindex.htm