??? How many here use their SS for the primary tool???

[swampgator]

Beautiful boats built on a Shopsmith. Now back to the original thread.

I have two of these wonderful machines with bandsaws, jointer/planer, biscuit cutter, sanding attachments, and have build and turned most of what I want to do with the precision of any other machine. My largest projects have been bookcases (5) and bandsaw boxes. The only other power tool I use is a mitre saw.

Steve, the old swampgator

[CWD]

When I bought my SS back in 1996 the only other wood working tools I had were a skill saw, hand held jig saw, router, a bench mount 13 inch scroll saw, palm sander and belt sander. recently I was given a SS bandsaw.
These are the only power tools I have for wood working, I do have some hand tools
So I guess the SS is my major floor tool.

[garys]

My Shopsmith is and has been my main tool for woodworking for almost 30 years. All I have in addition to it are a few hand power tools. Router, drill, and hand scroll saw.
I have built almost every stick of furniture in my house and done a lot of custom built in woodwork in the house, and the Shopsmith did it all.

[ERLover]

From what I have read in WW magazines and on some PBS WW shows, the router is the #2 tool in the shop, I got to say I use mine as much as the TS and jointer. Time wise more time on the router then the others, but also nature of the beast, shallow/multiple cuts on the router, where the TS is a single cut and the jointer might be a couple passes.

[masonsailor2]

I have four 510's which is mostly a product of living in Southern CA where they can be found for very cheap. I do have a table saw and router table which are both shopbuilt. I think I spend most of my time on SS because that is where I do the more intricate work which is more time consuming and also I spend a lot of time turning. I am not sure how I would define my primary tool but I do know that without the SS's I would be a very frustrated woodworker.
Paul

[Beave2012]

MY Shopsmith is my main tool in the shop. I have a 520 I use for most applications, and a 500 setup as a permanent drill press. I do however expand beyond just the main shopsmith. A pro planer, a router table, and a handful of smaller tools. Overall though, the Shopsmith is truely my workhorse. I add to it mainly for storage space, and quality tools at good prices when buying used.

[BuckeyeDennis]

My 520 is still my "primary" tool at present, and if I could have only one tool, it would be the one. Nevertheless, I found myself getting a bit frustrated by sub-optimal productivity, as a result of having to do changeovers. You know ... "So many projects, so little time."

So I started picking up additional machines when I found great deals. A couple of vintage cast-iron radial arm saws for cross-cutting and dadoing. A 10ER for lathe duty, and then a 10E for a dedicated drill press. A standalone SS overarm pin router. A vintage 6" jointer with a 60" table. And most recently, a brand-new-in-the-crate 5 hp Powermatic cabinet saw for about 30% of retail.

So now, I'm spending most of my spare time getting that machinery up and running, and I barely have any time (or room) left for woodworking!

But when all that other machinery is up and running, my 520 will be a killer sanding station most of the time, my Ring Master machine, my lowest-speed bowl lathe (with speed reducer), and a super-versatile platform for jobs that need special jigs.

[berry]

I have a single 1982 SS, it's my only "floor tool". If I could have just one wish in the shop it would be to make it shorter. Just too tall for me and getting taller as the years slide by.

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[JPG]

For all intents and purposes, my original goldie is the go to tool. Some Mark 2 pieces serve as a 'portable'/remote tool. The 510 is languishing due to other restoration stuff that is moving very slowly. The Mark VII has taken most of the available time recently. The rebuilt Dayton Table saw is underneath a bunch of stuff. The sears thickness planer has not been used much since I got the SS planer. All the SPTs are driven by either the goldie or power station as needed, but usually the goldie. The goldie is an old friend!!! Like old shoes!

[robinson46176]

I have confessed in the past to having more interest in the shop and tools than in projects. The projects are just an excuse to buy and use the tools.
You can see my primary machines list in my signature. I also have a fairly full stable of power hand tools. Having said that I do find myself often drawn to regular hand tools these days and I have a pretty good collection of them. I enjoy the quiet.
The main woodshop is 24' x 40' so I have an acceptable amount of space for the stand-alone stuff along with the Shopsmiths. For years I have bought power tools, mostly table saws, and kept a few and sold some. Not as a business, I just like puttering with them. They are normally bargains from auctions or garage sales. I have a fairly cheap old Craftsman Bench saw on a stand that I have hauled to rental houses to use on remodeling projects. Its pretty light and easy to load / unload. I like it on trim work.
Until I bought the Ridgid TS-3650 (which I still love) the Shopsmith 510 that I bought new in 1988 was my primary table saw.
I tend to use the Shopsmiths more for specialty jobs and jobs where I might want to make a set-up and leave it like that for a while. I don't have a stand-alone lathe but plenty of Shopsmiths and I like them as a lathe. I also like the Shopsmith bandsaw very much and have not found myself limited by its size.
I have not used the woodshop a lot the last few years due to Diana and I both having some health issues but I am getting back at it a little more now. I'm also putting in more time in the farm/mechanics shop. The horses compete with the shops for time but I try to work them all in.