tomsalwasser wrote:...The power of my 20 year old SS motor is awesome.
...The dust collection of the SS is so much better ...
I miss being able to raise and lower my blade on a whim. Once I've locked in a setup, it takes a bit of time to change blade height. There was a guy over in the Shopsmith Yahoo group (does anybody use that forum anymore?) who once said "If setups on the Shopsmith are too time consuming for you, perhaps you need another hobby?" That made me think. Now I don't really worry about setups anymore, I just relax and enjoy my time in the shop.
...Tom
Couply comments: power & dust collection-- YES!! Love it.
"raise and lower my blade"--: I finally said "enough!", and set my table to max blade exposure -1/8", for almost everything. [better cuts, better dust-c, and I do NOT make casual cuts, ever. Anymore.]
For those times when I want less exposure (dadoes et al)) I have a stop-collar on the Main and one on the Extension. Just a few seconds of "x" number of turns each and I have microscopic control of height and symmetry. About 30-45 seconds "setup" to make a dado 1/128 deeper, +/- zero? I can handle it.
And if it took 3 minutes instead? Like you said-- so what-- just relax and enjoy. (What da hay-- I would {and do} spend more time making a dado 1/256" deeper in a piece of scrap just to see if I can do it. THAT is fun!)
There are times, not many, that adjusting two tables in sync is a nuisance (c-tubes and all) but it's so infrequent and such a minor thing, if I think about it at all it to remind myself how nice a 'perfect' cut is, and it's worth it.
Mark V 520, Power-Pro!; Speed Reducer; B/S; Jointer; ShopMate DCS; SS Tenon Master; Rip-Strate; Incra; BCTW; DW734; var. SS sanding systems; Wood River;