Shopsmith - Deserted Island Edition

[wre1962]

I am looking to buy a Shopsmith and I have no previous experience with woodworking. But I want a shop and some capabilities so I can learn. I want my tools off the front porch and I would like the kitchen island to return to it original task. To make this idea that much harder, I live in a small house and only have a little bit of room to add a shop.

So I am wondering what the collective advise would be for a minimum Shopsmith setup in an 8x10 storage shed.

Anyone still reading? If so just keep thinking it has to be better than the front porch. I would like to have a 510 or newer with a bandsaw, jointer and planer. I would also like to have a router setup. But these are pretty uninformed choices. It seems that as you add more and more accessories the Shopsmith’s footprint grows. It also seems that there are many overlapping capabilities. So I wonder what you would do with the least. What minimum setup would still get most things done?

Sort of a Shopsmith Deserted Island edition.

Space is more valuable than time and money is available if something is very, very clever.

I really need some practical experience to go with my imagination.

Thanks, Bill

[Ed in Tampa]

I am looking to buy a Shopsmith and I have no previous experience with woodworking. But I want a shop and some capabilities so I can learn. I want my tools off the front porch and I would like the kitchen island to return to it original task. To make this idea that much harder, I live in a small house and only have a little bit of room to add a shop.

So I am wondering what the collective advise would be for a minimum Shopsmith setup in an 8x10 storage shed.

Anyone still reading? If so just keep thinking it has to be better than the front porch. I would like to have a 510 or newer with a bandsaw, jointer and planer. I would also like to have a router setup. But these are pretty uninformed choices. It seems that as you add more and more accessories the Shopsmith’s footprint grows. It also seems that there are many overlapping capabilities. So I wonder what you would do with the least. What minimum setup would still get most things done?

Sort of a Shopsmith Deserted Island edition.

Space is more valuable than time and money is available if something is very, very clever.

I really need some practical experience to go with my imagination.

Thanks, Bill

http://knockaboutsloops.blogspot.com/

Bill
I think you have the right idea a Shopsmith 510 though I would recommend the 520, a bandsaw and jointer. The planer is nice but I did 30+ years of woodworking without one. I did on occasion pay to have wood planed but again not often enough to justify the cost of plane. Many many projects were built using hand planes for many many years.

I would also get the disk sander and a good assortment of sanding disks, a drum sander with sanding cylinders and make sure you get good drills and saw blades. A router will come in handy and is almost a 'must have' but again many projects were built without one. If you do get a router consider a router table or the pro fence router setup from Shopsmith.

To me the tool that effected the way I do things most in my shop is the air compressor and brad nailer. I can't tell you how many projects I screwed up, beating to death, trying to drive in nails that now are simple tasks using the brad nailer.

Everything I mentioned should easily fit in you 8x10 shop but I would make sure you make provision to be able to roll your SS outside and work there.

Don't worry many many Shopsmithers wish they had a 8x10 shed, I know a few that are kept in closets.
Ed

[a1gutterman]

Welcome Bill,

Ed gives you some good advise. I would add that the SS footprint does not increase, but the more things that you buy for it increases the need for wall space or shelf space. The shed size should be fine, but as Ed said, figure on bringing it outside to do some work; not everything can be done in a small shed:) .

BTW, is that your boat ? I have done some sailing in the San Juans on my BIL's Catalina 30. I also used to crew on a Ranger 29 out of DesMoines (Three Tree Point Yacht Club) for my Uncle.

Oh, one more thing: The disc sander that Ed speaks of comes with the MarkV if you buy a new one. It is one of the 5 tools.

[paulmcohen]

As others have said start with a 520 you will never regret it, if your Shed has open wall space you can put many of the extras on the wall either yourself or with the Shopsmith wall brackets. The Shopsmith router table fits on the unit as an extra table without much increase in size. As for special purpose tools I seem to go in spurts, I rarely used my planer but now that I want to start using the Ring Master I will be using it a lot. I have had the bandsaw for over 20 years without using it and for the last several months I have been using it every day, I actually store it on the end of the Shopsmith even though I has a home elsewhere in my garage. I use the lathe most, and store most of the accessories on the wall. Shopsmith has two other ideas for storage, I use the front wooden storage shelf to hold most on the smaller accessories. For people that want more space Shopsmith offers three metal cabinets that fit under the unit (if you don't have the lift-assist), two fit with it. In your case you might be better off stacking the units on top of each other, which is another installation option.

[8iowa]

Bill:

Since I've retired it seems as if I have spent more time designing and orgainzing two workshops - and less time woodworking!

Your 8x10 workshop presents quite a challenge, but it can be done. The old school method of organizing a space still works great. Layout your 8x10 space on grid paper and make cut outs of the tools so they can be placed on your grid and moved around. Note the positions of the door, windows, electrical outlets, switches, and any other features of the space that needs to be considered. The Shopsmith occupies 72"x25" and the bandsaw and jointer can fit on a shelf 15"x45" utilizing the Shopsmith storage stations. If you obtain four of the red Shopsmith storage units they can be stacked two by two and occupy about 14"x32". You could then place plywood on top and create a small work area as you are going to be hard pressed to find workbench space. I have four of these units and they hold almost all of my small Shopsmith accessories, drills, sharpening stones, measuring tools, and much more.

It may seem extravagant, but I will also recommend the DC3300 dust collector as dust will be concentrated in a small shop. The DC3300 has a footprint of around 29'x20".

I wouldn't worry too much about a planer. You will have very little space in which to store wood for your project at hand. A planer is best utilized for those who have enough space to store rough cut lumber.

Before you move into the space, pay attention to your electrical needs and be sure to add plenty of electrical recptacles. If re-wiring, put in 20 amp service with #12 cable. I recommend at least three circuits, one for the Shopsmith, another for the dust collector, and a separate circuit for lighting. I will also recommend two or three two bulb fluorescent fixtures using the T-8bulbs and electronic balasts. They can be obtained at Lowes. A single standard incandescent bulb fixture in the center of the ceiling can also be helpful to improve color rendering. Finally,paint the walls and ceiling white. This will greatly improve the overall lighting effect and help to diminish shadows.

Obviously a Shopsmith system is essential in order to successfully create a woodworking shop in an 8 x10 space. This is an interesting project. Keep us posted as to your progress. Good luck.

[scottss]

I would agree with most of the post so far except for the part about a planer by 8iowa. I have a very small shop and don't have a lot of room to store wood but I would hate to have to pay full box store price for hardwood. I got my planer as a gift several years ago and it is the workhorse in my shop. I buy all my wood rough and then mill it up myself. Why just this last week I got a 5/4 x 11 1/2" x 100" piece of oak and a 6/4 x 6 x 120" piece of oak both rough form. I let them sit in my shop for a day or so then planed, jointed and cut them into sizes for my next end table. I got the oak for $3.85 a bf. I know that it would have been more than double at the box stores plus this is very nice wood and I support a local merchant. You can be very constuctive with storage. I built racks above the overhead door hanging from the ceiling.

[john]

I tend to agree with Scott on the planer issue. If the space is available it is a good tool to have. Before I got mine, I would hesitate to purchase hardwood for projects because of the cost. I picked up a Delta 12 1/2" planer on sale and never regretted it.

My shop is also small so I buy my hardwood when needed for a project but at less than 1/2 the price of finished wood. Another option is to ask a local supplier what they charge for planing. My supplier is so reasonable that wood planed two faces, comes to about 60 per cent of box store prices. Unfortunately I didn't find this out until after I bought my planer and started buying rough wood from this supplier.

The other benefit of the planer is being able to produce wood in whatever thickness you want.

I move my planing operations outside in summer to reduce the dust and noise indoors. The planer goes on a "WorkMate" with a plastic tarp on the ground that catches most of the shavings. They then go in the compost bins to later help my garden.

John

[edflorence]

So I am wondering what the collective advise would be for a minimum Shopsmith setup in an 8x10 storage shed.

So I wonder what you would do with the least. What minimum setup would still get most things done?

Space is more valuable than time and money is available if something is very, very clever.

I really need some practical experience to go with my imagination.

Thanks, Bill

http://knockaboutsloops.blogspot.com/

Hi Bill;

Hmmm….8 by 10 is a pretty small shop space, but maximum utilization of a small space is a big part of what Shopsmith is all about. I have had my MkV 505 set up for the last 15 or so years in a space of about 10 x 20, and that space has worked out fine. However, I plan to commence a major home remodel next year, post-retirement, and my current shop space will get converted to a bedroom. My new shop space will be a free-standing separate structure and I have been wrestling with the question of how much space is enough, since I want to keep the new building to the smallest practical size, and perhaps some of my ideas may prove useful to you. If you are dealing with a pre-existing shed, you may have to modify either my ideas or the building...I am going to make the assumption that the building can be modified...so, here we go...

First thing, I would say that the SS should be placed in the center of one of the 10 foot walls and the shop entry should be centered in one of the 8 foot walls. So, for example, as you enter the shop the SS would be on the left side. As large a window as possible should be placed on the same long wall, say a 3 x 5, and it would be ideal if this window faced North or East. I would place a cupboard on either side of the SS, each at least 6 feet high, with a shelf board spanning the space between them. This would create a sort of upside down horseshoe around the SS, and fully use the available wall space. The jointer will be stored on the left end of the SS most of the time.

Opposite the door, in the other 8 foot wall, I would center a window. When using the SS in tablesaw mode for ripping long stuff, the SS would be placed in the middle of the shop at right angles to its long dimension and material would pass through the door and window. Centered on the other 10 foot wall I would place another large window, this one providing light for a workbench. The workbench would probably be about 3 ½ feet long and would extend out from the wall about 1 ½ feet. These are small dimensions for a workbench but if the bench were any wider, it would interfere with turning the SS as described above for ripping. A bigger work surface could be rigged up when needed using sawhorses and plywood. The work bench would be pushed up against the wall and would have shelves/cupboards under it as well as a full length shelf above it over the window. I think I might store the SS bandsaw in holes drilled into one corner of the benchtop.

At one end of the workbench would be the DC3300. As another poster mentioned, dust collection will be essential in such a small shop. Suspended from the ceiling should be a dust filter as well. At the other end of the workbench will be a benchtop planer mounted on a cabinet base with casters. Planer and DC3300 will be moved as necessary to provide access to the ends of the bench.

Since there is no room for a router table, one of the options for using the SS as a router should be considered. I would also find room for knock-down saw horses and a Workmate. You will find both to be essential.

Any wall spaced not used for tool or materials storage will no doubt be taken up by such things as calendar, clock, fire extinguisher, clipboard, wall-mounted space heater etc.

You don’t say whether a covered front porch or attic space will be available. If they are, they could be used for wood storage. Access to the attic space could be through a “hay loft” door in one of the gable ends and would be a great place to store and cure lumber. A covered front porch would be a good place for sanding in fair weather and would, with the addition of a chair or two, make a fine combination break room and design studio.

Well, that was fun to think about. Hope some of these ideas are helpful to you.

Ed
Idaho Panhandle
MkV 505, bs, dc3300, jointer

[charlese]

Bill - I whole heartedly endorse everything 8iowa has said. Also have a several other things that I learned with experience working in an 8'X12' ft shop. The lesson learned is; if you wish to make and assemble larger pieces - you'll need a larger building, or outside working room. Hope you can make things work!

If you have a need to work with squared wood, a jointer is necessary, unless you can do this squaring work entirely with hand planes. Here you will need a workbench -(usurping wall and floor space)

My band saw is almost indispensable as it is used for sizing rough wood and re-sawing as well as sawing shapes.

If you buy a "Storage Station" (555761) it will require almost the same footprint as a Mark V. A shelf may be an alternative, but the shelf should have purposes other than just storing special purpose tools.

I highly recommend the "Home Workshop Storage Plans" (521956) from Shopsmith. The wall unit is extremely valuable. In my small shop (above) I had to put the folding bench outside of the room. There just wasn't enough room to do anything if the bench was raised inside the shop. In order to glue up and assemble a hope/cedar chest, I had to use the folding table outside of the shop area. Also, had to store the wood (both pre-cut and sized) outside of the shop. However, I had good luck in making wall cabinets like a "Country Cupboard" inside of the shop. Smaller things like picture frames could be made in the shop.

Now to get get blunt about the space -- When this is all said and done - I would be severely hampered and probably wouldn't be able to work successfully in an 8'X10' space. One of the primary issues would be in-feed/ out-feed room. With 6 to 8 ft. boards, they couldn't be ripped without in feeding or out feeding wood through a door or window. I had this problem in my 8'X12' space. If at all possible, I would recommend you trying to enlarge this space.

It seems 4 ft long boards could be successfully ripped in a 8'X10' shop if there is nothing blocking the walls.

[8iowa]

Don't get me wrong guys. I too love my planer. In fact I purchased one of Shopsmith's first planers back in '85.

What concerns me in this particular case is the severe limitation on space. Serious choices have to be made. The planer occupies about the same footprint as the dust collector, and in this example the dust collector would be the hard choice that I would make. Another important factor is the reality that Bill will have extremely limited space for wood storage, which will probably require him to obtain his wood on a project by project basis. He may have to find someone who will plane wood for him or let him use their planer. Many of us, myself included, have been in that boat sometime in our woodworking past.

With careful planning and organization I think Bill can create a shop in his 8'x10' space. I certainbly wish him well and hope to hear more as he progresses.