Shopsmith Forums

Pat:

I think the above posts have said pretty well said all that can be said with respect to the debate between a Shopsmith and stand alone tools. In my case, space is a factor but I have never regretted the SS.

With that said, Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy and benefit from the exchanges.

Have fun.

John

Well, thanks to all who replied to my thoughts. I enjoyed reading all the replies, and I'm very thankful to have this forum resource as I again delve into woodworking. I was feeling pretty good about my abilities when I put the SS into storage way back when. At this time, I feel like a newbie.

But, the good side of this, I'm pretty sure I found everything that I ever bought for the SS. I plan on setting it up this weekend, and we will see how it goes. I did last night, purchase the SS bisquit jointer. I always wanted one of those.

I'm certain I'll be spending a lot of time in this forum, something that wasn't available that I know of in 94'.

Thanks to all who replied.

I must truly say that this forum has made my Shopsmith entry even more rewarding. That is because of the people here. What joy is taken in sharing! As I have gotten the SPT's and integrated them into my rotation of building steps, I have found a comfortable rythym, aided by advice from here. Simple little things make oh so much difference. An example is the precision made adjustable collar. Nick and Drew's archives enlightened me on those.

I don't do furniture- I make and restore/renew woodworking handtools. With a Shopsmith and 5 SPT's, I feel as though I can do anything well. Much of that is because of the impressive tolerance standards maintained in the company as contrasted with compromises in most other reasonably priced standalone power tools. The other component is the open sharing here. If I have insomnia and go to the shop at 3 am, there is one of us crazies on the site for help. And, yes, we are like the good things about a fraternity.

I am proud to have been warmly welcomed by all of you. So, a sincere thank you to the factory people and the friends here.mt

Well I've read all of these posts and don't think I've seen anyone mention this. SOMEBODY has to SAY IT.

You've had your SS in storage for what, 14 years. DON'T even think about turning the SS on, untill you have cleaned it up, waxed it well. Then lube it and adjust everything. Then go back and CHECK everything you did again. I'd put a disk sander on the arbor and use that to give it a couple turns. Make sure you turn the speed dial down to SLOW. While turning it by hand, listen for any strange sounds and investigate them. If your not sure about ANYTHING, ask here. PLENTY of people to help you out.

I think all of us would HATE to here you turned in on, then something happened, that could have been prevented with just a little care.

dickg1 wrote:Thank you Nick. My father was a skilled professional cabinetmaker. The only power tool he had in his shop was a pedal-powered jig saw. Everything else was done using hand tools. Cabinetmaking is an avocation for me. My tenure in the AF limited my ability for stand alone tools, so the Mark V became my tool of choice. I have never regreted that choice. My most gratifying moment came when, as my father was visiting, he reviewed the work on a cabinet I was making using the Mk V and said, "Richard, you should have been a cabinetmaker!"

Dickg1

That would be quite a complement!

pinkiewerewolf wrote:That would be quite a complement!

And a compliment too!:D

Pinkie & Tim,
Thanks -
And that was at the time that I didn't know that the MkV wasn't that good a router. That particular cabinet has many feet of walnut moulding that I made using the MkV. I have inherited the hand planes my father made to make his mouldings and he was impressed with my work!
Dickg1

I can see them now. A prized collection of hand planes cleaned up and displayed in a beautifully crafted cabinet.

Dusty,
Not much cleaning needed, although some of the iron has minor rust spots that I will take care of. I hadn't thought of a cabinet. You have inspired me to give that idea some serious thought. Thanks.
Dickg1

Beeg, thanks for your post, because that is exactly what I would have done, turn the thing on.

When I was using it, I used to clean and wax it every month. I've never done any lubing, tho. I guess, I better figure all that out.

Everything looks good from outward appearance. I didn't see any rust, except for on the jointer table. I'm not sure what the best way is to clean and restore that surface.

Also, thanks for the tip on mounting the sanding disc and slowly turning it back to low.