If you had (have) 2 Shopsmiths, how would (do) you set them up?

[mtobey]

I have standalone drillpress, tablesaw,scroll saw,drum sander(2), beltsander,stripsander and more in my garage. I could have arranged to get my floor model DP down to my basement. Of all of them the tablesaw seems most important because I can handle much bigger sheet goods. But, I don't. The friend who gave me #1 has a huge cabinet saw with infeed and outfeed tables.

HERE IS THE DEAL-I trust the precision of my ShopSmiths without a second thought-even with all of the change outs.And, that full speed control just isn't found anywhere else. I have the real basic powerstand for my SS belt sander but I don't use it. It is my pricey storage stand. My planer is made by a guy named Tom Lie-Nielsen, weighs around 9 pounds. I am still really a handtool person, but shoulder problems and building electric guitars as a business has kept me at the powertools- but it is rare for me to go beyond my ShopSmiths(forgive my stylized combining with the capital "S"-I think that is how it should have been trademarked and that is where my fingers go when I type). I would probably get the Sandflea if I did not have the Performax 10-20 and the bigger home built drum sander.

Sometimes I will be working along at the SS and I do a smooth swap, and I just GRIN- I'll bet most of you do so as well. I like them well enough to have bought backup parts when the $$ could have bought more other tools.mt

[fjimp]

Most of the configurations are simple enough to change I would use all the tools configs on my current 520 with the exception of the OPR and Incra TSIII. Hey wait a minute I need two more. First a bigger shop. fjimp

[a1gutterman]

Most of the configurations are simple enough to change I would use all the tools configs on my current 520 with the exception of the OPR and Incra TSIII. Hey wait a minute I need two more. First a bigger shop. fjimp

So the Colorado destination has a bigger shop, right???

[fjimp]

Tim,

Assuming this house sells and we can still afford a replacement the goal is to double the size of the shop in Colorado. fjimp

[a1gutterman]

I found a deal that was too good to pass up, so I'm now the proud owner of two Shopsmith machines - both model 510's. This has two important benefits, in my mind:

-It allows me to run two setups at a time, decreasing changeover time.
-If one ever breaks, I can borrow a part from the other until I receive a replacement part, and keep on working.

I think that I'll keep one set up as a table saw. This seems to be the feature that takes the longest to change to/from. It's also probably the feature that I use the most. The other will be a "miscellaneous" machine that is set up for whatever non-table saw feature I need.

How do you other multi-Shopsmithers do it?

Hi 2manband,

I have a single Mark V with table system 510. I also have single purpose tools, which are listed in my public profile. If I had an additional Mark V, it wood be a mini or shorty and I wood set it up as a sanding station. If I had three, one wood be a permanent lathe. On that one, I might consider letting Bill Mayo (I think it was he that does this?) fix my strip sander to run backwards so I could leave it on the "left" side of the headstock for sharpening. I wood make sure that it was placed on "blocks" to the exact height for comfort, sandbagged down and leave it there. So with three, I wood use the main one for all other functions.

With respect to table systems, the mini/shorty and the lathe set ups could be 500, 505, or 510 models, and the main one wood be a 520, as the only real benefit a 520 table system has over the others is in table saw mode.

Of course, if I buy the new model 530, I wood just have to push a button and the conversion to whatever set up I want wood instantly materialize and I wood only need one.

[charlese]

If I had two Mark Vs, my shop would be overcrowded. I have a 16' X 20' dedicated shop. As it is, with one unfinished furniture piece taking up floor space it is crowded enough!

[a1gutterman]

It is sort of interesting to reread this thread and try to picture everyone's shop based on their preferences.

It sorta makes me think that most of us would really, deep down, prefer to have standalone tools.

I have alway been an advocate for the Mark V (5in1 tool). But in my shop, I don't really practise that. I have a power stand for the belt sander, the jointer on my Mark V, the band saw on the Power Station, the scroll saw stands alone and a Pro Planer. There is not much sharing going on there.

Hi dusty,

The thing about the Mark V is that knot only can it fit into the space of a bicycle for storage, but you do knot have to leave it there. With enough room in the shop, you can use them as single purpose tools and yet still have more versatility then other single purpose tools!!! I see that as a plus and nothing to be sorry for.

[toolcollector]

I keep my 520 set up for mostly for table sawing and the jointer or belt sander.

I have a power station and it always has my band saw on it, and a sanding drum on the other output. I have a storage cabinet built to fit, which is were it is kept when not in use.

I really don't have room for my Greenie, but it was a deal, so I couldn't pass it up. It is set up to lathe, or lathe duplicator, or if the jointer is on the 520, the belt sander, strip sander or jig saw might end up on the Greenie. Also, I use it for my router table set up.

[chettrick]

I got lucky and have three, a new one and two more I picked up when I got all the accessories from one guy. My shop is 24x24.

The new one is setup with table saw and jointer, and lift to drill press mode. The second is in one corner used soley as lathe and the bandsaw left up since the bandsaw is quite a bit. The third is older but is used more for storage of the jigsaw and also used as a sanding station with the belt sander.

I also have the standalone planer.

This setup allows very little changing of tools and can roll out of the way if need be.

[JPG]

. . . I might consider letting Bill Mayo (I think it was he that does this?) fix my strip sander to run backwards so I could leave it on the "left" side of the headstock for sharpening. . . .

Would be a good trick if he does. Making the motor run backward would do it, but then the lathe would be backwards. Too bad your SS isn't a Mark VII.

Might be possible to get SS motor to run backwards, but you would have to get inside the motor to rewire Capactior/windings(assuming necessary leads are there). KNOT your Saturday morning mini project!:D Then there is the extra switch..........