Shopsmith Forums

[quote="dusty"]There are no untruths that have been expressed here]

Have you looked at the prices on those Festools? They have a track system with a circular saw that fits in the track to cut large pieces of plywood. It was $550!!! For a circular saw and an piece of alumimum track?

I remember shopping at Woodcraft in Virginia. The clerk was badmouthing Shopsmith. I turned to leave and a customer walked up to me. He addressed the clerk who was behind me saying something about how can you be so negative to people who's purchases pay your bills. He then explained he owned a Mark V and loved how many features and uses it offered. Several months later in the same store the clerk, asked if I remembered the exchange. He had been invited to the other Shopsmith owners shop and come away with a much improved attitude toward Shopsmith. He truly apologized for his comments. During a recent visit to a Woodcraft here in Denver a clerk asked why I never look at major tools. Hearing I am a Shopsmith enthusiast he commented on how versatile they are.

I'm no professional woodworker, and even though I haven't used my Shopsmith a lot in the 27 years I've owned it, you just can't beat it for versatility. Yeah, I'd love to have a full size table saw, and drill press, and shaper, and lathe, but I also like putting both cars and the Harley in the garage too. Can't do that with the full size tools. I do have a full size craftsman bandsaw that I really like, but I'm thinking about getting rid of it and getting the Shopsmith bandsaw too so I can save that much more room. If you plan your work right it isn't that much more difficult to switch the tools back and forth.

In the past few weeks I've taken a cabinet making class, a pen turning class, and a bowl turning class at Woodcraft. The only big tool we used that worked better than what I can do with the Shopsmith is the big table saw they had set up. It was really nice having that big table and the miter fence that easily locked into place nice and straight as opposed to my small Mark V table. But other than that, every tool we used was not as good as the Shopsmith. We made a raised panel door on a router table. I know the shaper attachement on my Shopsmith would have done a better job with a way more powerful motor. The lates we used were these little things with half horse power motors. You had to take the cover off and move the belt by hand to change the speed. So I'm much happier overall with my Shopsmith over what Woodcrafter set up their own workshop with in their store. Oh they did have a real nice bandsaw set up, but we were only making minor little cuts with it on the projects we worked on and a Shopsmith Bandsaw could have done the same cuts with ease.

msmith1199 wrote:I'm no professional woodworker, and even though I haven't used my Shopsmith a lot in the 27 years I've owned it, you just can't beat it for versatility. Yeah, I'd love to have a full size table saw, and drill press, and shaper, and lathe, but I also like putting both cars and the Harley in the garage too. Can't do that with the full size tools. I do have a full size craftsman bandsaw that I really like, but I'm thinking about getting rid of it and getting the Shopsmith bandsaw too so I can save that much more room. If you plan your work right it isn't that much more difficult to switch the tools back and forth.

In the past few weeks I've taken a cabinet making class, a pen turning class, and a bowl turning class at Woodcraft. The only big tool we used that worked better than what I can do with the Shopsmith is the big table saw they had set up. It was really nice having that big table and the miter fence that easily locked into place nice and straight as opposed to my small Mark V table. But other than that, every tool we used was not as good as the Shopsmith. We made a raised panel door on a router table. I know the shaper attachement on my Shopsmith would have done a better job with a way more powerful motor. The lates we used were these little things with half horse power motors. You had to take the cover off and move the belt by hand to change the speed. So I'm much happier overall with my Shopsmith over what Woodcrafter set up their own workshop with in their store. Oh they did have a real nice bandsaw set up, but we were only making minor little cuts with it on the projects we worked on and a Shopsmith Bandsaw could have done the same cuts with ease.

I am curious what a 'full size' band saw is. They come in many different sizes(throat and cut depth).

Do understand the ss limits compared to your craftsman bandsaw before 'swapping'.

msmith1199 wrote:Have you looked at the prices on those Festools? They have a track system with a circular saw that fits in the track to cut large pieces of plywood. It was $550!!! For a circular saw and an piece of alumimum track?

The worst part is that they are almost worth it. Their RO 150 sander is amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfM7-CbfipI

I keep thinking of a 12" version to fit the shopsmith.

[quote="JPG40504"]I am curious what a 'full size' band saw is. They come in many different sizes(throat and cut depth).

Do understand the ss limits compared to your craftsman bandsaw before 'swapping'.]


Lets don't get too picky here. By "full size" I meant one that is about as big as you would want in a garage type shop. It takes up as much floor space as the Shopsmith does. I realize there are bigger band saws out there.

msmith1199 wrote:Lets don't get too picky here. By "full size" I meant one that is about as big as you would want in a garage type shop. It takes up as much floor space as the Shopsmith does. I realize there are bigger band saws out there.

Are you running for political office? Real good 'non-answer'!:D

Next time you drive over a bridge, be thankful the engineers who designed it were 'picky' about the sizes of its components.

[quote="JPG40504"]Are you running for political office? Real good 'non-answer'!:D

Next time you drive over a bridge, be thankful the engineers who designed it were 'picky' about the sizes of its components.]
I don't know about that! I recently watched a program about the current condition of roads and bridges in the USA. There was nothing comforting in that presentation.

BTW JPG - A bandsaw only needs to be as big as the owner needs it to be therefore my Shopsmith band saw is full size.

dusty wrote:I don't know about that! I recently watched a program about the current condition of roads and bridges in the USA. There was nothing comforting in that presentation.

BTW JPG - A bandsaw only needs to be as big as the owner needs it to be therefore my Shopsmith band saw is full size.

The politicians are responsible for funding maintenance. I64 bridge in Louisville has a crack in it that will require several months and tens of millions of dollars. It has been said that the crack 'discovered' was probably there since it was built. THAT gives me reason to pause!:eek:

JPG did not introduce the term 'Full Size', but merely requested a definition from the 'introducer'.]There have been times he wished his was bigger![/SIZE]

JPG40504 wrote:]There have been times he wished his was bigger![/SIZE]

Well... Oh, no, wait... I was misunderstanding the topic...

BTW, I would define my SS bandsaw as adequate for my needs but then again I do not do that much resawing on anything wide. If I did need to resaw anything too wide for the SS and it was one short piece I would do it by hand. (hand tools... )
If I needed a quantity of it I would resaw it on my little bandsaw sawmill.

Do I look wistfully at the 14"+ bandsaws? Yes I do but then again I look wistfully at a lot of things.

This triggers a memory of a local sawmill of years ago that put up a new office and to side it they acquired a big batch of s4s pine 2" X 12"s and resawed them into 1" X 12"s and sided it with them vertically (board & batten) putting the sawed side out. They knew how to do it right and put it on with 1/2" gaps using only 1 nail at the top and 1 at the bottom then actually held it on with the battens. I don't ever recall any splits forming in it since it was able to expand and contract under the battens. It was over 1/2" plywood.


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