Shopsmith Forums

Doug, your photo shows the first incarnation of the OPR, known back then as the Bryco Router Arm. It was invented by Norm Bryden in the late 70s and sold to Shopsmith in the early 80s. Because of it's ability to duplicate wooden parts, Shopsmith pitched it at the crafts market and it just sort of laid there. I had one for a long time; it's a good tool.

Shopsmith contniued to market the Bryco for many years. Early on, the name was changed to the Shopsmith Router Arm. Then it was recast as an SPT. Engineering eliminated the table and the single post and added a yoke that mounts it to the way tubes and a table that attached to the Shopsmith Table. It was rechristened the Shopsmith Overarm Pin Router and that's where it remains today.

I personally wish it would be pitched as simply an Overam Router. By emphasizing pin routing in the name, it creates a false impression that pin routing is it's major application. It's a nice feature to have, but I use it maybe 5 or 6 times a year. The rest of the time, I use it as a router table and horizontal router.

And no, the machine in your photo is not the Cadillac of which I speak. Maybe a Lincoln, but it doesn't have the ability to be converted to a horizontal router. The OPR mounted on the Shopsmith frame has that ability, and if sold on a shortended frame without the headstock it would quickly earn a reputation as a high-end router table.

With all good wishes,

Nick wrote:..................And no, the machine in your photo is not the Cadillac of which I speak. Maybe a Lincoln, but it doesn't have the ability to be converted to a horizontal router. The OPR mounted on the Shopsmith frame has that ability, and if sold on a shortended frame without the headstock it would quickly earn a reputation as a high-end router table.

With all good wishes,

Hi Nick,
Does this mean that you can use this like a Joint-Matic?

a1gutterman wrote:Hi Nick,
Does this mean that you can use this like a Joint-Matic?

Nick once said when he was introducing the OPR - "...it is the Joint Matic revisited..." I can almost quote him exactly, because it was this statement that caused me to buy one!

charlese wrote:Nick once said when he was introducing the OPR - "...it is the Joint Matic revisited..." I can almost quote him exactly, because it was this statement that caused me to buy one!

The more that I learn about this SPT, the more I like it. I think that it is getting closer to the top of my wish list.

Throw in a YEAH! for me.

With all the chatter here about the Joint-Matic, the Opr, and Horizontal Routing, I am no longer certain what we are all yeah, yeah, yeah'ing for.

I should be used to this by now - we never stay on topic. Maybe it is a good thing that this forum offers only four categories for discussion. If there were more, as some have suggested (including me), it would be impossible to find some posts.

I'll be watching anxiously for Nick's Tip on the subject - hopefully it will be "On-Topic" and cover use of the Router Chuck on the Shopsmith.

For those of us who are all excited about the OPR - I hope you all know that there are four or five sawdust sessions on this topic. Some really terrific information, if the OPR is what floats your boat.

dusty wrote:With all the chatter here about the Joint-Matic, the Opr, and Horizontal Routing, I am no longer certain what we are all yeah, yeah, yeah'ing for.

I should be used to this by now - we never stay on topic. Maybe it is a good thing that this forum offers only four categories for discussion. If there were more, as some have suggested (including me), it would be impossible to find some posts.

I'll be watching anxiously for Nick's Tip on the subject - hopefully it will be "On-Topic" and cover use of the Router Chuck on the Shopsmith.

For those of us who are all excited about the OPR - I hope you all know that there are four or five sawdust sessions on this topic. Some really terrific information, if the OPR is what floats your boat.

Dusty
I think the Yeah'ing is for Nick to show his simple jigs that transform the OPR to enable us to mount an under table router.
I think??????

As for using the the router chuck on the SS I do it all the time and with proper (read slow) feed rate the results have always been acceptable to me.
My biggest complaint about using the router chuck on the SS is that vibration tends to cause the bit to loosen and when that happens gravity causes the bit to lower which can totally destroy a project.
If I'm routing cherry I almost always use the SS because Cherry will burn in a heart beat (I hate sanding especially profiles) so having the lower spindle speed I rarely burn the wood. Again you have to make shallow cuts and you have to feed the wood slowly.
The bits also have to be razor sharp. I usually use HSS as I can sharpen them easily and I do hone them couple times in most SS routing projects.

Many people talk about cut per inch when talking about Planners, Routers and jointers. My point is if you never move the wood the number of cuts per inch goes into infinity, so if you feed rate is slow enough the number of cuts per inch of wood on a the SS can be very high.

In the illustration Nick used in the last sawdust session on molder heads he talked about millmarks. When you hand feed your wood pass the router head on the SS you determine the width and number of mill marks, which is something I really like. The shallower the cut and the slower the feed rate the closer the mill marks, the deeper the cut and the faster the feed rate the wider the mill marks. Then there is all the combinations in between.

Yes I know the experts say speed, and yes speed does produce a smoother cut. However speed is usually used to cover a multitude of sins. My contention is if your feed right is right for the wood type and grain, your bit is scarey sharp, and you have the right featherboards in place, routing on the SS can and does produce acceptable results.
Ed

"...speed is usually used to cover a multitude of sins. My contention is if your feed right is right for the wood type and grain, your bit is scarey sharp, and you have the right featherboards in place, routing on the SS can and does produce acceptable results."

Yes it does. But feed rate cannot always compansate for improper cutter speeds. Try turning the speed down to "Slow" in the table saw mode and make a rip cut. Yes, you can do it, but at a tremendous cost of time and quality.

The Shopsmith Router Chuck is a useful and usable tool for folks who have an occasional need to do routing. It is surprisingly versatile. You can do both vertical and horizontal routing, even use it as a pin router! (Whoops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that...) When I didn't have an OPR, I liked it for making stopped dadoes and rabbets. But 5000+ rpm is right on the edge of a usable speed for a two-flute cutter. With three-flute cutters and above, the quality of the cuts you can make begins to climb. But three-flute router bits are almost impossible to find nowadays. Back in the 60s, when the Shopsmith router chuck was first introduced, you could find router bits with up to six flutes.

So here's my own personal recommendation: If you have only an occasional need to do routing and/or need something to make stopped joints (joints with one or more blind ends), the Shopsmith Router Chuck is an acceptable and economic way to go. If you do a lot of routing or the quality of the cut is a concern, think about the router table system. If you want quality, versatility, ease-of-use, and all the girls to swoon, save up for the OPR.

With all good wishes,

Ed in Tampa wrote: ...My biggest complaint about using the router chuck on the SS is that vibration tends to cause the bit to loosen and when that happens gravity causes the bit to lower which can totally destroy a project...
Ed

Hi Ed! - Please, let me take issue with this one statement on your otherwise very excellent post! The above statement says the cause of the loose bit moving into the wood is Gravity!

This is a common mis-understanding held by many woodworkers. Even professionals! The truth is, a bit, when loose will ALWAYS PULL ITSELF DEEPER INTO THE WOOD! This is also true of jointer and planer blades. If one is using a standard router table, and the bit becomes loose it will pull itself up against gravity into the wood. In planers this significant 'digging in' fact is one of the reasons snipe happens.

Yup, you are right Ed. The thread has been hijacked by supporters of the OPR. The pirates were headed up by no other than Nick and his band of OPR Users.

I'll take the hint. Whenever my suggestions don't have a potential to result in big dollar sales - I'll keep them to myself or share them selectively by email.