New to this site and have questions

burkhome · Post by **burkhome** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:47 am

Pros and cons abound for the Shopsmith...I too am 60...I too spent most of my working life working 60 to 80 hours a week. I bought my 1981 shopsmith on credit for $1800.00 with a bandsaw attachment. Over the years I accumulated a full assortment of stand alone tools in a large shop. I have downsized to my retirement home with an 11 x 22 shop. My shopsmith is set up with the bandsaw and disc sander. I use is on most projects; it is an accurate,excellent tool. Mine remodeled 5 homes and made a lot of furniture over the years. I would not give it up for any reason that I can think of.

Ned B_CNY · Post by **Ned B_CNY** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:33 am

I've been following this thread with interest. I'm already 'sold' on the system, I just don't have mine in hand yet. However as the owner of a fairly well equipped SPT shop already, albeit also a small footprint one at 240sf, I have to chime in. Any tool that comes into my shop has to really be one I 'need' these days. I have a relatively complete set of SPT's... with a Tablesaw, Jointer, lunchbox planer (on a stand), Benchtop DP (Going bye bye once I have my 510), Midi Lathe, chop saw and 14" Bandsaw, which means I barely have room to turn around in the shop most days.

Pieceseeker, one thing to keep in mind with any tool including the Shopsmith is that you have to plan out your workflow. the more I read about how the long time owners use their Shopsmiths, the more I want to make a road trip, convince my father that it is time that the 510 migrated north. For the $ you invest, given the functionality you get for that $, I really doubt you'll find a better value. If (when?) you get your shopsmith, I bet I'll be right there with you as far as learning how to do things. Best of Luck when you do!

pieceseeker · Post by **pieceseeker** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:17 pm

Waiting on my info pack from SS, but I was wondering. How well does the DC3300 compare to other brands? I'm kind of convinced given the small area that I'll be using as a shop, a saw dust collector and even a sizeable air filtration system will be paramount for health reasons. Any thoughts on this guys?

I'm going to need to figure these items in on the initial cost of starting my shop. WOW, in for a dime, in for a dollar. All hobbies are expensive.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:46 pm

I have used the DC 3300 dust collector as long as I have the Mark V. I find they make a great team. I also installed an overhead air filtration system in my larger shop. I suffer from asthma and clean air is a must. Originally my shop was in our basement. I found that if I ran the DC3300 for fifteen or twenty minutes after using the shop with all three ports wide open we did away with all dust in the air. Jim

backhertz · Post by **backhertz** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:54 pm

Dust is one issue many people overlook or put off to the end like landscaping often is when building a house. Little dust particles can cause many problems for people with any lung issues.

Any question(s) you might have can been answered by one person I know: Bill Pentz who is also a member of this forum. My wife has lungs damaged by years of smoking. I had planned to build a wood shop in my basement, but I learned that I would not be able to easily control the microscopic dust particles that would float throughout my home and HVAC system.

So I added an addition to the rear of my garage which has plenty of ventilation with the garage door open in front and two large side doors. I wear a mask when I have to. I have a DC3300 with the large bag. I know of no comparison with the DC3300 and other dust collectors. But I've heard good results when using the DC3300 in addition to a cyclonic particle collector which helps prevent damage to the dust collector fan. I have an Oneida Dust Deputy.

I think you'll find more on this current thread: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=11951

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:41 am

Pieceseeker, from another perspective, If you took the cost of a new SS and the inevitable SPT's and "extras" you would end up purchasing as you started, and took that money and watched the local market closely, you could get a nice 510 maybe a 520. It would most likely have some SPT's and things along with it and maybe even dust collection. Then spend the rest of that new SS budget on the rest of your woodworking tools. (router,table, bits-clamps-squares-blades-sanding accessories-battery drills-lighting-vise-sharpening system-hand plane or two-chisels-workbench ect. ect.) You may have to settle for a 510 and watch for a 520 or do the upgrade yourself.
I guess what I'm saying is, I would go for the complete workshop based on the budget set forth. Then you can work on most any project as you go along instead of scrounging around for the next tool.

pieceseeker · Post by **pieceseeker** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:42 pm

mrhart wrote:Pieceseeker, from another perspective, If you took the cost of a new SS and the inevitable SPT's and "extras" you would end up purchasing as you started, and took that money and watched the local market closely, you could get a nice 510 maybe a 520. It would most likely have some SPT's and things along with it and maybe even dust collection. Then spend the rest of that new SS budget on the rest of your woodworking tools. (router,table, bits-clamps-squares-blades-sanding accessories-battery drills-lighting-vise-sharpening system-hand plane or two-chisels-workbench ect. ect.) You may have to settle for a 510 and watch for a 520 or do the upgrade yourself.
I guess what I'm saying is, I would go for the complete workshop based on the budget set forth. Then you can work on most any project as you go along instead of scrounging around for the next tool.

Hello Mr. Hart! I've already got about 95% of that other stuff from the remodeling I've been doing over the past 10years. Its slow going because of the amount of hours I spend at my real job. I own a duplex, live in one side, remodeling the other side to move into one day. Am limited to a 12x12 area to do woodworking and remodeling related tasks. I really don't have time to shop and pickup an older machine, only to have to refurbish, order parts, replace parts on any SPT's. I still need to enclose, wire, and provide air filtration in small space that I do have, so I have more than enough to keep me busy with out acquiring somebody else's headache. I'm not going to be a collector. The SS is a beautiful machine, but I've always been a "one woman" man. I do take pride is keeping my tools in excellent condition. As far as tools are concerned, if I need a tool, I try to buy the highest quality. Don't really mind the cost as long as I get what I pay for. I really would like to see a demo before I buy, but I may have to wait a while for that. I have plenty to do meanwhile.

pieceseeker · Post by **pieceseeker** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:08 pm

fjimp wrote:I have used the DC 3300 dust collector as long as I have the Mark V. I find they make a great team. I also installed an overhead air filtration system in my larger shop. I suffer from asthma and clean air is a must. Originally my shop was in our basement. I found that if I ran the DC3300 for fifteen or twenty minutes after using the shop with all three ports wide open we did away with all dust in the air. Jim

Hello! Although I'm in excellent health, I intend to keep that way!

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:14 pm

pieceseeker wrote:Hello! Although I'm in excellent health, I intend to keep that way!

Excellent choice. Unfortunately I waited too long to realize I needed to take care of the old bod. Jim

BuckeyeDennis · Post by **BuckeyeDennis** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:54 pm

pieceseeker wrote:Waiting on my info pack from SS, but I was wondering. How well does the DC3300 compare to other brands? I'm kind of convinced given the small area that I'll be using as a shop, a saw dust collector and even a sizeable air filtration system will be paramount for health reasons. Any thoughts on this guys?

I'm going to need to figure these items in on the initial cost of starting my shop. WOW, in for a dime, in for a dollar. All hobbies are expensive.

I can't comment on the DC3300, as I don't own one. But I have incrementally assembled a system that, as near as I can tell, has eliminated fine dust from my workshop air.

I used to use a small ShopVac with a standard output filter. This required frequent messy/unpleasant cleaning, and fine dust particles were still emitted in unhealthy quantities, eventually coating all the stuff in my shop. Then I discovered the input-filter bags that go inside the vacs. That eliminated the frequent output-filter cleaning, and reduced the fine dust. But I went through a lot of bags, and those are not cheap.

So then I got a large Rigid vacuum that could take the large sized filter bags, and more importantly, I bought a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter for the exhaust filter. End of fine dust problem, and I have never yet had to clean the HEPA filter. But a jointer or planer could still fill up a bag too quickly.

So recently, I invested $40 in a DIY Dust Deputy cyclonic separator and a bucket from HD. Man does that thing work as advertised. I haven't actually measured, but I've gotta believe the claims that it separates out 99% of the particulates. Now I have a low-cost three stage filtration system, and the last two stages almost never have to be cleaned or emptied.

I'm guessing that I do have less airflow than a DC3300, though. Some of the fast-moving large wood particles escape when sawing or planing, but I just Hoover them up off the floor at cleanup time.

No complaints at all about fine dust though. I also have a small exhaust fan installed in my workroom. I used to run it whenever sawing to exhaust the fine dust outdoors. After installing the HEPA filter in the vac, though, I only use it to exhaust chemical fumes.