Shopsmith Forums

Greetings!

Been awhile since I posted but with my woodworking hobby picking up steam I could use some advice. I work in an unheated garage which during the winter months can be kind of a drag. While it never drops to freezing, the temperature sits around 50F. I can get the ambient temperature of the garage up to 60F but the Shopsmith doesn't seem to function too well.

I'm aware that I shouldn't run the Shopsmith when it's colder than 50F so I'm wondering if you guys have any advice for warming up the machine so I can use it this winter.

Thanks in advance.

What doesn't work well at the lower temperatures?

I've never heard of a 50 degree minimum temperature, and can't think if any reason that it shouldn't work fine at much lower temperatures than that. Unless, perhaps, it has the wrong type of lube in the mechanicals.

I've got the same sort of temperatures in my garage shop. I have a heater that I can put on and get the temperatures up to a working temperature for me. By me I mean something I can deal with yet. Anything lower then 50 degrees is no longer comfortable working conditions unless it is a job where I can wear gloves and a jacket. I use to be able to work at colder temperatures but I like being at least comfortable now and being retired that means I can just do something else on those colder days.

If I know I want to do something on a colder day I start the heater before hand then do a few other things and then go to the shop after an hour or so.

Now the only problem I've ever had with my shopsmith in cold weather was after I took someones advice and used bee's wax on the speed changer bits. Big mistake! Tried to turn the dial and it wasn't wanting to move a bit. I didn't want to try and force it so I took it apart to find the bee's wax had hardened. At least being as hard as it was I was able to scrape it off, or chip it off if you will.

I should mention I don't do much sawing in the winter, turning and drilling yes but for anything but small pieces I have to take the shopsmith out in to the driveway for sawing.

I've never had a starting problem in cold weather, now the 1976 machine I got new has been upgraded to a powerpro and that has no issues with cold weather either.

Ed

If your building is insulated pretty well and has a good seal from air intrusions, I have found the Shopsmith itself generates a good bit of heat on its own when it is used pretty heavily.

The sawdust collection equipment exacerbates the problem for me.

One of the issues I have had on colder days is that I vent the output of the dust collection system outside which pulls a lot of outside air in due to the CFM of the air exchanged.

I have read about air to air heat exchanger options which can pre-heat incoming air it sucks in, but haven't done much more in that area than reading about it.

I don't think the cold is the issue if it runs sluggish. To me it seems it would be better for it as it would bring in cooler air to cool itself.

I would love to hear what others think.

Everett

The first years I had my Shopsmith, I kept it in an unheated garage. The garage would drop to 20 degrees F. On the days I wanted to use it, I would turn on the heaters and get the air temp up to around 50 degrees. Then, making sure it was set to low speed, start the cold Shopsmith and let it run for a couple of minutes to warm up. Once warmed up, it worked just great.
It is always best to have it at low speed when shutting down in any temperature, and in cold, it is even more important. Electric motors aren't affected greatly by lower temperatures and as long as you don't start it cold with heavy accessory loads on it, it shouldn't be a problem.

The main thing is in cold weather the belts stiffin. Run it on slow with no load for a few minutes to warm things up. You'll be fine.

I never had a problem for years in my garage that got down to 40 degrees in the winter.

I agree with Chris. Turn it on and let the belts warm up and you will be fine.
Paul

Hello again,

Thanks for all the advice on here. Sounds like I shouldn't have any issue using my Shopsmith year round!

I have 2 work lights mounted on a pole , I use them for drying wood finish in the colder temps or when the humidity is high, some thing like that would work for warming up the casing on the SS.