wbmccarty wrote:I am new to woodworking. My initial ambition is to create some cabinets for my garage/patio. I plan to purchase a Mark 7. What other machines or accessories would the community recommend that I consider? And why would these purchases be of use to me now or later?
Thanks for the benefit of your experience!
Cheers,
You have already received some great advice here from the community. If I may, let me offer a counterpoint for you to consider in your decision making. Seasoned members can cue up the stones now...
What size space do you have for woodworking? A big benefit for the Shopsmith is its relative compactness and 5 in 1 tool capability. You mention building cabinets for your garage, so I assume you are using all/part of a garage as your wood shop? I work out of a single bay of my garage so I have about 10' x 21' to work in. You can do a lot with the base Shopsmith, particularly if you buy dimensioned (S2S, S4S) lumber. In addition to my Shopsmith, I also have the planer, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, router table. I love my Shopsmith, but at times I also hate it. Changeovers are a pain in the butt. The bandsaw is inadequate for my needs. The jointer is too small. The tablesaw, at times, has been underpowered for what I wanted to do (I don't have a PowerPro). Storing the accessories takes up considerable space in a shop, akin to the amount of space of having a dedicated, self powered tool.
For me, there is an emotional connection which is why I own a Shopsmith. I learned how to use a Shopsmith alongside of my Dad. We built his wood shop by hand and it is only 12' x 18'. He is constantly tripping over himself in that shop with his Shopsmith. I followed suit and bought my own Shopsmith. If it wasn't for this, and I was starting fresh today, I don't think I would go down the Shopsmith path. When I bought mine it was 100% built in Dayton, OH. Today it is anyone's guess what percentage is built here. There are some great videos on YouTube, but I would encourage that you check out what Blake Weber has done with his one car garage wood shop (link below). Depending on your price level, you can purchase some great individual tools for the price of a complete new Shopsmith setup. With some creative layout, as Blake and others have shown online you can do a lot even in a one car garage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kErNwKA-Ao
New Shopsmith tools depreciate, ALOT. I think I have spent something like $8k+ over my lifetime on Shopsmith tools and accessories. I would be lucky to sell the lot of it for $1k today. If you buy from a quality woodworking tool company, you can easily resell their tools if you want to upgrade down the road since their depreciation is far less.
There are lots of different kinds of woodworkers, e.g. some prefer all hand tools like chisels, bench planes, etc. Some prefer all power tools. Some like a mix of each. Some do only woodturning, wood carving, etc., etc. If you intend to start with sheet goods (plywood) by building garage cabinets then a track saw is a great way to start, but you can also do the same with only a circular saw, clamps and a straight edge. If you are just starting out and getting into the hobby, why not get a few small power tools like circular saw, cordless drill, maybe even a sliding miter saw? You can build the cabinets with this and as your experience grows you can decide what you want to buy to outfit your shop? If you do decide on getting a Shopsmith, seriously consider getting a used one. It varies by location, but around most of the US, it is crazy how cheap these sell for. Often a complete setup can be had for $250-500. Please also consider Powermatic, Jet, etc.
For instruction, there is some great free content on YouTube these days. Try to find a local woodworking club if you can. They can point you towards any local hands on classes if you have interest. If you want to build furniture, consider online classes by the Wood Whisperer. Good luck on the start of your woodworking journey.
https://thewoodwhisperer.com