Shopsmith 8" Jointer Idea???

[RFGuy]

Given the recent Shopsmith 4" jointer discussions on multiple threads, I wanted to pose a hypothetical idea and get feedback. I really don't understand why Shopsmith can't sell an 8" wide jointer that mounts on the Mark V/7 today. The cast iron castings on the Shopsmith 4" jointer are on the order of 7mm or so thick with beefy ribbing underneath to provide rigidity. There are new thinner casting cast iron skillets (4mm sidewalls) that have come to market in recent years using new forging techniques, premium skillets that are often at least 1/3 less weight than similar traditional skillets on the market from brands like Lodge. I know because I own several and can attest to how much better they are than the "old" thicker cast iron skillets. My idea is why can't Shopsmith build a new 8" jointer, similar to the 4" jointer in overall design? So, identical bed length, but thinner castings (to keep weight down) and hopefully a helical cutter head. Then, they could come up with a robust steel plate set of wings that attach for infeed/outfeed extension to make it a usable 8" jointer. Is this all pie in the sky, or does anyone else think this is doable and something Shopsmith should consider/pursue? Just curious. I really believe they could engineer something new that leverages the original 4" jointer but keeps the Shopsmith ingenuity of table extensions to put a reasonably light and compact 8" jointer on the Mark V/7.

[edma194]

I was wondering about longer beds made with a sheet of steel on top of lighter supporting structures. The idea would be that the steel could be replaced and the support structures reconditioned if they lose theur flatness.

Mounting a joiner on a pair of SPT tubes 7" apart must have some limitations for length and weight in order for the machine to remain stable. Additional support legs might be needed to prevent tipping. The current joiner is pretty heavy already so there's a practical limit to what a user can take on and off. For larger joiners maybe Shopsmith should develop a stand-alone machine.

[RFGuy]

Ed,

Thanks. Well, there was some discussion in the past on the forum about a 6" clone machine jointer that can be used on the Mark V when it came up for sale online. It was considerably heavier than the Shopsmith 4" jointer. I almost tried to buy it, but the weight was just too much and I wasn't sure about replacement knives for it. My idea is to keep that short cast iron bed of the 4" jointer, but make it wider. To keep the weight from not getting crazy my idea is thinner cast iron castings for infeed and outfeed. The 4" jointer cast iron beds are beefier than they have to be. I don't know the manufacturing details, but I know there are several companies doing lighter (thinner) cast iron skillets now and they are all uniformly flat on the bottom and polish ground. Surely there is something like this that could be employed for cast iron beds on a Mark V/7 mounted jointer that needs to be light. That was my idea. Then you can have sheet steel wings with reinforcement underneath and a mechanism to ensure they are always flat and on the same plane with the cast iron bed, or some means to align them. The whole point of the Shopsmith Mark V main table system is the ability to add additional tables for expansion. No reason this couldn't be done on the jointer infeed/outfeed tables. It is just an idea, but one that I think could guarantee Shopsmith considerable sales for those who want to upgrade their 4" jointer or for new Shopsmith buyers.

Or, as an alternative, why not cast aluminum for the jointer infeed and outfeed tables? Incra did this on their 570 jointer, I believe. That would be really light. Would have to make sure it is well reinforced and stress relieved though to give a dead flat surface.

https://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/inca_570.shtml

[RFGuy]

Cast iron manufacturing has improved in recent years, I believe, but I am wondering why it can't be aluminum instead? Check out the pic below of a benchtop planer (model 20-800H) on the market from Rikon (a reputable woodworking tool brand that is the cheaper version of Jet woodworking tools). The infeed & outfeed tables as well as the fence are all aluminum. It has an 8" helical head cutter and the entire machine weighs only 49 lbs which includes the motor! Shopsmith's 4" jointer (without motor) weighs 53 lbs. I would really like to understand why Shopsmith can't bring to market a product like this, i.e. an 8" jointer with helical head, aluminum infeed/outfeed tables that mounts directly on the Mark V/7. An added bonus would be the ability to have some kind of table extensions for infeed and outfeed...could even utilize the Shopsmith floating tables in some kind of arrangement that attaches to the jointer's infeed/outfeed tables.

I would really like for the naysayers to tell me what I am missing here. Why can't Shopsmith bring to market a larger format jointer that can mount on the Mark V/7 and not kill my back? They can continue to sell the 4" jointer to anyone that wants it as well, but honestly an 8" jointer should have been brought to market by them years ago IMHO.

https://rikontools.com/product/model-20 ... p-jointer/

rikon_benchtop_jointer.jpg (32.36 KiB) Viewed 8643 times

[algale]

Oh, I think it could be done. The question is the demand great enough to justify the expense of bringing it to market.

[dusty]

Oh, I think it could be done. The question is the demand great enough to justify the expense of bringing it to market.

I would not want to be the design engineer assigned the task of presenting that proposal to the staff for approval.

[RFGuy]

Oh, I think it could be done. The question is the demand great enough to justify the expense of bringing it to market.

Alan,

Yeah, I agree, but they have all of this influx of new money now, remember? In the past, on the forum or elsewhere online the discussion invariably is that Shopsmith can't release a jointer wider than 4" because it would be too heavy. The 6" clone jointer was 100 lbs ( ) and that has often been the comparison point to say that no one would want a jointer larger than 4" to mount on the Mark V/7. Moving to aluminum tables, as benchtop planers have done, as Shopsmith has done for the Mark V itself seems to make perfect sense to me. Looking at those ground and polished Rikon tables they look perfectly flat to me. I know it is just a picture, but still they look to be high quality...better than the much cheaper benchtop jointers on the market that it competes with. IF Shopsmith made something like that Rikon in an 8" with helical head, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. Don't know how many more me's there are out there, so difficult to tabulate potential sales numbers. Last time I did a doppelganger search I was unique, but things can change.

Clone jointer - 6":
viewtopic.php?p=275538#p275538

Rikon Jointer Aluminum Outfeed Table:

rikon_jointer_bed.jpg (40.44 KiB) Viewed 8606 times

[RFGuy]

I would not want to be the design engineer assigned the task of presenting that proposal to the staff for approval.

Dusty,

What do you mean? They have a new boss now and he might be amenable to trying to compete more fully in the marketplace. I can't imagine they are selling many, if any, of the 4" jointers at new prices anymore. Moving to a new and improved 8" jointer might improve their sales. I could make the same argument for why did they release the DC-6000 dust collector? I mean they had the old DC-3300 for years and years and years and only I complained about it. Then all of a sudden they released the DC-6000 for some strange reason.

[dusty]

I would not want to be the design engineer assigned the task of presenting that proposal to the staff for approval.

Dusty,

What do you mean? They have a new boss now and he might be amenable to trying to compete more fully in the marketplace. I can't imagine they are selling many, if any, of the 4" jointers at new prices anymore. Moving to a new and improved 8" jointer might improve their sales. I could make the same argument for why did they release the DC-6000 dust collector? I mean they had the old DC-3300 for years and years and years and only I complained about it. Then all of a sudden they released the DC-6000 for some strange reason.

They should not have spent their money on the DC-6000 either.

[RFGuy]

They should not have spent their money on the DC-6000 either.

Yeah, it was definitely disappointing that it didn't have better performance.