Shopsmith Forums

I just pulled my stand alone unit out of storage and cleaned it up.
Watched all of Nick's videos about it's use.
Other than his "two template" sign video, I saw nothing too complicated or unusual.

If anyone has this unit (or the SS mounted one) How do you use it? What sorts of projects do you use it for?

The last time I used it was for a run of 24 wall mirror/ plant holders. Pretty simple set ups.

Gene

Gene,

I agree, the OPR is not too conceptually complicated. It is extremely handy and versatile. The construction is very sturdy.

Some of my past project postings used the OPR:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=3371
(Used for marquetry inlay and stopped grooves)

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=4161

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=4054
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... 593&page=2
For these last two postings I found the OPR pretty convenient as applied to a fairly thick workpiece (from 1 inch to 4 inches tall as laid on the table). I could make selected routed features on the very top of the piece match outlines on the very bottom of the piece. Saved a lot of jig-making that way.

Happy New Year!

Thanks a lot, Chris. Gives me some good ideas. Very nice work, BTW!

I don't quite understand: "I could make selected routed features on the very top of the piece match outlines on the very bottom of the piece. Saved a lot of jig-making that way."
At least I don't understand as applied to the car and the sanding block.
Did you make one fender and then used that as a template?

Gene,

Thanks for the kind words. Actually for profile-duplication, I had some very tiny but very accurate things I did. For example the windshield-pillars on the car were originally rough-glued as one solid piece. By the pin-routing technique I got them exactly flush with the car-body on the outside. (On the other hand the car fenders were just ganged together with tape for routine bandsawing and drum-sanding.)
For the sanding-block and the plane-handles I used pin-routing and bearing-guided bits (respectively) to put routed features on the upper edges. It's really nice to be able to have an exact controlled height of the router bit and keep the router's axis exactly perpendicular to the workpiece. I'm thinking on the sanding block there would have been no way I could have gotten such a nice result with a conventional router table.
Small details but very satisfying to do!

I'll be headed out for family visits. Enjoy 2010!

I have used my OPR for shaping and other routing. I have used us for mortising, door construction (both cope and stick and raised panels - regular and cathedral style) and on rare occasion using the pin for duplication. I also used molding bits to make chair rails and other fancy moldings for the top of furniture.

Gene Howe wrote:If anyone has this unit (or the SS mounted one) How do you use it? What sorts of projects do you use it for?
Gene

I've used mine for all types of routing except making the shaped shutter louvers. Perhaps you've seen the large play blocks in my avatar. These are 1¼" thick.

Mine is the machine mounted unit. It excels in making mortises. You can find more by 'searching' the words pin router.