Thoughts on a Shop Smith?

[JobeFabrications]

Looking to add some wood working tools to my shop so I can do a little of the wood work inhouse for my furniture making business (mostly steel furniture)

Been looking at a Shop Smith (used) as a kind of do all for the smaller stuff I will be needing. Or am I better off buying a table saw, joiner, etc. ?

I don't know anyone who has one here in town so no real feedback.

Thanks

 

[Davefr]

Looking to add some wood working tools to my shop so I can do a little of the wood work inhouse for my furniture making business (mostly steel furniture)

Been looking at a Shop Smith (used) as a kind of do all for the smaller stuff I will be needing. Or am I better off buying a table saw, joiner, etc. ?

I don't know anyone who has one here in town so no real feedback.

Thanks

You'll be MUCH better off buying individual machines!!!

With Shopsmith's you're making huge sacrifices to simply save some floor space.

Shopsmith's might be OK for very basic work but that's about it. If you still want one they go for pennies on the dollar on CL.

 

[ghnl]

Sort of a 'jack of all trades - master of none' tool. Then you have to switch it around from task to task. A few dedicated tools will a lot easier to use. But if you can get it cheap enough they do make a nice horizontal boring tool.

 

[Jim C.]

I'd go for individual machines.

Jim C.

 

[JobeFabrications]

Figured as much, thanks all.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yep, I'd agree with some of the above posts. I think the ShopSmith gained in popularity back in the mid-70's as guys were doing woodworking in their basements and struggled for floor space. I think the ShopSmith fit the bill.

 

[Givl Reggin]

When I first started woodworking I went to one of their traveling show demonstrations and saw the Mark-V (this was back in about 1975) and this was my impression -

It's a GOOD drill press - lowest speed is a little high for large diameter bits or drilling metal.

It's a MEDIOCRE lathe - bed is too low and again the lowest speed problem.

It's a POOR table saw - table is way too small to support most pieces.

The accessories you can buy for it like the belt sander and bandsaw attachments are difficult to install.

Realistically you are not going to flip between machines in the 10-15 seconds they show, because once you get a particular setup you're unlikely to break it down and switch machines just to drill one hole or make one cut.

Overall the Shopsmiths are geared towards the home hobbyist who has absolutely no floorspace to devote to individual machines and uses it maybe once or twice a year.

 

[Outlawmws]

While I agree individual machines are better generally, if all you do is the occasional piece, then the shopsmith can be a good compromise for shop space.

The biggest drawback is setup time. If you can setup and do the same operation repeatedly, then it's not a huge impact.

The other drawback is some of the tools are on the small size compared to a dedicated machine. If you are working on mostly small parts, not a huge drawback.

So before you decide one way or the other you need to consider what you will do with wood, and how much space you can afford to devote to it in your shop.

 

[spongerich]

Around here at least, older Craftsman table saws and jointers are pretty cheap. The King Seeley Craftsman's are pretty decent saws if you take the time to set them up and align everything carefully. You'll spend more on a good blade than you will on the saw. You won't be cutting any 4x8 sheets of plywood on one, but for basic stuff they're $50.00 well spent. I also see older Craftsman jointers for well under $100.

For a drill press, You can't go wrong with an old Delta/Rockwell. Check the spindle for play and runout.

As with all vintage tools, check carefully for missing parts. Most are available on eBay or from places like OWWM.org, but be sure to price them ahead of time since if you're missing the wrong one it'll often cost more than the machine itself. Don't let that scare you off though... the old American cast iron machines are better than anything you can buy new for < $1000.

 

[Gary S]

How much work space do you have? Do you have enough space to station multiple large tools? If so, go with individual tools. If your space is limited, the Shopsmith beats multiple tools every time.
I have had a Shopsmith for the last 25 years. It is the best tool I could own for my small workshop.
Here are some of the projects my Shopsmith has built in the last 2 years. How many people with multiple tools can turn out this?

 

[earlthegoat2]

How much work space do you have? Do you have enough space to station multiple large tools? If so, go with individual tools. If your space is limited, the Shopsmith beats multiple tools every time.
I have had a Shopsmith for the last 25 years. It is the best tool I could own for my small workshop.
Here are some of the projects my Shopsmith has built in the last 2 years. How many people with multiple tools can turn out this?

Honestly, I can do all that with a bandsaw, drill press, a decent work bench and a bunch of hand tools.

I think that may be beyond the scope of the point of this thread.

I have seen plenty of nice stuff made only with a Shopsmith, and the above is no exception.

 

[lilredex]

You can save some space by looking for a saw/jointer combo......something like this one, but try for a 10" blade.

There will never be any ShopSmith type stuff in my garage.

http://www.old-woodworking-tools.net/delta-saw-jointer-combo.html

 

[StevePgh]

I agree with the previous commenters, the ShopSmith is great for saving floor space, but mediocre, at best, for other tasks.

I own one, since my father-in-law passed, and I grew up with an older version my father had/has. My FIW stateed that the table saw was woefully inadequate, and impossible to adjust for true cuts. From what I see, I concur. I have a Lowes purchased Bosch portable table saw that is many times better than the SS.

The drill press, disc sander, and the lathe on the SS are quite decent. I have a small $100 drill press, and use that 99% of the time - setting up the SS is a pain, and I can count on a few fingers the number of times I needed a larger one. When I do need larger, the SS fits the bill quite nicely. I never used a lathe, so my observation is based on my FIL's statement and his completed work done on the SS.

I can't speak to the planar and jointer attachments to the SS, as I have neither. I do have separate machines for this from my FIL and never used them. I am taking a few intro classes at my local Rockler to learn how to use what I now have.

My FIW had a few routers and a custom router table, so I can't speak for the router of the SS either. I can't imagine it being bad, but the small table it would offer is likely not ideal. I built my own router table - if you Google the "Ultimate tool stand" that is what I built for myself.

Summary: SS is great for small spaces, and perhaps tight budgets if you get a good deal with all the attachments. If you have a larger space and budget, second hand used components for what really interests you will be the best.

 

[Gort the giant robot]

One thing that is very important buying a Shop Smith is buying the newest model you can find. Parts for older ones are no longer made and that is why you see lots of them for sale so cheap.

Gort.

 

[bacpacker]

Like has been mentioned already a ShopSmith is a comprimize of tools. Space saving is a big part of the equation.
That said, my dad has one he bought in 1986 that works as good today as it did when he got it. It has made quite a few full size pieces of furniture and while it has it's drawbacks they are not so bad they can't be worked around. With it, a 12" planer (stand alone) and a good assortment of hand tools, you can make most anything with them.
A good size shop with plenty of stand alone equipment is of course the ultimate, but for a small shop, a small budget, and no plans to get into large scale production, it is sure worth a second look.

 

[Bo Beering]

Shopsmith machines are awesome for many who really understand them. If you're a metal head, it's a no brainer and they get it. Machinist take the time to set-up, rarely rush and by nature appreciate ingenious ways of machines and fully utilize them. Many woodworkers tend to buy everything they think they must have.... make sense? If a woodworker makes a mistake, its usually an easy quick redo or replace a wood piece vs. metal machined time. Most will rush along and think they have to get this or that to make it faster. Its a mental thing. I have shops full of equipment and there's always room for my Shopsmith.

Now here's where I'm going. A production woodwork shop probably would park a Shopsmith other than maybe use it for a single set-up / task. If you have very limited space, its the best machine period but can also grow with an expanding shop.

Fact is, most naysayers here have never operated one or owned one and fact is most stand alone tools are unable to do what the SS does. Way underestimated and too much to explain here, but the community of enthusiast and seeing whats been made with them will blow your mind. I'm not talking about cigar boxes or bird houses but from large sailing craft, full blown high end cabinets, making high end car burled walnut interior pieces, turning 12 foot long log columns, you get the idea. You can buy a used late model Mk5 with all the extras commonly under $1000. Thats crazy cheap bargain USA made equipment.

Once you fully understand it, dial in the machine the first time, the change from tool operation for task is usually under a minute, some less. You might have to change your style of planning in making your project and nothing wrong with that. The jointer can run at the same time as the table saw... ideal. The bandsaw is superb and sets-up in seconds... with full variable speed. The poster above about low speeds is wrong. Every model since 1947 can be made to run 250rpm. They have reduction units available and the latest Mk7 has a high tech DVR drive. There are a few companies who sell (every part indeed is available) and also make parts for the earliest machines 1947 and up such as the toughest and well built model 10er. The Mk5 came out in 1954 and many parts are still available today. By the way, almost all of the add-on tools fit going back to the first models. What other company can make that claim? American Made my man and no HF junk here!

 

[rsanter]

If you can get it cheap enough the get it and play with it a little. Then sell later to get your money back as you buy individual machines

Bob

 

[kidney]

I don't know about where you guys are at, but the ones I've seen on Craigslist are priced $500+.

 

[MAK]

I don't know about where you guys are at, but the ones I've seen on Craigslist are priced $500+.

I see them in the Atlanta and N GA area all the way up to $2,500 but if you are patient and watch Craigslist every day the deals will come along. I picked up one for $150 and another for $100 within a month of each other about a year ago. Both are in excellent condition and while they don't have a bandsaw, joiner, or planer, I didn't want those things anyway as I already have stand-alone machines. I was looking to add a lathe to my shop and one of them is now dedicated to that task. When less than a month later I saw the 2nd one for $100 I jumped on it to serve as a dedicated sanding station and horizontal borer. No way I could have bought a decent lathe or sanding combo w/ 12" disc and 6"x48" belt sander for those prices.
I would not want to have the Shopsmith as my only machine unless I had very limited space. The table saw is too small and doesn't have a tilting arbor or good enough fence for my taste, and I would not like having to switch from one function to another all the time. I think with a nice dedicated table saw, a Shopsmith would be a fine option to take on all the other tasks and would perfectly workable as a band saw, joiner, planer, drill press, etc.