Toolmonger: Shopsmith is the Swiss Army Knife of woodworking. They do almost everything you might need for a woodworking project and a friend of mine has wanted one since the 80′s. Recently he got tired of waiting for the cash to get a new one and began searching for a used Mark V. Ebay wasn’t really a help for completed units, but Craigslist listed about 10 of them in the area in various conditions and states of inactivity — so we started shopping.
4 comments:
As the ma-buddy Jacob Rothermel once said, "It's like the Transformer of shop tools."
Admittedly I was unaware of the Shopsmith's existence as I've never worked in a shop that had one. I take this as a sign that I should do some more research and brush up on my knowledge shop machinery.
The downside of any multipurpose tool always seems to be how it never does as good a job at being the tool it's meant to replace. The trade-off is the sheer amount of floor space that is saved if there isn't a constant need for a dedicated version of all these tools. For small shops [reads: hobbyist shops, for the most part] a single motor that can transform from a table saw into a bandsaw into a jointer into a drill press into some other awesome woodworking machine sounds like a godsend. But in reality, it can never truly replace a well-maintained, well-setup table saw or bandsaw. If you really need a drill press, buy a drill press; the consistent work those dedicated tools can do far outweighs, in my humble opinion, the space you'll save.
Either way, it's a trade-off and each shop supervisor [or home shop owner] has to evaluate their own needs.
I like this tool in theory and as Jake said I think it would not be as good as a purpose built tool. However, I love anything that can multitask and some of the older models might actually be worth it. Circa 1953-1965 these tools would be heavy but built to last. The attachments for the older models should also be equally as beefy but the major problem with old tooling is the lack of guards and safety protocols making it a tool only for advanced users.
I'm a big big fan of using ebay and Craigslist. I think it's important and smart to reuse consumer products. Just because one person is done with a tool or anything for that matter does not mean it will never be useful to someone else ever again. You can find great deals and cool things if you just have a little time to look around. I for one buy many of my favorite things from ebay Craigslist and thrift stores. More than most things tools should be given a second life due to the fact that they are built to last and that they are often replaced before they break because the owner was upgrading.
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