Yet another MFT type top for use on my shopsmith

Fabber General
#1

I started my doing a drill table with the 20mm holes on 96mm spacing. It was small and I did it with the onboard tools on the shaper. A lot of work and it went really slowly.

My second table was a larger one that mounted to the end of the shopsmith like an extension table. I’m always using that now, had no idea how much it would get used and it was sure worth building. That one was designed in sketchup and this plug-in provided the file to route with.

I decided to make another and again larger version that will mount on the tubes between extension tubes. It will be used for the SO along with some festool rails and parf dogs for saw operations. This is the concept:

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This is a little dated but the only copy at hand. The actual top is now done:

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I still have to do the part that attaches to the shopsmith but that is on hold pending some other projects. Boy am I glad that was a router project rather then having to drill all those holes.

Being able to get to the SO from sketchup is great.

Ed

#2

That’s awesome! I have a ShopSmith too! Which one do you have?

#3

I have a vintage 10ER that I have refurbished and that is still a work in progress, maybe this coming year? Most of it is done but a lot of little things left to do.

Then I have a Mark 7, it is actually my original machine from 1976 that has been upgraded to the powerpro headstock, 520 table system and the dual tilt etc. This is my main machine and the table above will be used on it most of the time.

Then I have a 520 table system with the saw train system, you can actually cut to within a couple of thousands of an inch with it, and it also works as just a plain ordinary shopsmith.

Then I have a 500 that is left in drill press mode and it has the powerpro headstock. The bench tubes then support a collection of SPT so it is really a dual purpose machine.

I have shorty in progress, shorten by 16", again I hope to finish that this coming year, before the 10ER.

Then I have two more 500’s so a total of 6 machines with 4 functional.

The above table system will only work on the 520 machines while the previous version that mounts like an extension table will work on any of them. In fact I’m thinking of making a second one of the extension table ones since I’m finding it so useful.

So now I bet your sorry you ask.

Ed

#4

Holy crap, that’s a LOT of ShopSmiths. Pictures please!

And I thought I had a good one because I have a 500 with a lathe duplicator… :slight_smile:

#5

Yes, Ed, I knew you had a couple of shopsmiths but I had no idea of this magnitude. How do you find room in the shop for all of them?

#6

The shop is just too full to do much so even trying to get pictures is hard. About the best you can do is see it in the background when I shoot inside. And I do very little inside. Most of the time I work outside, and that limits the time I have to fair weather. Living in IL of course there is a few months when outside just doesn’t happen so projects are limit to smaller things and things like lathe turning.

One reason I went with the SO was so I could do a few more things inside during the winter. And a reason I did not go with a CNC is I have no room. I want a larger bandsaw but I have no room for that, and right now I don’t see away around for now. I may part with at least one of the shopsmiths this spring. I had one that lived in the house we had upnorth and when we sold the house it had to come live with us… If and when I get the shorty done I may look at parting with another one of the full size machines. Room has always been a problem.

At one time I had I think it was 11 or was it 13 router tables now it is a lot less so I know I can make similar arrangements with the shopsmiths. I should also part with some other tools I don’t use much since moving to Festool. It has always been hard for me to part with tools.

Right now the 10ER and shorty are in storage since it to the point that I know I will not be making much progress on them until warmer weather, that being like March or April. I also have a spare headstock that I was thinking of rewiring to add reverse to, not sure if that will ever happen. That should also go in to storage but I haven’t gotten that far yet.

Ed

#7

You won’t be sorry investing in a standalone bandsaw. For several years I lived with the Shopsmith bandsaw. When I got the 17" Griizzly it was revolutionary. Always setup ready to go, just walk up and start using it. It is my most used tool by far.

#8

I have 2 bandsaws, the shopsmith and another old sears I got back in the early 1970’s that has the carter guide system and the shopsmith has been upgraded with the associated bearings and additions.

When I got a shopsmith for up north the tool I missed the most was a bandsaw so that is why I got the shopsmith one. They both work fine but lack the height to do anything above 6". Anything with a least 12" height would be a major change in capacity.

I rather like the Laguna or powermatic but as I said there is no room for either of them.

So for now I make do.

Ed

#9

I agree on the ShopSmith bandsaw… It’s a little small, but I do use mine a fair amount.

For a while I’ve toyed with the idea of mounting my Handibot on the table and using it as a digital lathe… Haven’t done it yet…