# Shopsmith table saw



## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

I forget the model number of that version, but it was before the mark V. Mark V and above (Mark VII) are worth getting...parts and upgrades are available...the version in that ad doesn't have parts available, and the company that makes the current shopsmith doesn't support it. The mark V is from the 60's or 70's, so when I say 'no longer supported', it is from a previous manufacturer in the 50's I think.

These are 'multipurpose' tools...and unlike most multipurpose things, they actually work quite well at almost everything they do (I'm talking about the Mark V, which I do have), are very well built, and very well supported. They have the absolute best run email campaign for customers that I have ever seen (for upgrades and such).

The Mark V is bit bigger than a bicycle, and you could build a house with just that as your power tool. As far as the table saw goes, it is the weakest feature of the system (mostly because a big heavy table is ideal for a table saw, and is the opposite of what you want on a portable/convertable unit)...but it is still quite usable...and having the system is a great way to have an extra of everything around, so you don't have to break down a setup on a saw, drill press, band saw, etc.

It is a great drill press (and will do horizontal boring also), a great wood lathe, a great band saw, a great joiner, a great scoll saw....I think the planer is also supposed to be excellent (I don't own that accessory).

It has a neat speed control system, and it is fun (and not cumborsum) to convert from one tool to another...it's like having a transformer in your shop....but mostly everything works very well (mine has a few issues that need attention).

I also have a sawsmith...which is a radial arm saw by the same manufacturer...these are really nice to have, I don't think there is another RAS with variable speed...mine has a bracket that will drive the shopsmith accessories.

In any case, there is likely nothing wrong with the unit in the ad, but it will be hard to find parts and accessories for it. It does have a new motor..if its in nice shape, if you like neat things, and especially if you don't have a saw or a drill press it is cool to have...but if something breaks you might be looking for another one for spare parts. ...otherwise, a Mark V can probably be found for $500 with many accessories...$1k for one that hasn't been used much. The factory will put new motors in, sell you a new power head, etc.

These are not budget machines (new they are really pricey), but there is nothing cheesy about them, they are well made and do what they do well. I use mine mostly for the joiner and bandsaw, and it does some nice drilling operations.

deknow


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Yes, it is worth that price. I'd get it in a heartbeat if it were local. The best I've found was $500 on a local mark V 3 years ago. It had a few more attachments, but otherwise was comparable.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

...but that's an ER series...no parts available. Spending $250 on a tool that might not be able to be repaired or parts sourced can be disapointing.


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## larryh (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm not a fan of multi-purpose tools, so I'd pass. All you need is a decent table saw.


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## HillBilly2 (Jul 26, 2015)

Look for an old Craftsman from the sixties. Cast iron, belt drive. They work.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

HillBilly2,,:thumbsup: 100%


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## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

Picked up a basic table saw at a garage sale for $50 a few years ago; I've made a hundred boxes on it. That and a $25 compressor from the same sale have made expanding the bee yard a breeze.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

I also would pass on it. A table saw is the center piece of a wood working shop and the Shopsmith is not a great table saw. You can get a good used table saw for less.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I don't like the Shopsmith table saw for all the above reasons and the saw table is taller than a traditional table saw. I find the height awkward, I use the other features and accessories but not the saw.


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## Jerry T Indiana (Apr 7, 2014)

I agree I would pass because all the woodworking forums has always said the SS table saw a is the worst and most unsafe (due to height) of all tools it can do.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

I've never considered the height unsafe (om.about 5'6"), and the times I've used it as a table saw it worked great...it is the 'weakest' of the shopsmith functions, but it is still quite usable.... it I only use it of I have something setup on my table saw that I don't want to break down.

I agree with the recommendation of an older sears contractors saw...I put a fancy Vega fence on mine some years ago, amd it is a thing of beauty.

As always, even with a new table saw, spend some time learning how to set it up amd adjust it....having the blade, slots, amd fence all perfectly parallel is really important for accuracy and safety.

...amd watch some videos on YouTube of kickbacks and potential dangers. I think the table saw is the most dangerous tool by far that many of us are exposed to....don't be complacent, amd don't assume the saw is setup correctly.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

a +1 on deknow's fence comment. Having a quality fence system is great. Slide it to the dimension you want and lock it down, no constant checking the set up and squaring to the blade.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

Eikel said:


> a +1 on deknow's fence comment. Having a quality fence system is great. Slide it to the dimension you want and lock it down, no constant checking the set up and squaring to the blade.


Agree! A good fence will make all the difference on a table saw.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If the wood pieces that you are cutting are mostly repetitive cuts (i.e. the sides and ends of hive bodies, for instance), a few _free_ homemade sliding table jigs go a long way to make up for the lack of an expen$ive fancy fence on your table saw. You can make such a jig out of a bit of plywood and scrap cut-offs. Make sure the jig includes a rail that slides in the miter slot in the saw's table surface. The rail can be made from wood, or for a few bucks use some UHMW strips instead.

I made a table jig sized to cut the _long_ side of 10 frame hive bodies, and then added a removable "shim" that reduces the cut length to that needed for the hive end. One jig makes both cuts. I paint all such shims a recognizable color so they don't get mistaken for scrap and burned as firewood.  

Other jigs are set up to make dado cuts. With careful planning might not even need the fence at all for repetitive cutting projects such as hive bodies and frames.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Yeah, but u will always end up with projects that you don't have jigs for.

I think if you are going to have a fence, a good one that doesn't need to be measured front and back on every cut is worthwhile, even just for aafety.

The newer (even cheap) saws seem to all come with stiff, extruded aluminum fences that will lock square (if adjusted properly)....I'd either get a newer saw with a more modern fence, or an older saw knowing I was going to upgrade.


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## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

Rader, any chance you could post some pics of your jigs?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

One benefit of a jig that a fancy fence can't match is that a jig _enforces_ the correct size of a finished piece. A fancy fence is perfectly happy to let the operator set it for the wrong size! 

A few examples ...

This jig is for cutting the dado in the frame end bar to fit the top bar in. My end bars are prepared as a group with a blank cut from a 2x6. After all the milling operations are finished, individual end bars are sliced off the master block. So with this jig, the milled block goes top down into the jig. The edges of the block rest on the plywood shoulders at the bottom of the jig while the top bar slot gets cut by a dado.







I used the steel right angle shown because I had it available, and it had no other use for me at the time. Certainly wood could be used instead. Keep in mind that the rail on the underside of the jig prevents the steel angle from getting close to the saw blade.

Underside of the end bar jig showing both rails, at the edges of the jig: 









Below is a jig for enforcing the correct cut width of the frame top bar:







It may be difficult to see, but there is a raised 'stop' running the length of the jig that the blank is pushed up against - look to the left of the blade for the clearest view of that 'stop'. The blocks at each end of the jig are just slightly further apart than the length of the blank to be cut, and prevent the cut piece from going anywhere once cut free. Not shown is a small shim that goes up against the stop block when its time to cut the _narrower_ frame bottom bars.








Above the jig is flipped over to show the rail.

Most of my boxes are built from pairs of resawn 1x4s (because I got them free ), so some of my jigs are sized to do that. This jig cuts the long side to length. By adding a (approximate 3") shim against the fixed stop block, I can cut the box ends with the same jig. This jig has an adjustable stop in the form of two machine screws threaded into mating nuts. The nuts are just Titebond glued into holes in the stop block. The screws are there so I could adjust the length after gluing the stop blocks and doing test cuts - I don't normally adjust them.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

This closeup of the adjustable screws wouldn't fit in the post above ...








As you can see, my jigs are made from 'found' materials, and are not particularly _pretty_, but they get the job done.


My intention here is not to suggest that any of you need these specific jigs, but to show some ideas of how to get done whatever you might need done. Pay attention to where your fingers might come close to the blade, and if necessary make the jig larger so you have a handhold some distance from the blade.


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## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks, Rader.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

You'd do better with most stand alone table saws than that, is my guess, though i haven't used one. 
If you can swing it, I would check this out and see if it's in good shape, if it's got the unifence with it. http://roseburg.craigslist.org/tls/5406128585.html another one http://roseburg.craigslist.org/tls/5401660436.html I have had one for 23 years and have been using it commercially for several years, and it performs like day one. I would agree the fence makes a hug difference as well as saw blade. I think even a jet or grizzly enclosed cabinet table saw would work better for you than the shopsmith.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

You could buy it, but you will quickly find that it takes up a lot of room as it is a multipurpose item. You will also find that you will need (want) two table saws to build woodenware (simple cuts and dado). It saves a lot of time to have one set up specifically for one intended purpose. Two of these saws will still take up less room than the SS. If you really do your research, you can probably find both saws for very close to what you would pay for the SS.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

I have an older 10" Craftsman that I purchased about 1980. It has been a very durable and usable saw. There is one on Craigslist in Nashville that would be an excellent buy at $80.

https://nashville.craigslist.org/tls/5407986472.html


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

As most have said, the Shopsmith is a compromise. My dad had a Mk VII from the mid 1960's, bought new with almost every accessory. The table saw is a tilting table, too small for handling plywood, aluminum surface, non-standard fence system. The jointer is way small for anything of any length. The bandsaw is probably the best accessory and it is still quite small. It's a pretty good boring system, horizontal or vertical. Having to tear down one setup to get the next tool is a pain, and if you have to go back you get to do the setup all over again. They are pretty under powered at 1 1/8 hp running through the Reeves speed control.


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

I have the same one. I'd snap it up in a heartbeat, but not for it's table saw. I use mine mostly as a drill press & planer. It is nice to have the other options but, as mentioned, a bit of a pain to switch around. It's hard to find _anything_ as well made as an old Shop Smith. I joke that it's made out of battleship steel.


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