Well great is a little misleading, perhaps just unveiling would be better.

As some of you know I like to make use of my shopsmith as work bench, as a tool holder, and well the normal uses of the shopsmith varied as they are.

Today's project is along that line. I had a more robust plan but I don't know where I put the lazysusan hardware so for now it only mounts one way. The plan is to be able to rotate 90 degrees but that might wait for spring.



Anyone care to guess what is under the sheet? No it is not a ghost. No it is not something that you have seen before but I have had it since early spring or late winter depending on how you decide the seasons go.

Well far from me wanting to keep you guessing here it is:



Perhaps the first shopsmith mounted Festool Kapex.

Ed

Hope you put a detent/lock on the lazysusan!

I thought I should do a little update on this in case someone is a crazy as I am and wants to do this.

The above pictures do not reflect how it is normally used, I lower the tubes all the way down until they bottom out. So think as low as it goes.

Yes it works but I really wish I could get it a few inches lower. The MFT they sell for the Kapex is just 31" tall. The grip/handle is up pretty high so having the saw lower is a real help when using it. I'm 5'8" so perhaps a taller person would want a different height and some one shorter yet another height.

As it is the table the Kapex mounts on in my case is 35". I have hardware to adjust the table and if I wanted to I guess I could get it another 1" or so lower but after that I wouldn't have any thing but side to side movement left.

I had hoped to make a lazy susan arrangement so I could rotate the saw 90 degrees, that doesn't look like a good idea as it would only add to the height.

The standard MFT is in the 35" range, don't recall the actual numbers but it's close to that. So if you have a kapex set it on the MFT and you will get the feeling of that height is too high and if it bothers you then this idea is not for you. If you want it taller then this will work just fine.

Ed

Wow Ed. This is the first pic that I got a good look at your shop. I thought I had some tight quarters but it is expansive compared to yours. I know you make it work but it has to be a challenge.

Ed,

Nice economic use of space! Also, nice saw ;-) I got one of the updated 2018 models from Hartville for $1100. Been wanting one for some time so the price pushed me into it.

Jack

Congratulations on getting a great saw! I am so jealous. Not so sure I like the idea of mounting it on the end of the SS but, hey, why not! Give you cred for thinking outside the box. And you certainly seem to have a small shop. I rather prefer to have my power miter saw (unfortunately not as neat as a Festool!) mounted off to the side. I added 4 ft fence extensions on each side along with a T-track on the top for a sliding stop for setting up lengths for repetitive cutting. Very handy if a bit unwieldy in my too-small shop.

I mount/clamp ours on the main table , that gives ya room for stops and supports on either end using the extension tables and even a second main table and fence for stops and guides ,it requires removing the head stock sometimes as well as increasing the ability to raise or lower it to your needs . that is a nice saw for sure. a big thumbs up !!