Spring Purchase

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Spooner
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Location: Dakota County, Minnesota

Spring Purchase

Post by Spooner »

I plan to purchase a Mark 7 this spring. I see there are accessories that come standard with the Mark 7 but I am curious as to what else you have discovered you wished you had purchased at the same time. I'm talking the arbors and chucks and so on. I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the Mortise cutter and the biscuit cutter attachments. I also saw the MiterSet Jig that looks pretty slick. I have most of the bigger tools. (belt sander, jointer, planner, bandsaw, scroll saw) I'm interested only in shopsmith gizmos and gadgets you have or wish you had gotten when you bought your Mark 5 or 7.
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algale
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by algale »

Great question!

Here's my two cents: The machine comes with the combo thin kerf saw blade and one saw arbor. It is sufficient; but I wish I had bought the other thin kerf blades (dedicated ripping and dedicated cross-cut) -- each with a saw blade arbor -- at the start.

Having all three blades is great but having them on their own arbors really makes changing blades on the Shopsmith super easy and quick.

Also, buy a second arbor wrench. Machine comes with one but you really need two. You will really wish you had two when mounting blades or especially when changing dado sizes.

Enjoy your future purchase!
Gale's Law: The bigger the woodworking project, the less the mistakes show in any photo taken far enough away to show the entire project!

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JPG
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by JPG »

algale wrote:Great question!

Here's my two cents: The machine comes with the combo thin kerf saw blade and one saw arbor. It is sufficient; but I wish I had bought the other thin kerf blades (dedicated ripping and dedicated cross-cut) -- each with a saw blade arbor -- at the start.

Having all three blades is great but having them on their own arbors really makes changing blades on the Shopsmith super easy and quick.

Also, buy a second arbor wrench. Machine comes with one but you really need two. You will really wish you had two when mounting blades or especially when changing dado sizes.

Enjoy your future purchase!
I recommend getting a box end and an open end wrench of the required sizes(or combination wrenchES).

Those SS wrenches are hard on the hands and somewhat unreliable.
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

More steel sanding discs. They are one of the great features of a Shopsmith, but changing PSA (adhesive-backed) sandpaper just because you need to change grits is a major PITA. It’s best to have a steel disc dedicated to each grit.

Also, I like to have a 5/8” saw blade arbor, so that I can use third-party blades if I want.

A wood chuck, if you plan to do any turning on your SS, is very nice to have. I bought the Nova G3 that Shopsmith sells, and have been pleased with it.
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jsburger
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by jsburger »

All of the above. Arbors for each blade make blade changes a piece of cake. Multiple sanding disks the same. Also, if you plan to do under table routing (or over table for that matter) the SS 1/4 and 1/2 inch router chucks.
John & Mary Burger
Eagle's Lair Woodshop
Hooper, UT
thunderbirdbat
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Location: Marion, Iowa

Re: Spring Purchase

Post by thunderbirdbat »

A dado arbor and stacked dado set are also needed. The riving knife, for those times you can not use the top guard is nice to have. The 5 ft connector tubes are nice for large projects but not necessary. You will want to either purchase or build a cross cut sled. The accessory shelf is nice to have but you can make your own or a storage cabinet for under the SS to help keep all the parts handy.
Brenda

1998 510 upgraded to a 520, upgraded to power pro with double tilt and lift assist.
1998 bandsaw
2016 beltsander
jointer
overarm pin router
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JPG
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by JPG »

Tailstock chuck arbor.
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╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝

Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
thunderbirdbat
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by thunderbirdbat »

If it does not come with it, a lift assist as the PP head stock is a lot heavier than the conventional one. Even if you do not get it now, you will want to put it on your wish list for later.
Brenda

1998 510 upgraded to a 520, upgraded to power pro with double tilt and lift assist.
1998 bandsaw
2016 beltsander
jointer
overarm pin router
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rjent
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Location: Hot Springs, New Mexico

Re: Spring Purchase

Post by rjent »

All of the above plus a couple of conical disks and paper. Conical sanding is amazing.
+1 on the lift assist.
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....

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edflorence
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Re: Spring Purchase

Post by edflorence »

You are right about the miter set...it works great...very useful. Additionally, If you plan on doing any more than just an occasional turning in the lathe mode, you will find that the Universal Tool Rest makes a big difference. Easy to adjust, rock solid and adds a nice stabilizing amount of weight.
Ed
Idaho Panhandle
Mark 5 of various vintages, Mini with reversing motor, bs, dc3300, jointer, increaser, decreaser
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