Would you have to lift the table with the biscuit joiner table attached and align the shaft to the chuck at the same time? I wonder if extending the quill onto the shaft is required?
@@TheWoodworkersToolbox if you chuck it up before you clamp it down it will self align. But I would turn the spindle by hand while tightening the clamps to keep it centered.
I truly believe that this was the brainchild of a single decision maker who ignored the input of knowledgeable people on SS’s staff. That’s my memory of it anyway.
Nice demonstration! I wouldn't be so quick to discount some benefits of the "idea". In particular, the table with the threaded inserts and the fence offer some of the benefits you demonstrated with the use of the miter gauge. The link between the jointer and the power source is certainly a weak spot. I would consider attaching some table to the regular biscuit joiner connected to the Shopsmith quill. That should compensate for any slight alignment issues of the main table. With the spacers provided, adjusting the height of the slots is still an option. This setup could provide a "permanent" stand alone biscuit joiner say on a "shorty" in the drill press mode. I'm just thinking outside the box...but I'll stick with my DeWalt. jim
I used to put a spring clamp on the threaded rod used for the depth stop on my bench drill press to keep the quill from snapping back up. "Almost" as good as a quill lock. I'm so happy to have my shorty down in my winter shop now.
Taking the quill stop nuts off and one below casting then run the other down will hold the quill in place, Pain in the butt yeah, but would work. Tying the handle to the support post would also, though pretty sketchy. I agree it is a pretty worthless addition to the line. You need a pretty high continuous speed to run that and a bench top drill press would fail eventually.
Scott… a quill lock is not a feature on a lot of benchtop drill presses. Imagine ordering one of these and finding out you have to modify or replace your whole drill press just to use it! You should do a video on the few other mis-steps that SS has made! Like offering a 12” sanding disk when the tablesaw insert was only made for a 10” blade. I bet I’m not the only one who has inadvertently ‘customized’ their insert!
I wouldn't buy or use one myself, but functionally it seems similar to using the biscuit cutter on the Shopsmith. So I can see this tool appealing to the same sort of person. Could the quill have been held extended by a handscrew clamp on the quill or an extra nut on the other side of the depth stop? There are quite a few commercial bolt-on drill press tables and many DIY plans as well. I would think that any approach to cutting any joinery, including dowels, mortises, or biscuits on a drill press (other than Shopsmith) would require a table upgrade and some sort of fence added to the standard tiny metal-working table. Maybe Shopsmith wasn't so far out of step offering their own add-on table for this application?
I used just a few days ago my regular Shopsmith biscuit joiner for the second time in the 25 years or so I've owned it. It went well enough but I'm not skillful enough to just whip it onto the SS and use it without first spending more time doing a full table alignment than actually using the tool. This universal version seems to be just as finicky to set up and neither seems to be as easy to use as a more expensive hand-held unit. However, for my infrequent uses the regular unit does the job fine without costing a fortune.
I’ll give you a dollar to build something with it 😮. I’d like to see it with a real drill press I think the experience would be a “little” different but probably not much🙃. Maybe I missed it in the first video but how do you do a slot on the face of a panel with these biscuit joiners? I’ve had a handheld one for a few decades and never had a joint fail with biscuits. Thanks for an entertaining and informative video.
Shop people without large fully equipped shops and the unlimited funding to acquire expensive specialized dedicated tools for every occasion - are the mothers of invention. Shopsmith owners already know this - how to do more with less. Persevere, adapt, innovate and prevail.
Oh wow! My first thought, finally a use for my Shopsmith Flexible Shaft! But then again, I'm quite sure the RPM limit on that negates the use for this tool. Can you call this an SPT? Any remote chance this can be converted to a standard SS biscuit joiner SPT? 😉You forgot your 5 point safety check 😉 Of course there is very little safety with this tool.
If you really wanted to use this on your HF drill press, couldn’t you remove the depth stop, run the stop down, and then the stop becomes a depth lock? Good video!❤
I think k a better approach might be to install a hose clamp or a wooden stop between the body and the quill. It can be done but none of that overcomes the other issues.
I’ve got one for my Shopsmith. I keep it, but never use it. It’s one of those tools that a portable unit is better than a stationary one. So much easier to take the tool to the board. Like cutting a 4x8 sheet of plywood into two 4x4’ on a Shopsmith. Yes it can be done. Is there a better way? Absolutely.
Not a perfect solution but depending on price and how much you use biscuit joints this could make sense. Instead of extending quill raise the drill press table. Also drilling holes in the jig table and mounting it to your drill press would make it easier to use. I think most biscuits were used to join two narrow boards to make them wider, with a few changes this could serve to do just that very easily. As for it being dangerous or hard to use I do not see it. I will bet the failure of this product was not design or use but the price Shopsmith set on it. At the time this and many other products came out Shopsmith was setting prices that in my opinion priced them out of the market. I bought my Shopsmith around 84 at that time I could not buy a tablesaw, drill press, lath, disk sander of equal quality and capability. However through the years that has changed today I could easily buy these individual tools for far less money than the cost of present day Shopsmith. And in my opinion I would have tools superior to the Shopsmith.
Bob, I’ve been asked that by a few others and the short answer is you can raise the table, but to accommodate a shop vac or DC hose you’ve got to extent the quill a couple inches.
I have an old Craftsman table top drill press. I would be able to raise the table to reach the arbor on the biscuit joiner without problem. My issue would be that the drill press itself is not bolted to the table. My concern would be applying too much force and up ending the entire drill press. What speed is recommended for the biscuit joiner?
You’re exactly right, but it is recommended to extend the quill an inch or two to accommodate the hose exhaust port. The recommended speed is between 2000 and 4000 RPMs.
I like collecting older/no longer made shopsmith stuff. However I prefer the stuff I get be used in my shop in some form or another, so I would never get this. Even raising the table wouldn't help much, your still limited (and ever more so with this design) on what cuts you can make.
There’s still a chance that an ardor becomes available and it would be put into service as a standard Shopsmith biscuit joiner, so if one falls in your lap, hold onto it. Scott
Would you not just adjust the table height so the quill on the drill press does not need to be extended?
Would you have to lift the table with the biscuit joiner table attached and align the shaft to the chuck at the same time? I wonder if extending the quill onto the shaft is required?
@@TheWoodworkersToolbox if you chuck it up before you clamp it down it will self align. But I would turn the spindle by hand while tightening the clamps to keep it centered.
Wow. Interesting but sketchy for sure. Thanks for demonstrating it.
Thanks Scott
Yeah, glad I never bought one of those! Good video Scott. It shows that sometimes (very rarely) ShopSmith didn’t think things through enough.
I truly believe that this was the brainchild of a single decision maker who ignored the input of knowledgeable people on SS’s staff. That’s my memory of it anyway.
Nice demonstration! I wouldn't be so quick to discount some benefits of the "idea". In particular, the table with the threaded inserts and the fence offer some of the benefits you demonstrated with the use of the miter gauge. The link between the jointer and the power source is certainly a weak spot. I would consider attaching some table to the regular biscuit joiner connected to the Shopsmith quill. That should compensate for any slight alignment issues of the main table. With the spacers provided, adjusting the height of the slots is still an option. This setup could provide a "permanent" stand alone biscuit joiner say on a "shorty" in the drill press mode. I'm just thinking outside the box...but I'll stick with my DeWalt. jim
I used to put a spring clamp on the threaded rod used for the depth stop on my bench drill press to keep the quill from snapping back up. "Almost" as good as a quill lock. I'm so happy to have my shorty down in my winter shop now.
I’m glad Shopsmith, making tools Shopsmith specific is the right way to go.
It’s interesting the struggles companies have - making the right choice….
Yeah, I will not be using mine in this way. Thanks as always Scott for allowing yourself to be the test dummy. Said with affection.
Your comment that this is scary is spot on. Glad I have the original Shopsmith biscuit joiner.
Great Video.
Agree with you. This was one of those “good” ideas that didn’t take off.
Taking the quill stop nuts off and one below casting then run the other down will hold the quill in place, Pain in the butt yeah, but would work. Tying the handle to the support post would also, though pretty sketchy. I agree it is a pretty worthless addition to the line. You need a pretty high continuous speed to run that and a bench top drill press would fail eventually.
Scott… a quill lock is not a feature on a lot of benchtop drill presses. Imagine ordering one of these and finding out you have to modify or replace your whole drill press just to use it!
You should do a video on the few other mis-steps that SS has made!
Like offering a 12” sanding disk when the tablesaw insert was only made for a 10” blade. I bet I’m not the only one who has inadvertently ‘customized’ their insert!
A friend gave me that biscuit joiner. I’ve used it with no issues. It’s come in very handy.
I wouldn't buy or use one myself, but functionally it seems similar to using the biscuit cutter on the Shopsmith. So I can see this tool appealing to the same sort of person. Could the quill have been held extended by a handscrew clamp on the quill or an extra nut on the other side of the depth stop? There are quite a few commercial bolt-on drill press tables and many DIY plans as well. I would think that any approach to cutting any joinery, including dowels, mortises, or biscuits on a drill press (other than Shopsmith) would require a table upgrade and some sort of fence added to the standard tiny metal-working table. Maybe Shopsmith wasn't so far out of step offering their own add-on table for this application?
I think I will stick with my porter cable when I bought my second shop smith I was given the identical drill press 😂😂
I used just a few days ago my regular Shopsmith biscuit joiner for the second time in the 25 years or so I've owned it. It went well enough but I'm not skillful enough to just whip it onto the SS and use it without first spending more time doing a full table alignment than actually using the tool. This universal version seems to be just as finicky to set up and neither seems to be as easy to use as a more expensive hand-held unit. However, for my infrequent uses the regular unit does the job fine without costing a fortune.
One tip that I failed to share it that I typically add the biscuit joiner while the Mark is horizontal. That way I’m not fighting against gravity.
Scott, we're spoiled using Shopsmith equipment!
I’ll give you a dollar to build something with it 😮. I’d like to see it with a real drill press I think the experience would be a “little” different but probably not much🙃. Maybe I missed it in the first video but how do you do a slot on the face of a panel with these biscuit joiners? I’ve had a handheld one for a few decades and never had a joint fail with biscuits. Thanks for an entertaining and informative video.
I covered the face slotting in the Q&A video just a few days ago.
@@MyGrowthRings sorry I never said I was smart 🙂. I’ll watch it again, thanks
good heads up on this one.
Shop people without large fully equipped shops and the unlimited funding to acquire expensive specialized dedicated tools for every occasion - are the mothers of invention. Shopsmith owners already know this - how to do more with less. Persevere, adapt, innovate and prevail.
I agree with you, Scott. That is a really sketchy tool! Thanks for sharing. 👍
Oh wow! My first thought, finally a use for my Shopsmith Flexible Shaft!
But then again, I'm quite sure the RPM limit on that negates the use for this tool.
Can you call this an SPT?
Any remote chance this can be converted to a standard SS biscuit joiner SPT?
😉You forgot your 5 point safety check 😉
Of course there is very little safety with this tool.
Hey, biscuit jointer on a flexible shaft would allow you to cut biscuits out in the middle of a large panel though!🤪
I don’t own a Shopsmith, but enjoy watching how the Shopsmith company makes woodworking as difficult as possible.
Ha! Awesome insight.
If you really wanted to use this on your HF drill press, couldn’t you remove the depth stop, run the stop down, and then the stop becomes a depth lock? Good video!❤
I think k a better approach might be to install a hose clamp or a wooden stop between the body and the quill. It can be done but none of that overcomes the other issues.
I’ve got one for my Shopsmith. I keep it, but never use it. It’s one of those tools that a portable unit is better than a stationary one. So much easier to take the tool to the board. Like cutting a 4x8 sheet of plywood into two 4x4’ on a Shopsmith. Yes it can be done. Is there a better way? Absolutely.
Not a perfect solution
but depending on price and how much you use biscuit joints this could make sense.
Instead of extending quill raise the drill press table. Also drilling holes in the jig table and mounting it to your drill press would make it easier to use. I think most biscuits were used to join two narrow boards to make them wider, with a few changes this could serve to do just that very easily. As for it being dangerous or hard to use I do not see it.
I will bet the failure of this product was not design or use but the price Shopsmith set on it. At the time this and many other products came out Shopsmith was setting prices that in my opinion priced them out of the market.
I bought my Shopsmith around 84 at that time I could not buy a tablesaw, drill press, lath, disk sander of equal quality and capability. However through the years that has changed today I could easily buy these individual tools for far less money than the cost of present day Shopsmith. And in my opinion I would have tools superior to the Shopsmith.
It’s a bit of a tight fit if you intend to connect a hose to the dust port, so SS recommends extending the quill approx 2”.
That was never going to work with taper. Not for me.
I'm a little disappointed. I was waiting for a truly crazy and downright insane use for the Biscuit Joiner. This one was just ordinary stupid 😉
DEADLY!
It certainly could be.
Agree. Definitely, unsafe at any speed!
Why can't you bring the drill table >up< so that the quill isn't under pressure?
Bob, I’ve been asked that by a few others and the short answer is you can raise the table, but to accommodate a shop vac or DC hose you’ve got to extent the quill a couple inches.
yowzers !
I have an old Craftsman table top drill press. I would be able to raise the table to reach the arbor on the biscuit joiner without problem. My issue would be that the drill press itself is not bolted to the table. My concern would be applying too much force and up ending the entire drill press. What speed is recommended for the biscuit joiner?
You’re exactly right, but it is recommended to extend the quill an inch or two to accommodate the hose exhaust port. The recommended speed is between 2000 and 4000 RPMs.
I like collecting older/no longer made shopsmith stuff. However I prefer the stuff I get be used in my shop in some form or another, so I would never get this. Even raising the table wouldn't help much, your still limited (and ever more so with this design) on what cuts you can make.
There’s still a chance that an ardor becomes available and it would be put into service as a standard Shopsmith biscuit joiner, so if one falls in your lap, hold onto it. Scott
Wow such negativity. Yeah it's dangerous on so many level,but did you notice how well the dust collection worked!
I like your style.
They can't all be winners.
True that!