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A combination machine is a woodworking machine that combines the functions of two or more separate machines into a single unit. For example, a combination machine might consist of a tablesaw with a side-mounted jointer. Another common example of this type of machine is the jointer-thicknesser (also known as an over-under) which combines the function of a jointer with that of a planer.
Some combination machines run all of their functions from a single motor; others may use more than one. Cutter heads are often shared: for example a jointer-thicknesser may use the same cutter head for both functions. The machines rely upon well thought-out designs which allow the user to switch from one function to another easily.
One rationale for the production of these machines is space saving. A combination machine takes up much less space than the equivalent separate machines. Most European machines have a sliding table that tends to make them safer than typical North American table saws. Even though top end combination machines can be quite expensive, there usually is a cost saving over separate machines of similar quality.
There are some trade offs with combination machines. Set up time is increased when moving from one function to another and back. In some cases, machine settings are lost during the change over and have to be re-established when changing back. In some lower end machines, there may be compromises in design which limit the function or robustness of the machine. Finally, they represent a single point of failure in that a mechanical problem with the machine will generally mean that none of the machine's functions are available.
These disadvantages are offset by the small size of the machine footprint and potential cost saving and so they are very popular with hobbyists and workshops in which space is limited.
The Shopsmith is a lathe-based multi-tool that uses a single motor to perform lathe, tablesaw, sanding, and drill press functions. Variations include horizontal boring and disc sander.
The original Shopsmith 10E and 10ER were invented by Dr. Hans Goldschmidt [1] of Albany, CA, in 1947; made by the Magna America Corporation in Berkeley, CA, from 1947 to 1953; and sold by Montgomery Ward. [2] The Mark 5 [3] debuted in 1953 but went out of production in 1964. The earliest 10E/10ER Shopsmith machines could be accompanied by optional add-ons such as a jointer, a jig saw, as well as smaller accessories allowing use as a shaper. A bandsaw was introduced in 1957 for the Mark series of machines. Magna also made the Sawsmith radial arm saw, the Mark 2 (1958-60) and the short-lived Mark VII, all compatible with the Mark V accessories. The Shopsmith Mark V was resurrected by Shopsmith Inc. in 1972 in Dayton, OH, by John Folkerth, founder and first chairman of the company. As of 2014 the machines were manufactured by RLF Brands, successor to Shopsmith Inc..
RLF Brands continues to manufacture and market a variety of add-on tools that can be run by the headstock. These tools include a bandsaw (little changed from the original 1957 version), wood shaper, jointer, belt sander, strip sander, scroll saw and thickness planer. Changes from one function to the other is usually less than 90 seconds.
One of the unique features of the Shopsmith is its method of speed control. Rather than multiple pairs of pulleys or an electronic speed control, the Mark V uses a Reeves-type continuously variable transmission consisting of two variable diameter pulleys controlled by a dial and worm gear. (Standard on the Mark V, this system was optionally available on the early 10ER machines.) Not only does this give theoretically infinite speed variation between the maximum and minimum speeds, it is also simple enough to be serviced fairly easily by a hobbyist. The new (as of 2010) Shopsmith Mark 7 uses a computer-controlled motor that offers more power, greater speed range, reversibility and easy conversion to 220 V. An injury suffered by the user of a Shopsmith gave the Supreme Court of California the opportunity to create the modern rule of strict liability for defective products in 1963. [4]
Several companies in Austria, Italy, France and Belgium manufacture what is commonly known in North America as a Euro(pean) combination machine, which typically contains a sliding-table saw with a scoring blade, a shaper, a thicknesser, a jointer, and a mortiser. These machines generally have three motors, one for the table saw, one for the shaper, and one shared by the thickness planer/jointer and mortiser.
European combination machines are geared for the serious hobbyist or professional woodworker or cabinet maker. They are constructed of cast iron and heavy gauge steel, weigh from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds (450–910 kg), and range in price from around $5,000 to over $30,000 (2010, U.S. dollars).
Manufacturers include Felder (Felder and Hammer brands), Kitty, Knapp, Lurem, Mini-Max, Robland, Rojek, Veba and others. Rojek and Robland manufacture entry level models, Hammer, Lurem, MiniMax and Veba mid-range models, Felder and Knapp high-end models. Robland purchased Knapp from the Metabo group in 2000.
The European combination machine allows efficient processing of both rough-cut timber and sheet stock (i.e. plywood). The sliding table can work in conjunction with either the table saw or the shaper. Outfitted with an 8-foot (2.4 m) sliding table and outrigger, a single person can cut 4-by-8-foot (1.2 m × 2.4 m) plywood very accurately and efficiently. Changing between most functions takes only a few seconds.
The sliding table allows a straight edge to be cut on rough lumber, without the use of a fence. It also allows a cut to be made accurately at any angle across a sheet of plywood in just seconds – something that cannot be done nearly as easily, if at all, on a table saw. Used in conjunction with the shaper, the sliding table allows molding, door panels, rails and stiles, to be milled quickly and more accurately than a stand-alone shaper.
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws.
A table saw is a woodworking tool, consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor. The drive mechanism is mounted below a table that provides support for the material, usually wood, being cut, with the blade protruding up through the table into the material.
A Woodworking machine is a machine that is intended to process wood. These machines are usually powered by electric motors and are used extensively in woodworking. Sometimes grinding machines are also considered a part of woodworking machinery.
A hand plane is a tool for shaping wood using muscle power to force the cutting blade over the wood surface. Some rotary power planers are motorized power tools used for the same types of larger tasks, but are unsuitable for fine-scale planing, where a miniature hand plane is used.
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joinery technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery (carpentry), including furniture, cabinets, log buildings, and traditional timber framing. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart, also known as tensile strength, the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of 'tails' cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.
A radial arm saw is a cutting machine consisting of a circular saw mounted on a sliding horizontal arm. Invented by Raymond DeWalt in 1922, the radial arm saw was the primary tool used for cutting long pieces of stock to length until the introduction of the power miter saw in the 1970s.
A panel saw is any type of sawing machine that cuts sheets into sized parts.
A bandsaw is a power saw with a long, sharp blade consisting of a continuous band of toothed metal stretched between two or more wheels to cut material. They are used principally in woodworking, metalworking, and lumbering, but may cut a variety of materials. Advantages include uniform cutting action as a result of an evenly distributed tooth load, and the ability to cut irregular or curved shapes like a jigsaw. The minimum radius of a curve is determined by the width of the band and its kerf. Most bandsaws have two wheels rotating in the same plane, one of which is powered, although some may have three or four to distribute the load. The blade itself can come in a variety of sizes and tooth pitches, which enables the machine to be highly versatile and able to cut a wide variety of materials including wood, metal and plastic.
A biscuit joiner or biscuit jointer is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels. An oval-shaped, highly dried and compressed wooden biscuit is covered with glue, or glue is applied in the slot. The biscuit is immediately placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together. The wet glue expands the biscuit, further improving the bond.
A backsaw is any hand saw which has a stiffening rib on the edge opposite the cutting edge, enabling better control and more precise cutting than with other types of saws. Backsaws are normally used in woodworking for precise work, such as cutting dovetails, mitres, or tenons in cabinetry and joinery. Because of the stiffening rib, backsaws are limited in the depth to which they can cut. Backsaws usually have relatively closely spaced teeth, often with little or no set.
A wood shaper, is a stationary woodworking machine in which a vertically oriented spindle drives one or more stacked cutter heads to mill profiles on wood stock.
A marking gauge, also known as a scratch gauge, is used in woodworking and metalworking to mark out lines for cutting or other operations. The purpose of the gauge is to scribe a line parallel to a reference edge or surface. It is used in joinery and sheetmetal operations.
A jointer or in some configurations, a jointer-planer is a woodworking machine used to produce a flat surface along a board's length. As a jointer, the machine operates on the narrow edge of boards, preparing them for use as butt joint or gluing into panels. A planer-jointer setup has the width that enables smoothing ('surface planing') and leveling the faces (widths) of boards small enough to fit the tables.
A thickness planer is a woodworking machine to trim boards to a consistent thickness throughout their length. This machine transcribes the desired thickness using the downside as a reference / index. So, to produce a completely straight planed board requires that the down surface is straight before planing. Obtaining the first flat side requires either face planing with a jointer or face planing using a planer and jointer sled.
A bridle joint is a woodworking joint, similar to a mortise and tenon, in that a tenon is cut on the end of one member and a mortise is cut into the other to accept it. The distinguishing feature is that the tenon and the mortise are cut to the full width of the tenon member.
This glossary of woodworking lists a number of specialized terms and concepts used in woodworking, carpentry, and related disciplines.
A riving knife is a safety device installed on a table saw, circular saw, or radial arm saw used for woodworking. Attached to the saw's arbor, it is fixed relative to the blade and moves with it as blade depth is adjusted.
RLF Brands is a US manufacturer of Shopsmith combination machines for woodworking. The brand has its origins in the ShopSmith 10ER launched in the late 1940s, an immediate success with do-it-yourself homeowners. Later the brand changed hands twice before becoming dormant in 1966. Shopsmith, Inc. was founded in 1972 to resume manufacture of ShopSmith parts and products. In 2009 Shopsmith, Inc. went into bankruptcy, and reorganized as RLF Brands. RLF continues to use the Shopsmith brand name.
