NCIS and Shopsmith

[MJ]

Did anyone catch the NCIS episode this week and Gibbs appreciation of an old Shopsmith?

He first saw in a pawn shop for $269. Then later it shows up in in basement twice. Once in a scene with his father and then again at the end.

The only objection I had, is that at the end, he pulls out a bottle of whiskey or scotch and I thought he was going to "bless" the Shopsmith, but he pours a cup and then looks at the Shopsmith. Drinking and powertools do not mix!

MJ

P.S. And how in the hell does he get those boats out after he finishes them?

[tiredofspam]

[Drew Lawson]

Um, drinking and *running* powertools don't mix. There's nothing wrong with an after-woodworking drink in the shop, reviewing what you've done and planning what's ahead (or grumbling about what you screwed up).

I assume that's a joke between parts of the off-screen staff, but I've never looked into it. The boat-in-the-basement joke has been around at least since the '60s, and I had the feeling it was old then.

[Lee Michaels]

I saw that episode. NCIS is one of my wife's favorite show. And if I did not watch it with her, well....

She saw the shopsmith and asked me if it was a good tool. I told her that a swiss army knife approach to woodworking was cumbersome and aggravating. I was amused by the reaction Of Gibbs to the shopsmith. He acted like a was a bunch of Festools or other high end tools.

But if the character, Gibbs, was a true Neander, perhaps a shopsmith would be his first step along a slippery path to power tool usage.

[dpb]

...

...

Never watch NCIS so don't know who Gibbs is--first time I thought it was another DIY show as didn't register the NCIS name. :)

Anyway, nothing to do w/ the show but on Shopsmith--had an uncle who opened an interior decorating/flooring/kitchens store when got out of service post WWII. His first shop was only a Shopsmith augmented w/ hand tools. He did quite a lot of work that way until finally got a very old Unisaur (well before blade guards, etc. as I recall when OSHA threw a fit when they stuck their nose into things in the 60s). It wasn't until probably almost 30 years later he finally retired it entirely.

While somewhat awkward, w/ practice and familiarity and by learning to plan the workflow around it, it was amazing how much work he could accomplish and how quickly with it.

--

[Leon]

Saw it too. I did think back but did not replay for details. I initially thought the $269 was for the SM jig saw, and that was what was shown. And that IMHO would have been a reasonable price.

This,

Then later in the show he has apparently bought what we think of when we hear ShopSmith.

Perhaps when he went back to get the Medal of Honor he picked up more.....

[Artemus]

Another self appointed safety Nazi out to save the world. Gibbs routinely drinks and looks at his boat too so why no alarm about the evils of drinking and boating? Was Gibbs actually drinking and *OPERATING* the SS??? Get a grip. Art

[Ed Pawlowski]

Yeah, but he did not buy a tool, he bought memories. Priceless.

[CW]

Um, drinking and *running* powertools don't mix. There's nothing wrong with an after-woodworking drink in the shop, reviewing what you've done and planning what's ahead (or grumbling about what you screwed up).

I assume that's a joke between parts of the off-screen staff, but I've never looked into it. The boat-in-the-basement joke has been around at least since the '60s, and I had the feeling it was old then. ================================================================================ Someone on the show asked him that same question. He didn't answer but he is now on his second boat of the series.

[-MIKE-]

I haven't seen that episode, yet, but we've seen every episode-- it's one of our favorite shows. Knowing the show and plots very well, I think it's a safe bet for me to speculate, especially given the 'flashback' scene with his father, that he's looking so fondly at the shopsmith because his father owned one when he was a kid and he probably spent a lot of time in the shop with the old man.

In every scene I've ever watched of him in his basement, he's using hand tools; block planes, scrapers, sandpaper, chisels, etc. He and his father, now, have a strained relationship. He didn't buy the Shopsmith to use it. He bought it to have his father in his shop with him.

[-MIKE-]

Yes, that's what I mean to say. :-)

[Swingman]

What in hell are you guys talking about??

;)

[rlz]

others. Moving the boat out of the basement isn't that difficult. He builds it dry-fitting everything. He then takes it apart during commercial breaks and reassembles it outside with glue after filming...LOL

[russellseaton1]

Very limited knowledge of ShopSmith. But have a friend who bought one a fe= w years out of college. He had it for a few years. Built a kitchen cart w= ith a butcher block top. Then gave it to his father-in-law. His father-in=

-law built his house back in the 70s. So I think he knows how to use tools= and will likely get more use out of it than his son-in-law. I'm a fan of = the European multi function tools such as MiniMax, Festool, Hammer. But I = think those are in a slightly different category than ShopSmith. Also diff= erent price category.

On the cable TV show Pawn Stars a very old ShopSmith was purchased by the p= awn shop. It was very old and had bad bearings. But the old man was in lo= ve with the old tool so he paid $50 for it. The son was against buying it.