Mark 4/7/520™ Self-Study Course

I have not started yet but plan to this next week. I needed to tighten the horizontal lower tubes as the Shopsmith would wiggle back and forth when the drill press was raised. Right now I am waiting for my neighbor to return from vacation to help me put it back upright.

So far I have completed the machine setup and lesson 1 ripping. That includes lesson 1-1 to lesson 1-8. I'm currently learning lesson 2 on crosscutting. Lesson 2 includes lessons 2-1 to 2-13. I'm currently on lesson 2-9 splines. So I'll only comment on what I have completed so far. The course includes the textbook which is high quality print in a three ring binder. Next there are YouTube videos that go along with the assignments and there is an optional once a month zoom meeting with the author where he goes over your progress and answers any course related questions you may have. So what do I think of the course so far? I think it's excellent. I'm learning woodworking step by step on a shopsmith machine. Looking at a shopsmith step by step. What does that machine look like. How do I set the fence. Not just any table saw fence but the one I have the shopsmith fence. How do I set up and use the miter gauge. Not just any miter gauge but the one I have the shopsmith miter gauge. So what's good is that the lessons on ripping and crosscutting are seen by me on the exact equipment I have. So visually I'm learning not from a general woodworking book, but a one on one experience with the shopsmith by using the workbook and related videos. And of course the shopsmith can do more such as drilling and lathe work. I have not reached those lessons yet, but when I do I'll know that I'll have this excellent resource that is the workbook and videos to help me along one on one step by step and the optional zoom meeting once a month with the author. My opinion of the course. Highly recommend.

Very well written and illustrated. I wish I had this book when I first started my woodworking journey.