Need Advice on Starter Woodworking Setup

[SouperGrover]

20 years ago I used to do woodworking with my Dad's tools. He was a carpenter, so I had access to circ saws, drills, miter box, table saw and other stuff. But I never had to think much about what blades to use when. Now, I've decided to start woodworking again and am basically starting from nothing (all my Dad's stuff is in Ohio and I'm in California). I don't have much moeny to dump into a lot of tools. I am starting off slowly (as I know most do). As of right now, I have a drill, a jig saw, hammer and a bunch of misc. "combo kit" type wrenches and screwdrivers. I figure the next thing I will get is a random orbital sander and then a circ saw followed by a router. First big purchase will be a table saw, then a drill press and band saw.

Does that sound like a good plan? I figure for now until my skills develop I just want to focus on a good general purpose "bang for your buck" assortment. What are the common sizes of drill bits, saw blades, router bits, clamps, etc you guys keep on hand? My son (14) is really excited to start woodworking, too, so I'm really anxious to get us the stuff we need. I'm perfectly OK buying stuff second hand. I don't need high end stuff. Can anyone give me some ideas on how I should get started building my arsenal?

 

[rice rocket]

Woodworking is as broad is metalworking or any trade.

Figure out what you want to build specifically, then research and buy tools as you need them.

 

[rcktsled]

Craigslist is the woodworkers best friend. Lots of older Craftsman table saws turn up cheap, same with Porter Cable routers and the like.

As far as getting started, just pick a project and dive in. You tube has tons on woodworking on a budget videos to watch. You will figure out what you need as you go.

 

[coleman10]

I'm in the same boat. Want to start woodworking and have been researching a lot of power tools to get the best bang for the buck. I don't think you mentioned of you have a workbench or not, but I think I'd start off with a circular saw and build a general purpose workbench. That's a good starter project all by itself that you and your son could work on together. After that, think about what you want to try - maybe check out some free or inexpensive plans online and get the tools you need to build them. That way your interests and creativity guide what tools you buy next. For instance, a small project I want to do requires a router, so that's my next tool to get.

I'd be interested to see other people's opinions on this.

 

[Leoruiz]

Power miter. Old table saw with a good fence and collection of blades.Some rasps. Old bandsaw.
3 x 24 or so belt sander. Palm sander.If I cant build it with that it can't be built !
Almost done.

 

[rice rocket]

Power miter. Old table saw with a good fence and collection of blades.Some rasps. Old bandsaw.
3 x 24 or so belt sander. Palm sander.If I cant build it with that it can't be built !

I mean, you could build a house with just a palm sander. It just might take you a while...

My only advice is to use active dust collection. It's not cheap, but neither are medical bills. If you can prevent your 14 year old from developing asthma, it'd be worth the extra $1000 (dust extractor + markup for compatible tools), don't you think? It reduces cleanup time by a lot as well.

 

[Leoruiz]

I mean, you could build a house with just a palm sander. It just might take you a while...

My only advice is to use active dust collection. It's not cheap, but neither are medical bills. If you can prevent your 14 year old from developing asthma, it'd be worth the extra $1000 (dust extractor + markup for compatible tools), don't you think? It reduces cleanup time by a lot as well.

My advice is an open air shop. If it's too cold point south and move on
Nah. Dust collection and ventilation for all these evaporating chemicals are a huge deal.
Open air shops rule

 

[SouperGrover]

So much good advice as always.

@rice rocket It's VERY broad, for sure. We are going to start out with smaller crafty projects and go from there. Well, except for the storage loft we are putting in the garage and the workbench we will build. But after that it will be smaller things

On your second comment, I'm a little limited on the kind of collection I can do. I live in a townhouse community, so I can't add ducts and exhaust and stuff like that. See my Garage Build thread in my sig for pics

@rcktsled No shortage of ideas for sure. I just want to try and get a broad set of common things purchased and not spend money on things i may only use every once in a while. I know waht our common tools are going to be, but not so much on the circ saw blades, jig saw blades, and router bits (my router skills are pretty non existent )

@coleman10 After the storage loft is up - therefor giving us more space to work - the workbench is next. I found a series I really liked here http://www.startwoodworking.com/plans/build-simple-sturdy-workbench. Something we can definitely knock out together.

@Leoruiz OK great. But what blades/rasps/clamps should I get. The choices are dizzying!

Also, I'm in So Cal, man! It's never too cold to be in the shop! Heat, however, can be a bear. 104 here today by 11 AM.

 

[Dave455]

You're obviously thinking about power tools!

Personally, I'd make sure you have a good selection of basic hand tools before you worry about power! They will get the job done, power just speeds things up!

Make sure you have measuring and marking tools such as tape, straight edge, square etc, cutting tools such as a couple of good hand saws, some 'shaping' tools such as a hand plane, a couple of decent chisels and a mallet, and finally some 'fixing' tools including a couple of hammers and screwdrivers in the sizes you need! None of this takes up much space and you will be amazed how much you can do!

Power tool wise, I think you are on the right lines! I use my drills the most, in fact all the time, after that probably a sander, so add one next!

Get a decent set of drill bits going up to say 3/8 or 1/2 and add some spares of the smaller sizes as they are prone to breakage and a pain to sharpen! If you're doing stuff around the house add masonry bits in sizes to suit the plugs you will use. Here in the U.K. I can get decent British or German made drill bits, so I ensure that I do - nothing worse than having a decent drill with crappy bits! For you, that probably means tracking down a U.S made set!

A lot of folks here seem to be using things like the Fein Multicraft tool. Still a bit of a new concept for many, but they seem to be able to fill the role of saw, sander and chisel, and seem to be straightforward to use!

 

[ScottsGT]

When I decided to build a display case for my model hobby I thought of tools I would need in addition to the 10" Delta compact table saw, sander, chop saw, Skil saw and jig saw I already had. I had to add a router and table, biscuit joiner, pipe clamps, dowel jigs and maybe a few other I have forgot about.
Already had drill driver, borrowed an impact driver. But I liked it so much, I bought my own.
I guess it depends on what your projects are going to be.

 

[woody 73]

Soupergrover love your OSU badge.

Start out by scoping your local CL everyday and watch out for small used items like drills, hammers, screwdrivers, saws, wood chisels, drill bits, levels, squares, etc.

Keep in mind you can always sharpen used bits and wood chisels so never pass them up.

Then start by looking for somewhat larger items like a bench grinder to sharpen up those chisels and bits, a small router, bench top planer, bench top drill press, small jointer, miter saw, etc.

Keep in mind if you see a good deal on larger machines don't pass them up, but make sure you are not buying three phase power unless you are willing to spend more money in order to get them working.

Hope that helps you out start calling woodworking companies and ask for their free catalogs so you can drool at some new products.

One last thing in central "AHIA" a used RA saw goes for next to nothing from $75-150 dollars be sure and check out your area ,not sure about the prices out there?

 

[coleman10]

After the storage loft is up - therefor giving us more space to work - the workbench is next. I found a series I really liked here http://www.startwoodworking.com/plans/build-simple-sturdy-workbench. Something we can definitely knock out together.

There are tons of workbench plans and examples out there. Don't feel you have go with one design only. It's easy to combine the good from two or more examples into you're own design. My modified design has a half shelf for storage and to allow for knee room so my son and I can sit at it. I'll also put mine on casters so I can move it around and outside of the garage as necessary.

 

[bcradio]

A track saw would be at or near the top of my list for sure.

 

[cashishift]

Festool would be my choice for alot of tools.. just never hear much bad about em. And I love the organization

 

[Woody610nb]

When you are looking for woodworking machinery, I always tell people to look at Grizzly. Can you buy better quality than Grizzly, yes, but you will pay a lot more.

 

[beamrider]

Sounds like you need hand tools more so than power tools. A properly tuned up #4 plane, chisels, pair of good handsaws, maybe a spokeshave. All depends on what you're wanting to do. Plus, hand tools don't really require dust collection....

 

[rice rocket]

Festool would be my choice for alot of tools.. just never hear much bad about em. And I love the organization

Meh.

I went balls deep into Festool, and then pulled out before things got too serious.

They are decent tools, just not good enough to justify their outrageous pricing. Almost every tool they offer has a similar version in another brand for half the price, or a better tool exists for the same price.

I posted some thoughts in another thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233291&page=4

 

[Zeke]

Craigslist is the woodworkers best friend. Lots of older Craftsman table saws turn up cheap, same with Porter Cable routers and the like.

As far as getting started, just pick a project and dive in. You tube has tons on woodworking on a budget videos to watch. You will figure out what you need as you go.

CL in CA is outrages in pricing. Yes, there are lots of TS's out there and most if not all at any given time are overpriced. If you buy an older CM TS make sure you aren't getting junk. They can be rebuilt and repaired, but there are good ones to be had that don't need all that.

I'd shoot for any belt driven saw like an old Delta Contractors 10". The no longer made HF saw was an identical copy painted green. You don't see those come up too often. If space is an issue, get a good bench top saw. Many are beat to **** so good ones are hard to find. They generally are a step down from a decent, and I mean decent, fixed base saw.

Estate and garage sales are probably the best source for wood working tools. Not the most popular tools to be selling and sometimes the sellers either don't know what they're worth or are motivated to sell. Recently I bought a CM single speed 3 x 24 belt sander for 6 bucks and a Senco finish nailer for 10. I got a Makita 3/8 rev drill for 5. Only the nailer didn't work and I fixed that for next to nothing.

You will definitely want an air compressor and again, I recommend a belt driven model as they are much quieter than direct drive. BTW, that goes for TS's too.

There are many threads here about outfitting a woodworking shop and what tools to get in what order so I won't go any further. Only to say that I prefer shop tools to be mobile unless you have a huge room. When your chop saw is up against the wall and you bring in a 20 foot stick, it can hang out as much as 19 feet. Plan ahead for 20 footers and 4 x 8 sheets and you won't be sorry.

 

[SouperGrover]

You're obviously thinking about power tools!

Personally, I'd make sure you have a good selection of basic hand tools before you worry about power! They will get the job done, power just speeds things up!

Make sure you have measuring and marking tools such as tape, straight edge, square etc, cutting tools such as a couple of good hand saws, some 'shaping' tools such as a hand plane, a couple of decent chisels and a mallet, and finally some 'fixing' tools including a couple of hammers and screwdrivers in the sizes you need! None of this takes up much space and you will be amazed how much you can do!

Thanks Dave455. You're right. I should be adding hand tools to my list. They are usually less expensive to, so easy to start adding in.

 

[SouperGrover]

When I decided to build a display case for my model hobby I thought of tools I would need in addition to the 10" Delta compact table saw, sander, chop saw, Skil saw and jig saw I already had. I had to add a router and table, biscuit joiner, pipe clamps, dowel jigs and maybe a few other I have forgot about.
Already had drill driver, borrowed an impact driver. But I liked it so much, I bought my own.
I guess it depends on what your projects are going to be.

Necessity is the Mother Of Purchasing. Every craftsmen's mantra

 

[SouperGrover]

Soupergrover love your OSU badge.

Start out by scoping your local CL everyday and watch out for small used items like drills, hammers, screwdrivers, saws, wood chisels, drill bits, levels, squares, etc.

Keep in mind you can always sharpen used bits and wood chisels so never pass them up.

Then start by looking for somewhat larger items like a bench grinder to sharpen up those chisels and bits, a small router, bench top planer, bench top drill press, small jointer, miter saw, etc.

Keep in mind if you see a good deal on larger machines don't pass them up, but make sure you are not buying three phase power unless you are willing to spend more money in order to get them working.

Hope that helps you out start calling woodworking companies and ask for their free catalogs so you can drool at some new products.

One last thing in central "AHIA" a used RA saw goes for next to nothing from $75-150 dollars be sure and check out your area ,not sure about the prices out there?

You, sir, have great taste. And a great handle

I've been checking out CL a lot. At first it was for bigger power tools like the table saw. Then I realized I should probably be looking for little things as well, like various drill bits and blades and toolboxes of stuff. That's how all the unique and specialty items will get found and added

 

[SouperGrover]

There are tons of workbench plans and examples out there. Don't feel you have go with one design only. It's easy to combine the good from two or more examples into you're own design. My modified design has a half shelf for storage and to allow for knee room so my son and I can sit at it. I'll also put mine on casters so I can move it around and outside of the garage as necessary.

Yeah I already had some modifications in mind to that build - including your idea of casters. I was planning on keeping it against the wall as a multipurpose area and then wheeling it to the table saw for outfeed as needed. Also making roll around storage that can tuck up under it, too.

 

[SouperGrover]

A track saw would be at or near the top of my list for sure.

The track saws I've seen start at around $350. A little out of my price range at this point. But I do like how portable they are and may invest in one if a good deal comes along so I can do some stuff on the patio instead of back and forth to the garage

 

[SouperGrover]

When you are looking for woodworking machinery, I always tell people to look at Grizzly. Can you buy better quality than Grizzly, yes, but you will pay a lot more.

Thanks for the tip! I checked the site out and found a few things cheaper than what I had originally heard they were. I've heard the same about Harbor Freight. They have good deals and some stuff is good, you just have to pay attention

 

[SouperGrover]

Plus, hand tools don't really require dust collection....

Well said!

 

[SouperGrover]

CL in CA is outrages in pricing. Yes, there are lots of TS's out there and most if not all at any given time are overpriced. If you buy an older CM TS make sure you aren't getting junk. They can be rebuilt and repaired, but there are good ones to be had that don't need all that.

I'd shoot for any belt driven saw like an old Delta Contractors 10". The no longer made HF saw was an identical copy painted green. You don't see those come up too often. If space is an issue, get a good bench top saw. Many are beat to **** so good ones are hard to find. They generally are a step down from a decent, and I mean decent, fixed base saw.

Estate and garage sales are probably the best source for wood working tools. Not the most popular tools to be selling and sometimes the sellers either don't know what they're worth or are motivated to sell. Recently I bought a CM single speed 3 x 24 belt sander for 6 bucks and a Senco finish nailer for 10. I got a Makita 3/8 rev drill for 5. Only the nailer didn't work and I fixed that for next to nothing.

You will definitely want an air compressor and again, I recommend a belt driven model as they are much quieter than direct drive. BTW, that goes for TS's too.

There are many threads here about outfitting a woodworking shop and what tools to get in what order so I won't go any further. Only to say that I prefer shop tools to be mobile unless you have a huge room. When your chop saw is up against the wall and you bring in a 20 foot stick, it can hang out as much as 19 feet. Plan ahead for 20 footers and 4 x 8 sheets and you won't be sorry.

The wife will be happy to know I want to go yard saling now

 

[Zeke]

The track saws I've seen start at around $350. A little out of my price range at this point. But I do like how portable they are and may invest in one if a good deal comes along so I can do some stuff on the patio instead of back and forth to the garage

You can buy a track kit and use your circular saw. That's what I do. I have a pawn shop Makita sidewinder 7 1/4 set up for using the track only. My track came with a router guide too. Makes it damn easy to cut shelf dados. And it's nearly impossible to jump the track whereas using a straight edge often leads to mistakes by wandering away from the edge. I double clamp the guide as I don't trust the factory clamp system. Good for getting in place, that's it. YMMV

 

[bcradio]

Meh.

I went balls deep into Festool, and then pulled out before things got too serious.

They are decent tools, just not good enough to justify their outrageous pricing. Almost every tool they offer has a similar version in another brand for half the price, or a better tool exists for the same price.

I posted some thoughts in another thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233291&page=4

I got a good laugh from your comments in that thread, thanks.

We get it, Festool is not for you.

 

[kctyphoon]

full disclosure - i have not read the enitre thread, but if this has not already come up, i think you should define "wood working" and the level of projects you want to complete.. are we talking furniture, or just home project stuff like shelves and a dog house..

i basically have everything i would need to start a small furniture grade woodworking shop in my basement (which was the original plan).. craigslist is a great place to buy stuff.

also - your purchases should revolve around the space you have to work with. do you have a garage, a basement - to devote to all this? or is it a shed that you will need to pull tools out of to do anything.

 

[SouperGrover]

full disclosure - i have not read the enitre thread, but if this has not already come up, i think you should define "wood working" and the level of projects you want to complete.. are we talking furniture, or just home project stuff like shelves and a dog house..

i basically have everything i would need to start a small furniture grade woodworking shop in my basement (which was the original plan).. craigslist is a great place to buy stuff.

also - your purchases should revolve around the space you have to work with. do you have a garage, a basement - to devote to all this? or is it a shed that you will need to pull tools out of to do anything.

Mostly small stuff in the beginning. Small knick nacks. A book case here and there. Eventually maybe.

My workshop I'm building (see my thread in my sig) is a 21x18 2 car garage that has to share space with a car when I'm not working on projects

 

[Zeke]

Mostly small stuff in the beginning. Small knick nacks. A book case here and there. Eventually maybe.

My workshop I'm building (see my thread in my sig) is a 21x18 2 car garage that has to share space with a car when I'm not working on projects

You need to think small then. More power hand tools and less big machines. I used to say if I couldn't build it on the job I wasn't going to build it. I had a chop saw and a bench top TS. Everything else was a corded hand tool save for a couple cordless drivers. I built a lot.

You can get almost any lumber you want S2S and straight line cut at the yard or S4S ready for cutting ad assembly. So you can wait on the jointer and thickness planer. In fact, I prefer my hand held Makita power planer to any floor model. It will handle up to 3 1/4" wood and the cuts are smooth as glass.

 

[iScream]

Re: Need Advice on Starter Woodworking Setup2

20 years ago I used to do woodworking with my Dad's tools. He was a carpenter, so I had access to circ saws, drills, miter box, table saw and other stuff. But I never had to think much about what blades to use when. Now, I've decided to start woodworking again and am basically starting from nothing (all my Dad's stuff is in Ohio and I'm in California). I don't have much moeny to dump into a lot of tools. I am starting off slowly (as I know most do). As of right now, I have a drill, a jig saw, hammer and a bunch of misc. "combo kit" type wrenches and screwdrivers. I figure the next thing I will get is a random orbital sander and then a circ saw followed by a router. First big purchase will be a table saw, then a drill press and band saw.

Does that sound like a good plan? I figure for now until my skills develop I just want to focus on a good general purpose "bang for your buck" assortment. What are the common sizes of drill bits, saw blades, router bits, clamps, etc you guys keep on hand? My son (14) is really excited to start woodworking, too, so I'm really anxious to get us the stuff we need. I'm perfectly OK buying stuff second hand. I don't need high end stuff. Can anyone give me some ideas on how I should get started building my arsenal?

As others have said, it really depends heavily on what you want to build. Except for a really elaborate wine rack slash liquor cabinet I built, I mostly do speakers boxes and stuff for the garage. For the garage stuff, I probably use my 12" miter saw more than anything else, then my circular saw with a set of clamp on guides for sheet goods.

For speaker building, the table saw is needed plus my router with a couple different circle jigs. You can cut circles with a jig saw but it really ***** after you try a circle jig.

But the tools that I find really make woodworking more enjoyable and less frustrating are a decent selection of clamps and good marking measuring tools. I don't know what I would do without my incra rules with the little holes I can slip a mechanical pencil tip through to mark a perfect line down to 1/32", my simple little Veritas saddle squares for carrying a line around corners, my little set of Woodcraft engineers squares and my combo square.

No matter what the project is, I find myself reaching for these same tools over and over.

 

[unisawone]

I would be searching for a Delta contractors saw. Great saw for the price. Also Porter Cable 690 routers are great and easy to rebuild. Good luck and enjoy

 

[ahab]

Also watch http://www.searsoutlet.com/ for local deals on open box / display items. And be careful to try out Craftsman things in store. Some are poor quality, others are bulletproof.

Like their table saws that do less than a 3/4 dado, the fences & tables can be horrible, but the ones that do over 3/4 or over dado are good. (at least with the 4 different ones I've worked with)

 

[coleman10]

You need to think small then. More power hand tools and less big machines. I used to say if I couldn't build it on the job I wasn't going to build it. I had a chop saw and a bench top TS. Everything else was a corded hand tool save for a couple cordless drivers. I built a lot.

You can get almost any lumber you want S2S and straight line cut at the yard or S4S ready for cutting ad assembly. So you can wait on the jointer and thickness planer. In fact, I prefer my hand held Makita power planer to any floor model. It will handle up to 3 1/4" wood and the cuts are smooth as glass.

Zeke, what brand table saw was it? I'm looking at ditching my cheap table saw and getting a decent one, either a table top model or a contractor model on wheels. Still, with the mention of track saws earlier in the thread, perhaps I should be looking at one of those.

 

[ZRX61]

Take a drive by the tool store on the north side of Roscoe 2 blocks east of Balboa.
Shop is in the shopping center on the NW corner of Roscoe & Louise

 

[Zeke]

Zeke, what brand table saw was it? I'm looking at ditching my cheap table saw and getting a decent one, either a table top model or a contractor model on wheels. Still, with the mention of track saws earlier in the thread, perhaps I should be looking at one of those.

Makita 8 1/4".

 

[kctyphoon]

not my picture, but this is the saw i have.. got it for $250 off craiglist with the 36"(?) extenion table, bismeyer fence and portable base..ALSO got an almost brand new delta (platinum?) radial arm saw from the same guy.. he bought them to build his kitchen cabinets - then turned around and sold em.. the radial arm saw alone retailed for $1200, so my point is there is some great items waiting to be found online.. the saw i have is a good choice for you.. big enough for most any project, and small enough to wheel off to the side out of the way when your done.

 

[Coach James]

Before I bought any large machines, I would get a good circular saw with a track kit, good jig saw (Bosch), drill, router and sander. That's all my BIL has and he has made amazing furniture with it.

Once you started to look at large machines, I would seriously consider a good band saw before a table saw.

Coach

 

[Coach James]

not my picture, but this is the saw i have.. got it for $250 off craiglist with the 36"(?) extenion table, bismeyer fence and portable base..ALSO got an almost brand new delta (platinum?) radial arm saw from the same guy.. he bought them to build his kitchen cabinets - then turned around and sold em.. the radial arm saw alone retailed for $1200, so my point is there is some great items waiting to be found online.. the saw i have is a good choice for you.. big enough for most any project, and small enough to wheel off to the side out of the way when your done.

What brand is the squat cage?

Coach