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Just Starting Out

3K views 60 replies 30 participants last post by  OgrePSU 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi all, brand new to the site and woodworking in general. I have owned my own house for 15 years, but I have not done much to it until recently. Started with a new coat of paint everywhere, and has morphed to replacing all my roofing and siding. I recently refinished my kitchen cabinets and want to start building items. I have a lot of inherited hand made items in my house from dressers, mahogany kitchen table, china cabinet etc.

So I have started watching a lot of youtube videos the past month, mainly by Steve Ramsey. I am considering paying for his beginner class, but I need tools.

I have a delta 10 inch compound miter saw, dewalt 10 inch circular saw, black and decker jigsaw, black and decker power drills/screwdrivers, and some clamps. other random tools that a homeowner picks up after 15 years as well. I also have a 15 gallon shop vac I was planning on using for dust collection.

I am cleaning everything out of my 2.5 car garage that I haven't used since I moved in and have a ton of space to fill, but I need recommendations on what tools to fill it with. My budget is 1-2K, but I can go up to 3-4.

Tools I think I will need, table saw, router (not sure plunge or fixed), random orbital sander (don't like the sander I have now, its square and the sheets of sandpaper just slide right out).

I know there is a lot more I am missing and I hope you can help me out

Wood Building Floor Flooring Engineering
 

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#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
You are probably going to get a ton of responses. A lot of the responses will probably contradict each other. The truth is it depends on what kind of woodworking you are planning on doing and how much you want to get into it, and how deep your pockets are. Here are my two cents. Must haves: workbench with woodworking vice(s), table saw, handheld router plunge/fixed, drill press, good quality parallel clamps, dust collector which has a 4" inlet, adapters to allow use of your shop vac with hand held tools and a random orbital sander. Nice to haves: router table with router lift and permanently mounted router motor, QUALIY jig saw, spindle sander, band saw, and chisels.

For now you can install a sanding drum in a drill press and have a makeshift spindle sander. You can use your jigsaw for a lot of things you otherwise might use a band saw for. By the way in my research there are only two brands of jigsaws which cut straight vertically: Festool and Bosch. DeWalt MAY have a model which keeps the blade from "flapping".
 
#6 ·
As far as tools, what do you plan on working on/creating?

- Fiver
Probably to start out, outdoor furniture for my front and back decks and gazebo area once I fix it up (50 foot maple tree limb fell onto the roof of it). I also need to create 2 new doors for my shed which has rotted at the bottom.

I also want to be able to do little storage projects for my 11 year old daughter, because she needs storage for all her toys. She also wants a tree house, but thats in the future.

I will probably also pick up a lathe because that just looks like fun to do pens and other stuff.

I really don't know what I will enjoy doing most, I just like doing projects around the house and I think this will expand to that. So I want to make sure I have the basics covered and can add on as I need them.
 
#7 ·
As far as tools, what do you plan on working on/creating?

- Fiver

Probably to start out, outdoor furniture for my front and back decks and gazebo area once I fix it up (50 foot maple tree limb fell onto the roof of it). I also need to create 2 new doors for my shed which has rotted at the bottom.

I also want to be able to do little storage projects for my 11 year old daughter, because she needs storage for all her toys. She also wants a tree house, but thats in the future.

I will probably also pick up a lathe because that just looks like fun to do pens and other stuff.

I really don t know what I will enjoy doing most, I just like doing projects around the house and I think this will expand to that. So I want to make sure I have the basics covered and can add on as I need them.

- OgrePSU
As mentioned you decide your first project and create a need and want list from there….you could spend thousands and really have nothing that you need for the next project..
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
My vote is for a high quality combination square and an overhead air filtration system.

I use the combination square ( https://www.amazon.com/Starrett-C11H-12-4R-Combination-Square-Head/dp/B00C3J3G3E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=starrett+combination+squares&qid=1579370145&sprefix=starret+combination+square&sr=8-1 )for everything: setting blades square to table tops (miter saw, bandsaw, table saw…), measuring and marking around the edge of a board, adjusting height of router bits and table saw blade for dados and rabbets, and lots of other stuff.

The overhead air filtration unit will save your shop, tools and lungs from dust (along with a shop vac or cyclone.) I have a Clearvue Max cyclone with ducting to all my tools and two Jet Air Filtration units (https://www.amazon.com/708620B-AFS-1000B-Filtration-Electrostatic-Pre-Filter/dp/B00004R9LO) in my 20' x 20' garage and the units' filters get caked in dust quickly. I can't imaging breathing all of that. On top of all of this, I wear a dust mask (https://www.amazon.com/GVS-SPR457-Elipse-Respirator-Medium/dp/B013SIIBFQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=elipse+p100&qid=1579370897&sr=8-1), full face shield and ear plugs. Safety first, second and third. If you're sick or injured, you can't have fun in the shop.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
My first comment would be to buy quality if you think this will be a "life time" avocation. Black and Decker are not what I consider quality but are made for the occasional weekend warrior, but you can replace those items as needed. A good table saw will eat up most of your budget but it will last virtually forever. My Delta cabinet saw is 25 years old and still going strong. Make sure it is a left tilting blade. I like Delta but SawStop is very popular for its aggressive safety features. To save money shop for used power tools. There are millions of Baby boomers going into nursing homes or dying off whose spouses just want to get rid of those things.

I have always acquired most of my tools based on need or at least anticipated need for a project. This helps justify the cost to a spouse and your conscience.
If you get a lathe you will find a band saw almost a necessary support tool for pre-shaping blanks etc.

Your adventure is only beginning.
 
#13 ·
You got a lot of good advice here. Best of all was don't try to equip your shop with tools unless you have a definite and repeated use for it. I would start with proper wiring, lighting, workbench, vice, and basic hand tools that would be used in most projects i.e. chisels, hand saws, measuring devices, etc. Also as already said, a good quality table saw. Don't scrimp here, it will last you a lifetime. Good luck and keep us posted with your progress. By the way, is that your pogo stick?
 
#15 ·
Tablesaw / router / random orbit sander. I would start with that. As for a lathe a good one will sent you back $1500 +, not to mention cutting tools and other assorted parts and pieces - I would put that last on the list. Drill press would come before a lathe. An other item to point out is if your garage is open to the rest of the house attic (it looks it might be from the photo you posted)- you need to close off the garage from house to prevent wood dust collecting in the rest of the attic. You will be surprised how far the dust will drift into the rest of the house. Start with the basic tools and slowly buy more. If you have not done much wood work, you should build your skills with what you have before jumping into big floor tools. Best of luck don't forget to tap the knowledge base here a Lumberjocks. Lots of friendly people with more knowledge than you can imagine.
 
#16 ·
As far as tools, what do you plan on working on/creating?

- Fiver

Probably to start out, outdoor furniture for my front and back decks and gazebo area once I fix it up (50 foot maple tree limb fell onto the roof of it). I also need to create 2 new doors for my shed which has rotted at the bottom.

I also want to be able to do little storage projects for my 11 year old daughter, because she needs storage for all her toys. She also wants a tree house, but thats in the future.

I will probably also pick up a lathe because that just looks like fun to do pens and other stuff.

I really don t know what I will enjoy doing most, I just like doing projects around the house and I think this will expand to that. So I want to make sure I have the basics covered and can add on as I need them.

- OgrePSU
You already have the tools for that stuff, depending on how the toy box is built. If you want a lathe to just play with look on craigslist - stay way from tube and stamped steel bed ways. HF 34706 lathe is a great full size lathe for starting out to learn about turning and what you really want in a lathe. Had one for 6 years. Helped me figure out what I did and did not want, and though I sold it, it was low enough cost to just throw away when done with it.

As for other tools for flatwork - TS is #1, but how you want to work, type of materials, etc drives what you need. 3 routers 1) trim , 2) combination fixed/plunge handheld, 3) permanently mounted in a table. I consider hand planes indispensable but it depends on how you do things and what is acceptable to you whether you need any or many. I primarily use the instead of sandpaper the flatten surfaces, remove machining marks, and prep for finishing.
 
#17 ·
Just about everything u listed can b made reasonably easy with what u have.
I'd suggest u clean and paint the garage first. Then mayb a small lumber storage area. After that build a decent work bench that is attached to a wall. After that just figure out what u need per job u are doing.
Just my 2 cents but I wouldn't pay a $100 for a square unless u are going to do real fancy work. A $15 square will do all the projects u listed just fine. Invest in some good drill bits and screws tho for that outdoor furniture
 
#19 ·
Just about everything u listed can b made reasonably easy with what u have.
I'd suggest u clean and paint the garage first. Then mayb a small lumber storage area. After that build a decent work bench that is attached to a wall. After that just figure out what u need per job u are doing.
Just my 2 cents but I wouldn't pay a $100 for a square unless u are going to do real fancy work. A $15 square will do all the projects u listed just fine. Invest in some good drill bits and screws tho for that outdoor furniture

- JCamp
So the bench in the back of the pic is attached to the wall

As far as tools, what do you plan on working on/creating?

- Fiver

Probably to start out, outdoor furniture for my front and back decks and gazebo area once I fix it up (50 foot maple tree limb fell onto the roof of it). I also need to create 2 new doors for my shed which has rotted at the bottom.

I also want to be able to do little storage projects for my 11 year old daughter, because she needs storage for all her toys. She also wants a tree house, but thats in the future.

I will probably also pick up a lathe because that just looks like fun to do pens and other stuff.

I really don t know what I will enjoy doing most, I just like doing projects around the house and I think this will expand to that. So I want to make sure I have the basics covered and can add on as I need them.

- OgrePSU

You already have the tools for that stuff, depending on how the toy box is built. If you want a lathe to just play with look on craigslist - stay way from tube and stamped steel bed ways. HF 34706 lathe is a great full size lathe for starting out to learn about turning and what you really want in a lathe. Had one for 6 years. Helped me figure out what I did and did not want, and though I sold it, it was low enough cost to just throw away when done with it.

As for other tools for flatwork - TS is #1, but how you want to work, type of materials, etc drives what you need. 3 routers 1) trim , 2) combination fixed/plunge handheld, 3) permanently mounted in a table. I consider hand planes indispensable but it depends on how you do things and what is acceptable to you whether you need any or many. I primarily use the instead of sandpaper the flatten surfaces, remove machining marks, and prep for finishing.

- OSU55
Can i use a fixed/plunge handheld mounted on the table, or is it best to buy two?
 
#20 ·
Welcome to Ljs
It sounds like a lot of what you want to make falls more in the carpentry realm so I would hold off on big expensive tools for cabinet making until you get a better feel for what you're going to make. I would suggest you sign up for a community college woodworking class to help you use tools safely and get a better feel for what kind of projects you'll want to make, then and only then buy the tools you will need for each project you want to make. if you're going to make mostly carpentry type work you will need a lot less than cabinet making and not as expensive or as sophisticated.

https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos
 
#21 ·
You can get a router combo with both fixed and plunge bases. You could mount the fixed base in the table.

A note about routers mounted in tables: it would be wise to buy a router for table mount that adapts to 1/2" bits. It is the 1/2" bits that do the serious cutting, so it is good to have that capability, even if you never use it.

My heavy duty bosch wont do 1/2" bits, and thats a problem for certain operations I would like to be able to do; so I have to fall back on the table saw to do them.
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
As everybody mentions, plan your tools to your projects. You can buy the equipment and tools as the projects call for, instead of buying all at once. We all can spend your money very easily. I would get free catalogs from different woodworker suppliers, (grizzly.com, rockler.com, woodcraft.com, etc.). Compare what they have to offer and their prices. Walk through your local hardware store or tool store to see what they offer and get familiar with what they have to offer and their prices.

Consider your health (lungs) as priority, so Air Purifier Unit such as Wen 3410 or better https://www.homedepot.com/s/wen%2520air%2520filtration?NCNI-5 and the use of dust masks are important. Dust collection is also a priority. You don't have to run a fixed dust collection piping system, you can transfer the hose to each machine as you use them. Dust collectors like the Harbor Freight 13 or 70 gallon https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=dust%20collection%20system will draw more air volume and run much quieter than a shop vac. Don't forget the "ear protection". When buying the tools, keep dust collection in mind (how well does it actually collect the saw dust, and can the sanders hook up to a shop vac).

Electrical power supply. Is all your equipment going to run on 120v, or do you need to add 230v lines.

The equipment I use the most in order is: work bench, table saw, miter saw, 6"x80" edge sander, 4"x36" benchtop sander, planer, router table, jointer, band saw, drill press, spindle sander, 4"x24" belt sander, variable 2 1/4hp fixed based router, detail sanders, lathe. The hand clamps I prefer are the Irwin Quick-Grips.

Table saw with a riving knife and solid cast iron tabletop. Home Depot has a Rigid for $750 or Grizzly starting at $925.

A lot of people knock down Harbor Freight because of their quality, but if you compare their clamps, the aluminum bar clamps and F-clamps are a excellent value. hard to beat the price.

Make a list of what you think you need or want, and prioritize each one in a number of importance. This will help you focus on what's important to your need of tools. If you buy rough cut lumber, than the planer and jointer gets put higher on the list of importance. Also, will you use that tool your thinking of, or is it a 'would be nice to have'. You can easily get above several grand, plus a $1000 in tools you'll only use a couple times every other year.

I'm on the frugal side, some are on the quality side (twinge once and be done). But your able to get more equipment and tools being frugal in price, so compare the options that you will use.
 
#23 ·
For small projects like pens and Christmas ornaments, I have a $100 variable speed lathe from Menards. No belt to change. Add a round and square easy wood tools carbide chisels and you can turn a lot. A handsaw would come before a table saw because you can cut more safely and cut curves. And buy the best dust collector you can, like a jet or grizzly with a pleated filter. Band buy mostly used machines. Plenty out there.. enjoy the new hobby, the lathe will make a lot of small quick bto finish projects.
 
#24 ·
Can i use a fixed/plunge handheld mounted on the table, or is it best to buy two?

Yes, I started that way, but swapping the router is a pita. Otherwise it works. +1 on the comment about a router that will take both 1/4" and 1/2" bits, for the larger handheld and the table, trim router no.

On the subject of "dust collection" - for most it is really chip collection. It takes a good sized DC and custom collection design at each machine to actually capture the small harmful stuff. The over head air cleaners help some, but the dust passes you on the way usually. Where they help is after you are done making dust they can clean it out so you can go to work without a respirator faster. I highly recommend a respirator while using tools that generate dust and dont kid yourself that the 1-2 hp dc and overhead cleaner take care of it.
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
I would let quality used tools you can find, help dictate what you purchase.

My first major investment was a contractor grade table saw (Bosch 4000). It's relatively cheap (compared to a hybrid or cabinet saw) and will serve as a good piece to help you decide what you really need when it's time to move up. I've had mine for over 10 years and has served me well. That said, I will be upgrading it in the next couple years.

For now I would def close off the shop to the house. I tried doing work in a garage that was also used for storage before and for me, never again. I eventually had to rise the saw dust off everything. Luckily we use Rubbermaid's for storage. For now the shop vac can work. Look up how to make a "Thien Baffle" or get a cyclone. If you have some extra $ in the end, the HF dust collector with either option is a great budget system until funds are there for something better.

Make a list of what you need and want. Then I would spend a couple months cleaning up the garage and building a sturdy bench. During that time, monitor craigslist or any other used tool options in your area. In the better areas a good saw should show up. If one doesn't, you can still go the contractor saw route. eBay or antique stores are a great source for hand planes. If you're willing to clean them up yourself, you can find them for a decent price. Any used tools, minor surface rust is ok and scares a lot away. Just avoid any pitting. In some cases a good eye can save a ton on items others just pass up without really looking at it.

For now your B&D tools should be fine. Upgrade as you can later down the road.

Also shop garage sales for older tools and cabinets. I usually make my own to learn better BUT I've seen some on Craigslist that would've been just as good and actually cheaper then what I spent to make them.

Early on, most tools will still out perform the user. In a truly skilled persons hand, a lot of my tools can perform way better then they do with me. Point being, a lot are far better then my skill set is!!

edit; +1 on using some kind of mask, even WITH air filtration and a DC running. Lots of nasty stuff in the dust.

Kind of rambling but that's my thoughts.
 
#26 ·
A plunge router will do everything a fixed base router will do, but the plunge router's handles are higher, which can make controlling it for typical edge routing a little touchier. Depending what kind of router table and/or router lift you get, changing the router between bases or the router table is about the same either way, or could be quite a bit more difficult to get in/out of the table. The cheapest way to start is a router kit with plunge and fixed bases, and mount the fixed base to the router table. Sooner or later, you will want a dedicated lift for the router table.

For the types of projects you mentioned, purchasing lumber in the standard thicknesses will probably work fine. Once you get into more involved projects, non-standard thicknesses will be necessary, at which point you will want a planer, and perhaps a jointer. These will also allow you to purchase rough-sawn or skip-planed lumber, which is cheaper than lumber that is already smooth on all 4 sides (S4S), as sold in typical big box stores.

I agree with the statements about the table saw being the hub of most small shops, and paying the most attention to it. Left or right tilt doesn't make a lot of difference to me (especially if the fence can be set right or left of the blade with adequate capacity on both sides), so I would pay attention to other features (table size, cast iron table/wings, fence capacity/quality, cabinet vs hybrid or contractor style, horse power, etc.) first. Purchase a good quality combination saw blade for it, and a good dado blade set.

Oh, most importantly, have FUN with this wonderful hobby!

Andy
 
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