Poll: What accessories, jigs, and shop gear are on your holiday wish list?
Dec 15, 2009
Vote in our polls to help us find the most-requested woodworking gifts of 2009.
Then post a comment on our blog for a chance to win one of these prizes: Laguna DriftMaster Bandsaw Fence,
Laguna LT Ceramic Bandsaw Guides, Lie-Nielsen 60-1/2 Adjustable Mouth Block Plane
Brass Cross Peen Hammer, Leigh 18” Dovetail Jig, or an Oneida Dust Deputy Deluxe.
Over the last few weeks, more than 200 individuals let us know what they put on their wish lists this holiday season. We’ve rounded them all up into this collection of polls.
| Vote in our polls • Hand tools • Power tools • Machinery • Shop gear, jigs, accessories, etc. |
Note: These polls are thoroughly unscientific (but, we hope, entertaining).
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Comments
These past few years have curved my ‘wants’ to ‘appreciation’ for what I have. But what I need isn’t on your lists and that is a bigger shop.
Don
I agree with Don. Just a bit more space would be perfect.
Don
A shop at all! I'm lucky in that my machinery is relatively portable. I'm unlucky in that I can't build in the rain! :-(
Next spring, for sure.
I wonder if Santa's elves use a Laguna Driftmaster ?
My shop is big enough but my time is too limited. As for equipment, I'm torn between a midi lathe and a new drill press. My current woodturning lathe is a 6" metal lathe with some modifications; and my drill press is a pre-WW2 benchtop model with just a bit too much runout.
Although I have a decent shop- I think more space is always on the list for everyone. More windows would be great too!
Kerry
heat in the shop would be great!, but insulation is still on my to do list.
If I could wish for anything I have 2 things I really want.. first is a bandsaw.. 14 inch..and lumber for finally making my workbench.. Anything else is gravy after those 2.. but those are the Ham and Yams.. desired most.
You can never have too many clamps..
Heat in my shop would also be huge.. Minnesota winters make a cold shop hard to bear.
You can never have too many clamps..
Heat in my shop would also be huge.. Minnesota winters make a cold shop hard to bear.
Dust collection would be great
My need list is very short. It is my want list that gets me. I doubt Santa will make me a special trip. Merry Christmas everyone.
While there are numerous toys and tools to drool over, I have found that the top items on my woodworking wish list are time to spend in my shop and good health to enjoy it with. When I have one I seem to be lacking the other. I do agree with Don though...a bigger shop would be very nice...and an 8" jointer.
Not on your list, but what I want/need most is more
cabinets, drawers, etc. to better organize what I have in my
tiny shop.
Hope Santa is good to all and you have a very Happy New Year
Dust collection is really most important: health trumps fun (but fun is really important!). Will I have to be my own Santa?
Lots of time and neighbours away on holidays!
So many items, so few Christmases.
I really need to address dust collection this year.
Now retired, need more room, so little time left, so many things to build and will GO Out making sawdust.
The need to cut dovetails to my liking shows that I need a dovetail jig for my shop. I don't seem to have the patience needed to do it right. Merry Christmas from halfway to the North Pole.
I would really love a nice Lie-Nelson plane. But more than that I would love to know how to correctly sharpen and use the darn thing!
Next up is one of those high-tech sliding tables for the table saw: clamps, bearings, and maybe a cnc motor to drive a consistent cut.
Oh, yeah, Santa, and one of those gizmos that turns on the shop vac when I turn on the tool.
What I want I can only give myself: a deeper appreciation for the gift of health and time to work in this amazing craft and a love of the spirit in these trees that George Nakashima taught us about.
John
Dust collection is a big need in my shop. So a central dust collection system from Santa would be nice.
Dust collection has become a need - along with air filtration.
Although a bigger shop is always on the list!
Joseph
nice choices, it's interesting to see what everyone else is looking for.
The one gift that would most help me would be more space. I need a shop. My second item would be more time. However,I could use several items on your list. Have a Merry Christmas!
Hmm, biggest thing on my list is time. Did not see that there either.
Very interesting to see what other people want! I mostly need more space and more time for me in my shop but an oscillating spindle sander would be nice. :-)
Dave
Listing the Woodrat as one of your choices and not the Router Boss shows a worrisome lack of knowledge or judgment. The Router Boss is a direct descendant of the Woodrat, and is better both in design and implementation. (I have owned both.)
I'm a wondering why the power tools listed so many routers and missed lots of other tools. ?? But, that said, gimme more time and more space any day -- and a nice pile of quatersawn lumber with oak (red and white), maple (to include birds-eye), ash, beech, mahogany (soft and hard), poplar, pine, douglas fir, cedar (various species), cypress and a smattering of other good stuff. Is that too much to ask? Yeah, I thought so. How about a pile of twisted green spruce?
It's interesting to see more people want (from the list) either lumber or dust collection. More lumber to make into dust? -- Actually, time to work is my need as well. I'm just finishing making 'enough' space, hopefully.
Probably doesn't fill the criteria, but as it is Christmas I thought you may like to read the following which I wrote for our Guild Newsletter.
A woodworker’s Christmas wish list!
Last year it was the woodturner’s Christmas wish list, this year it is the turn of the woodworkers.
On the first day of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine for my workshop.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two Festool routers and a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine ..
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three Stanley planes, two Festool routers and a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four cordless drills, three Stanley planes, two Festool routers and a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five assorted saws; four cordless drills, three Stanley planes, two Festool routers and a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six marking gauges, five assorted saws; ...
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven Record G-craps, six marking gauges,…
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight Marples mortise chisels, seven Record G-cramps,…
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine screwdrivers, eight Marples chisels...
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten router cutters, nine screwdrivers, …..
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven assorted hammers, ten router cutters, ……
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve Forstner drill bits, eleven assorted hammers, ten router cutters, nine screwdrivers, eight Marples mortise chisels, seven Record G-cramps, six marking gauges, five assorted saws; four cordless drills, three Stanley planes, two Festool routers and a Kity Bestcombi woodworking machine.
Hoping you all have full stockings of woodworking tools on Christmas Day, or if not a … (there followed a photo of a red sports car!)
Any new tool from Bridge City Tool Works. These tools are so useful I've never understood people that buy them just to look at. I have them on display and always get comments when I show how I use them. That said I'd love a SawStop cabinet saw and a Powermatic 20" or larger lathe.
All these great ideas. Now how does one find the time to use them as much as you would like to?
Allways can use more clamps, a new bandsaw 18" would be great, and can never have enough hardware
What I'd rather have is an above ground dedicated shop, but since my "shared" shop is in my basement/garage I need a way to keep the humidity constant and at a low level. Dust collection would help too. A Jawhorse would be nice when slabbing out and hollowing bowls and doing heavy mallet work on large carvings and chainsaw shaping.
What I would most like is a larger shop. My machine space is severely limited so every large machine has to be on wheels. A lot of shuffling about has to be done to take a project through the machining steps.
I would like to build a Roubo style workbench in 2010 ... so the Benchcrafted Leg vise/Wagon vise combo would be the ideal workholding accessories. I hope to make it happen.
Jonathan
As a retiree from the World of CNC woodworking it is very satisfying to be able to feel the wood as I work it. I am trying to move more and more into hand work utilizing hand saws and planes etc. I owned and operated a CNC shop for so long that I had forgotten how good it really felt to finish a piece by hand and be proud of it. Thanks for your great online magazine. Paul Swain
Just getting back into woodworking after many years pursuing other careers. This is my retirement career and I just want to make nice things and give them away to family, friends and the needy.
As a new woodworker I am looking for the value buys. The Veritas saw set is tremendous. A simple flush cut saw will hopefully show up in my stocking. And of course, time to actually use my shop also ranks very high up on my wish list!
~Peter
Our local community college's most excellent woodworking program is on the block due to California's dismal economy. What I want is for the program to be maintained and even grow. Sierra College, Rocklin California. (see youtube.com under valleynative)
The instruction I've received has been outstanding and enabled me to better utilize the space. However, if Santa listened and was able, he'd send me a Bench Dog cast iron router top to replace the right side extension on my Unisaw. I could then eliminate the stand-alone table and get both cars back in the garage - which would make my husband very happy.
For Christmas I would love a dust collector, ideally a cyclone, but I will take what I can get. A good quality block plane would be really great as well.
Darn, what I really need most is a real shop again. The garage is much to small for all of my equipment. It takes up about 1 1/2 stalls. Wish my house would sell so that I could move to a smaller place and build a proper shop again.
I have most of what I need but better dust collection never hurts.
Lumber and time are what I need the most. Unfortunately you can't buy time.
post
Time, please, more time to spend at home working on projects. Also a triple base router kit from Porter Cable or other would be sweet under the tree. And the FW DVD library in the stocking. Heaven sent.
Dear Santa,
I have been very good this year. Utilizing my skills and precious lumber to the best of my ability making fine furniture. I only ask of (2) gifts this year. 1. An unlimited budget to buy all the lumber,machinery, and tools I need for present and future projects. 2.All the shop time I need to design and make the projects I desire.
Thank You,
OOPS
My biggest wish for many years has been a wood that is dust free.HO HO HO
wish i have a bigger shop.
I wish for hand tool skills as I don't have much exp but would like to work more with hand tools.
What I really need is HEAT in my shop, it gets mighty cold in northwest Indiana in the winter!!
I am currently working up some wormy chestnut barn beams into stock for a hope chest for my daughter - DO I NEED A CYCLONE DUST COLLECTOR OR WHAT! Are you listening, Santa?
Brad
Any number of gadgets from Rockler or Lee Valley tools would make my day.
Anything from Laguna tools or Lie Nielsen
I could use the dovetail jig you are giving away. That would work nicely.
I could also use that fancy dust collector gadget.
Never had a shop until last year but always wanted one. Got busy with raising kids no regrets and just never made it happen. Got pancreatic cancer and now I along with my terrific wife are making this dream a reality. Hope I win some gifts because it is hard building a shop in a very short periiod of time. Look at the woodwhisperer.com video duane's trunk and you can see a little more about my journey. Also good luck to all that have entered. Happy Sawdust making.
Duane
Organization and the self-discipline to put things back where they go. That would go along way for me.
Dear Santa,
I really love all the help I receive from the very skilled woodworkers found on the excellent Fine Woodworking website.I'm still wishing that I'll receive those Laguna LT ceramic bandsaw guides for Christmas. You know I've been GOOD!
I come from a long line of carpenters. My grandfather had a woodworking/cabinet shop. My dad was a building contractor who made his own custom cabinets and some furniture. My grandfather used mostly cedar while my dad was an oak, cherry, walnut kind of man. My great grandfather was also a carpenter although I never knew him. I grew up in cabinet/woodworking shops. When I was coming of age in the early 80s, I worked for my dad awhile until the building industry slowed to a trickle when I opted to go a different direction. Fast forward a few years later when my father died suddenly and most of his tools were sold off to settle the estate and to provide income for my mother. I bought my first/only home some 10+ years ago and have vowed to build a work working shop. I want to teach the craft to my son who is now ripe for learning it. I want a 10-14" table saw; a turning lathe with turning tools; a cut-off saw, a mitre saw; a grinder; a router with table; and need a series of clamps. The lavish things would be like a planer; bandsaw; drill press. I have several of my dads old tools, but never had a place to keep any of the bigger saws/tools. I am finding the tools to be very expensive for a hobbiest and am wondering, given my situation, what would be some of the most cost-effective tools to purchase first in building a shop. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
I would do anything for a larger-much,much larger- shop!!!! With that not happening ,I want a gift certificate(certificates?)at my favorite store, The Woodsmith Store in Des Moines,IA it is without a doubt, truly heaven on earth.
Space would be my greatest gift. Just a little more space to hold just a couple more tools.
The courage to extend beyond my current skill level and try a project that involves many of the hand tool skills practiced by the experienced artisans who demonstrate their craft in the pages of Woodworking Magazine. I read, appreciate, learn, and now must do...and then continue the learn-do-learn cycle.
14" Powermatic Bandsaw, 8" powermatic jointer, all of the Lie Nielson planes, spokeshaves, and plenty of time to use them all.
To give J_Free some advice, I would suggest that (although you have heard this before) the way to go with a small shop and small(ish) budget is to stay with as many hand tools as possible. A top quality set of hand planes, saws and chisels will cost far less than just the table saw you have no room for, and the room needed for hand tool use and storage is tiny compared to what the machines need. I recommend you start with one or two top of the line hand planes from veritas (Lee Valley) or Lie Neilson and add to your collection as you can (christmas is coming!) A solid work bench should be your first project. I can honestly say that after 40 years of woodworking the only tools I have regreted buying were the "bargins" that didn't last or hold up to real world use. Put another way, I have a Veritas hand plane that I paid $200.00 for that will long outlast me and likely another generation. In the end it will likely cost only $2.00 per year of service.
Hey one item I would like not on the list above: the new professional grade mortise and frame jig from Leigh Industries. Saw a demo of it and wow... what a tool. Honey ...maybe if my birthday and christmas gifts were combined together... I can hope right!?
Though I checked many items for my wish list what I wish for most is an oportunity to learn more about woodworking and how to better use the tools I all ready have.
For J_Free: I was in a similar when first starting up. I was renting a duplex at the time, so I had a part of a basement to work in, but it was small (8x12 or so). The first thing I built was a bench. It wasn't anything crazy. Just some 2x4s w/ 24" x 8' x 3/4" ply for a top. It was attached to the floor joists above w/ screws.
The only power tools I had at the time were a Skil 10" benchtop table saw on a stand, an old craftsman router, a saber saw, a drill, and a skilsaw.
For hand tools, I had a jack plane(Dunlop) and a block plane(Stanley), some hand saws, a set of Marples blue handle chisels, a bevel gauge, a couple of cutting/marking gauges, a combination 1000/6000 grit waterstone, and an xacto knife. I used the waterstone and sandpaper on plate glass for sharpening. Some of the tools were yard sale finds and some were new.
A good vise is key. After using a cheap vise for a month, I splurged and bought a Record 53. Unfortunately, Record no longer makes them. The same design is now made by either Groz or Anant. I have no idea of the quality of them now.
Probably the best investment I made that improved my joinery was to buy a really good combination square. Aside from the typical layout tasks, you can check the sides of dovetails and mortise walls for perpendicular, and tenon faces for consistent height.
So, my hand tool suggestions for getting started would be:
12" combination square (Starrett, Brown&Sharpe, Mitutoyo)
1/4", 1/2", 1" chisels
Mallet or hammer for driving chisels
Jack(#5) or smoothing plane(#4)
Sandpaper(240,320,400,600,800,1000,1200,1500,2000 grit) and a piece plate glass for sharpening (short term cheap solution)
Cutting or marking gauge (a maple one is fine)
Small, fine tooth, backsaw for joinery. Crown makes a good one. I've used Eberle ones, and they work fine as well.
4" X-Slim or XX-Slim triangular file for sharpening the saw
Xacto knife for marking and general cutting
Bevel gauge -- or make one/improvise
Good book(s) on using hand tools and/or high quality classes if you can afford the time and money. Nothing beats being taught by a professional face to face.
Good luck,
-- Mike
I need heat, and better dust collection too, so the cyclone and gas heater get my votes. So do books, so I can be woodworking when not in the shop
Ted
If posting this note brought a Leigh dovetail jig to my shop, I would be a happy woodworker. In the meantime, I am hoping for a new Forrest blade and some shaper cutters under the tree so that my cyclone will have more opportunities to perform its intended function.
Toby
Dear Santa,
What I want most:
Time, more time to relax and work in and on my shop.
Well, If you see a great deal on a used shaper on craig's list..I'm sure it will fit on a sleigh...
Feliz Navidad from New Mexico!
Wow! I guess as a novice I was surprised wood/lumber was so high on the list. But, you have to have good wood for a good project and wood costs money.
Had to go to Rockler with my wife to pick out the router table I wanted--Son thinks I know nothing about it so I have been practicing my "surprise" look in the mirror. I will reinforce the rafters this summer so Santa's sleigh can deliver a new band saw next year. Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!
Just one high quality plane would make me happy. Are you listening, oh wife of mine?
Saving for a CNC router to finish out my shop. A vacuum press is also what Santa could bring me and I'd be overjoyed.
So if somehow I could win the driftmaster fence,does that justify or constitute permission to buy a LT14? Sorta like ,well honey I kinda had to you know? being as how santa and taunton got me the fence!?
Ho Ho haha
Blessed holidays to all
Who's buying my lotto ticket...then I can stop pestering for the money to do a complete shop custom rebuild, fit out, tools and machinery..........dreams!
A bigger shop...though that would entail buying a new home on a larger property...sigh...gotta wait till the kids move out.
But for now, a Lee Valley sharpening jig, and the dovetail jig...and it would be nice to be able to find a joinery class somewhere that was reasonably priced and designed for a working man, not kids or professional students.
I'm really hoping for a Veritas Power sharpening system, I'm tired of flattening plane irons on a water stone.
Ho!Ho!Ho! I don't know. Just something for the shop and I'm ready to go.
Would be grateful for any of the above listed.
Some quality dust collection--either a central system or a cyclone system--would be fantastic. Oh, and for a little more HO HO HO in this season, how about some nice lumber--I'll take some mahogony, red oak, ash, walnut or some cherry!
My wish list is more skewed towards hand tools, primarily a good set of chisels (Lie Nielson or Veritas), a 3 piece set of Shapton stones, a honing guide, and a Veritas shoulder plane. On the power side, a nice grinder to sharpen my bench irons as well as my turning tools would be great. And more time in the shop making loads of sawdust would be great.
Santa, are ya listenin'???
Gift card is Ok for now. I can decide later.
Thanks Santa
I think a bigger shop would make a great stocking stuffer, maybe throw in a free shop assistant and a long list of regular patrons.
Hey Santa I know it's hard to believe I need more clamps but...
I would love to have a Driftmaster to help my efforts of drifting away in woodworking bliss. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!!!
I have two techniques for purchasing new tools and staying out of trouble with my wife:
1. I purchase a tool and stash it. When she finally notices, she asks "how long have you had that tool?" I say "oh, Honey, I've had that for months"!
2. I have purchased several small tools, Milwaukee Compact Driver, Porter-Cable Compact Belt sander, and a Skil Detail Sander. I bring them home and say "Honey, look what I bought for you today." She loves 'em. :-)
Ted
It is hard to ask for tools when the shop space is limited. I find it best to acquire something new when I have a job that "demands" it and the space to store the tool after the job.
Of course, the Oneida dust collector and the SawStop Industrial cabinet saw take up lots of the space.
However, you cannot ever have too many books about woodworking.
i want just enough space to work comfortably with all my tools. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I need more time to enjoy my favorite hobby. An improved dust collection system would certainly decrease the health risk posed by spending more time generating sawdust.
Come on mommy needs a new pair of red shoes.
I'm with those who say they need more room, but I can still find space for a few more tools. Here's to hoping Santa isn't done yet!
I could realy use water stones and a honing guide, I could also use a dovetail jig I will stop here so as to leave room for others to post as well! LOL
Chaim
I could realy use water stones and a honing guide, I could also use a dovetail jig I will stop here so as to leave room for others to post as well! LOL
Chaim
please oh please some heat for the shop. At least I can bring my bench-mount fret saw in where it is warm and dry to work on marquetry.
I keep thinking about getting a dust deputy for my shop vac. But the newest shop toy always distracts me. Even now I think that another Plane would be nice too!
I just need a shop and space. I need more space ...
I find the need for more quality hand tools the better I get at Woodowkring. A Jointer Plane and Shoulder Planes would be on my list, and of course more time to use them!!
Although I can always figure out ways to spend money on new tools (being the tool junkie I am) and I do need some new bit patterns for cab doors, I am with Tito.
More square footage is at the top of my wishlist.
Just got a new sharpening system. I couldn't afford the tormek, so I got a Work Sharp WS3000. Surprisingly good results. I need a big ol' bandsaw and more floor space to put it. A bigger lathe would be nice, too...
-DG
I know it's been said many times, but you can't have enough clamps. Having enough good quality clamps is better yet!!
hi I never have enough clamps, but I do have lots of scraps, so.... have a look
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/25167
I am lucky in that I do not really NEED any thing that I do not have or have access to, but like everyone I do have many WISHES. I would love to have a SawStop tablesaw and a cyclonic dust collector.
I asked for clamps, a dust collector, a planer, a jointer and a subscription to Fine Woodworking Magazine. I got the latest Tools and Shop issue, a couple of Jorgenson Parallel jaw clamps, a couple of 8" hand screw clamps. Awesome. The only problem though is my wife and daughters kicked me out of my own shop until January 4th. I made 7 boxes as Christmas presents this year and finished the last one on Christmas eve. I wont be able to use the wicked new gifts for another few days. Oh well...the things we do for love.
Hope all had a wicked Christmas and New Years. I know being with my Girls made mine amazing.
Cheers.
I am really just starting out. Luckily I have have most of the basic tools given to me. What I want most right now is a instruction/ repair manual for my Shopsmith that I inherited from my father when he passed. I didn't dare aske for any tools this year. I am unemployed and concentrated on my kids this year. I did make a couple of cutting boards and picture frames as gifts though.
All gifts, great and small would be accepted with great gratitude, especially so for a 5Hp Clearvue cyclone. :-)
I would love to have a new gas heater for my shop. I have been using a propane space heater, but my shop is so well insulated that the fumes are getting to me after just a few minutes, unless I open a door, which sort of defeats the purpose of a heater.
The past year has found me trimming my house and doing alot of sawing in the shop and creating alot of dust. A central dust collection system is at the top of the list. The research I have done has all begun from this website. The recent article lead me to Bill Pentz and some real good advise.
I always have things on my wishlist. I have always used powertools in my projects. I have been thinking about trying my hand at some hand tools.
Maybe incorporating some mortises, or other maybe try some hand planes.
My shop is small, and it is hard to do any large projects without leaving my car outside for days, or weeks, and I don't get much shop time in, so smaller projects are great.
The want/need list is endless. Big machinery - Band Saw, Lathe; some nice Lie Nelson planes; but what I need more than anything is a central dust collector.
My wife asks for my wishlists from various online vendors, and even though she gets me items from them it's always a surprise to see what she picks. I don't believe any of us ever get to the point in our woodworking where we can say, "Okay I've got enough tools and supplies, I don't need anything else." Am I right?
Any of the above would be great, But what I really need is a bigger shop and more time to be in it
I would really like to have a drum sander most of all but im starting to get more in to hand planes and any planes would be a welcome also
Any kind of tool, Need new table and Drill press
Tough year for Santa this year, was hoping for enough Lie-Neilson gift cards to buy the low angle jack plane and toothing blade. It didn't work out, but hey there is always next year.
I must have been very good, Santa gave me a Carvewright cnc machine.
Welp, I can't complain at all - granted, there wasn't anything from Lee Valley/Veritas or Lie-Nielsen under the tree ;) but mama spoiled me a bit more than usual and I was all smiles!
I finally got a set of Bessy K Body's (WOOO HOOO) plus some decent HD F clamps (Bessy), a Kreg jig kit, a couple of small pieces of exotic burl to play with, a Shop Vac to help with the mess and a new Stanley Spokeshave - my first so better to start learning at $30 than $100+ :) Actually, that blade took a decent shaving right out of the package... I was pleasantly surprised.
I was already feeling pretty good going into the season anyway. I've been collecting hard maple for a couple of years and lucked into a dried stash of Hickory last year and just finished my first, real workbench in late October. Heck that alone made the holidays sweet - I can't figure out how I ever made anything prior to that point.
I also agree with those above who said an appreciation for what they have, or a re-newed appreciation. I don't have much, most of it is lower end and old but I love my old Stanley/Sargeant handplanes/drills, etc. and I can do pretty much anything my current skill set will allow and a lot it wont... hahahahah!
You can never have too many clamps.
You can always remove more dust.
Yesterday I cleaned my shop from a large project. I had to vacuum off my dust collector. Something is very wrong here.
Okay, sure, i can always use more clamps. And yes, a central vac system would be sweet, or better yet, central heat and air so I can avoid wilting in the summer or freezing in the winter. But if you're gonna dream, you might as well dream big so how about a dedicated shop with all the above and the time to enjoy it!!!!!!
Dust seems to be the major problem in my basement workshop. A cyclone dust collector would help to reduce the fine dust that my older two stage dust collector allows to escape. Now I just have to convince my wife that it will help to reduce the level of dust on the main floor. Otherwise I may have to give up woodworking until the weather gets warm.
Jim
Lumber! Need more wood to make more things. Then upgrade dust collection after having more wood that makes more dust.
I'm with DDolphin. With apologies for being a glutton, I'd love it all: a new dedicated year-round shop, the tools I need, the best materials and the time to make them what they want to be. If I had to pick one, it would be more time.
Would that be a lifetime-including all DVD-issues-and-website subscription for FWW? I'll take one.
I'm exceedingly lucky; I have almost all the machinery I could plausibly want and a fair bit of time to play with them. Long may it continue!
I would love to have a small garage/shed of adequate size that I could dedicate solely for a wood shop with windows that let in wonderful natural lighting and that look out onto a forest or meadow where I could spend time crafting my creations. In the summer I would leave the doors open to let in the warmth and breezes and sounds of a peaceful summer day as I quietly hand cut dovetails or plane a table top (that's going to be a secret gift for my wife), meanwhile my dog sits quietly watching my progress and I have no other care in the world. Maybe I'd add a little quiet music too. That's my wish.
The most important thing for me is more time!!! I guess I need a clock that runs backwards. I always seem to run out of time in the shop. Go out to the shop,,zzzziiiippp, 3 hrs have gone by.
I really need a cyclone dust collector. The lumber to build a new bench would be nice.
I too have been drooling over some of the shop layouts shown
in the Tools $ Shops magazine. I now have a "L" shaped narrow shop that limits the size of sheet goods I can handle, also prevents the addition of a 8" jointer. Ah!
retirement is on the horizon, with a move and new house/shop
in the future, I'll surive.
I got a Super 12 dovetail jig with a gift certificate from Woodcraft. I've made a few dovetails by hand, but this saves a lot of time (also, the fit is a lot better)
A well heated shop with adequate lumber storage and finishing facilities would be at the top of my list. In the mean time, the next best thing would be more time to spend in the shop to finish some of the projects already in progress. Could always use more clamps; like Norm says "you never have too many clamps". Right behind that would be a vacuum press to assist in proper glue up of veneer. These things are beyond the scope of your lists, but as long as you are dreaming, I think it is OK to dream big.
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