Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 18, 2008 02:55pm | #1

   NO special E-MAIL IS NEEDED.. JUST STAY HERE AND LOOK.!

    

2. 
   seajai | May 18, 2008 03:26pm | #2

   If you want to fill your shop full of tools, that's fine, but you will still need to learn how to use them. I started out with a cheap table saw, router&table, and power miter box. If you start out building a few projects from plans, it will allow you work on your woodworking skills and not worry so much about the design and engineering part of it. Watching woodworking shows on TV or buying plans with an accompanying video helps to "see" how a particular operation is done.  Be prepared to make some firewood in the process, everyone here at some point has made a mistake that has ended up in the burn pile. The most important thing is be safe, it was a good day if you can still count to ten when it's over.

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/18/2008 8:29 am by seajai

1. 
   Hokiewoodworker | Sep 18, 2008 09:50pm | #20

   I would agree with seajai.  Take your time, enjoy the process and work slowly and patiently!!!!  You can always cut another board but if you loose a finger or worse this can't be replaced. Be careful and enjoy some great gear. Believe me you will slowly find a use for each and every one of those tools. Read the manual and learn how to care for the equipment because if you don't you will end up with a pile of junk in your shop.  Find a project, (side table, book case, work bench, frames, etc....) and start working on it. You will soon learn new jointery techniques and start to trouble shoot your mistakes and flaws in wood. Remember clean up the shop and if you still can see your fingers and count to 10 your doing good.

    

   Then comes the fun part learning how to apply finishes. (Still working on this one.....)

3. 
   AB | May 18, 2008 05:10pm | #3

   The next thing you need to buy is some wood. Make something, anything. If you can't figure out how to make do with the tools you have then think about your next tool purchase. Try to keep in a its not about the tools its about the craft frame of mind. Start simple and stay busy at woodworking not tool collecting. It feels great to buy a cool tool, but trust me it feels even better to be able to create with it.

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 20, 2008 11:24am | #7

   I read the first two reply's. RIght on.. I have all sorts of expensive tools and I STILL use my old junkers! They work!  OK.. so do the expensive tools but my old ones I have ALOT of experience with! The expensive tools stay sharper longer and a 'bit' more percision.  OK so I'm a tool junkie... I'd say I still use my old tools ALOT! All in all, I have discovered that the 'fancy' tools speed up things a bit.  More than a bit if you count my Leigh tools!

4. 
   bd | May 19, 2008 02:19am | #4

   If you really don't know anything about the tools, I would suggest that you start by reading the safety instructions. While some of them seemed aimed a true simpletons, there are usually some worthwhile issues covered, too. Most all of those tools can remove or rearrange body extremities. There are a lot of self-taught people that have the scars to prove it. No point in you reproducing any or all of our stupid or careless accidents.

   Secondly, if you have access to any TV channels that carry Norm Abram's New Yankee Workshop, Scott Phillips' American Woodshop, or David Marks' Woodworks. Watch as many of those as you can to see methods of work. Some of Scott's videos are on the web:

   http://www.wbgu.org/americanwoodshop/Episodes/index.html

   There's an awful lot of info on the web, besides just here. I don't have any thing that I can recommend, but I know there are a bunch of workworkers that have posted web pages on "how to do" specific tasks. Maybe some of the people here can provide you useful links.

   Frequently some of the magazines have relatively simple "do it in a weekend" kinds of projects. They usually give fairly thorough instructions on those for beginning woodworkers. Those types of projects will guide you in getting some familiarity with methods of work.

5. 
   tomwalz | May 19, 2008 08:15pm | #5

   Sorry if I've already sent any of this out my computer skills are lacking big time.

    

   I am located in marine park Brooklyn NY.  I have a 10 x 28 foot space wired for 110v intend to wire in 220v.

    

   After subscribing to fine woodworking I found out how little I know! Help and advise needed.

    

   I have purchased:

   Delta Rockwell table saw 10 inch contractors model

   circular saws (Forrest 10 inch blades)

   Bosch sliding miter saw 4410l

   Dewalt planer dw735

   General drill press - floor model

   Ridgid belt spindle sander

   EZ smart guide - waiting to receive directions

   Delta dust collector

   clamps

   Kreg tool

   sign making kit

   Craftsman router table and Whiteside router bits.

    

   I also have 2 old Fulton planes which are rusted.  Are they worth restoring? And a bunch of other stuff. 

    

   Now how do I use these tools? Where do I start?  Do I buy a bandsaw 14 inch grizzly or Ricon?  How about a jointer? Or do I go slow? Email [email protected] help help help

    

   It looks like it is a little late to go slow.    What were you trying to do when you started this project?

    

   If this is a hobby then do whatever you can afford. 

    

   If this is a business, I would suggest you start looking for work.  Two things come to mind given your skill level and equipment.    Try using your sign making kit and sell at street fairs, farmer’s markets, etc.   Also try making some outdoor furniture such as planter boxes which you can also sell at street fairs, etc.      Remember you have to sell all day (including weekends) and then make what you sold at night.   

    

   Unfortunately you will have to learn the computer a bit so you can do bids and invoices.   

    

   Tom

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 20, 2008 11:36am | #8

   After subscribing to fine woodworking I found out how little I know!

   DO NOT sell yourself short period!I'm, in my opinion, an excellent to better than average 'dooer' for almost anything. Gods Gift .. not mine. However, if I get into money matters..I spend! I would NEVER make a good banker or a Math Professor!

   You will be amazed what you can do... IF... you want it to turn out right and take your time doing it. Hell, my mother never went to school as a child and a heck of alot smarter than I am! I forced myself through college!

6. 
   BrianDerr | May 20, 2008 08:38am | #6

   I think you're just expecting too much of us. No one in going to tell you how to use a shop full of tools over the internet, for free. Slow down. Read a lot. Find an easy project and concentrate on safety and enjoyment.

   Brian

7. 
   integrity_woodworks | May 21, 2008 07:07pm | #9

   did you buy this all from one person? How new to woodworking are you? first -all hand planes are worth keeping ,restoring. There are likelly evening classes at one of your local high schools that are meant mostlly to educate on tool uses and safe practises. All tools you mention are 110volt I don'tsee your need for220 but I would suggest that each machine has its own cercuit if possible. good LUCK.             

8. 
   Cincinnati | May 21, 2008 07:58pm | #10

   Wow! Your question cannot be answered here.

   Did you buy a shop package from someone? How did you determine to purchase this combination?

   I'd say you should take a deep breath and determine what you want to do from here — what do you desire to build? Learn to use what you have purchased. You need to determine what you need to accomplish your goals, not to see if there is something you don't have and fill a space in your shop with it. Are you beginning a career or hobby?

   I'd hold off on the bandsaw for at least the short time.

   I see you invested in several saw systems : Circular saws with EZ Guide, Table saw, and compound sliding miter. Learn to safely use these. Look at the videos online for the EZ Guide.

   Consume everything you can online. If you are not a paid member of finewoodworking.com, join. It is worth $15/yr to have access to the videos and past articles. Ask us specific questions about how to accomplish specific things and I'm certain someone will help you.

   Greg

   •••••••

   Exo 35:30-35

9. 
   SawdustSteve | May 22, 2008 02:37am | #11

   Hi Grunt.... Welcome to the board. When you 'open' Knotts, scroll down to the bottom of the front page. You will see a button marked 'Clubs'. Open this list and scroll down to the NY & NJ lists. There are two groups, one in Little Neck (Grand Central PKY and Cross Island PKY) area and one out in Suffolk county. There are also several NJ clubs. Conmtact these clubs for meeting times & dated. Lots of friendly people who are willing to get you started correctly. There are a few clubs in NJ, same info.

   Go to the library and grab every book on 'beginning woodworking' that you can lay youir hands on. READ THEM, then start with something simple such as a foot stool or small shelf to hold the mailm and a coffee cup. Don't worry if they don't come out 'just right,' you're LEARNING. Get friendly with the guy or gal at the local hardware store .... no, not home depot or lowes, but a real hardware store. Same with a local lumber yard. They usually have cut-offs that they are more than willing to give away or sell at a VERY cheap price.
   The threeo items you're missing from your list are a pair of safety glasses, a First Aid kit and a small fire extinguisher. Back to the books READ the SAFETY portion carefully. Read the sharpening your tools section next. DO NOT go crazy and spend all your money on sharpening supplies. Read about 'sandpaper sharpening' as it is relatively easy and inexpensive. Another source of wood are shipping pallets. Some are hardwood, some softwood and some are some strange wood that only grows in China and has not been identified as good for anything else but pallets.

   Lastly, hang around this board. Ask questions, it's the only way to get answers. Post only one or two questions at a time, it makes it easier for us to help you. There are lots of good peoiple here so I won't list any names in the fear of leaving out someone who SHOULD be on a list of 'all-time good guys / gals'.
   SawdustSteve Half-way out on Long Island
   Making fine sawdust, bent nails and splinters for over 50 years

10. 
    opa1047 | May 29, 2008 06:29am | #12

    In my opinion here's the tools I'd recommend:
    Table Saw - the bigger and more powerful the better.
    Jointer - 6" - add wheels
    Planer 12"-13" - Build cart with drawers & wheels
    12" disc sander - build cart with drawers & wheels.
    Bandsaw - 14" with riser. Get one with quick release and wheels. Add a larger table.
    Lathe - Start with a Jet 1236. Once you start turning you'll never turn back.
    I've put my whole shop on wheels and anything that had to have a mount like the planer, I build carts with storage drawers.
    I lined one end of my shop with kitchen cabinets and put a large double thick MDF top. Works great for everything I need.

11. 
    drf3 | May 30, 2008 03:22am | #13

    From experience, I say the thought is more important and efficient than any tool. And safety is the first thought. If you catch a glove or wrist band. If the router is directed in the wrong direction. If the material is too thin to keep your fingers 6" from the cutter. If any part of your body will go into the cutter WHEN something goes wrong. ...

    You won't see it coming. With sharp, clean blades, you won't feel it when it happens.

    And in maybe six months, you'll have finished the daily bandaging and physical therapy. Hopefully, you'll be able to manage both hands to hold and fasten a screw.

    The tools chop, saw, shape, grind, drill, finish.

    The mind creates the violence or beauty; the mayhem, disorder or peace and harmony.

    drf3

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 30, 2008 04:01am | #14

   Damn... a Poet that sort of got it right!

12. 
    Henley | May 30, 2008 11:25pm | #15

    How about you start by building a bird house.
    It's relatively simple, yet you can design it in numerous ways.
    It's a house so the form is familiar.
    It's a box so the construction while varied is universal.
    It has to shed water so you'll learn to use use some of your tools to make the pitches.
    and when your done no matter how bad it is, the bird won't mind.

    Now quit shopping and make something!
    Carefully!!

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | May 31, 2008 03:09pm | #16

   start by building a bird house

   Great idea.

   View Image

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

   
1. 
   Henley | May 31, 2008 04:56pm | #17

   That's a beauty!
   You must have some high classed feathered friends.

1. 
   pzaxtl | Jun 02, 2008 07:29am | #18

   Yeah, Bob takes his birds seriously!  Someone once told him: "be kind to your fine feathered friends for a duck may be somebody's mother...."  He took it right to heart.

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jun 02, 2008 05:45pm | #19

   You and Henley are absoluetly correct. 

   Most of our summer residents spend their winters every year in the warmer climes of the world.  They can also be quite demanding, especially when it comes to food and other fine acoutrements of their summer homes.

   Whilst other woodworkers lament on the trials of competeing with the Chinese in the various building trades we have unearthed a never ending market of growth of new residents each and every year!

   But fear not as we will not subcontract any portions of our structures nor will we substitute inferior materials.  Demand will, at least for the forseeable future, remain strong, as the population continues to grow.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   gossamershavings | Dec 17, 2008 06:51am | #26

   I had made a few birdhouses a few years back. I was at a craft show selling them and one bird expert(or so she seemed) said that if you have a perch in front of the hole, the birds wont use it because it is too easy for predetors to get to the hole.Also, the hole size is very specific for certain birds. Sold all the houses anyway, but i was wondering if you or anyone else could verify or debunk these theories. great looking birdhouse, btw.......Mike

3. 
   DavidKul | Dec 17, 2008 01:17pm | #27

   There are many sources for the rules of birdhouse making. A while back, I had gotten all of that info off the Internet. Don't know where I put it, but I just did a search for "birdhouse plans" and got a lot of sites listed. This one http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/birdhous/index.htm will be a good start. Perch or no perch, hole size and location, box dimensions, mounting location & height, etc. are all important. You can attract specific species of birds dependent on all of these criteria. It's interesting information.

13. 
    andyfew322 | Sep 20, 2008 01:49am | #21

    ok, #1 slow down, add tools as you need them, you need to form a special relationship with each and every tool

    #2 just have fun, collecting tools is fun, but is not as fun as being able to use them

     

    yep I change my oil every 3000
    miles or when I get bored...
    which ever comes first

1. 
   joinerswork | Sep 20, 2008 05:40am | #22

   andy,

   "you need to form a special relationship with each and every tool"

   Overheard at a recent gun show: "Is it all right with you, if I fondle this pistol for a minute?"

   Guys and their toys...

   Ray

1. 
   andyfew322 | Sep 20, 2008 07:13am | #23

   haha lol 

   yep I change my oil every 3000 miles or when I get bored...which ever comes first

2. 
   hardgrunt | Sep 21, 2008 06:20am | #24

   your on target i have slowed down ! one tool at a time is the way to go. in good time i will purchase a bandsaw laguna or ----- ?, a table saw the new delta unisaw, the laguna platium, powermatic 2000, saw stop, ? is any power tool made in the usa ? anyone know of a store selling quality used equipment in the ny area ? are there any woodworkers in brooklyn left ? i know thats a bunch of questions but i can use answers. thanks HG  

1. 
   dgreen | Sep 21, 2008 06:25am | #25

   Call this guy, see what he has. 

    

   ................................................

   SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES...THEY ARE NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT...THEY STILL BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN YOU PUSH THEM DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS