Best of the Pro Power Equipment.
Inlikeflint
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
If you could build a professional woodshop with power equipment… (Cost is no limit.) What sort of equipment would you choose and why?
-Bandsaws, disk sanders, table saws, radial arm saws, air systems…
Replies
I love a good game of fantasy shop! I'd choose Martin. My friend's shop is almost exclusively equipped with Martin with the exception of some of his older gear which is Inca which is still great stuff.
The quality and smoothness, not to mention the size, of the sliding table saw is amazing.
For portable power tools, I'd go with Festool, I love the way everything works so well as a system. For a hobbyist like me, Festool is da bomb! It makes what little time I have in the shop so much more efficient. It is spendy and I do have my gripes about the cost and worth of some of the items, I don't own all of them yet and will likely skip some, but they are all well thought out.
Dust Collection: Torit
Measuring: Starrett
Those Gemans make a great Inca
I had to go look up Inca on the web. I'd like to try out their bandsaws.
Martin IS nice.
Martins
Jeez, I was looking at the Martin site a few weeks ago. I didn't even know that a table saw existed that tilted both LEFT and RIGHT! That should settle the debate on which is better.
trick question
Flint,
A professional shop has, by definition, certain products that it's meant to turn out as efficiently as possible. The more precisely you define the product, the better you can design the shop. Just to underline my point - a shop designed to make windows and doors would hardly resemble a shop designed to make jewellry boxes.
So what are you really asking?
Everything you say about professional shops is true. But he asked what "you" would choose. Your shop, your product, your choice. Its a game of fantasy and dreams. Much like the dream: "If only I had a that new saw... then I could cut accurate dovetails."
Exactally...
Anything goes!
What kind of tool would you get for your shop even if you only would use it once?
Make Money or Dream Shop?
Is the goal to make money with the shop or to create the ultimate dream shop?
Ultimate Dream Shop... Sky is the limit!
Best of the best tools ever!
Here's a shop I posted about a couple months ago.
It was reported that everything in this shop was purchased by a wealthy gentleman who considered building his own cabinets or something. It does not appear that happened. Nearly everything was sold by the group making the video to another wealthy guy. The car and others things were kept. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p60JKvk97O8
I am very partial to Felder after working with it for a couple of weeks in someone else's shop. It is not likely I will every own any.
HOLY GUACAMOLE!
You almost need a map to find every tool in that shop!!!
I have never had the op to use Felder, but I have heard that it is real smooth.
Since I would be interested in solid wood reproductions, I could probably find everything I could desire from Northfield Foundery and Machine http://www.northfieldwoodworking.com/ I would still need a lathe plus a few odds and ends from C&W, Lie-Nielsen, Lee Valley, etc. I don't think Northfield makes dust collection stuff either.
A Motley Assortment
The choice of equipment for a money making shop would depend heavily on the type of work being done, someone who was building kitchen cabinets would choose an entirely different set of machines compared to someone building high end reproductions of antiques for instance.
That said, almost all of the professional small shops that I have visited have had a motley assortment of machines, most of them smaller and much more basic than what is being sold to amateurs as a necessity these days. A good set of hand tools and the ability to keep everything tuned up and sharp would be equally important.
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