Hey gang,
I just got my bonus at work and while I’m saving most of it, I’m going to spend some of it on some tools . My quandry is, what to get? Here are some of my thoughts and a list of what I have. After that, I’ll open it up to y’all for your thoughts.
I’m setting up my garage workshop, and I need shop cabinets, so I was planning on spending some money on some plywood to build them. I have also seen the new Steel City tablesaw model 35601 on which SC has a nice price ($899) and a nice rebate ($100 off). I’m also considering some planes from Lie-Nielsen (LA block and #4 1/2 smoother). I suppose I could also get some of the new Jet parallel clamps everyone’s raving about.
I have the following power tools:
Ryobi 10in contractor’s table saw
Ridgid 10in miter saw
B&D 18V cordless drill
Milwaukee corded drill
Milwaukee circular saw
Craftsman jig saw
Porter Cable router
Porter Cable ROS
My only hand tools are:
Set of Marples chisels
A fair-to-decent Stanley block plane that I’ve had to tune the heck out of
2 western style hand saws
I’ve heard many of you say to buy the best tools you can afford, and also to buy tools for the projects at hand. Given that this will probably be my last substantial tool purchase for at least the next year, I would like to hear how y’all think I should spend some of my bonus. And yes, I am deliberately not telling you what my budget is.
Thanks–Erik
Replies
Do you have a good workbench?
Great question! I have an 8ft by 3ft wall mounted bench I built last year. Nothing fancy, just some nice plywood on a 2x4 frame with hardwood edging. It's mounted high enough on the wall (39 in) so I can slide my rolling Craftsman tool chest under it.
I have considered building a rolling shop cabinet / assembly table, and eventually I'd like to build a traditional woodworker's bench.
Erik
Sounds like your company hands out some NICE bonuses! Who do you work for? :-)
On a more serious note, do you have any vises, no the ones you use on a workbench! They are sooooooooooo helpful. If this damn frosty weather ever warms up I hope to install my Veritas Twin Vise on my bench. Got mine with my bonus but that was over a month ago!
As for power tools, from your list of haves, I would consider a bandsaw, also vvveeerrryyyy useful.
Just my 2¢,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I don't have a woodworker's vise on my workbench...I know I need a front vise, but I can't put a tail vise on the bench because of how I have it mounted to the wall. Like I said, it's not a true woodworker's bench.
Does Veritas make a decent front vise?
I have their large front vise and it works very well. http://www.veritastools.com/Products/Page.aspx?p=132It doesn't have a quick release but I haven't found that to be a big issue.
Lie Nielsen also has some nice ones also. http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=520
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
KiddervilleAcres,You miss the point of buying tools with a bonus. The size of the bonus has no relationship to the price of the tool that you acquire! I've always just considered it new tool bonus money!That said, a nice 14 or 18 inch bandsaw and some good blades are very useful.
My thinking was somewhat guided by the original post. When you first start out it seems that the number of tools that you think you need can be somewhat daunting, maybe even frightening in terms of cost. Hell I just bought a jointer, planer and bandsaw after more than 25 years of woodworking!
When I first started I thought I needed all manner of power tools. To avoid the high cost, I bought basically premilled stock and plywood. Not sure that was good thinking.
Gradually collected numerous hand/hand power tools and developed the skills to sharpen and maintain them as well as understanding how to use them. I've never been in a situation where I was under the gun to get a project finished and so didn't need/want jointers, planers, etc.
Another reason for holding off on these purchases is that I thought I should learn how to mill stock the old fashoined way, i.e. hand planes, saws, etc. That way when I did manage to get the wood hogs, they would save me time and much work. Boy was I wrong on that one! They just mess things up faster if you aren't paying attention to what you're doing! A whole new set of disciplines need to be learned, but the hand principals are applicable in most cases.
All in all the bottom line for me is that woodworking has been a real pleasure the entire time. Perhaps the most pleasurable of all has been the discovery of Knots! I sincerely mean that. I can see the difference in my skills - ALL OF THEM!
Please forgive for this longwinded post.
Hope there are at least a few wise words for someone,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
If your contractor saw is a BT3000 or BT3100, don't waste money buying another saw for a while yet. A jointer and thickness planer are probably your next most important purchases unless you plan to hand plane all your wood. If that is the case, you need a good workbench more than anything else. After jointer and planer, look for a drill press and bandsaw. Your workbench can do a lot for you as-is by using clamps in place of a vise. It should serve until you acquire one sturdy enough for a vice. Good luck!Cadiddlehopper
Erik, it really depends on what type of wood working you want to do as to what tools you buy. There are a few tools that I have bought without an intended project to use them on but not many. Just hold the money back and buy what you need when you need it.
Mike
Dear Erik,
I would suggest the following:
Bosch or Makita 10in table saw
Hitachi or Bosch 10in miter saw
Makita18V compact cordless drill, Lithium-Ion. (The White & Black model) http://www.amazon.com/Makita-BDF452HW-Lithium-Ion-Compact-Drill-Driver/dp/B000K6ILDW/ref=sr_1_6/104-3470270-2257560?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1172879015&sr=1-6
Eliminate the corded drill
Bosch circular saw
Bosch jig saw
Bosch router
Bosch ROS
These are quality tools and will serve you very well for years to come. The cordless drill that I suggested weighs 3.5 lbs with the battery.
Best,
John
Dear Eric,
One last thought. Makita is running a special through Amazon that they will send you that 18V drill free if you purchase the 12" sliding compound saw, with laser & light. That saw is $600.00 and you get a top notch saw with a very good blade plus a very high quality cordless drill for $600.00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GJS6X8/ref=amb_link_4422832_1/002-2202870-7620829?ie=UTF8&pf%5Frd%5Ft=201&pf%5Frd%5Fm=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf%5Frd%5Fp=275552301&pf%5Frd%5Fs=detail-conditional-rebates-1&pf%5Frd%5Fr=0C5C8DMK4C7M5H43QC2H&pf%5Frd%5Fi=B000K6ILDW
That's a great deal!
Best,
John
Hey Eric, how about a jointer and planer? Chris
I'm kind of in the same boat as you as far as a next major purchase. My thought process is you already have a table saw, maybe consider a good band saw. Or maybe a nice dust collector, something you can build a shop around. Clamps or some hand tools is a good choice as well.
Steve
Erik
I generally agree with Caddidlehopper...so my suggestion to you is, buy the raw materials and leave the tools for another time. JL
Dear Eric,
Forgive me, as I misread your post. I thought that the tools you listed were wants. My apologies. I will attempt to redeem myself by suggesting as another had about a jointer and planer. I have a 12" Makita bench-top planer that is five or six years old, used commercially and just goes and goes. I would highly recommend it. As a jointer i have a 6" Powermatic which serves me well, but I would recommend at least an 8" as it does free one up quite a bit to have the extra width. As a totally different animal you could check out Grizzly's new combo unit. ( http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0633) Some of us are waiting for it to become available (April / May). It looks pretty nice.
Best,
John
John, no worries. Most of my power tools were gifts and honestly I'm torn between getting a better table saw or decent hand tools. Some folks have suggested buying nothing but wood.
By far the overwhelming consensus suggestion I've seen here and on other forums I've posted to, is to get the jointer and planer. So my question back to you and others is, why? Sounds like a dumb question I know, but as I'm a relative woodworking novice, I get to ask those kinds of questions.
Thanks y'all!
Erik
Hey Erik, I'm fairly new to woodworking myself. But squaring your stock is step one to quality. Making straight, flat stock makes joinery fit well. You'll never be satisfied with your results until you master this crucial step. I'm still working on it myself, fighting my instinct to get going with the project and my frustration with cheap equipment. Good luck! Chris
Dear Eric,
I worked for a long time without a jointer. It's not fun, but it can be done. The main thing that I use the jointer and planer for is milling rough stock to useable product. This is a pretty rewarding process as I get to see something beautiful emerge from something pretty rough at times. It also offers me the ability to make material in just about any dimension that I wish. It starts with face jointing the rough material until I have established a straight, flat surface, then up on one edge, with the newly formed face against the fence to joint the edge. Once completed, I now have a board with two flat surfaces, that is, one face, and one edge that are straight, flat and square to each other. We are now done with the jointer.
At the Tablesaw, newly milled surface down and newly milled edge against the fence, rip the rough edges off, leaving the rough face. Now to the planer.
Get ready for the chips! Nothing make chips like a planer. Typically I start with the faces, rough side up, very light cuts at first as the material will vary in thickness and I don't want to bind up the planer. The planer creates perfectly parallel surfaces. Once all the rough stuff is planed off, I flip the piece and plane the jointed face as my planer gives a better finish than my jointer. Last step to to plane the piece on edge. This is not always possible, due to the height limitations of each planer. Mine will edge just a shade over 6".
Lastly I don't have to hunt for 1/2" x 8" stock as with a couple of passes through the planer a 1x becomes 1/2", and it is correct and consistent. The jointer allows me to square up faces & edges for assemble and glue ups. Again, it is consistent and accurate. It will allow me to correct a piece that has a bow or twist that I wouldn't otherwise be able to use, or might try to overpower with clamps.
Both machines will require hearing protection and ideally some type of dust collection. I hope this helps. Best,John
Those two tools and your tablesaw will allow you to properly dimension your lumber for your projects. Essential! That comment is assuming that you understand the procedure(s) for squaring/dimensioning wood, maybe even more important!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 3/21/2007 8:14 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Erik,
There is no need for you to worry about which tools to buy with your bonus. Just send me the money. I'll get you the tools that you need, and I'll deliver them. Don't worry about a thing. Send me a money order. I don't take Paypal. Don't be concerned about the .ro at the end of my email address. :-)
I recommend against "binge drinking" and against "binge tool buying". One gets caught up in the moment and the excitement. Without projects to guide which tools you buy, it is all too easy to get too excited about interesting gadgets.
You asked about the recommendations of others. That is good input. But I never apply such input to the buying of tools. Rather I use this input for my further testing of tools before I take the responsibility for making my own decisions based on my own experience. It's not that I don't trust everyone else. It's just that they have different needs, expectations, experience, and bank accounts than I do. We are all "tool collectors" to some extent. Some of us take it to a big extent, and others just use tools to make things. So the advice of others on which tools to buy should only be used to guide your testing of tools -- not your actual buying of tools.
IMHO, the most important tool in your shop is your brain. The metal tools are merely extensions of your brain, arms, eyes and hands. Focus more on the building of furniture. When you get to a point at which there is something that you can't do that you need to do in order to make something, then go out an buy a tool (if you can't make the tool).
Don't get me wrong, I am as much of a tool fanatic as anyone. I am just trying to control my tool buying impulses. I have joined "Tool Buyers Anonomous". I start each meeting by saying, "Hi, my name is Mel, and I buy tools." The rest of the group responds, "Luv ya, Mel. We're here to support ya." Whenever I get the urge to buy expensive stuff, I can call one of them, and they'll come over and keep me from making impulse purchases until the urge wears off.
Enjoy. I wish that I got a big bonus.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
" the most important tool in your shop is your brain."
I think mine is dull, or maybe worn out. Can you recommend a place where I can get a new one? (Not A B Normal's, please, that's too much like the one I already have.)
Cheers,
Ray
Hi Ray,
Thanks. My byline at the end of my posts reflects, at least in part, your comment.
I feel so much better now.
You're a good man.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Ray,
No worries about a dull brain, mate! That is easy to fix. All you need is the right tool. I highly recommend using the "Brain-mec". It is a table top brain sharpener with two wheels. One is for overall shaping of your way of thinking, and the other is for honing your reasoning skills. Unfortunately the Brain-mec requires that you buy a whole slew of attachments to get the full effect of a brain sharpening. The total price of the machine with the attachments is almost $1000. But there is no doubt that a brain like yours is worth sharpening, and honing every once in a while when it becomes dull from use on hard material. BUT BEWARE! There is a clone of the real Brain-mec on the market, which has recently emerged. Use of the clone could result in mis-shapen thinking. I know of one excellent woodworker who used the clone, and when he was finished, he had turned into a tool collector. His problem got so bad, that he had to buy a second house just to store all of his collection. But he got a sub-prime loan, and now the whole thing is folding. His life is now a mess.So when you are buying brain sharpening tools, remember -- Always buy the best tools!I hope that helps.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
I just Googled "Brain-mec" and it returned multiple references to you and Ray! Most of the hits basically talked about refraining from purchasing all the attachements. Now I, and I'm sure you will agree, this is contrary to conventional thinking.
However some of these revelations also suggest that substitution of ground solid granite flakes offer substantial benefits to sharpening ones brain. Also suggested is applying these flakes to a belt such that it can abrade the brain in a most precise surgical manner, if held at the proper angle by the user. There is also mention of a Mr. Cohen in these notes and a phillp person somewhere.
That said and being from the Granite State, might I offer a steady supply of Granite flakes in the hopes that we might consumate a mutually rewarding business relationship? It seems to me that we must act quickly to secure the lions share of what is most assuredly a very lucrative market.
The only fly in the ointment seems to be a steadfast reference to a Brit with a monicker that suggests a froe. I'm puzzeled by that............
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Brain sharpening will forever be done with granite flakes from now on, because of your insight. Derek and Philip, who are pretty good sharpeners, have not yet provided me with any ideas on brain sharpening, so they will not share in the royalties. Besides, I believe they use diamond paste rather than granite flakes. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
We have a disaster on our hands with the granite flakes! I forgot to send an instruction manual to Ray and he ate a bowl of them and now his teeth are dull.
I hope he didn't swallow the belt sander!Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Dull teeth wont slow Ray down. He can just take them out, sharpen them, and put em back. I hear that the granite flakes are better for you than fiber. And they help clean out your system, using only gravity, not chemicals. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
Another thread, shot all to he11. My work here is done.
Ray
Well, at least I've gotten some great suggestions on how to spend (or not) some of my bonus, and oddly enough I'm starting to develop an appetite for granite flakes...although I don't remember seeing them on the store shelves when I lived in Dover, NH a few years back. Maybe the crumblings of the Old Man in the Mountain provided more flakes...hmm?
epearso,
Granite flakes aren't sold in NH. They are all exported to the South, where they are marketed to Yankees visiting restaurants there, as grits.
Ray
Ray
The time has come to try wenge chips. This is a woodworkers snack food, made even better with a healty dusting of cherry sawdust. To h_ll with stone stuff. That is for the masons and bricklayers. JL
jean,
Sounds suspiciously like buffalo chips. No thanks.
Ray
Ray
I would never ever suggest THAT to you...though they sell Buffalo chips at the local stores. They are pretty good with salsa, but play havoc with the waist line. JL
Anyway, enough of this poo poo...let's get back to woodworking.
Edited 3/23/2007 10:23 pm ET by jeanlou
Was getting a bit high falutin anyway.
Mel, but they are still not better than grits. Paddy
Bob,
I took your advice, and started my day with a big bowl of granite flakes, this morning. Now my brain's sharper, but the teeth are dull. If it isn't one thing, it's another.
Where is ole Lataxe, anyway? Haven't heard a peep from him lately...
Ray
Ray,
Where is ole Lataxe, anyway? Haven't heard a peep from him lately...
That's amazing, I was thinking the same thing! I miss his wit and sense of humor, not to mention his inventiveness. My guess is that he bought another of Sir Phillips new planes.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"Where is ole Lataxe, anyway?"
For some reason I always want to say laxative when I see the handle Lataxe.
In answer to your question, maybe he's done a runner? Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Perhaps we might post some pics of unusual planes over on Hand Tools to lure him outa the shed?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Gents,
With no evidence to the contrary, I suspect that, after cutting 27.964 gazillion dovetails with his new saw, he's probably re-sharpened it and is now heavily engaged in building the furniture he promised the LadyWife in return for her acquiescence in buying new toys.....
Perhaps those pics of Sir Philip's latest creations will lure him from under all of those Greene & Greene shavings and out of the shed (not shop!) for long enough to contribute a witty dialectical comment or two.....
;-)~~
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Tschüß!<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
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"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
-- A.C. Clarke
Brain-mec, Yes, that's the stuff. I buy it at the local feed store. Comes by the cwt. or in the bulk. If you eat enough, it is guaranteed to make your dairy cow smarter than you. It tastes awful but I have eaten so much that I can see my cow getting real smart. I just can't wait
tinkerer2,
I heard from a reliable source on the Inet from Tibet that if those cows start smiling at you following mass consumption of Brain-mec, you'd better run very fast in the other direction.
I think Mel has posted a disclaimer on http://www.whattheheck.com!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Thanks for the info. I thot that with all that smart that both the cow and I would live happily ever after, but I've put my bag over my shoulder and have run almost to your house already.
I will secure proper liquid refreshment. How do you like your steaks?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
They are great but you can't believe how adversely it affects the milk production when you take those steaks.
Edited 3/27/2007 10:37 pm ET by tinkerer2
Mel,
I tried the Brain-mec at a tool show. The holding attachment wouldn't adjust to the size of my brain, and it fell onto the wheel. We had a heck of a time finding it among the particles of grit. The rep told me to wait for the micro-mec.
Think I might try to trade mine in for that of a politician. I'm told that _______'s (insert name of your favorite pol here) is available, and best of all, it's never been used!
Ray
Mel,
Just got my tax cheque from last year.
I have a choice this sunday of this auction http://www.hansbrunnertools.gil.com.au/Auctions-2.htm
or my twins last primary school fete
The auction is only two hours away, I'm pretty sure I can design my next piece to need a Stanley #10 or one of those really cute spokeshave with the moulding profiles, and its my last chance to see my brother for at least a week........
Dave
Well, looking at what you have, seems to be a hole in the jointer department. Get either a 'lectric- or "you"-powered planer (can't go wrong with L-N) and spend the rest of the bonus on some nice wood to use all those tools on! A big pile of nice tools ain't worth much without a big pile of nice wood to go with 'em.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Maybe train your brain? Spend a few bucks to attend a nearby woodworking school with a good teacher, and then see where that leads.
Apparently Mel and I attend the same group "Hi, I'm Bob. I buy tools. I'm still looking for the tool that will give me more time in the shop and make me a craftsman ...."
Bob,
Good to meet you. Glad I am not the only one who thinks this way about tools. After I sent the message, I remembered that I should have said something about joining a woodworking group or taking a class. What is most interesting is that almost all of the responses are about the question that was asked, "Which tools should I buy?" Often the best way to help someone, is to recommend that they ask a different question.Have fun. Thanks for the support.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Bob
The tool is called "passion for what you are doing" and it has a cousin called "total involvement with what you are doing". Get those and it will insure that you are a craftsman in the time it takes to sharpen a chisel. JL
Edited 3/21/2007 4:55 pm ET by jeanlou
Start with the 5 tools of a good workshop.
Table Saw
Band Saw
Jointer
Planer
Drill Press
Everything after that is icing on the cake. Pick one and build from there. If you have a circ saw, get a planer. You can always build a planer jig to joint your boards. You can use a straight edge with the circ saw for the time being.
Hi Erik,
I turned the silly switch off for a moment and was curious as to which tool(s) you have decided on? Post 35173.18 offers some very sage advice. I've worked with a 10" Delta contractors saw for years and it has served me well. Granted it is somewhat limited in terms of power.
Perhaps the single most gratifying upgrade I have made was to purchase and install a Beisemeyer fence. The OEM fence was causing me more greef than any other single tool in my shop, with the possible exception of my brain!
Building and mounting a router table into the left wing has afforded me the ability to use the new Bies as a solid fence for both the router table (with a fixture that can be affixed to the fence) and the TS as well! Now I have 2 great tools that I use a lot, all made possible through the purchase the fence! Great big bang for the buck.
Now that I have a fence that affords square cuts, I made several crosscut sleds, one for square crosscuts and another for miter cuts. A nice outfeed table and that little contractors saw is SWEET.
Your post made me think about how wise that decision was, getting the Biesemeyer fence.
Thank you,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hey Erik,
Since you've started this forum you've gotten some really good advice, and some interesting reading for the rest of us. Ultimately though, the choice is yours and yours alone. It will depend mostly on what you are planning to do in your shop.
I recently had the same quandry as you. I had saved up some coins as 'play' money for my shop, in which I do woodcarving. Besides my arsenal of carving tools, I had a little Delta 12" bandsaw for cutting out blanks. I happened apon a deal getting 10- 4"x8"x8' rough cut basswood boards from a guy who was moving, at a price I couldn't pass on. I quickly found that my little Delta was struggling to try and handle these boards, and I was breaking blades left and right. Sooo, my answer then became getting a larger capacity bandsaw (18" Rikon on sale at Woodcraft) and teamed it up with a dust collector (Bridgewood BW002AC on sale at Wilke Machinery).
Now that I can rip down and cut my own blocks and slabs for carving, I know I'm saving myself a bundle of money, versus buying these blocks and slabs from some supplier at their inflated price.
Sorry to all if I rambled on too much, but I hope this helps.
Let the woodchips fly!!
CC.
Get the table saw!
Hey gang,
Thanks for all the great tips. Right now I am leaning toward buying the lumber necessary to build my "west wall" of shop cabinets and storage. Right now I think that's what I need most. I'm thinking that experience will help me figure out what I want in the way of tools. I'm also leaning toward getting stuff I don't have (bandsaw and good hand planes, maybe a dovetail saw), as well as tuition for classes.
Although I did drop by Rockler today and they have the new Jet Parallel Clamps in 50in lengths, 2 for $49.00. I bought 4, as that works out to nearly a buy one, get one free deal. I promise you, those clamps will be sold out by Saturday.
war bonds?
I couldn't do without a biscuit jointer.
For handplanes consider Veritas products (Lee Valley Tools) which are not as pricey as Lie Nielsen but are good quality. There is an online catalog with a large variety of hand tools. I think that the quality of Lie-Nielsen planes is better (I have a Lie Nielsen scrub, low angle jack, and a large shoulder plane), but you get at least as much bang for you buck with Veritas planes (my opinion). Veritas makes three block planes including a low angle version. Veritas planes have malleable iron bodies (less likely to fracture if dropped, A2 thick blades (holds an edge better than O2, and some other features worth looking at (set screws in some plane models to keep blade from shifting to side, integral handle-frog design in bench plane models so the blade is fully supported when mouth is closed up, adjustable mouths on low angle bench planes). And they cost less. Go with a diamond paste sharpening outfit to condition sharpen your chisels and plane blades, it will save you time (Japan Woodworker). Good tool hunting, enjoy!
I'll buy the Bosch with the gravity rise table saw next. My saw needs to travel better than my current one. I've had a Ryobi BTK3000 tablesaw since 93. It is pretty fragile, plastic parts keep getting snapped on it. No rust though, aluminum makes it a humidity friendly saw.
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