I am a rookie woodworker. So far I’ve only built a nice oak bookcase and did that with a Craftsman 10″ portable table saw ($179) that I got about 3 years ago. I quickly found that thing to be a disaster to work with. I recently finally convinced my wife to allow me to have the entire basement for my workshop, so I’m looking to upgrade. I plan to make several bookcases for my office and cabinets for my new workshop in the near term and hopefully will graduate to nice furniture and projects.
I’ve got about $800 in Home Depot gift cards that I want to use. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Ridgid Table Saws they carry. I’d also like to get a planer or jointer/planer. I was thinking about getting the $400 Rigid table saw and the $400 Rigid jointer/planer to start my shop. Does this sound like a good plan or is Ridgid not really thought well of in woodworking circles?
Thanks for any advice.
Mark
Replies
Markgaff,
Personal opinion, no. Sit on your money a while and don't let it burn a hole in your pocket. I'm a newbie and have been at this a couple of years, there are lots like us on this site. We have all made investments in the wrong tools at the wrong time. Before your finished you'll spend thousands..so take your time and listen.
How much space do you have? What equipment and tools do you have now?
In addition to us newbie hobbiests we have a bunch of tallented professionals on here also. They can be a little hard to hear sometimes because they have already forgotten what we are trying to learn for the first time....
Welcome, and good luck
Thanks, BG.
The overall space is pretty big, about 30x30. I did promise a storage closet to my wife, so that will have to come out. I plan on splitting it into two separate areas, a woodwork area and a finish area.
Right now, I've got the aforementined Craftsman portable table saw, a Craftsman mitre saw (also to be ugraded- looking at Porter Cable Sliding Mitre), a Rigid full size drill press, a benchtop router table and a Rigid sanding station. I am a contractor and DIY home improvement addict, so I have numerous saws and handtools, framing, finish and brad nailers, and quite a few accessories (clamps, etc.).
Are the Delta table saws sold at Amazon Tool Crib or other Woodworking outlets better than the Rigid? I really don't want to spent $1500 on a cabinet table saw at this time.
markgraff,
Delta is a great saw. Many of us have gone with the Grizzly cabinet saw ($855 delivered). I love it.
Don't forget you'll need a good heavy workbench with a couple of good vises.
Edited 1/8/2003 1:48:51 PM ET by BG
Hi Mark, congrats on a sucessful campaign for shop space.
Don't hesitate to use some of your gift certificate "money" for the Rigid planer. When I was researching planers awhile back, I followed the personal reviews and magazine reviews very closely, and I also have a friend who owns one (planes rough oak for building bookcases, etc.). It is an excellent machine by all reports, and very user friendly.
I don't know that much about their jointer, but if you do searches on this forum, at the Wood forum and WWA, I'm sure you will find reports by owners of the jointer. (I can send you the links for those forums if you email me).
The tablesaw definitely has its limitations, power seemingly being one of them. It's not a saw that I would invest in for long-term use, but it would do the work if you don't ask too much of it. You could always try it out and take it back if you really don't like it.
If your research on the jointer isn't looking good, what to do with the other $400? Hmmm...their "lumber" isn't much to look at unless your doing decks and such. You could save it for projects that require plywood, MDF and such, maybe some sawblades. Our HD carries Baltic Birch Plywood that's not GradeA beautiful, but is stable and good for jigs and fixtures.
Good luck and have fun!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks Forestgirl. I was looking at the Rigid Jointer/Planer. Its a full size floor model with only a 6.5" planing surface, so its more of a jointer. I thought it would be better to invest in this as my permanent jointer, then buy a permanent planer sometime down the road. I read an online review where someone suggested investing in good machines, and buying them one at a time, opposed to buying several lower quality machines at once (buying both a benchtop jointer and small planer now). That seemed to be a good strategy.
What do you think of the Delta contractors table saws available at Amazon or other woodworkers outlets? A better investment than the Rigid?
Thanks again.
Mark,
Like Forest Girl says the planer is talked about nicely in this group. I personally owned the tablesaw (my first "big" tool) and was badly disappointed. It is very underpowered and I replaced the fence with an Incra (ended up with more invested than with a Grizzzly Cabinet). I've replaced it and wouldn't recommend to anyone. The Jet or Delta contractor saws have to be a better deal - IMHO.
Mark,
If I were you just starting out, I'd get the planer not the jointer.....hands down.......no questions asked. There are a number of fast and easy tricks that you can learn about easily in WW books that allow you to joint w/ a planer. Myself.......I've worked wood since elementary school and I'm 47. I hand joint boards flat with hand planes and subsequently send them through my Ridgid planer which is a great tool. Hand jointing takes a little more time, but for a beginner its good experience and you don't need your boards to make a living......you want a hobby.
There is nobody out there that says anything bad about the Ridgid in any writeup. Going this will save you space and money and if you're taking up WW as a hobby, you'll enjoy the handwork mixed in. Eventually you'll find that a 6 " jointer has a lot of limitations and you'll want to sell it. Right now I can afford a 12' jointer if I wanted one, but I'll still hand joint. You become proficient very quickly.
Don't forget to get/make a good stif and heavy bench.
Mike in NJ
[email protected]
Thanks Mike. When you say buy the planer first, are you referring to a benchtop planer that handles 12.5" or 13" wide boards? I've looked at those at HD also. They carry the Rigid, Delta and Ryobi models. If memory serves correctly, the were all similarly priced.
I am a beginner and I can't imagine trying to hand joint long boards with any kind of proficiency. I envy your talent. I can see myself working it for a few hours and then trying to glue the edges together and getting gaps that a nickel would fall through. Maybe its not as tough as it sounds.
I plan to build a good sturdy woodworking bench with a couple of vices. I've got a fairly heavy duty bench that I made with a solid core door and 4x4 post legs.
Mark,
Its not really that tough to get a good edge w/ a decent plane and a little practice. I buy my wood rough, and enjoy getting it milled to perfection for a glue-up. If you just have a jointer, you're in trouble since you'll joint 2 board faces which will not be parrallel.
Mike
"If memory serves correctly, the were all similarly priced." The Delta 12.5" (single speed) is considerably less than the Rigid planer. When I realized I couldn't afford the Rigid, I went with the single-speed Delta. Had I been willing to wait and spend more $$, I would have gotten the Delta 2-speed planer, which is very close in price to the Rigid planer, but much more versatile.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
$400 for Ridgid Planer
$300 for 12" Ridgid CMS
$100 for pony pipe clamps and pipe
That's just me though. You do what you want.
"You do what you want." Whaaaaa? What I want is to win the lottery, no such luck since I never buy tickets. I have no tool money at the moment. That's why it's so fun to spend others' monies.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yeah, but its better to spend your own money in your head. My shop is the biggest and has the best tools in the back of my head.
Tom
I took a good look at the Ridgid planer at Home Depot and was mostly impressed. At the stores here in Canada it comes with a stand, has a locking mechanism to reduce snipe, the bane of my friend and his older Delta, has a dust hood and is pretty heavy for stability. It came highly rated in FWW last issue before its special 'Shops and Tools' issue. I intend to buy it as soon as I am back in Vancouver.
I bought a used table saw after being disappointed with the quality of the ones in my price range. Small cast iron tables, flimsy fences or even aluminum tops made me hesitate at buying one. After much looking, I bought one for $375 Can at a pawn shop in New Westminster. It was a Rexon, imported by Busy Bee and made in 1995. It has wiring for 120V and 240V and I set it for 240V as it sucked badly at 120V on a 15 A breaker. I'll boil down the advice to a few remarks.
Belt driven and NOT shaft or direct drive.
A motor rated for 18A at 120V, or even better 10A at 240V. I like the idea of being able to choose from the two. Mine draws 9A at 240V and resaws quite well in full depth cuts.
A good size to the top and extension fences, both made from cast iron.
A good fence that is solid once set.
An accurate mitre gauge.
Happy Hunting, John
Hey John,
How much was the Ridgid planer at HD in Vancouver (in Can $)? I'm a former Vancouverite now living in Seattle. If the price is good, I might buy one next time I'm up your way (seems like everything else is cheaper there these days). I've got the original Delta at the moment, and it works just fine, but I have to make allowances for snipe. I've also got a Ridgid shop vac (the one with the detachable blower)--Ridgid has replaced it twice in five years because each time the on-off switch has eventually failed. It a great vac, and while they may not make the best switches, their lifetime warrantee is brilliant!
Edited 1/9/2003 5:18:58 PM ET by CHEAKAMUS
I have been putting the 13' Ridgid through its paces and I am pretty happy with it. It ran $731 Can ($639 + 14.5% PST/GST).
It cuts quite smoothly and the snipe is minimal when you engage the cutterhead lock mechanism. I have tried the planer on a variety of woods including pear (Very smooth except for a ridge left by a nicked blades), 2 X 12 fir for stair treads (probably where the nicks happened), 1/2" X 10" mahogany boards (also very nice, revealing formerly hidden tiger stripping), a piece of AAAAA birds eye maple I bought for a narrow hall table (some tear out, rectified by damping the surface of the wood and taking less than 1/32"), a variety of fir timbers for some mortice and tenon saw horses.
They claim it to be portable, but I try to do all the things I have planned with it at once, so I only have to clean up once and move it twice. I could really feel it in my back after a few moves.
Happy Planing, John
Next time you wave at me, use ALL your fingers. ;)
This tagline made from 100% recycled electrons.
Hey Fella ! Slow down big boy. Take your time and research your purchases. Asking for recommendations is great but you will get as many different answers as you get responses. First, be real with yourself about your intent with your equipment. Are you going to remain a hobbyist or are you going to try to turn this in to your livelyhood ? Don't get caught up in buying a $2000 saw because your neighbor/friend/ family member has one. I recommend that you buy the best you can afford for the work you want to accomplish. What discipline do you want to explore ? Turning ? Cabinetry ? Furniture ? Read everything you can get your hands on about different manufacturers and make your decision based on your personal needs. Do you need a fence that is accurate to the nearest 10000th of an inch ? I doubt it. Are you a machinist or a woodworker ? Does a woodworker really need to be accurate to a 10000th of an inch ? Do you really need clamps that have the ability to hold your work at a crushing 1500 lbs./per square inch ? If so you probably have a fit problem. Look long and hard and educate yourself before you spend a dime. Don't be so influenced by the purchases of others. I have equipment in my shop from nearly every manufacturer known to man. Are they all what were considered the "Editor's Choice" or "Hottest thing on the market today" ? Nope, I bought what I thought would best suit my needs. And luckily most all of them do exactly what I ask of them. Even after all my research and educating myself I admit I've goofed a time or two in my purchases. It's to be expected. After all the fancy gadgets and toys I have bought, my square and a good rule are the best tools I own. Many of the gadgets and tools are now designed to enable you to build it faster. What ever happened to just building it correctly and finding satisfaction in doing it right. The only thing I can guarantee you is that you will feel more pride about a piece that you know you took the time to build in the best manner possible than a piece that you talk about the record time you built it in. I wish you the very best.
JB
Thanks for the reply, JB. I'm trying to educate myself now, while my workshop is in the design stage (soon to be construction stage). I've found a few tablesaw reviews online, looking for some more. I've also got a huge stack of old Fine Woodworking and American Woodworker magazines that I need to go through to see if there's anything there.
I have no intention of making this my livelihood, strictly as a hobby and making stuff for myself. Someday maybe I'll make something as a gift to a family member but I don't ever envision making anything for sale. I've spent the last 7 years renovating my house, room by room, and now I'm ready to turn my attention to doing something that takes more patience, more detail work and I can do at a more leisurely pace than home renovation.
I know that a tablesaw will be the "workhorse" of my shop so I want to get the best, based on what I'll be doing with it. I don't need a $2000 cabinet table saw. But I definitely need something more accurate and user friendly than my portable Craftsman.
This seems like a great forum. I've gotten some very good advice already.
I trust that you understood my first response to you had a great deal of my sick sense of humor laced in it. Alot of folks just want to by the best of everthing. We all want the best but I feel as though we need to buy what is best for us and our unique situations. I have two table saws. One General and on Grizzly. I use them for seperate operations. I have seen them both praised by some and dragged through the mud by others. I was at a woodworking show this past weekend where a rep in a Delta booth took twenty minutes to tell me what a piece of crap my saws were. Then I told him I owned four pieces of Delta equipment. He then proceeded to tell me what great choices I had made in each piece of equipment. Can I be so stupid to be able to only make the right choice when it is HIS choice. During the conversation, if you can call a conversation when carried on by one representing idiot, my local Delta rep came up and at my request let the guy carry on with his intellectual dissertation. As I walked away full of newfound knowledge I heard my area rep tell the guy that I produced 10-20K dining rooms sets with my crappy equipment and that I had given him and his new bride a set of tables for their living room as a wedding gift.
My Porter-Cable rep is forever wanting me to throw out anything yellow in my shop and UPGRADE to PC. My Dewalt rep wants me to throw out all the old gray crap and fill my shop with colorfull yellow surroundings. The Milwaukee guy just wants me to by something red, anything red. I just want it all to keep working so I can buy more lumber. All the major manufacturers make solid equipment for the most part. Sorting it out and finding what is best for you is part of the fun. I 've made alot of good decisions and a few really, really poor ones. Knowing what I know now, I should have let the Delta guy make all my decisions for me. Then I'd be batting 1000.
Have Fun !
jb
lso
After reading this, consider the DeWalt tablesaur from HD. It is not bad at all.
Tom
Having used the Ridgid planer in a small production environment, I have to agree w/ forestgrrl as to it's worthiness of shop space. But, as others mentioned, it's really handy to have a bench w/ a vise. You didn't mention what other assorted hand & small power tools you own - would probably feel good to have a decent circular saw, drill & assorted bits, clamps, compressor, top & bottom helical cutter-head 30 HP planer (w/ digital controls, of course), etc. You just can't beat having good quality basic tools to start with.
markgraff:
I am basically a serious home renovator rather than a furniture maker. A couple of years ago, I did a major rebuilding of my second story sun porch and made Chinese chippendale redwood trim for all of the sections beneath 10 large windows. I also made all of the trim around the windows with redwood. I cut all of this wood with a portable Delta tablesaw ($170 version) but I installed a thin kerf higher end blade. The better quality blade made a huge difference on a poor quality saw. Last year, I upgraded to the Dewalt 746 tablesaw that I purchased in a package deal that included a cast iron extension table, mobile base, and dado insert for about $940. I could not be any happier with this saw. It has plenty of power for my needs, is highly accurate, quiet, vibration free, and works well with my single stage Jet 610cfm dust collector. If you are going the contractor saw route, I have found that when you purchase quality you will not have regrets later.
Stan
Excellent point Stan. My first "table saw" was a cheap Ace benchtop saw. I stuck an $89 blade on it, and nearly made a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Only problem was the lack of table space. Cut like a dream though.
Whatever saw you choose, the blade will make a huge difference. A cheap blade will turn a good saw into a dog and vice versa.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Mark,
When I started doing woodworking as a hobby twelve years ago, I started with cheap equipment. A Grizzly 1022 contractors saw which with a lttle tweaking gave me good service until a year ago. It wasn't expensive and it wasn't perfect but I learned how to make it do the job. I then bought a delta portable planer (10 years of service) and replaced it last year. Both are still running. The saw went to my BIL and the planer went to my FIL. I think you should start with tools you can afford and as you get better you can upgrade to meet your needs or ability. I actually wonder if the first tool should be a band saw. These are very versitile. You need to decide what type of work you will do. I generally buy tools as I need them. Anyway, my point is that although you don't want to buy junk I think you can find deals on something like Grizzly equipment and be satisfied for quite some time. It's really about value.
TDF
Thanks, Tom.
I was looking at the Grizzly website yesterday. I also saw a WOODTEK table saw in a Woodworkers Supply catalog. Heard anything about WOODTEK?
I have 2 Woodtek sationary machines, and both are of good quality, fit, finish and the like. I have the 20" planer, and the 6 x 89 edge sander. Bothe the sander first, based on price, and was surprised at its accuracy (being able to set it dead on 90 deg. The planer is a pleasure, except for getting it down the basement with only 2 people, no outside entrance, no skid. a 2x10 of maple across teh back of the house (masonry) and a come along, one click at a time. Haven't seen the TS they came out with, but I deal with WS often, and with good results.
Mark:
Remember that a table saw is probably your most important purchase, so what ever you do, research these and find the one that fits your needs. I have been a weekend woodworker for about 20 years and I plan to purchase a new saw this year and am looking at Delta and Jet. Get a good fence. If you have to purchase something at the Depot, then consider the jointer next and use the rest of your money for a good work bench. That's what I would do.
Good luck,
Jeff
Mark,
One of the issues bugging me is this Rigid planer talk. I have heard nothing but good things about it from people on here that I know do their homework. However, when it came to making a decision, some of those same people but there money down on the two speed Delta planer...and yet, there is no or very little talk about it...hmmm.
(Of course, Forrestgirl is the exception, but then, she is exceptional)
Edited 1/10/2003 6:11:42 AM ET by BG
Just a bit of feedback on a Delta 13" two speed planer. I have one on the jobsite and just bought one for my shop. Reason is I keep carrying it back and forth on the weekend. I have seen the Rigid Planer and seen it demonstrated at a local HD. While I liked some of the features the two speed Delta is now the same money in a lot of places around here. On the finishing speed very little finish sanding is required. On woods such as ash which I do alot with, I only knock off the sharp edges. The cutterhead lock is very good and if longer boards are supported properly snipe is negligible. The full range depth stop is very nice. You can choose any depth and not just the predetermined depths of other manufacturers. The depth stop is very very accurate. The blades are much better than I originally thought they would be. My first thought was that they would be to flimsey to handle alot of work load. They have performed well, change easy and are not very expensive. I have a larger planer in the shop(by Grizzly) but love the portability of the Delta and the results. I move it out of the shop when the weather is good and let the chips fly. When the weather is not so good I hook it up to the DC system and collection is almost complete. Virtually no mess to clean up. Although it will fill a DC bag pretty quickly. The Delta is a great machine for the dollar.
JB
awwwww....
Anywho, I suspect those other might have made their decisions for the same reason I did -- why buy a one-speed planer when $30 or $40 more willl buy you a 2-speed planer, and the only one in the benchtop class to boot?
I don't know about other HD's, but our local one does not stock the Delta 2-speed model, and I suspect it's simply because when customers see those two models side-by-side, most are going to go for the Delta.
OOOOOPs, I see, the "it" you were referring to was the Delta 2-speed, sorry.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 1/10/2003 12:30:30 PM ET by forestgirl
Thanks Jeff.
I'm thinking like you that the table saw will be the most important machine I buy. I'm glad I found this forum and got the excellent feedback on my table saw question. I'm not inclined to go with the Rigid saw any more, but it does have an excellent fence, from what I've seen and read, and played with it at the store.
I think I'll use the HD bucks for a planer and maybe a good mitre saw. I'll probably start a new thread about sliding mitre vs. radial arm.
Mark -
With rare exceptions, I wouldn't buy anything major wodworking machine where I couldn't make eye contact with the person selling it to me. Quality control is pretty high in all the so-called upper end lines of this kind of equipment but nevertheless, customer service is an important issue with me. And I don't like having to deal long distance with people on the phone.
Case in point - I bought a lathe from a dealer in Portland OR. (I live near Seattle). The remote kill switch went bad a few weeks ago. I've been on the phone every other day trying to get this replaced. That was the first 'rare exception'.
I own the Delta Unisaw (cabinet saw) and am satisfied with it. It eclipses my woodworking abilities for now and for the forseeable future. If you're serious about becoming a, uh... serious woodworker, I'd suggest you hold out for a cabinet saw. Delta isn't necessarily the best - Grizzley has been getting lots of good press here and other places. Powermatic lives on its reputation to some degree as many professional woodworkers in my area claim but many others have a soft spot in their hears for the PM66. And a much larger hole in thier wallets.
I saved my money 'til I could afford an 8" jointer. On the advice of the local prof's I was able to rub elbows with, I got the DJ-20 Delta. The difference between an 8" and 6" jointer is considerable, not only in capacity but in price, obviously. But the differences are appreciably worth it if you don't want to be in a position of replacing the machine later and you can hold off until you can afford the bigger machine. There are ways of jointing boards without a jointer - jigs/sleds on the table saw;, straightedge guides using a router or even a portable circular saw.
I bought the DeWalt 13" paner at Home Depot on a knee-jerk decision to plane a bunch of redwood I scrounged. I'ts 'OK' but suffers from the dreaded snipe syndrome. As I understand it, most if not all the smaller consumer level models of planers have the same affliction. The Delta planer raises the most eyebrows around here nd would have been my choice if I had known better. I have a friend with the Rigid planer who is quite satisfied with it but I don't have any personal experience with it.
Rest assuree, whatever your decision, in the future after gaining experience with whatever you buy now, you will probably find need or reason to replace it. To keep that to a minimum, I personally try to save until I can afford something well beyond my needs now in the hopes that I won't outgrow it any time in the near term.
Lastly - I'm sure you realize that money can't by craftsmanship with respect to tools alone. That said, as I've slowly over the years increased the quality and reliability of my stationary power tools, the level of quality of my work has none the less increased. While good quality tools will understandably cost more than lower grade consumer products, they don't guarantee perfection in the finished product - they just make it easier to achieve if you've developed the skills to coach it out of them.
I'll get there some day.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Mark:
It appears that no one has mentioned that with whatever power tools you buy you will need a good dust collection and air cleaning system to go with them or be prepared to have saw dust throughout your house. Above this is the necessity of protecting your lungs.
Since your in the construction phase, now is the time to plan for them. Also, plan out your electrical system, what voltage do you intend on running the equipment on? Where do you want your outlets? What lighting do intend on installing? If you ever intend on getting an air-compressor you might want to run piping for it.
Personally, since your funds are limited (who's aren't), I'd go for the saw, dust collection then set-up my shop and save for the other tools later. With a couple of good hand planes you can joint or flatten most any board, its been done that way for years. The motorized equipement just makes it easier. Just my $.02.
Roger
I agree with herg, if your shop is in your house dust collection is a must. About the tablesaw issue, don't be afraid to buy something you can grow into. I bought a unisaw 16 years ago with that advice from a friend and never regreted it
Thanks Roger. Some excellent points.
I've been following the other thread about Dust Collection Systems too. AS far as wiring, I've got all my outlets and lights laid out on a plan, with standard flourescent shop lights. I'll do the basic wiring myself and then have my electrician come in and install a sub panel. Depending on the table saw I decide to get, I may need to increase the voltage requirements.
I've got a compressor with wheels, so I wasn't planning on piping for it. The ceiling is unfinished so I could always add that later.
markgraff:
I read the post from Dennis02. He appears to have equiped his shop with several tools like I did. I agree that the table saw is the heart of a shop. If you placed a timer on every tool in your shop recording actual time used, it might not have the most time used but it's where evrything starts. Believe me twenty years ago I couldn't readily afford a good table saw when I was using a Delta direct motor drive table saw that I hated. But I decided to forgo some other things and bought a Delta Unisaw anyway. I always told my wife it was her Christmas present. That was the best move I ever made. I purchased it with a 52" Unifence which is the ultimate fence for repetetive cut-offs. It will flex a little if given to much lateral presssure but you learn to use forward pressure and there's no problem. If woodworking is a long term hobby get it, the Powermatic 66 or a General. You will need parts someday and I'd rather have a reputable supplier that will be in existence. Our family owns a hardware store that use to sell these items. We quit because of competition from mailorder so I used to use them in demonstrations. We also did repairs on them and other tools. Why these saws versus the imports. Go find someone that owns one and set a full glass of water on the table while it's running. Nothing. Do the same with the imports and look at the ripples or even the glass vibrate around the table. These three companies mentioned above also age their castings for their tables for up to 7 years so they don't warp in your shop. The imports cut slabs for their tables within months of pouring. Castings do warp if not aged. Also, look at the heft and weight on the trunnions inside of these three compared to the imports. No comparison at all. In closing, after doing woodworking for 25 years and still learning, I find three things have help me become better. First good equipment including my Unisaw. Second Incra Rulers. It's amazing how easy and important working in 1/32" and 1/64" is with these things. And third and most important, good eyesight. As I get older poor eyesight is frustrating. Take care of your eyes and woodworking will be a life long joy.
Edited 1/20/2003 5:35:16 PM ET by ALLENM4
mark
Sorry, a little late with post but I've been bogged down with a deadline project for work. I noticed you were in Atlanta from another post. I am also in Atlanta and am a 30 year WW.
If you want to e-mail your ph#, I will call and arrange for you to drop by my humble little shop. I can show you some cheaper alternatives for TS if you don't mind doing a little modification. ha..ha.. I have less than $300 in mine.
Feel free to e-mail if you're interested...
sarge..jt
sarge,
that would be great. I'd love to see your shop and get some pointers from a pro.
I couldn't figure out your email address, so you can call me at 404-593-8246. Depending on where you are maybe I can come by over the weekend. I'm in the I-285/Ashford Dunwoody area. Look forward to hearing from you.
Mark
mark
I will call you posibbly tomorrow evening. I'm working on a project for my company that is pushing me 10 to 14 hours a day. If you drop by this week-end, I'll put you to work. I'm just up the road in the middle of Gwinnett Co. Not more than 15 minutes from Spaghetti Junction.
Pro... ha..ha.. Don't won't to dissapoint you, so drop by with lower expectations. <grin> I do enjoy helping people get started. Hopefully, you can pick up a few ideas from my humble workshop.
Evening....
sarge..jt
I've had mine since 1998. I thinks its about time to retire the old gal. It's cheaper to buy a new one than fix up the old one.
Regards,
Ken
"Do as you would be done by." C.S. Lewis
Greetings!
I would consider purchasing the new DeWalt 10" table saw or a Jet with the extended table and all on castors. A friend of mine did that and loves it. Having and excellent saw blade is very important.
On the planer vs jointer discussion, I tend towards the planer and if you are afraid of the hand plane, consider Jointability. It is a device to hold your work and guide your jointer. It works on both sides so that the facing edges fit perfectly. The unit comes with a spiral bit - but uses your router.
I have a jointability, purchase one year ago and think its great.
I went a more expensive route at my start up, a 10" INCA saw and Jointer thicknesser, a 14" delta bandsaw with a 6" extender, a sears radial arm saw for cut off, and brought home a workbench like the one in the very early issues of Fine woodworking. Later I added a Shopsmith, a minimax duplicating lathe, an 18" Jet band saw and most recently a 12" Inca 2200 saw. I am in hog heaven except that I have more tools than space so am working on solving that dilemma.
Truth is, read some of the Fine woodworking articles comparing products and let those tests influence your choices.
In any event, enjoy the anticipation, and hope you have many years of satisfying shop experiences. Nothing like admiring a piece of work from a beautifulwood that provides a useful service to make your life easier.
Enjoy!
Ted
markgraff,
The advice to sit on your money is top notch! You mentioned that you don't need a $2000.00 table saw. My question is; do you want one? I'm sure every one does.
Get you shop space wired for 220 and then start looking for on old restorable saw. They are out there and can be had in user restorable condition for less than the price of a new piece of junk! You will learn about machinery and in the end you will have a tool for a lifetime that is an extension of yourself and your energy.
This may sound a bit "zen" but there is really nothing like bringing and old work horse back to life. It's good for your ego too! Your friends will be impressed when you transform a rusty, funky looking old unit into a like new machine. Be sure to take "before and after" pictures.
Lastly (before I hop off the soap box), a word about performance. These old machines were made to work, to last and be accurate. I have two table saws; one from 1946, the other from 1950. Both will cut easily as accurately as I can measure. Both saws will pass the "nickel test" only I use a Penny !! They would probably work with a dime if I were steady enough to get the thing to stand up in the first place.
Enjoy yourself whichever way you go!
Mack
forget Rigid table saws. If you can only afford a contractor type saw you are better off with a Dewalt or Delta.
I bot a Rigid jointer off their bargain rack one night. It's great for $300, not sure I'd pay their $500 asking though
Mark,
I began more or less on the same path you are embarking on about 10 years ago. The net was not quite like this at the time, only CompuServe, not bad but nothing like this. Anyway, my first saw was a Craftsman, my wife had given it to me as a gift, about a year later, I quietly upgraded or so I thought to the Powermatic 64. The only good that came out of it was the Vega fence, which I now have on my circa 1950 Delta Unisaw. When the motor on the Powermatic went out, I attempted to have it repaired at the local authorized shop, when I spotted a the Unisaw in the corner, to make a long story short I traded a computer and printer for the Unisaw with a new motor, bearings, and out-feed table. He felt guilty so he put a new paint job on it to boot. Talking about feeling guilty, the computer I traded was about year old at the time, if I remember correctly the machine I traded was a DX100 or it may have been a 266. The moral of the story and best piece of advice I ever got when I started collecting tools, I mean woodworking, was exercise patients. Over the years I have accumulated a number of tools which in some cases I paid less for than the Powermatic or new Transpower bandsaw, a Dewalt RAS excellent condition $125.00, Perfromax 22-44 Drum Sander complete standalone $400.00, Laguna 16” HD Bandsaw $950.00 (It was new, never used, still in the shipping carton with packing list and invoice un-opened, go figure). If I had it to do over, I would make do with the Craftsman until I found a good cabinet saw, or if I could not wait then the Grizzly cabinet saw. I have used the Grizzly saw a number of times, and although not a Unisaw (IMHO), but then the Unisaw is not a Felder or an Inca, it is much better than any of the contractor type saws.
Nick
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