I am a VERY amateur wordworker, but am looking to start a small cabinet project. I have also received a gift certificate to purchase another tool for my shop.
Currently I have the following tools in my shop:
Dewalt Portable 10″ Tablesaw – DW744S model
Bosch 1613 AEVS 1/2″ router with fixed base and plunge bases (I also have a decent Router table)
Cicular saw and Misc Drills, hand planes.
So, I am wondering what to purchase next? I am looking at a solid compound miter saw, but am also thinking about a drill press.
Would anyone have some suggestions on the next step for tools?
Thanks!
Replies
I would opt for a 12 1/2 " planer. S4S lumber is expensive and your limited to thicknesses.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Dear R,
I would do the Compound Mitre Saw, (I like a Hitachi slider) followed by a 12" planer (Makita).
Best,
John
Rcb289,
Assuming your not going to be able to immediately buy all the power tools you want to do your next project, I'd suggest you consider a workbench with a couple of good vises. The workbench can provide numerous options when the power tool is not available. The vises will cost and the wood can be less quality...as long as it works.
You always need nice straight, smooth edges. They are safer to run on table saws and router tables, give more uniform results and help you build accurately. I'd go for a jointer.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Four replies so far, and four different answers. I'm guessing from your short list of next tools (drill press or compound miter) that your next purchase is in the $100-200 range? That puts a jointer out of the question, and a planer requires you to stretch.
You say you have some hand planes. Are they any good? Are they tuned up? Do you have an accurate square and a straight edge to check your work? Do you have a good rule?
Here's how I would spend $200 at the point where you seem to be:
Try square
18" Starrett rule
Waterstones, sharpening jig, diamond stone for sharpening your plane blades
A small sheet of 1/4" plate glass, lots of W&D sandpaper, and some 3M spray adhesive (to lap and tune your planes)
A set of Marples chisels or, if you don't have one, a jack plane
Buying a planer will open up a new world in the woods that you can work with, as many are available only rough-sided. This may inspire you to develop your skills further and spend more on other tools.
If you are going to stick with using S4S oak, poplar, etc., then I would recommend having the following hand tools:
1) a top quality (Starrett) combination square. Get it on eBay.
2) a good quality block plane. Get the LN when your skills are better than very amateur; try finding an older stanley (ebay also a good place to go).
3) a card scraper. They are good for making the minor fixes that even experienced ww'ers need to make on projects.
4) chisels. Get good ones. Good ones aren't sold at HD.
5) a diamond plate for honing and a couple of waterstones for sharpening. You'll be amazed at how much better your skills are when you have sharp tools.
6) get some good books to learn more. The Taunton series are great and with these as guides and some projects to learn from, you'll learn more and will soon want to spend even more time ww'ing.
Good luck. We all learn this stuff from doing. Post pictures of your projects as you finish them!
If you decide thickness planer you better have enough $ for a jointer too!I would suggest a good Sliding compound miter saw-Rigid is good.
Planer won't do much w/o a jointer and vice-versa.
For a cabinet shop, you may want to look at a kreg jig (~$60 for the cheap one) for simple face frame construction.
I would get a jointer next. You will use it more than you think, and for more things than you think. Have fun!
I was in a similar position to yours a few years ago. While at Lowes I picked up a jointer--not knowing whether I had any use for a jointer, but it was marked down--a lot. Turned out the jointer is a fundamental tool. Hard to build well-constructed furniture/cabinets out of crooked wood--which even S4S wood is. But a Planer is the Jointer's team mate. I found I needed them both. The quality of my furniture improved dramatically with the purchase of the jointer and planer.
Good luck with your decision
Bob
I will go at this a differant way. If I had to loss tools one at a time my planer would be the last to go. I always by my wood surface planed and at least one edge jointed but the wood is not planed to the thickness for the projects that I am working on. I let the wood set in the shop a few days then plane to the size I need.
I would go with a planer, then jointer.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
I would put any miter saw way down on the list and make shop-built sliding cutoff and miter sleds. After 20 years of making furniture and picture frames without it, I got a non-slider as a convenience only item. Even compound is not necessary if you cut compound miters as described in the e-video here on cutting crown molding.
Like others, I'd suggest a planer, quality hand tools, or a jigsaw for curved cuts (not a scroll saw unless you're into craftsy stuff).
Thanks very much to all for their comments. Looks like a planner is the ticket.
Thanks!!
I vote for drill press. I have found hand planes not only acceptable but satisfying to surface my lumber. I recently inherited at turn of the century (last) hand cranked drill press. Even this crude tool has opened many doors for me. Most noticeable is in mortise and tenon construction. Clean fitting joints were always difficult for me as I attempted to hog out the mortises with a hand held drill and clean up with a chisel. Just having the ability to drill holes at exactly 90 degrees to the surface is wonderful. I still want a powered drill press one day since operating the spindle and advancing crank simutaneously takes some real coordination! I believe this tool was designed for metalworking since the autoadvance cogs would require 10 minutes for a 3" deep hole!
Dust collection system.
Regards,
Ken
"Do as you would be done by." C.S. Lewis
If the project is a cabinet, both your choices are unsuitable. You should buy a 6-inch benchtop jointer. I built my workbench with a Delta benchtop jointer. I have never owned a miter saw and doubt that I ever will. A drill press is very useful, but it won't plane a board. You may go the hand tool route, but you need to invest about $800 in a sturdy workbench to get much mileage from them. The jointer is the best choice if you want square, truly aligned and glued cabinet corners. If you only want to nail something together, pay me no mind.
Cadiddlehopper
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