Replies

1. 
   sschefer | May 23, 2002 06:19pm | #1

   Good question and an understandable dilema. If your table saw is good enough and your not doing a lot of edge joinery then the Band Saw looks like the best choice. But that is only if you're not doing a lot of re-sawing and are buying dimensional (surfaced) lumber. If you are buying full stock lumber and you want to use a band saw to re-saw with then you'll most certainly have a need for the planer. The drill press can wait, in the interim you can by a drill guide. 

   Steve - in Northern California

   
   

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   Edited 5/23/2002 11:25:16 AM ET by Steve Schefer

2. 
   PlaneWood | May 23, 2002 07:43pm | #2

   Alistair -

   You need to evaluate the direction you would like to take in woodworking.  The tools you need really depend on what you are doing or what you want to do.  Do you want to make large furniture pieces, small furniture pieces, small items like jewelry boxes, toys, ???  The list is endless.  My brother in law carves canes, walking sticks, and western characters using nothing but a sharpened band saw blade in a wooden handle and a hand saw.  The only power tool he owns is a old hand held Black & Decker electric drill. 

   With a small space to work in, I would suggest smaller items, and to go along with that, smaller tools.  Think bench top tools, not floor tools.  Bench top bandsaw, bench top jointer, bench top table saw, drill press, planer, etc.  And, acquire the tools as you need them.  No need to get the most expensive tools at first.  Get something that works, learn from it, then dispose of it when your ready to graduate to something better.

   I once made a pretty good table saw by putting a Porter Cable circular saw upside down in a box.  Use your imagination!  And, don't forget hand tools.  People really did do woodworking before electricity was invented!  The 'zen' of smoothing a board with a hand plane can't be beat!

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood

1. 
   Purds | May 23, 2002 10:02pm | #3

   Let me ask this along this thread: how much money is saved by using rough wood versus surfaced? I own a table saw, router and jointer (picked up used--also a used drill press), and I am debating about buying a benchtop planer. I have used a friend's 12 1/2" Delta to take a rough cherry board and turn it into a nice jewelry box for my wife, and I enjoyed the satisfaction of the process. This summer, however, I need to begin building several larger pieces (trundle bed, two (or three!) chests of drawers, etc.). I will likely use pine for the bed, not sure about others.

   The bottom line, would investing in a planer save me money in the middle term (not short term I know), or should I just buy dimensioned wood? Can anyone give me facts on this?

   Purds

1. 
   PlaneWood | May 24, 2002 02:02am | #4

   Do you have a source of cheap rough lumber?  Generally you can buy rough lumber at the saw mills that is at least $1.00 and up to $3.00 cheaper than finished lumber at a retail store.  So, you could save $100 - $300 for each 100 BF of it that you would buy.  Well. actually a little less, cause you will have more reject lumber.  If your a late night and weekend woodworking warrior, then 300 BF a year is probably the most you'll be buying.   Oh yeah, don't forget the cost of driving out into the boondocks to find that gold mine of cheap rough lumber.  Oh yeah, the cost of storing it.  And, you may need to get a trailer to carry it.

   If the stuff your buying at the retail store is the correct thickness for your plans, then why bother with rough lumber? Of course, this is a scale of magnitude problem.  The more lumber you need, the more you would potentially save.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood

1. 
   Purds | May 24, 2002 02:54am | #5

   Planewood:

   Thanks for the response. Your name implies that you go the rough wood route! I hear you ideas, though. I haven't really looked for rough lumber other than the place I bought the cherry board, and those folks were great--nice enough to help me pick out a single, good board. No minimum purchase, and what appeared to be a good price. While storage wouldn't be a huge problem, what about drying? Is rough wood already dried, like the dimensioned stuff?

   And, as far as the sizes being what I need: yeah, most of the time they are, but I have used my 6" jointer to shave down some boards when I had to replace the frame around the sliding glass door in the house (those damn carpenter ants!), and I'd like that option with the larger planer.

   Has anyone noticed I am trying to justify this purchase?

   But, really, I need to make this a reasonable economic purchase, as this is a hobby, and money doesn't grow on trees in my professional sector of the world (teaching).

   Purds

1. 
   Andrew | May 25, 2002 12:03am | #7

   Purds, don't look at a planer just to save money by buying rough lumber. dimensioned stock is not always flat, and there will be countless times in the shop where something has to be a bit over or under what your presurfaced stock is. your aggravation is also worth something, so take that into account. i've noticed surfaced wood sold retail is consistently more than double what i pay for rough lumber. there are always opportunities where a thickness planer comes in handy. i have a pile of rough maple in my garage that i got for free, but it wouldn't be much good without my planer. looking for a used planer will also save you a few more bucks. hope this helps

2. 
   slem2 | May 25, 2002 05:46am | #8

   I use my band saw more than any other tool in my shop next is the miter saw and drill press. A good palm sander will most likely get a lot of use in your shop. If I had to give up a power tool it would be the scroll saw. I used a circular saw with a straight edge and clamps on sawhorses with good results before I got my table saw......BT

3. 
   sschefer | May 26, 2002 06:27am | #9

   Andrew, whats up, you jumped the fence twice in your post... The poor guy has got to be at least as confused as I am. Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   Alistairjgre | May 24, 2002 03:47am | #6

   All

   Thanks for your feedback.  To summarise my woodwork style is difficult.  The projects I have done over the last 2 years are as follows:

   Speeker stands (actually done 7 years ago, but still proud of them)

   Small TV and video cabinet

   Coffee grinds box (for tapping coffee grinds into - made of local Australian hardwood - this one I hand planed rough timber to the dimensions using only a block plane - very satisfying)

   Work bench (made from recycled oregon and recycled local timbers)

   Dolls house

   Hall table (made form recycled oregon and new pacific maple)

   Jewelry box (made from Curly Jarrah)

   Tall boy

   Wall mounted tool cabinet (in progress)

   As you can see, I haven't as yet settled on a particular style to make, and using a mixture of recyled and new means that I have had to borrow time on friends equipment.

   Plans for the future include:

   Jarrah dining room table

   Display cabinet

   Buffet

   Humidor (does anyone have a good plan or book on these)

   whatever else I think at the time (it changes regularly)

   I thought of the planner/ jointer for the recyled wood, and also to be able to re-dimension timber.  I thought of the bandsaw for find sawing, and cutting timbers into new sizes, and I thought of the drill press for accurate cutting, mortise joints etc.  So it is a difficult question. I have been collecting a good array of hand tools from trips over the time. 

   Alistair (from Australia)