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Message
Woodworking Advice
Posted on 12/28/15 at 8:53 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 8:53 pm
Looking to get more into woodworking. Would like to start making furniture and just have my projects look more professional overall. Need recommendations for equipment to buy. I don't currently have a table saw, I figure that would be a good place to start. Also wondering if I need to invest in planers or anything else.
Thanks.
Thanks.
10
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:08 pm to IMATIGERFAN
What do you have at this point?
Clamps, chisels, planes, etc
I wouldn't put tablesaw at the top of the list. I use my bandsaw all the time.
Router would be high in the list as well. Very high.
ETA: I use a good circular saw with a good guide instead of a table saw. I have an older Unisaw that's awesome but I never use it.
Clamps, chisels, planes, etc
I wouldn't put tablesaw at the top of the list. I use my bandsaw all the time.
Router would be high in the list as well. Very high.
ETA: I use a good circular saw with a good guide instead of a table saw. I have an older Unisaw that's awesome but I never use it.
This post was edited on 12/28/15 at 9:15 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:21 pm to bbvdd
Very few clamps, no chisels. What do you recommend?
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:29 pm to bbvdd
quote:
Router would be high in the list as well. Very high.
Then start spending real money on the bits.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:29 pm to IMATIGERFAN
What are you wanting to make?
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:33 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Planers and joiner has to be high on the list. Pawn shops are a place to not overlook for deals...
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:34 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Pawn shops, pawn shops, pawn shops. Quality products at a fraction of the price. Also AAA or other rental services do a yearly sale to get rid of the old to make room for the new. If you can get into one of those they are gold mines.
Also start cheap. I like Harbor Freight. If I end up liking it I move onto grizzly/dewalt/other high price brand. Nothing sucks than using a tool twice and realizing you will never use it again after you dropped a car payment on it.
Clamps, pocket holes, planers, joiners would be a good place to start if you want to get good quick.
If you are a part timer and plan on doing a project a year and want to learn how to respect the materials you are using, then start with hand tools. The learning curve sucks but I respect wood/grain and now know how to cut/trim/shape wood that others I work with just don't understand. But when mine doesn't splinter, crack, or age incorrectly it all has to do with the 3-4 years I spent using hand tools. I hated it but understand it
Also start cheap. I like Harbor Freight. If I end up liking it I move onto grizzly/dewalt/other high price brand. Nothing sucks than using a tool twice and realizing you will never use it again after you dropped a car payment on it.
Clamps, pocket holes, planers, joiners would be a good place to start if you want to get good quick.
If you are a part timer and plan on doing a project a year and want to learn how to respect the materials you are using, then start with hand tools. The learning curve sucks but I respect wood/grain and now know how to cut/trim/shape wood that others I work with just don't understand. But when mine doesn't splinter, crack, or age incorrectly it all has to do with the 3-4 years I spent using hand tools. I hated it but understand it
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:39 pm to bbvdd
Generally speaking, you can probably do 60% of woodworking with a table saw.
Go find the Fine Woodworking magazine devoted to the table saw, has probably a dozen jigs to make for different woodworking techniques.
Starting out though you can run a skilsaw which will save you some money in case you aren't into it.
If your serious though, table saw is key. And unless your doing woodworking for a job, the Ridgid brand of table saws have extremely great reviews for their price. In Fine Homebuilding/Woodworking, Ridgid has the same quality reviews compared to Bosch's saws. I have the general contractor saw currently, I'll eventually build a a work bench to accommodate it.
Another big tool to have is a router, these two tools together can do probably 85-90% of any woodworking tasks. But this tool will rack up the costs relatively quickly with the amount of money you'll spend on the bits, buy when you need them.
Miter saws are optional for long lumber but this can be carefully taken care of on a table saw with a crosscut sled.
I have a sander with several grits and lots of them. Another great tool in the smoothing area are hand planes, I particularly will be buying a smoothing plane soon. These consist of any in the 5" to 10" range.
Bandsaws are awesome too but I would leave that for the Christmas bonus area.
Lastly, make sure you got a drill, with the Kreg system, worth its weight in gold.
Go find the Fine Woodworking magazine devoted to the table saw, has probably a dozen jigs to make for different woodworking techniques.
Starting out though you can run a skilsaw which will save you some money in case you aren't into it.
If your serious though, table saw is key. And unless your doing woodworking for a job, the Ridgid brand of table saws have extremely great reviews for their price. In Fine Homebuilding/Woodworking, Ridgid has the same quality reviews compared to Bosch's saws. I have the general contractor saw currently, I'll eventually build a a work bench to accommodate it.
Another big tool to have is a router, these two tools together can do probably 85-90% of any woodworking tasks. But this tool will rack up the costs relatively quickly with the amount of money you'll spend on the bits, buy when you need them.
Miter saws are optional for long lumber but this can be carefully taken care of on a table saw with a crosscut sled.
I have a sander with several grits and lots of them. Another great tool in the smoothing area are hand planes, I particularly will be buying a smoothing plane soon. These consist of any in the 5" to 10" range.
Bandsaws are awesome too but I would leave that for the Christmas bonus area.
Lastly, make sure you got a drill, with the Kreg system, worth its weight in gold.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:39 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Clamps get them from Harbor Freight, they are very inexpensive and lots of woodworkers use them.
A router is a good tool to have.
A Planer is good to have if you plan to do a lot of finished project with dimnsional lumber. If you plan to use hardwood from the lumber yard you really don't need it.
As mentioned you can get by without a table saw. Get a sheet of 3/8 plywood and make a couple guides to use with a circular saw to break down plywood.
Watch lots of YouTube videos.
Jay Bates
Matthias Wandel
Jimmy Diresta
John Heizs
I Build It
Thom Stevens
ETA.
If you want a pocket hole jig get the Porter Cable 560. Very user friendly and easier to adjust than the Kreg jigs.
A router is a good tool to have.
A Planer is good to have if you plan to do a lot of finished project with dimnsional lumber. If you plan to use hardwood from the lumber yard you really don't need it.
As mentioned you can get by without a table saw. Get a sheet of 3/8 plywood and make a couple guides to use with a circular saw to break down plywood.
Watch lots of YouTube videos.
Jay Bates
Matthias Wandel
Jimmy Diresta
John Heizs
I Build It
Thom Stevens
ETA.
If you want a pocket hole jig get the Porter Cable 560. Very user friendly and easier to adjust than the Kreg jigs.
This post was edited on 12/28/15 at 9:42 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 9:45 pm to CHEDBALLZ
quote:
ETA. If you want a pocket hole jig get the Porter Cable 560. Very user friendly and easier to adjust than the Kreg jigs.
Agreed. Learned the hard way on this one. Porter cable makes some cheap stuff, but it also makes some good stuff too. I highly recommend their side grinder and heat guns as well. But if you are dealing with wood, you won't need these. At least I hope you realize you will not need these
This post was edited on 12/28/15 at 9:46 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 10:16 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Forgot to add a youtuber that I would bang like a screen door who does woodworking.
April Wilkerson, check her out.
April Wilkerson, check her out.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 10:25 pm to CHEDBALLZ
quote:
Planer is good to have if you plan to do a lot of finished project with dimnsional lumber. If you plan to use hardwood from the lumber yard you really don't need it.
Unless I'm misunderstanding you I think this is backwards. People doing projects using dimensional lumber are buying s4s boards and not usually trying to change the thickness. People buying hardwood at a lumber yard usually buy it rough or somewhere between rough and s4s and then use their jointer/planer/saw to mill it how they want it.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 10:38 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Your work is only as good as your tools! Buy cheap stuff get inaccurate cuts. If you want to start on the low end of good quality I would start with shop fox or grizzly tools.
Table saw is a must and in my opinion the first of many tools. Keep in mind that you can do a lot of jobs with lil equipment but it will make your experience way more pleasurable if you have a few tools.
I don't do wood working full time. I do it as a hobby. I have an assortment of tools and find that as I get a new one it makes my hobby that much more fun and easy! Good luck.
Table saw is a must and in my opinion the first of many tools. Keep in mind that you can do a lot of jobs with lil equipment but it will make your experience way more pleasurable if you have a few tools.
I don't do wood working full time. I do it as a hobby. I have an assortment of tools and find that as I get a new one it makes my hobby that much more fun and easy! Good luck.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 10:40 pm to IMATIGERFAN
Table saw
Router
5“ electric DA sander
Drill
Square
Tape measure
Pencil
You can build just about anything with those.
Remember - measure twice, cut once.
There's only one shop in town with a board stretcher, and they charge $$ by the 1/4“!
Router
5“ electric DA sander
Drill
Square
Tape measure
Pencil
You can build just about anything with those.
Remember - measure twice, cut once.
There's only one shop in town with a board stretcher, and they charge $$ by the 1/4“!
Posted on 12/28/15 at 11:01 pm to Shexter
quote:
Remember - measure twice, cut once.
OP how are your ruler reading skills? Knowing how to quickly identify all the fractions of an inch will Make woodworking a hell of a lot easier.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 12:20 am to IMATIGERFAN
Wood lathes are fun. Might cost you a few bucks, though.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 6:03 am to ccard257
quote:
Unless I'm misunderstanding you I think this is backwards. People doing projects using dimensional lumber are buying s4s boards and not usually trying to change the thickness. People buying hardwood at a lumber yard usually buy it rough or somewhere between rough and s4s and then use their jointer/planer/saw to mill it how they want it.
No. I can buy hardwood lumber from the big box that is relatively smooth and very very close in dimension. I find when I buy dimensional lumber the sizes vary more which I think is mostly due to moisture content and shrinkage. By either cutting off the rounded corners (with a table saw) or running it through it through a planer you get a better looking product.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 7:09 am to IMATIGERFAN
First a quality drill. I personally use all dewalt stuff but its personal preference. There are other quality lines out there.
I've been doing this for a while and still don't have a table saw because I don't want to go on the cheap on that. You can make rips with a circular saw and a guide.
Get a good miter. You can probably do 90% of what you will want to do with a 12" miter saw, but if you have the funds make it a 12" sliding.
Clamps - as someone else said harbor freight will save you some money. Other stores want $$$ for clamps.
A good orbital sander. I use bosch, but again any of the brands dewalt, bosch, ryobi, porter cable to name a few will serve you just fine.
Resources: I'm good based on existing plans. Designing your own is a little more tough. I like to use Ana White, DIY Pete, Rogue Engineer for a lot of good ideas. Good luck!
I've been doing this for a while and still don't have a table saw because I don't want to go on the cheap on that. You can make rips with a circular saw and a guide.
Get a good miter. You can probably do 90% of what you will want to do with a 12" miter saw, but if you have the funds make it a 12" sliding.
Clamps - as someone else said harbor freight will save you some money. Other stores want $$$ for clamps.
A good orbital sander. I use bosch, but again any of the brands dewalt, bosch, ryobi, porter cable to name a few will serve you just fine.
Resources: I'm good based on existing plans. Designing your own is a little more tough. I like to use Ana White, DIY Pete, Rogue Engineer for a lot of good ideas. Good luck!
Posted on 12/29/15 at 7:10 am to IMATIGERFAN
Check out the wood working for mere mortals website, Dude is goofy but does a lot with minimal tools.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 8:26 am to lgtiger
quote:
wood working for mere mortals
I made this bench out of scraps from his website. The deck is some oak boards from a pallet and the legs and base are from some scrap 2x4s. Everything is glued together. 2 coats of polyurethane on it.
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