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Author Topic: Building a woodshop....recommended tools  (Read 41603 times)

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grumble

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #40 on: November 17, 2005, 03:01:12 pm »
I have a DeWalt mitersaw and one of the things I dislike about it is the procedure for changing the blade. The manual tells you to loosen a screw that holds the guard on before you can get to the arbor screw. No problem right? Well that screw was driven into place by Thor himself! Trying to remove it with a screwdriver like in the manual resulted in stripping it all to hell. Finally I used my drill on the maximum torque setting and just barely managed to loosen it. Now I need a replacement. What bothered me about the experience was that the manual didn't specify what tool to use to remove the thing. Other than that though, the DeWalt saw is pretty nice.

As for a table saw, I'm saving my pennies for the Bosch 4009. After a marathon session of reading reviews and table saw roundups and the like, I've decided that the 4009 is the ideal balance between capabilities, price and portability.

Probably the nicest tool I've purchased so far is a Porter Cable 690 series router with a plunge and fixed base. Add to that a reasonably priced kit of Ryobi router bits and I can make control panels all day. The only problem with the porter cable is that it is orders of magnitude more complex than the Craftsman plunge router I used to build my cabinet. It has so many accessories and depth adjustments and the like that I was forced to read the manual (can you imagine?) over and over and practice with it many times before I felt as comfortable with it as with the craftsman. It's infinitely higher quality but has a steeper learning curve.

Finally a drill guide is extremely handy! I bought one for about $30 and it's like having a portable drill press. Very nifty.
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #41 on: November 17, 2005, 03:26:05 pm »
The most important tool you have is the internet. All the forums mentioned are a great source of info. Obviously there are some woodworkers on this one too!

Read our opinions with a grain of salt though. Matt is pro high end tools. That's great, if you have the dough. Bubble has a mix of high & low end. That can be great, but do your homework. Analyze what you want to do with the tools, and how many hours you may spend using them. Some tools get used a lot (cordless drill, router, TS) Some a little or maybe once a year if you have a schedule like mine.

Most importantly, READ! epinions, amazon, forums, woodworking reviews (library or subscriptions) Some forums harbor tool snobs (woodnet) some harbor frugals (bt3central) so read them all, and make a good assesment.

I have spent hours researching tools, and I have spent time looking at how "I" will use them. I also have 20 years plus in amassing my tool collection (mostly car and metal fab stuff) and have made plenty of mistakes by using the "impulse method".

I guess I'm saying read, read, read. Then buy.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #42 on: November 17, 2005, 03:42:48 pm »
I do a lot of woodworking, and have owned just about every brand of power tool at one point in time.  In terms of quality and reliability, here's how I'd rank the manufacturers of hand power tools:

1) Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Bosch
2) Freud, Hitachi
3) Makita
4) DeWalt
5) Craftsman, Ryobi
6) Skill, Black and Decker

I'm sure I've left someone out.  But bottom line is look at which tools you'll be using the most, and buy accordingly.  For example, I have a Milwaukee reciprocating saw, but I don't use it much.  For the amount I use it, I probably could have spent
$ 40 less and bought a Ryobi.

I restored an old car a couple of years ago, and went through several angle grinders (burned up a Makita and a Dewalt).  Then I bought a Hitachi, and it's been excellent.

Even though they're not that high on my list, I have several Ryobi cordless drills that have been a great value for the money.  I wanted a couple that I could drop off of roofs and ladders and not be too upset if they broke due to the cost.  On the other hand, I acquired a Ryobi cordless saw that's almost useless.

-gary

Matt Berry

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #43 on: November 18, 2005, 07:48:48 am »
The internet is definetly your best tool / resource. If you do decide on craftsman, instead of buying blindly use the product code and this link to see who made it. http://www.professional-power-tool-guide.com/Craftsman-Sears-Manufacturing-Source-Code.htm

I know craftsman still makes their handtools, but I'm unsure the exact time they started farming out their powertools. That is why craftsman powertools are sometimes good and sometimes not so good. It all depends on who is making that paticular item for them.

While I'm still not sure about when sears stop making their own powertools I will agree that the older craftsman (25 years or older) are usually pretty good and dependable. You just have to know what you are getting yourself into.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #44 on: November 18, 2005, 05:54:03 pm »
i love my bosch tools ;D i pretty big fan of there quality compared to some of the other powertools ive had in the past (skill and craftman to be exact,)

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #45 on: November 18, 2005, 06:18:29 pm »
Looks like I'll definitely be leaning towards  bosch, dewalt, porter cable for my power tools....still shopping for that sub 500.00 TS though...gonna have to put alot of thought into that

Thanks

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #46 on: November 18, 2005, 06:36:39 pm »
How do u guys feel about the Ridgid line of power tools at Home Depot, they seem pretty solid.

Thanks

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #47 on: November 18, 2005, 10:28:15 pm »

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #48 on: November 20, 2005, 01:10:55 am »
another handy tool to have in the woodshop is a scantily clad big breasted female assistant handing you your tools

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #49 on: November 20, 2005, 05:01:21 am »
It's been a while since I've been here, Ive been hanging out in the previously mentioned woodworking forums.  I'm slowly turning my small garage into a woodworking shop, so I've been spending a lot of time reading about tools.  I'll list some of the ones I've bought recently.

I bought a craftsman table saw last year.  It was on clearance for $350 (to make room for the new hybrids they are currently selling).  I used this saw a couple of times, and I was so frustrated, I let it sit for months.  The rip fence is horrible!!  A couple of months ago, I replaced the fence with a Biesemeyer.  The difference is amazing!  The fence is extremely accurate, and is a pleasure to use, of course it should be, since it cost nearly as much as the saw.  I also bought an aftermarket miter gauge (incra 1000se), so crosscuts are very accurate as well.  I now have about $800 into this saw, and I am now pretty happy with it.  If I could do it over again, I would buy a better saw for probably not much more, but I will live with mine as it is.  Definitely get a TS with a T-square fence (Biese or a clone), they are worth it.  A cabinet saw may be better, but for home use I think a contractors saw will work fine.  If the cost of a cabinet saw is too much, so is wood that will require one. :P

Last year, I also bought some other cheaper tools trying to outfit my shop quickly.  Some I have been happy with, others are just not very good.

Delta benchtop drillpress - I don't use this often, but it has performed well when I have used it.

Delta benchtop belt/disk sander - I just tried this for the first time a couple of days ago.  I wish I would have tried it when I bought it, I would have returned it.  It will sand, but it doesn't take much pressure to stop it.  I wouldn't recommend this one at all.

Firestorm 14.4v cordless tool set (drill, circ saw, sawsall) - I returned this the same day.  I cut 3 2x4s with the circ saw, and the battery was dead.  The drill didn't do much better.  I don't think I will ever buy a tool with the name Firestorm on it again.  Very disappointed.

Dewalt 18v cordless drill - When I returned the Firestorm set, I decided to try Dewalt.  The set was way out of my price range, so I just bought the drill.  This is probably my favorite tool.  It just works great!  With the 2 batteries it came with (not the real expensive ones), I never have to wait for a battery to charge.  It takes about an hour to charge, and I haven't been able to drain one in less time than that (or even close for that matter).  I would recommend this drill without hesitation, it is a great tool.

Bosch jigsaw - If I used a jigsaw as much as a cordless drill, this would also be a candidate for my favorite tool.  No complaints at all.

Hitachi 1/4 sheet palm sander - I'm not sure if I like this one or not.  I can't figure out how to fit a 1/4 sheet into the clamping springs.  The paper is just a little bit to short to reach.  If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, please let me know.  I will reserve judgement on this tool until I figure out if this is just user error.

Skil plunge/fixed router - This works well, I have it mounted in the router table extension on my table saw.  I have never tried the plunge base.  I plan to build a router table next year, and I will probably put a bigger router in that table.  I will leave this one in the TS as a backup.  I would not recommend using a table saw extension router table as your only router table.  Don't get me wrong, it will work OK, but even though I have a very small shop, I will make room for a dedicated router table.  It takes a while to get the router set up.  If you need to make a cut on the table saw, you have to tear down the router setup.  Maybe with good planning, this wouldn't happen very often, but I wouldn't know anything about that. :D Overall, the Skil seems to work fine, and it is under a hundred bucks.  Not bad.

That's all the power tools I can think of from last years purchases.  Now on to this years purchases.  I will give my opinions on these tools, but keep in mind that I have not used these very much.  I am full into the acquiring stage at the moment, and that leaves little time or room in the shop to actually use the tools.  I am almost finished with the drywall in the shop, so hopefully I will get everything set up soon, and put this small fortune of tools (at least on my limited budget :D) to use.  I will try to come back and update this if my opinion changes with more use.  Some of my tools have not been used yet, and some of them are not assembled yet. I will list them so you can check them out if you want.  I've read a lot of tool reviews this year, so I hope my purchases were more informed than last years.

Grizzly 6" jointer - Still only partially assembled.  I've read a lot of good reviews on this one, and I think it will be a good addition to my shop.

Grizzly 8' grinder - Still in box

Grizzly Benchtop Oscillating sander - Just got this yesterday.  I tested it with a scrap piece of 2x6.  It seems to work well.  It is probably a lot less powerfull than other sanders, but it is a lot cheaper than others that I have seen.  The base is plastic, but feels sturdy.  With very limited testing, I am happy so far. I will be happier after I clean up the mess with the shop vac.  The shop is being drywalled, so this test was done in my dining/game/entry room.  I wouldn't try that if you are married though :D

I have read a lot of good things about Grizzly, and they have been great to deal with so far.  I plan to buy a 14" Bandsaw from them next year.  I would definitely check them out.

There is more, but I need to sleep.  This post got a bit long.  If this is usefull to anyone, let me know, I will post some more.  If not, I will get back to reading about arcade controls :D

Paul





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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #50 on: November 20, 2005, 12:18:07 pm »
For the tablesaw delta has a 10" model for under 500. It is the Delta 36-675 10" Contractor Saw with 2 Steel Extension Wings & 30" T2 Fence System, so far all the reveiws I've seen have been positive.

The 1/4" hand sander usually after taking a sheet of sandpaper and tearing it into 1/4's, slide one piece under the spring and clamp down. Then push the paper twords the other spring keeping it tight, slide it under the other spring and clamp down. It is a tight fit (for any 1/4 sheet sander) but pretty easy once you get the technique down.

Your other tool examples are prime examples why you should research every item before you buy it because all the manufactures make a few bad items.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #51 on: November 22, 2005, 01:42:19 pm »
How do u guys feel about the Ridgid line of power tools at Home Depot, they seem pretty solid.


I've got the 1/2" cordless drill and it kicks --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules--.

The ratchet in the chuck makes slipping bits a thing of the past, and the 400 in-lbs of torque is enough to drive 4" screws into oak beams. The 30 minute charger is handy, too.

I have a Craftsman jobsite tablesaw that's pretty nice. It folds up to store. You need a rabbet blad for the table saw! I have a Delta Mitre saw and a Delta drill press, and they both serve their purpose. I wish the drill press were larger.

Bob

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #52 on: November 30, 2005, 12:48:30 pm »
Sorry to bump this old topic, but I thought of a biggie must have last weekend, I thought I should share.

My wife recently (jeesh a year ago now I guess) picked up one of the greatest tools I have ever owned.  At first I was sceptical, but was quickly won over.  If you plan to cut even board, you should drop the 100 bucks on one of these...a backyard fire pit!

We got ours from target and I bet I have burned 3 cord of scrap wood in that thing already.  Not only do I love it, but the trash collectors love it too!

I don't in anyway know about this vendor nor endorse them (first one on a google search), but they have lots of pictures incase you don't know what I'm talking about.  http://www2.yardiac.com/list_categories.asp?id=266&promo=Google

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #53 on: November 30, 2005, 01:46:49 pm »
That is a rather interesting way to get rid of scrap wood I must say.  I'm picking up a dewalt miter saw this weekend 10 inch for 200.00, need to cut baseboards in the house so this will be a good investment for the woodshop also

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #54 on: November 30, 2005, 06:54:58 pm »
holy crap!

How could I forget a compressor! You want a finish nailer and a brad nailer as well.

The forum I listed earlier has workshop pics. Look for any post by Rod Kirby. His workshop is stunning, and insanely clean.

I will also put in a little push for the Ryobi BT3100 Table Saw. Great starter saw that will not break the bank, and will perform extremely well when set up correctly.

Once again... www.bt3central.com

I'll second the above push for the BT3100.  I've got one and think it is a great value.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #55 on: November 30, 2005, 09:02:08 pm »
Sorry to bump this old topic, but I thought of a biggie must have last weekend, I thought I should share.

My wife recently (jeesh a year ago now I guess) picked up one of the greatest tools I have ever owned.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #56 on: December 01, 2005, 01:33:22 am »

 pcolson,   Ive got a firestorm drill and it works amazing.  I love the thing.
 The battery life seems quite long to me.    I did an entire shelfing unit that has 12 table sized shelves that pull out..  and has Tons of screws drivin into it.   After maybe 150+  3" long screws, I still had power...  and I may have used the drill earlier for other things.

 My guess is that you didnt fully charge the battery before you used the thing.   I believe that they arnt fully charged right out of the box.

 

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #57 on: December 01, 2005, 12:02:09 pm »
Am I behind the times, or is it still good practice to completely discharge a rechargeable battery before you recharge?

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #58 on: December 11, 2005, 05:30:16 pm »
I dont think you have to completely discharge them anymore.  At least the manual for my Dewalt 18v set ups says its not necessary.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #59 on: December 11, 2005, 05:33:27 pm »
Any recommendations on a store bought Router table?

Or would I be better off building my own?

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #60 on: December 11, 2005, 06:59:35 pm »
Any recommendations on a store bought Router table?

Or would I be better off building my own?

Build your own.  It may end up costing you more, but you can easily build the same basic type of router table as you can buy, and in addition, can customize it to your needs, such as adding a pin (not common AT ALL on cheap tables), a fence with stops in case you want to do semi-production work or simply don't want to have to mark the fence and pray you stopped at the right spot, better dust/chip removal/control, etc.  Search your local library, Wood magazine, the internet, etc to find ideas or plans. 

vader, pick up the roller stand for that thing unless you're gonna be building a miter saw station for the shop.  You'll hate having longer pieces of molding hanging off the edge, and the flex may cause you some headaches when lining up your cuts.  And I hate the clamps that come with the DeWalt's :(  Ridgid makes some decent tools, but you'll want to investigate your purchases of 'em.  Their shop-vac's are nice, that I can vouch for ;)

Somewhere on the net, there's plans for building your own panel saw.  It utilizes a plywood tray for the saw, which means you can easily make another for use with your router.  There was very little metal used in it, so it wasn't one of the "several hundred dollars to BYO" versions you may have seen.  I'd post it if I hadn't lost the bookmark but if I can find it again, I'll definitely repost it here.  IIRC it would cost ~$200-300 to build.
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #61 on: December 11, 2005, 08:15:36 pm »
Re: Panel Saws

There's a pretty decent looking plan for a panel saw in ShopNotes magazine, issue #4.
According to their plan it should cost $134 for hardware plus the cost of wood. Looks pretty functional too!
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #62 on: December 12, 2005, 10:37:27 am »
I've bee looking at the mitre stands, but you have a point...may be easier just build something....I have inside info that as xmas presents I got a bandsaw and radial drill press  ;D, don't know how much use I'll get out of those...but will look real nice in the shop

Tim

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #63 on: December 12, 2005, 12:36:45 pm »

I have inside info that as xmas presents I got a bandsaw and radial drill press  ;D, don't know how much use I'll get out of those...but will look real nice in the shop

Tim


A RADIAL drill press?  If I were you, I'd marry that woman ;)

I have a feeling you'll get quite a bit of use out of 'em.  Now you've gotta start looking around for magazines you'll wanna subscribe to.  Wood, Shop Notes, Fine Woodworking (although oddly enough, I like Fine Homebuilding a bit more ??? ).  There's a few more out there.

If'n you want, same offer.  If I can scrounge up the several-versions-of-plans for a miter saw station and scan 'em in and PDF-ize 'em, you're welcome to them.  Timeliness, however, isn't anything I'll promise, since I'm now trying to catch up/down/sideways with Stingray ;D
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #64 on: December 12, 2005, 02:46:46 pm »
I have a bunch of small things around my house I'd like to change or improve.  I know very little about woodworking, though.

Anyone know of a good site with tutorials for the beginner?  I need to start at a place like "this is wood.  This is how you cut wood.  This is how you cut wood at a 45 degree angle.  Don't cut your arms."

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #65 on: December 12, 2005, 03:20:29 pm »

I have inside info that as xmas presents I got a bandsaw and radial drill press  ;D, don't know how much use I'll get out of those...but will look real nice in the shop

Tim


A RADIAL drill press?  If I were you, I'd marry that woman ;)



LOL....if I were married....I wouldn't be getting half this stuff, this gift is from my dad...my family gets nice presents for each other....


FYI....I'll probably take the press back...that is just way too much money for someone to spend even though i really want it
« Last Edit: December 12, 2005, 03:22:41 pm by vader88 »

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #66 on: December 12, 2005, 03:50:41 pm »
Re: Panel Saws

There's a pretty decent looking plan for a panel saw in ShopNotes magazine, issue #4.
According to their plan it should cost $134 for hardware plus the cost of wood. Looks pretty functional too!

Looks interesting.  I definitely don't have the room in the basement for one, so I won't be building one, but I'm very interested in seeing how it's done.  Does anybody have a scan?

-S

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #67 on: December 12, 2005, 06:06:29 pm »
Re: Panel Saws

There's a pretty decent looking plan for a panel saw in ShopNotes magazine, issue #4.
According to their plan it should cost $134 for hardware plus the cost of wood. Looks pretty functional too!

Looks interesting.  I definitely don't have the room in the basement for one, so I won't be building one, but I'm very interested in seeing how it's done.  Does anybody have a scan?

-S

I'll see if I can scrounge up anything.  I dunno what I've got, but I bought 2 mags with panel saw plans.  The first was ridiculous.  $500 in hardware ::)

Chad, Black&Decker's site tends to have a lot of really simplified stuff, and they offer some higher-skill stuff (well, higher than "how to cut wood" stuff anyway) too once you feel more comfortable.  http://www.blackanddecker.co.uk/index.asp?frmFirst=True&EOF=False&mktid=2

« Last Edit: December 12, 2005, 06:10:50 pm by DrewKaree »
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #68 on: December 13, 2005, 09:02:36 am »
Chad, Black&Decker's site tends to have a lot of really simplified stuff, and they offer some higher-skill stuff (well, higher than "how to cut wood" stuff anyway) too once you feel more comfortable.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #69 on: December 13, 2005, 09:17:29 am »
Pick up a copy or subscription to Wood magazine it is geared twords beginer / intermediate level wood workers. Also another way to learn is to look for a class. There are schools that specialize in just woodworking and art. Some colleges offer woodworking courses too.

You can also learn a lot off from forums such as woodcentral, woodnet, bt3central, sawmillcreek, ect.

Vader I wouldn't return the tool, you should keep it.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #70 on: December 13, 2005, 09:24:16 am »

I definitely have to go the self learning/book/forum route.  There is no way I'd be able to find time to take a class.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #71 on: December 13, 2005, 02:36:38 pm »

Will read, thanks.  I want to start doing stuff around the house like replacing the old baseboard/window moldings with new stained moldings, but don't know how to cut at a 45 degree angle.   :-[


I end up doing piles of that stuff, and it'll be harder than just cutting a 45.  If you don't have one already, and want to do that, I'd recommend getting a power miter saw.  You'll find that a 45 is anything BUT a common angle.  Also, you'll want to read up somewhere on how to "cope" (that's the proper term, not to be confused with the "HOW THE EFF CAN I DO THIS?" feeling ;D ) moldings, since you'll want to use a coping saw for inside corners instead of just cutting the angles.  A belt sander and a dremel can also be your friend, if you're careful

In my project thread, you'll find a REALLY nice tool for figuring out your angles for outside cuts.  At the very least, invest in a cheap miter angle finder.  It's not the hardest thing in the world to do, but it will be something that's not the easiest thing in the world to do right, at least the first few cuts. By the time you reach the end of the moldings you're replacing, you should be fairly proficient, but you'll understand the difference between rough and finish carpentry.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2005, 02:38:31 pm by DrewKaree »
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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #72 on: December 13, 2005, 04:33:06 pm »

I don't want any Finns working on my house.  Swedes maybe but that damn Finnish carpentry ain't no good.


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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #73 on: December 13, 2005, 05:52:54 pm »
If you can stand the cost of a magazine subscription a great beginner one is "The Family Handyman". It covers all kinds of house stuff, minor furniture building, around the yard stuff etc. It is very basic, but even with lots of experience in woodworking and construction, I still find it to be an enjoyable read.

It is also Finnish free. NTTIAWWT

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #74 on: December 13, 2005, 06:05:09 pm »
You mentioned jointer - they're nice, but if you have a circular saw and a reasonably long edge guide, save yourself about $300by getting on e-bay and finding youself an old rusty Stanley #7 or #8 plane and a sharpening stone/guide. 

Once you clean it up you'll get a better edge in about the same amount of time (if you are starting with rough cut lumber - if you are just truing up finished lumber the jointer wins for speed but still not quality).  I used to scoff at hand planes - then I learned how to sharpen them properly.


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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #75 on: December 13, 2005, 06:28:03 pm »
I have a 6" x 48" bed jointer. I bought it from a co-worker for $50, still had the cosmoline on it, 20 years after he bought it! ;D

I like and use hand planes too, but the OP asked about power tools, so that is what I responded to.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #76 on: December 14, 2005, 09:31:34 am »
I won't argue the use of handplanes vs jointer, as I own both. There are some arguments for a jointer. While a jointer is used to edge joint rough lumber it also has another use, and that is to face joint rough sawn lumber. Sure you can use a scrub plane and do it, but when you have a stack of 100 + bf of rough lumber to flatten and plane, it definetely is a lot faster to do it with a jointer and 15" planer. After that you can use a smoother and scraper to get the ideal finish to the wood in a lot less time then doing it all by hand.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #77 on: December 14, 2005, 09:48:17 am »
If you can stand the cost of a magazine subscription a great beginner one is "The Family Handyman". It covers all kinds of house stuff, minor furniture building, around the yard stuff etc. It is very basic, but even with lots of experience in woodworking and construction, I still find it to be an enjoyable read.

I actually have a sub to that magazine... it is pretty good for some things, not so great when it calls for you to "cut all the boards as listed in materials" but you don't necessarily know how to do it.

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #78 on: December 14, 2005, 09:54:46 am »
Using power tools vs. hand tools boils down to personal preference, and the time you have to spend using them. I have a 6 year old, and a 4 month old, a 50-60 hour a week job, and like 9 hobbies. I really need for my tools to be accurate, and FAST. Now you can get fast results from hand tools, but it takes time to tune them, and keep them in tune, and experience in their usage to be fast. I have yet to find the time to get to this point.

Something can be said for using Neanderthal tools. If you enjoy the sounds and sweat involved in hand crafting an object, they are the only way to go. For some folks, this is the ultimate woodworking experience.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2005, 09:56:46 am by nostrebor »

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Re: Building a woodshop....recommended tools
« Reply #79 on: December 14, 2005, 09:56:32 am »

I'm not at that place right now.  Right now I would want quality results in a reasonable amount of time.

I don't need the quality of experience, I just need competence.