I am looking for general advice. I apologize up-front if this is not the correct News Group:
1) I enjoy doing trim work and carpentry, I do not have a lot of experience. Chair Rail, Crown, Bead board etc.
2) I am interested in getting started in woodworking.
3) I have the following tools:
a. 10 in compound miter saw
b. Router, I have only used once.
c. An old Makita 8 inch, contractor table saw
d. Other hand tools, Skill Saw, etc
Any suggestions on my next steps or purchases? My "gung ho" side wants to purchase an upgraded table saw, belt driven. Any suggest as my next steps? Wood working class?
I didn't think of taking a course but knew a crafter with an excellent shop and worked there a couple of afternoons a week in exchange for being taught how to use the mahines safely and basic construction. It was worth it! And I got to use first class machines before I went looking to buy. Look around and see who is out there doing what. Look for shop classes at the local junior college.
Sounds like you have tools to get you going. You will need more as you go. I agree that taking a course will be very beneficial. About 2-3 years after I started tinkering with wood I took a college intro to cabinetmaking class and it was great. Not only did I learn a lot about basic woodwork, it paid two other big dividends:
1) I walked away with an excellent 900 page textbook that continues to answer design and process questions 26 years later. It is 'Cabinetmaking and Millwork' by John L. Feirer, Bennett Publishing. It is still in print and was mentioned in a post here during the past month or two. My version is 1970 but I know it has been updated and is still used in tech schools. Expect to pay good money for it but it is available @ Amazon.
2) I was exposed to good quality woodworking equipment, some of which has remained on my wish-list since then. Our shop was equipped with earlier-vintage Unisaws, Delta Jointers, good quality hand tools and professional grade benches.
Look around for college or technical school classes. By the way, where are you from? I am from Kansas and Pittsburg State University's School of Technology has one of the best wood technology programs in the region. I am sure there are others like it.
Build things, find out what your good at... tables boxes etc, with the tools you have. Most woodworkers find a particular niche they like working. As your skills increase let your projects determine the tools you need. Read old posts in this group. Do some shopnotes projects and see where your skills are lacking and adjust accordingly. EJ
Nice to have. You'll get use out of it. Be sure to get a good cross cutting blade for it.
Good start. You will want a couple of roundover bits, amybe a couple of straight cutters. Use good 1/2" shank bits. Buy what you need as you go but there are some reasonably priced kits too. .
Consider upgrading to a good contractors saw. Get a Beisemeyer fence or equal, or a Unifence. Figure $800 and up. You can spend more on a cabinet saw, but is is not really needed for the weekender. If you have hte $$, go for it.
Good idea. A drill press is nice to have. Bandsaw, planer, etc. You don't need all the tools at once. Ear protection and safety glasses are musts, IMO.
Any suggest as my next steps?
Yes. A basic class can be a big help. Woodcraft stores usually have them. Adult Ed classes also. Learn the basics, learn some safety too.
I've invested about $7000 over four years. There is always a tool that you'd like to have, but most of us buy as we need and can afford. Sometimes good deals can be had on used tools. Many wood suppliers can joint and plane wood for you saving the initial investment in those tools. No shame in starting out with #2 pine boards from Home Depot either.
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:2f4nd.21655$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com:
Ed's right about starting out with #2 pine, but you might want to find a decent lumber yard, and see if you can make a friend there. If you can go during a slow period, and spend maybe five minutes chatting with one of the staff, you'll likely walk away with better materials, at no higher cost, and an idea of what the yard can do for you.
And when you need 200 lf of trim, delivered, for a project at home, you may actually get what you want.
And don't let Ed's $7000 budget scare you off. Some folks can do the trick for only twice that. ;-)
You have most of what you need to get started. I'd add a cord or cordless drill/screwdriver and a comprehensive set of bits if you don't have them.
The most important machine in any woodworker's shop is the table saw. Even though yours is old and has only an 8-inch blade, it should serve you well IF you can do precise work with it. You will need to thoroughly check it, i.e.,
arbor runout
condition and sharpness of blade
blade runout
perpendicularity of blade to miter slots
perpendicularity of fence to blade
straightness of fence from front to back
fit of the miter gauge in the slots (should have little/no side-play)
ability to precisely set miter gauge to various angles (don't rely on the built-in protractor)
MOST IMPORTANT - a good blade guard that includes a "splitter"
ALWAYS use the blade guard/splitter if at all possible.
I don't want to scare or discourage you with the labor involved in tuning/adjusting your table saw but it is very important that it be done. Many injuries occur because of out-of-adjustment tools and a poorly tuned table saw can be very dangerous. It can kick work pieces and/or off-cuts back at the operator with tremendous force.
There are several good paperback books and magazines that include step-by-step procedures for tuning/adjusting your table saw. (Perhaps others could chime in here with some titles.) You can usually find these in well-stocked magazine and book stores like Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, etc. If you have or can acquire an owner's manual for your saw, that will help immensely in locating adjustment points, etc.
Also check the arbor to see if you can mount a dado cutter and make sure you have a table insert that will accommodate it. Perhaps you have no use for this right away but you may eventually want to take that next step.
"Scott Willett" wrote in news:zr2nd.33355$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews5.bellsouth.net:
If you have a specific project in mind you want to build, that should guide you in which tools you might need to get next. You could describe the project here, and people could advise you on tools required (probably suggesting 3 different ways to do it which require 3 totally different sets of tools).
If you don't have a project in mind, a workbench wouldn't be a bad idea...you'd need something to flatten the top (bench plane or a belt sander) but otherwise you've probably got the needed tools. You could also consider making a router table; many tasks using the router are more easily done when it's fixed in a cabinet.
Try to build things you're interested in. ;-) If you need tools, get 'em. If you're not sure of each & every step, ask for help and/or take a class.
If you need ideas, I built a bunch of small boxes from 1/4" hardboard. They hold my glue bottles, small tools, etc. It was a good learning experience to make them come out square. ;-)
Scott, For some of the projects you mentioned,(Chair,Crown etc) you will not need an abundance of tools to start with. You miter saw will be fine with a good finish blade. Pick up some safety equipment, a good level and a chalkline. I prefer to cope my joints, others just miter inside corners. Don't be afraid to cope a joint, and it's getting to be a lost art and I think it is really the best way. Pick up a coping saw, some spare blades and a file to clean up a cut when needed. I prefer a "4 way" file that is flat on one side and rounded on the other having a single cut on one end and rasp cut on the opposite end. If you do not have a trim gun/air compressor, now's a good time to invest in one. If not, get a hammer you'll be happy with and a nailset or two. If you decide to tackle crown in the bedroom or chair rail/wainscoting in the dining room (or whatever) learn what you can through a book or classes and ask questions here. You'll get answers from people who do this kind of stuff on a regular basis to fill in where the books leave off. Welcome to the group --dave
If you have a saw mill anywhere near you a jointer and planer can pay for themselves pretty quickly as rough sawn wood is much cheaper.
I use a scraper (~$5) almost daily for everything from scraping off glue to a sandpaper substitute.
A block plane, jack plane, and chisel set well sharpened are cheap and extremely useful. The key is well sharpened. Once you actually use a sharp tool for the first time you will no longer be amazed at what they could build back in the old days (just how good of shape they had to be in to use them for a living).
A random orbit sander (makita, dewalt, bosch...not a black and decker).
I am amazed at how often I use my pull saw ($20). Great for jobs where a power saw is too much but you want a decent cut.
And finally everything in the Lee Valley catalog (I'm currently drooling over the shoulder and low angle planes).
As for classes I think that depends to some degree on your natural abilities. I peronally found that starting by building shop fixtures (bench, router table, etc) as close to furniture grade/fit as possible helped me understand what tools I needed and what tools needed to be upgraded. It also helped develop my skills to the point where I could do an adequate job on my next projects. I find I learn something new on every project and continue to get better. I'm sure this is slower than classes would be, but I enjoy the learning process. To date I've improved most at how to fix my mistakes ;)
Jim
"Scott Willett" wrote in news:zr2nd.33355$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews5.bellsouth.net:
While I'd agree that the most _used_ machine in my shop is the table saw, I'd give it up if I had to choose between it and my bandsaw.
My cabinet saw is the most used because it's a huge _convenience_, and I wouldn't want to be without it. But everything I do on it could be done, (with just a little more effort), using another tool. On the other hand my well tuned bandsaw, is capable of performing stock milling tasks I'd be hard pressed to accomplish any other way.
Even if there is no mill close by, a jointer flattens and straightens wood. A planer makes ANY thickness of stock easily available. Hand planes can also do this, with a much steeper learning curve.
Flat, straight stock of varying thicknesses is handy in a wood shop.
I save $0.05 bd/ft from my hardwood dealer buying it rough. However, I get to choose which side to keep, and I mill it when I need it. S4S dosen't always stay straight, and boards can get scraped, dinged, and nicked in transport and storage.
Ba r r y wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com: Excellent points! My lumber mill charges $.05 per linear foot per side. That adds up a lot faster than the charge you were getting. In any case the other points you made for the planer and jointer are absolutely dead on and probably a better excuse..errr.. justification for the tools.
Michael, I obviously need to spend some quality time with you to learn bandsaw technique. I can't get mine to do much more precise work than I can with a jigsaw. Of all the tools I own this is the must un-intuitive. One of these days I'll have a week or two to just do a major project on the bandsaw and learn to use it properly...or at least better.
Michael Baglio wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
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