Recommend a good woodworking store/outlet

I am just starting out woodworking, and I am looking for a good woodworking store/outlet/mill within 30 miles of Dayton, Ohio, USA. I do have a TS (Craftsman circa 1960's handed down from grandfather), a Jet

6" Jointer and a router table I built myself (with a Hitachi 12MV router). I am looking for more tools (drill press, plainer, and band saw), dust collection equipment, and finish equipment. Also looking for GOOD plywood and hardwood stock. I mainly want to work in red/white oak and cherry building furniture, cabinetry and interior finishes.

I have stopped at the Rockler store in Cincinnati on Kempler Ave. They have a good supply of items (lots of hardware), but are lacking on a selection of tools, plus it is about 60 miles from where I live.

I do frequent the local lumber store, Lowes and Home Depot, but they are too diverse in their offerings and tend not to concentrate on the woodworker.

I also order some supplies online (Rockler, Woodworker, Lee Valley) but these are not places I would want to pick out materials and buy large tools from (I like to have someone local to kick around in case of problems), though I did buy the jointer online and am happy with it so far.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

TIA Jerry

Reply to
JAW
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JAW asks:

Rockler has retail stores in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati.

Woodcraft has one right in Dayton.

Charlie Self "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to. " Dorothy Parker

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Reply to
Charlie Self

First, for the supplies. Go to

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and type in your information. That should get you started there. I typed in the ZIP for Dayton and didn't get a whole lot, but it did turn up a Woodcraft store in Dayton. You could do worse. Ask around town for the name of a local lumberyard that sells rough stock. Oak should be pretty easy to find in your neighborhood.

Now for equipment. I'll admit I haven't bought a damn thing new from anyone. All my machines (and there are a lot of them) were either bought used or passed down from family. IF I was in the market for a machine, I'd be looking at buying a used machine, or finding a local "machinery dealer" that sells woodworking equipment. I live in a small town, and even here, we have a Delta dealer in town, and several larger machinery dealers within 50 miles, who sell nearly every line available for the hobbyist woodworker. Check your yeller pages under "Machinery", and "Woodworking". Visit a local pattern shop or mill shop and find out where they get their machines and parts and tooling. Search eBay.

Drill presses aren't complicated, and you can probably find a decent one locally in the classified ads. Keep in mind that these are common as dirt in machine shops, and even auto repair places, who may be selling them. It seems to be the most often found tool in any shop I've been in. Failing that, any of the newer floor-standing models from major manufacturers should be fine. I think. I'd be seriously looking for an older Walker-Turner or Delta DP200 to refurbish before I ever bought a new drill press. But that's just me.

Planer - You can't really go wrong with one of the newer portable planers out there, and I know all the big box stores carry several of them. Look for one with reversible disposable knives, a head lock (unless it's the new DeWalt) and a simple blade changing system. Unless you're trying to plane

16" wide rough sawn timbers, you probably don't need anything bigger yet. I have a Delta 22-260, and it has served me well. Next step up for me wouldbe a Woodmaster
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Bandsaw - look for a used Delta 14" saw, these are everywhere, there are all kinds of aftermarket parts for them, and Delta really hasn't changed the design much since 1934, when they were introduced. If not, the new Grizzly

14" "Ultimate" bandsaw might be worth looking into, if only for the reviews on this newsgroup.

HTH.

Jon E

Reply to
Jon Endres, PE

I have bought most of my large tools from Amazon.com. Free shipping, no tax. I've even bought lumber on e-bay.

Reply to
Larry Bud

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