Tool purchase order...

[Buster]

So what is the proper order to fully outfit your shop? As a newer woodworker, I read tonnes of articles about how to equip the shop and which tools should be bought firt and now that I'm into it I'm begining to see how bad some of the advice is. Lots of wood magazines recomend the bandsaw first, and in the top 5 have a mitre saw of sorts... Why? The first order of business in my garage/shop was to get orginaized. I need some cabinets, shelves, a bench. The bandsaw just wouldn't cut it. I used plywood for most of this stuff.

Here is how I'm doing it so far and the rest of the plan:

(* Don't have yet.)

1. Table saw - Great for sheet stock, perfect for making a straight cut. Got the cabinets up, a base for the planer (when it was purchased), and made a few jigs for the router. It's also the biggest machine, and takes up the most space. It seems the shop is slowly being built around it.

1. Jointer - The prepared stock I could get around here was very poor quality. None of it was anywhere near flat. Plus it's much cheaper and I get more control ove rthe wood if I buy rough milled boards. The wood store will joint the wood for me, but it can still move after I bring it to the shop.

2. Planer - This is for the same reason as jointer. I could have switched the order in which I purchased them, and would not have noticed. I bought them very close together. If I were to do it again, I'd buy the planer first and just get the boards jointed at the lumber store.

• 4. Dust collector - This actually moved way up my list after my first small project which used the Jointer/Planer. I originally had it last, but items 1-3 just make too much of a mess. It's a sefety issue as well, the first day I had the TS I cut some MDF up and my nose was burning.

*5. Drill Press - It's cheap. At least compared to everything else. It's just nice to be able to drill a nice straight hole. I use this to remove waste for mortises. Right now I just practice dovetails.

*6. Bandsaw - There are a few reasons it's last. To have a TS and a BS just seem to be overkill if you can not mill lumber. As stated before: I need cabinets. Cabinets need sheet goods a BS wouldn't do. To get a decent BS, will cost decent $$$. The TS and the BS are twi major pruchases, costing almost double what anything else on the list did. By one at the begining, and one at the 'end'.

So that's my list. I'm sticking to it.

[www]

Well it can be very much a personal thing, but I tend to agree with your order. Table saw #1. I actually don't use my band saw a whole lot. I assume you have some hand power tools already, like a good cordless drill/driver? That would be high on my list too.

-- Regards,

Dean Bielanowski Editor, Online Tool Reviews

6 Reviews:

- Veritas (LV) Medium Shoulder Plane

- Book: Scroll Saw Fundamentals

- Ryobi BT3100K Table Saw System

- Senco 41XP Finish Nailer (Review Update)

- Porter Cable NS150A Narrow Crown Stapler

- Book: Popular Mechanics Shelving & Storage

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[Swingman]

The answer rests _solely_ with what you do as a woodworker and where you're interests lay.

What works for you wouldn't necessarily work for a furniture maker, particularly one who does a good bit of hand tool work .... a band saw would go from the bottom of your list, to the top of theirs.

Good on ya ... having a plan is 90% of the battle.

[ROYNEU]

As already said it is a personal choice thing. And, I don't disagree with your order of choice. Except, lets say those cabinets were going to have lots of nice detail on them. You know curved shapes. You may need a band saw much earlier. Or, even a router table for molding before the band saw. Do you see why it's a personal choice?

I for one tried to live with a limited number of tools. I finally gave up trying to make some ornate furnature with what I had (The problem was I was spoiled by taking a wood shop class with all the nice power tools). Years went by without doing much in wood. Until one day I had the money to buy the equipment I had always wanted. Today, even though I am without a shop because of a move I feel my "hobby" is well rounded. My desire, the quality of my tools and the range of tools match my ability. I always knew I had it in me but got discouraged by what I had to do it with.

I hope you are able to round up the items on your list. One problem though I hope your realize those asterisks in front of the item numbers are only place holders for the tens and hundreds of tools you will actually find (real or imagined) you need.

Roy

[BillyBob]

Your list pretty well matches mine. My desire in a bandsaw runs pretty high end so I have successfully put off buying one two years in a row. I bought a top end Bosch jigsaw. That may have allowed me to put off the bandsaw purchase another 3-4 years. I've never had a miter saw on my list. I have a sliding table on my tablesaw. A few good crosscut sleds also helps make the miter saw a low/no priority item.

When I first got into woodworking, I also built a purchase plan which I update periodically. The only major items left are the bandsaw and bunch of new shop lights. Then we get into the never ending goodie want-list. When I have a new "got to have", I put it on the list and mark it as "future". It is interesting how many burning purchases get added to the list and forgotten. For instance, my list has a $900 saw train fence for the tablesaw that was put on there two years ago. Now I look at it and say "Huh?".

Bob

[Bob G.]

Been 40 years since I purchased my first tool...and honestly you list looks pretty good to me... I did purchase a floor model drill press much sooner then you plan...(delayed the planer...or shall I say home shop planers were just not that available in the 1960's and neither was dust collection.... which my dad never had in his shop at all... so I had a bandsaw long before I wanted a dust collector or a planer

my purchases were tablesaw...jointer...drill press..THEN I kind of went with what I needed for my next project....

Wishing you well... and lots of sawdust....enjoy

Bob G.

[harsch]

When I got started in woodworking I purchased a Shopsmith multi tool. I did not have very much room in my starter house and the Shopsmith was perfect. I added the Shopsmith bandsaw, jointer and planner shortly afterwards. I found the Shopsmith tools very good for a small shop and I have built a lot of furniture with the Shopsmith tools.

I don't regret purchasing the Shopsmith (even though it seemed expensive at the time). It has allowed me to learn alot about woodworking and brought many hours of joy. For me it was the perfect starter woodworking tool package.

Now, the kids are moved out we are building a new house with a big shop.

I am now looking to buy my first table saw for the shop after 25 years of woodworking with the Shopsmith. The new shop will be designed around the table saw and I will keep the good old Shopsmith for sentimental reasons and because it is the power source for the bandsaw and jointer and serves as a lath also.

The shopsmith unit is a great tool to start woodworking with if you don't have the space for all the individual tools.

[marks542004]

I bought tools in more of a project driven manner.

I have a radial arm saw that was extensively used in a home renovation project and I later bought a small chop saw (mitre saw) to do much the samw job because it was portable and cheap.

A dust collector is an excellent purchase and need not be really expensive.

A decent small router and set of bits for it will let you do more decorative edges and cut some of your own mouldings. Also used for machine cut dovetails, box joints etc.

It is really a very personal choice based on what you do most and how safe you feel using a tool for specific operations. e.g you can crosscut on a table saw but I have never felt secure with some of the longer pieces I regularly cut. The mitre saw does the same job but feels much safer doing it.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Having lots of money is the other 20%

[Pounds on Wood]

The correct order to order is ... as you need them. Choose a project and buy what you need to accomplish the processes involved in that project.

Bill Pounds

[Cyrille de Brébisson]

hello,

being a novice in woodworking, I would say the following:

- band saw is NOT first, band saw are hard to use, do not have a nice bit table and do not produce nice finish result (at least for me), keep it as a later tool for resaving and other play (such as boxes and plank making)....

- table saw is the FIRST thing you need, you can do so much with one... however, do not do like me and do not buy the first price one, but get a decent one (cabinet maker if possible), they start in the low $600 for decent ones... if you have real money, go higher of course, but I personally have issues with the limitations of my $99 saw and beleive that a $500~$600 saw would be way good enough...

- router! one of the most versatile tool (up to here, you go to the lumber yard, buy the wood and get them to straight edge it and plane it for you), but after that, you will want to prep your wood yourself:

- planner! powerhorse beast, the dewalt 735 is good and you can get a refurbished one for $350... you can get some of the delta for $250, but the dewalt is worth the difference

- dust collector goes with the planner, this beast will generate a LOT of dust! you can get $90 one on sale at HF, and they will be way good enough (got mine last week)

- mitter saw should be around here, or maybe before if you have a need, I have a 10'' which shows limitation quite often, I would really go with a

12'', but they are more expensive. You might be able to find a cheaper 10'' sliding one which would be ok..

- drill press, jointer, band saw are then as a first need first served basis, I used my band saw mainly for log cutting and resaving... but I want to try making boxes and stuff like that too....

regards, cyrille

[Tattooed and Dusty]

The mix of responses here is really quite funny. Obviously the order you buy things in fits your needs, not some order that all woodworkers would agree with.

I entirely support myself making custom furniture, both welded and jointed. I don't have a table saw. I plan on buying one sometime, but as of yet I haven't found it to be lacking. I understand why some people would put it first on their list but for me looking at it terms of high quality goods a table saw (PM66 or General350) equals a 6" jointer, a drill press, dust collection, a decent planer, a circular saw, and a router or two. With those things I can do most if not all of what you can do with your table saw.

I don't understand the comment that bandsaws are hard to setup or use. I am on my third and have found them all to be fairly straight forward. Sure you have to clean up the cut afterwards, but you have to do that to some degree no matter what you are doing. I think they more than make up for that with the flexibility they offer, I can resaw, rip, and cut really complex curves really safely.

Just my two cents.

Oh and hell the G0555 is really cheap. I mean you get what you pay for, but come on.

Andrew

[Swingman]

... and remember to leave enough $$ for a good calculator.

[Patriarch]

"Swingman" wrote in news:H7-dnZQrHZZkKaTeRVn- [e-mail]:

Ed's got it right. Generally, 10-20% over original budget. ;-)

Patriarch

[Swingman]

Man, you guys must be veritable fiscal Spartans ... when it comes to my tool _necessities_ my bleeper don't even peep until about 40% over budget. ;)

[Lee Michaels]

"Swingman" wrote

Budget?? Whazzat??

Oh, that is when you run out of money!

Never mind.................., Carry on.

[John Girouard]

I'd suggest an air cleaner, too. Quite amazing what a difference one can make to the air you breathe.

-John