All-

The bug has bit me and I am really enjoying working, shaping, and crafting with wood.  After my picnic project was considered a homerun by the Wife- it's true, the tasks are coming in.  Now, I have to start the shopping process...this is where I need your help.  My tools consist of a 10' Ryobi miter/chop saw, an old sander, and elbow grease.  I've been looking at rip saws, routers, planers, etc.  I only have a small area (about 10' X 10") to work with...what tools do you recommend?  I'd like to do some basic furniture making and still be able to do some military coin cases, flag cases, etc.  What would you buy knowing now what you didn't know when you started?

 

Thanks!

John

Given your limited space I'd start with some basic hand tools, cross cut & rip saw, hand plane, quality

Set of chisels. I wish I had, but I'm starting to aquire some now.

---

www.thepatriotwoodworker.com Proud Supporter of Homes For Our Troops

Actually, I'm not much of a hand tool guy so for me, smaller shops make space utilization paramount. That usually means custom storage/usage spaces. For power equipment, I'd look at "benchtop" type devices- drill press, planer, jointer. 

Here's a link to some ideas- http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/viewer-projects/flip-flop-tool-storage/ 

I can't remember where I read it but there are some books on this subject, too. 

---

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

The heart of any wood shop is a table saw. When I started out I had to share a 2 car garage with my wife's car (lived in a condo so parking was very limited) along with the kid's toys/bikes/etc. My first table saw was a $199 Skill 10" table saw on a stand with stamped metal wings. I used that saw for 4 years and made some decent stuff. It was limited due to its size and power so I couldn't cut wood over 1" thick without it bogging down. I passed it along to my Bro -in-law who used for another 3-4 years until it finally died. After that I stepped up to a Jet Contractor 10" with cast iron wings and a 52" fence. We had bought a new house with a 3 car garage so I was able to have it. In your situation I would look to getting a Contractor type saw (Jet, Delta, Ridgid) and a mobile base for it so you can move it around as needed. Having things mobile is the only way to go as all of my bigger tools along with my workbench are on mobile bases and they can all be moved over to the single car side of the garage leaving room for my wife's car when I am not working on a project where I have to take over the whole garage.

After a Table Saw, the most used tools in my shop are the Router/Router table and Planer. The Router/Router Table would be my next tool after a table saw. I would get a combo-router kit that comes with a fixed and plunge base. With the 2 different bases you can do a lot of stuff from edge shaping, rabbits, dadoes, mortises, and other things. For a Router Table you just need to build a simple cabinet and then either buy a pre-made top or make your own. The you will need a plate for mounting in the table which will have to be brand specific to your router as the different manufacturers have different hole patterns. As a starting router I would look first of all to the Bosch 1617EVSPK with the fixed/plunge bases. After that I would look to the Dewalt DW618PK and thePorter Cable 895PK in that order. All of them are similar in price at about $200-$225. After that I would look to a bench top 12"-13" planer. I have had a Ridgid 13" for 10 years and love it! The only 2 that I would really consider today would be the Dewalt and the Ridgid in that order. There are some others out there like the Delta, Makita and Steel City, but I would look to the Yellow and Orange as the prices are similar at about $400. My planer gets used on most jobs to get all of lumber to the same thickness which is essential for most projects. 

Those were the most important larger tools for me when I started out. The only other one that I would put in the mix is the miter/chop saw, but you already have one. 

---

Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk' J. Vernon McGee

By and large, I'm primarly a power tool guy and with some planning you can cram quite a bit into a small shop. I agree with Lew that benchtop tools would be the way to go. Probably a small table saw, a drill press and a small router table. A bench planer would be nice but maybe a luxury at this point. If you want to save a few bucks don't be afraid of factory refurbs or even a snag from EBay. I've bould from EBay with no issues.

---

Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

The book I was thinking of is called the "Complete Small Shop" from Woodsmith. Item# W1221 and is $9.95. I haven't seen/read it so I can't say if it would help you.

---

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

If making furniture there may come a time where a lathe is needed. Delta's 46-460 would be a great choice there. A band saw and/or a scroll saw would also be considerations, depending on exactly what you want to make as far as furniture.

---

Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks

If your budget is tight, don't forget about local pawn shops, with the economy the way it is a lot of contractors and woodworkers have been having to liquidate their tools to pay bills. I've run up on some good deals in the last couple years. Also check Craigslist. 

---

Greg
Scroll Saw forum host

http://www.thesawdustfactoryga.com/

The best advise I can give is don't be afraid to buy a small saw to start with and then move up as you learn more and decide more what you really want to build. Most of us here don't have the same tools we started out with. As time has allowed and we learned more about things we have taken the direction and deals we found and moved up and built the shop around those. I started with a Sear table saw like the one below and it was 179.99 when I purchased it.

Using that saw and a plunge router and a few hand tools I made this pencil post bed.

And later the dresser to go with it.

I now have a Delta Unisaw and other tools but I grew the shop as I saw what I really wanted to do and what became available. Almost everything in my shop has been purchased used as I got to know other woodworkers doing what I was doing. I bought their piece and they were moving up to an even bigger piece.

Not saying it is wrong to buy the best, certainly get the best you can, but you don't have to have the newest biggest to build furniture on. Go look at some nice antiques and those were not built on a 5 HP Delta Unisaw. but many with hand tools.

---

John Moody
Site Administrator


John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

If you are uncomfortable with a table saw, particularly the area you need to operate it, then consider a track saw.  I own the EZ-1 from Eurekazone.com.  You don't need to start with the EZ-1 table, which is much more expensive than the Craftsman 10" table saw.  I suggest you start with one of the starter kits which is a length of track, a saw base, and some clamps.  This would be about half the cost of the table saw.  With a EZ track saw you use your own circular saw attached to the saw base that then rides on the track.  You get straight guided cuts, the spinning blade is below the wood (therefore physically separated) from your fingers.  This is a great system for reducing sheet goods.. Only drawback is redued thickness of cut due to depth of saw base on the track.