Let me first start by saying I am not a Noob to woodworking, I am, however, a noob to setting up a dedicated Woodworkers Paradise that I may call the Woodcave. You can see my introduction here. While I will be using woodworking as therapy, my wife will be using it to get the much-requested furniture we did not have in the military due to the movers always damaging them and the claims process being less than satisfactory. I have some time yet as spring of next year is the goal to start this process, although the holiday sales can be tempting I doubt a Sawstop would go on sale, and if I did purchase, I would have it delivered to the new address. Regardless, below is a list of what I am looking at to start the shop as far as machinery goes and I want to make sure I am going in the right direction. I put a comment under each piece on my thought process which may or may not be beneficial.

Similarly to measuring twice and cutting once, planning, researching and getting advice from experienced woodworkers is better than jumping feet first. I have a $10k budget to start off with and think this should be more than adequate to accomplish my goals of turning rough cut wood into a kitchen table (no chairs), entertainment stand, and graduating to bedroom furniture and moving up from there. My thought process for rough cut is the cost for the machinery outweigh purchasing dimensional lumber, especially over time. I remember paying out the butt for dimensional lumber or having it planed to thickness by a furniture shop.  I have posted something similar to this is a much less active forum as I noticed in my introductory post my apologies for now finding ThePatriotWoodworker first. My thought process may be completely off and crazy however that is why I am here to get me going in the right direction.  

 

My shop is approximately 26x28' and there are stairs going to the second story above the garage cutting down on the size a little bit. 

 

Equipment I currently own.

Dewalt Jobsite table saw with no stand (which I will be replacing)

Dewalt 2 1/4hp router

Bosch Bench Top router table

shopvac

Hand tools

Handheld power sanders, circular saw, and drills

Associated saw blades, router and drills bits

Clamps -I will need more of these but can you really ever have "enough" clamps?

Safety Equipment 

 

Shop Stuff I am still planning

Lighting LED White or Warm Yellow?

Electrical

Dust collection duct System

Building my own workbenches. I feel I can build them to my shop versus buying manufactured ones and making my shop fit around them. In addition to the cost-benefit ratio of building vs purchasing. 

 

Equipment I am looking at purchasing to start with.

Sawstop 3hp Professional Cabinet Saw with 36" T-Glide fence, folding outfeed table, right router table, router lift, and downdraft collection box. 

Shop safety is imperative which is why I chose Sawstop and I have had enough stitches, staples, and pieces removed from me unwillingly I do not need to contribute to it. I may pass on the folding outfeed table and 52" I did not feel was necessary. 

 

Grizzly G0490X 8' Jointer with Parallelogram Beds and Spiral Cutterhead. 

 

Dewalt DW735X Planer with Byrd Tool Shelix Cutterhead.

I know the planer does not compare to the jointer but, a proper jointer seems more important in the production of rough cut to dimensional lumber than the other way around. I looked at combo machines but they all seemed to have mixed reviews where the combo I selected seemed to provide the most benefit. The planer with the Byrd tool cutter head from what I have read had decent reviews and seems legitimate for a first planer. The jointer I doubt I would ever need to upgrade. 

 

Laguna C flux 3 hp Cyclone dust collector.

Given my shop size and equipment I am looking at purchasing, this seems more than adequate and will serve me as I expand equipment. When I set up shop in a one car garage, I used a box fan that I built a case around so I could insert an air filter. I will likely continue with that route to begin with as the cost-benefit ratio for that setup outweighs a dedicated air filtration system.

 

Jet 12" JMS-12SCMS Sliding Dual Bevel Compound Miter Saw

I don't foresee ever needing to update this.

 

Down the Road Future Purchases (Given my goals I do not need immediately, I could be wrong)

Replacement Router

Proper planer

Drill press 

Bandsaw

Spindle and or drum sander

and MORE!

 

Hopefully, I am going in the right direction.

A well thought out plan of attack, soldier. Just do as @Gerald said and ignore that SS talk. 

Thank you. Shopsmith seems interesting but I will ignore it. I have reached out to the Minnesota woodworkers guild president and have received feedback from their members already despite not moving until late December. Again proving how the woodworking community comes together. There is nothing like purchasing your first home for Christmas from across the country! 

Buy what you think you need, and can afford, plus what makes you happy. Only you know what that is. Goodluck.

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by CharlieL

Peter,

When you get to MN. think about using recycled materials for your projects.

You'd be surprised at the  stuff people toss out.

My neighbor has an Antique Mall next door, and I snag all of the salvageable 1/4 sawn Oak, etc. that he's disposing of. You might be able to do the same with thrift shops, antique shops, etc. when you get there.

 

Also check with the woodworkers guilds members about machines they may know of.

Some people get into woodworking only to find they haven't the skills or desire to continue.

You might find some pretty good deals on lightly used equipment that will serve your needs at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

 

I myself restore/modify older 1930's-40's machines. It's my cheap way of getting machines that are a bit out of the ordinary. If you're into tinkering it might also give you some pleasure doing the same.

 

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by Larry Buskirk

Batman, first off welcome to our community, we are glad to have you and we are proud to have you aboard, thank you for your service.

 

We have all been in your spot, well, not exactly with the budget you have, but we have tried to think out what we need in advance, and how our ideal shop should look. Here is what I would do if it were me sitting on 10 grand for tools and if I was looking to outfit a machined shop.

 

You have a pretty good outlay of tools already, the table saw, SawStop is a great idea, get it! Although, the 52" fence may not seem right at this point, I would opt for that too, I had a table saw with a 52" fence and it really came in handy, and often. I could cross cut a sheet of ply with my table saw with the 52" fence, so you basically have a panel saw in your table saw when you have a 52" fence.

 

Grizzly G0490X 8' Jointer (YES!)

Dewalt DW735X Planer (YES!)

Laguna C flux 3 hp Cyclone dust collector (YES!)

Jet 12" JMS-12SCMS (YES!)

 

The machines above will serve you well, are there others? Of course, but those machines are fine too.

Here is where it all gets overwhelming, trying to plan too much as you may have already found out. I would say, with the tools you already have, and the machines you want to purchase, should be more than adequate to get you going in your ventures for now. I would bank the money you have left over for now, after those purchases, then tap into it as you dial that wonderful shop in, because it's impossible to plan it all out perfectly the first time. You don't really know 100% what you need now, but you'll know more about what you need when you start firing up those machines, and creating furniture, it is then, and only then with those in depth projects, will you know what more you'll need. The same goes for the layout of your shop, start out bare bones with shelving, a bench, etc, then as you work, you'll know what you are lacking, and what you need.

This plan of attack will ensure that what you acquire, will be absolutely necessary to your work, and you won't be buying anything you thought you needed, and it ends up sitting in the corner collecting dust.

One example, I lost count of how many folks purchased a drum sander, a Performax for example, for a grand, used it once or twice, and never again, having a boat anchor sitting in the corner. Nothing against the drum sanders, but I think they are the most un-neccessarily purchased feel good machine of them all, but only for a short time. But, if you sit back, and work your shop, build your projects, and purchase the remaining machinery and tools as you have the need, you will end up with a shop full of essential tools and machines, and not tools and machines you use only "now and then".

 

What an exciting time for you, this is really cool. I look froward to following your progress, please keep us in the loop, and please post images as you can, how cool!!!!

Welcome aboard Batman and a sincere thank you for your service. I agree with John Morris with the tool purchasing. Buy what you know you will need, then purchase them as it becomes obvious you need them.

@John Morris has some good suggestions , however I disagree with the drum sander comment. It is a very useful tool but maybe not on the gotta have now list. Later will be useful for butcher block tops and such.

     You did not say if you had investigated clamps so let me recommend Bessy K Body clamps. Start with 6 12 inch and  4 24 inch. Then you can add more small or larger as you do those projects.

     And by the way you will want a few hand planes in the mix. John will suggest Lie Nielsen and Lee Valley Veratis are also very good. To save money look for old Stanleys but wait till you know what you are looking at first.

     As always we are here to get answers or question ideas.

Thank you all for the constructive feedback! I noticed Tommy Mac uses a wax for his metal top machines. Does anyone have a recommendation on what product to help prevent rust? 

 

@Larry Buskirk  

I'm with you on repurposing wood. While transitioning out of the Army we applied for a transitional/homeless veteran program called Operation Homefront. Excellent, excellent program that helps Warriors and families like myself. The program provides a furnished apartment where they pay your rent/utilities and you repurpose that money to savings and paying off debt. If it was not for that program I would not be in the position I am with my wood shop or have the financial means to purchase our first home. One thing we did is sold all of ours and kids Walmart/target bedroom as we did not need it. Now, we are looking at purchasing 2nd hand real wood furniture before we leave San Antonio for the time being until I get to make ours and refinishing it. Bovey, MN does not have the population S.A. does on 2nd hand furniture. Good idea on reaching out to the antique/thrift stores. Do local cabinet manufacturers discard a lot of usable wood? 

 

@John Morris

Thank You! The reason I did not go with the 52" is it would put me over what the Chief Financial Officer set for the budget. My thought is having the router table addon was more important than the 52" table length given the 52" lengths sole function is to crosscut panels. Given I am the "contractor" doing the work for my wife's honey to do list if I save some money on those projects I may be able to afford the 52" table. I have read two schools of thought regarding the 52" yours and using a circular saw. If I'm ripping a panel that big a guide with a circular saw I would image can offset the cost increase of the 52" table. Hopefully, barebones is where I am starting at "sort of"  for my two main goals. I am with you as projects expand purchasing other pieces of equipment will become a necessity. 

 

@Gerald

Given you and John's difference of opinion on the drum sander, it seems to be a piece of equipment that is dictated by the necessity most specialty equipment in a wood shop. Hand planes are one thing I need to invest in and wish I had for the blanket chest below. 

 

The 3d image is the conception I used to create this blanket chest and made it my own. In that design, a red cedar inside was not present that was of my own design. A ton of tongue and groove including the lid. The lid was a little different than a standard tongue and groove as the panels were all grooves and I used separate pieces as the tongues. I apparently did not take a very good picture of it during assembly. During my planning of this project I read for heavier panels that move like a lid, this is a stronger joint. I did use 3/4" thick white oak veneered MDF for the panel inserts along the side that were donated by Hood distribution in Louisville to me after I reached out to them on what I was doing as a Wounded Warrior while stationed at Fort Knox. Along with Hood Distribution Whiteside router bits and two local lumber mills helped me with this project. I learned a lot from this project and was my first from concept to completion and I look forward to completing more. 

Peter,

I'm not sure about the cabinet manufacturers, I looked where Bovey is, and you'll be pretty far into the Northwoods area. 

I look forward to going north myself when we go visit the SIL/BIL they live in Dexterville WI. 

It's located in about the middle of the state. The closest city is Pittsville it has a population about the same size as Bovey.

Someday we hope to move up that way ourselves.  

 

3 hours ago, Batman said:

I noticed Tommy Mac uses a wax for his metal top machines. Does anyone have a recommendation on what product to help prevent rust? 

Johnson's paste wax for your tables and tools...

You can add Briwax, Black Bison, Behlen, Trewax and Mohawk to the list of acceptable waxes...

If they contain Carnauba wax they will finish harder and be longer wearing/lasting...

You can even add more Carnauba if you want...

 

http://www.parkbeekeeping.com/products/detail/carnauba-wax

 

Wax applied to a warm surface is a big plus...

Mechanical polishing over hand buffing is way better.. (elcheapo car buffer or a wool bonnet on your ROS)...

Polishing is what makes the wax work to it's fullest...

More polishing.. Better results...

 

above all.. make sure it DOES NOT contain silicone...

 

Wax clean up/removal/thinning is done w/ mineral spirits...

A pound of wax should last way more than a decade maybe even well into the second...

Put it on any tool table surface you have...

Great for plane soles too...

To melt/soften the wax put the container of wax in hot water but not submerged...

 

Carnauba wax, sometimes also referred to as palm wax or Brazil wax, is a kind of wax that is made from the extracts of palm leaves. These leaves are found on the plant ‘Copernicia prunifera’, a short plant that is usually found in Brazil, especially in the states of Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte and Piaui. Also known as the ‘Queen of waxes’, it is found in yellowish or brownish flakes.

 

Stick w/ your silicone-less furniture paste wax and avoid possible contamination of your project...

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by Stick486

As a shopsmith user with just a 24" fence with a router table on the side, I agree with your decision. I use a shop built track saw to break down sheet goods. Maneuvering a 4X8 sheet of 3/4 ply through a TS is a job for a far younger guy...or two. 

As to the drum sander, I totally agree with @John Morris. If I just had to have one, I'd get a closed sided one. My experience with the Performax was more frustrating than my first wife. Neither one met expectations. 

To paraphrase an old warrior, "No shop plan survives the first contact with the project". But, you do have a better plan than most.

Hey Batman, just guessing, but it looks like the fishing ought to be pretty good up Bovey way.

While you did not go into a lot of detail about your projected shop space, I will throw out a few questions... and maybe a recommendation or two.

Is this an attached two car garage, or a detached shop building?  Are the walls insulated?  Space heated?  I know you are going in in the spring, but if it is not heated you might want to make that a first order of business.  What sort of wall covering (if any) is there now?

How about the electrical service?  If this is just a two car garage, it likely only has minimal outlets - and they may all be on one circuit.  How about the electrical service for the main house, is it a 220 service?  Room for additional circuits to be added?  More is better...  What sort & size of exterior entrance doors does it have?  You mentioned shop lighting, what does it have today?  I am in the process of changing my old 4' flourescents to LEDs (daylights) - what a huge difference it has made. 

 

What are your plans for that upstairs space?  Is it finished in any kind of way today?  Can you easily navigate stairs?

 

Living in Georgia, I very seldom work in the shop without the large garage door open.  Thinking about working in a closed up shop for a good bit of the year, you might want to consider a hanging air filter in addition to the dust collector.  I don't have one, I don't know how much hassle it is to change the filters - but I would look into it if I was up north.  BTW - how high are the ceilings in the shop space?

 

A piece of equipment that you haven't mentioned, but may be useful is an air compressor.  I have air nailers, stapler, sanders and all sorts of other air operated tools.  It seems that you can now get most all these tools either battery or electrically operated...

Peter,

Shane Whitlock swears buy this product. Renaissance Wax

He's done some of the most beautiful restorations I've ran across.

I haven't tried it myself due to the price.

I have used Meguiar's Marine RV one step Cleaner Wax.

I found several bottles of it during one of my scrounging outings.

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by Larry Buskirk

1 hour ago, Larry Buskirk said:

Meguiar's Marine RV one step Cleaner Wax. 

any and all  products by Meguiar's contain silicone...

also, their stuff is intended for gel coat...

1 hour ago, Larry Buskirk said:

Peter,

Shane Whitlock swears buy this product. Renaissance Wax

He's done some of the most beautiful restorations I've ran across.

I haven't tried it myself due to the price.

I have used Meguiar's Marine RV one step Cleaner Wax.

I found several bottles of it during one of my scrounging outings.

Careful there, Larry. Most of the Meguiar's products contain silicons. We all know that is NOT what you want in the shop if you don't want to contaminate the wood surfaces.

 

Here is a list I found that shows what Meguiar's products are compatible with paint/finishing shop use.

 

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?39257-Body-Shop-Safe-or-Not

 

Your recommendation above is NOT recommended, so, I'm assuming that it contains silicone.

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by schnewj

. 

 

@Larry Buskirk My parents live just south of Waupaca and I grew up in Appleton. GO PACKERS!

 

@Cal

Oh yes fishing is good not that I am a fisherman. Now my My father-in-law, on the other hand, has an ice castle that he uses all the time. I don't particularly care for fish unless its deep fried but, I may learn to like it especially if its fresh. 

 

The house has an attached two car and below is a picture of the outside shop. It is a detached shop building 26x40' building. there is a one car garage in the back on the right side which is why I estimated around 26x28' feet of space. I will have a better estimate of space at the end of the month when we see it for the first time at the end of the month. Ever buy a house sight unseen across the country?

The shop is not currently insulated but it is on my list of things to do over the spring/summer giving me the ability to work in it during the winter months. There is an older wood burner that will likely need to be upgraded within the next couple of years. The man of the house passed away recently so I would image he never had a chance to finish it building the shop.

 

There are no wall coverings as of yet any recommendations other than drywall?  

Electrical is one sarea of concern because I will not mess with electrical I will hire an electrician. I know the 30x60 pole barn has electrical ran to it as well. Hopefully, they had thought of expanding it into a shop... requiring 220v. Three pieces of equipment will require 220v the table saw, jointer and dust collector all required 220v to start with. 

I know I want to stay away from fluorescents because of the poor performance in colder temperatures. 

 

The upstairs is currently three rooms and easily navigable but just stud walls no coverings. The plan is to enclose the stairs to prevent dust and change it to just two rooms. I would imagine all of us here enjoy building things and mine started with Legos. I got my daughters into Legos and I have an entire city with trains that will take up 1/3 of the upstairs, the other 2/3rds will be a home theater room. But, all in due time shop first.  An air compressor is something else I am looking at as well I keep seeing videos on the benefit of having one. 

 

Thank you again for all of the input I really appreciate it! It is an exciting time for this guy almost like the time Wayne Manor burned down and Batman and Alfred got to build it back! 

 

SC Johnson®

SC Johnson® Paste Wax

Formula 35*3599

Ingredients

Deodorized NaphthaSolubilizer

Deodorized naphtha is a deodorized form of Stoddard solvent, which is sometimes called white mineral spirits. It is a solubilizer that ensures the even distribution of the ingredients throughout a product to help it work better. No matter how much you shake or blend a formula that combines oil and water, over time the oils will separate from the rest of the liquid - just like salad dressing. A solubilizer like deodorized naphtha helps keep our product formula well mixed.

Carnauba WaxFilm Former

Carnauba wax is a naturally derived film former that can also be found in cosmetics and skin care products. It creates a protective coating or shine on a surface. Carnauba wax comes from the carnauba palm tree – it forms on the leaves of the palm to protect the leaves from heat and keep their moisture from evaporating. In our products, it adds shine and protection when applied to a surface.

Microcrystalline WaxFilm Former

Microcrystalline wax is a film former that can also be found in cosmetics, chewing gum and eye drops. It creates a coating or shine on a surface. This means that the surface has an added level of protection, and also has the shine that helps the surface look its best. It can also be used as a binder that holds a product's ingredients together. We add microcrystalline wax to products so that when other ingredients are compressed, they hold together in a solid shape.

ParaffinFilm Former

Paraffin is a blend of waxes that is used to form a candle and that provides fuel for the candle as it burns. Paraffin is one of the most plentiful and commonly used waxes today. It can also be found in a wide array of products from lipsticks to eye makeup to baby products. In household products, we use paraffin as a film former to create a protective coating or shine on a surface.

Thanks Stick, & schnewj,

The bottles don't show the ingredients, but since I'm only using them to protect my machines from rusting for the present time while I get them all done so I can assemble them all into a line-shaft driven setup I'll leave it on them for now.

I know I'm not getting much woodworking done doing it this way but I want to put the setup together at the same time so I don't end up with having holes in the bench from having to move a machine.

In the meantime, I do what I can with my SCMS, and other newer machines that don't fit into "The Old Machinery" category.

I've got a pretty heavy farm type table that I'll be redoing for the bench.

Another "Freebie" from just driving up to a "Junk" pile. 

@Batman

Now I see why you're moving back North! 

I've got a place I have to get back up to by the SIL/BIL pretty much like what you found.

The owner inherited it from his dad. (A BIG TIME HOARDER) He just doesn't want to deal with "IT".

He's retired and now lives in a condo, and doesn't want to go back to mowing, keeping up to property maintenance, etc..

It's part of the old family farm, the rest was sold to the neighboring farmer some time back.

Because of the "HOARDING", He's willing to give us a "SWEEEET" deal on the place.

Everyone else that looked at it told him "No Way" , and walked away laughing!

He seemed rather happy when the wife, and I looked at each other and said "Here we go again!"

We've BTDTx2 already!

The wife was back up a few weeks ago, and he was by the SIL/BIL'S place and asked her when we would be coming up.

When she told him our financial situation he replied "Don't worry about it, the place is yours. I'm in no hurry to get paid."

So now we're trying to figure out how to go about dealing with "IT" and moving our "STUFF". 

He also told the wife to have me come up with the next time, and we'll work something out.

I don't no what, but I'll just have to get back up there to find out.

Edited November 13, 20187 yr by Larry Buskirk