SMLWinds

I have been reading books and waiting for years to buy a big house/shop and finish my training so I can have money to build a quality woodworking shop. That day has finally come!

I have a building at my new house with a shop and 4 large car bays. I will probably devote 2 of the large bays to wood working.

My question is what large tools would you recommend and do I need to plan for when constructing benches and laying out my new shop? I am planning to buy a SawStop table saw, but aside from that I am open to suggestions on what large equipment I should plan to have.

If you could give me your list of what you would buy if you could start from scratch and build a really nice shop I would appreciate it!

jk pine

These are the tools I would buy in order: table saw, 3 HP router and router table, planer, jointer, bandsaw, drill press, radial arm saw, miter saw,combination edge disc sander, drum sander, shaper. Hope this helps:):)

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James

dbhost

That is a pretty open ended question. What type of woodworking are you planning on doing? For example, if you aren't planning on doing a whole lot of Mortise and Tenon joinery, a dedicated mortiser wouldn't make a lot of sense for you...

My shop tends toward the do it all approach. but I spent time and effort shopping for bargains as budget wasn't really cooperating...

There are certain things any wood shop should have though.

#1. A good dust collection system. If a Saw Stop is in your budget, chances are you may have finances for a better quality dust collector. If you can do it, give a Clear Vue Cyclone a good hard look...

#2. A good ambient air filter because no matter how good your dust collector is, it will still miss some of that dust... I personally have the Grizzly G0572 and am very happy with it.

#3. At least one, preferrably more good quality Fire Extinguishers located in convenient locations in the shop and well marked.

#4. A proper woodworking workbench. You may want to start off with a simple bench to hold you over for a while as you learn what you like and do not like about various bench designs and then come up with one that works for you. I did that, using the directions from Fine Woodworking's "Get Started in Woodworking Season 2" video series http://www.finewoodworking.com/getti...season-two.asp

#5. That workbench mentioned above, should be sized to act as outfeed support for your table saw if it will be near the saw. I mention this because that height will vary saw to saw. The SawStop is a bit shorter than other saws, you may depending on your height, and what height you are comfortable working at, want to construct a means of lifting the SS, you know, some sort of riser. For me a Saw Stop PCS is about 4" too short and causes me to stoop too much... I would probably build a 4 to 5" tall riser / mobile base for a SS if I had the finances for one...

From there, the tools needed start varying a bit depending on what you want to do, but a well equipped general purpose shop will have as far as large power tools go...

Table Saw
Router Table with router
Miter saw, a large slider is better than a small non slide.
Band Saw
Drill press with woodworking drill press table.
Jointer
Planer
Bench Grinder with sharpening jig.
Oscillating Sander
Mortiser
Scroll saw
Lathe

Then there are the smaller handheld power tools...
Power drill
Quarter sheet sander
Detail Sander
Orbital Sander
Plunge base router. Combination plunge fixed base models are great.
Rotary Tool (Dremel)
Jig Saw
Circular Saw
Reciprocating saw (lousy for fine woodworking, great for home construction / remodeling / demolition projects.

Then there's the non powered tools... The list goes on and on...

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woodnthings

In order to work safely on the table saw the work must lie flat on the table, no wobble and flush to the fence, no gaps. A jointer is the tool that does this best. You can make a jointing sled for a planer, but a separate machine is best, the wider the better meaning go for an 8" right off.
A 15" planer will allow a glue up of two 71/2" planks to pass.
Cast iron is best, old or new they last forever.
I also find a bandsaw a very versatile machine, especially when resawing thicker boards into thinner. The jointer and planer will assist afterward in this operation. I got along without a table mounted router for years, but it's a necessity now. Same for a drum sander, which is one of the last large stationary machines I acquired. Short of a commercial wide belt sander there is no substitute for a quality even thickness and finish.
Actually my last machine was a dedicated chisel mortisier,
which I have yet to put to use, but have some serious projects in the que.

The Saw Stop is a quality machine and is designed well in addition to the safety aspect. I would use it like the safety feature doesn't exist and still follow every rule regarding safe useage....push sticks/blocks, guards, outfeed support surface, and a knee operated off switch.

Good luck in your new adventure and check back in often! bill

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A jointer is as important for preparing the work for the table saw as the table saw is for sawing it. Straight and flat is where it's at!
Wood "rocks", except on the table saw, not good...

jk pine

Yea I guess you're probably right for a lot of people. I guess I'm just so used to always working with pine which is already milled. I use my jointer for glueups to make sure the edges are perfectly flat and free of defects. I use my planer more for making thinner stock than surfacing lumber.

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James

yocalif

What is your budget?

You said in another thread you only want to buy "NEW", ok after you buy all the big equipment
Table saw, Jointer, Planer, bandsaw, drill press, routers, tables (or hardware to build tables), dust collection, air filtration, dbl bevel sliding miter saw, maybe a lathe these are the basic that most shops have, add another few thousand for the other stuff (hand power tools) you might may want,
how much do you expect to spend for the setup, let say it will take you 3 years to assemble it all?

SMLWinds

Thanks for the responses! They are actually extremely helpful and I appreciate you guys trying to help me tackle a broad open ended question. I know it is a tough (if not impossible) question to answer. But, I figured you guys would give me some good starting points. As I learn more, my questions will get more specific. I was just hoping to find out what are the "necessities" for pretty much every wood shop. I know there will be preferences and tools for special jobs, but I assume there is a core set of tools that pretty much everyone has and I'm starting to assemble that list as a starting point.

As for budget, I really don't have one. Not to be arrogant, but I can probably afford to set up a very nice shop. I don't want to waste money, but I am willing to pay to make sure that I have a safe, effective shop to handle most projects and produce high quality.

Fsucraigk

A really solid way to set up a particular shop is to see if there's a local woodworking club, maybe just post the general area you live in without being too specific, maybe go into a locally owned woodworking specific store (beware of overeager salespeople), go to a local sawyer and ask for them to introduce you to some hobbyists in the area. You could get a mentor of sorts to help you in designing and setting up your shop, but someone to help learn to use the equipment and someone to help with ideas when you hit a wall on solving a problem.

Good luck!

Dominick

I'm with you on this one. Lol
I get a kick on this when someone ask this question. It Comes down to how much $ do you have to spend? & what do you want to do? What style of furniture do you like. Evaluate that then build off of that. It's like buying a car.
Asking hey what kind of car should I buy.
By his post. Doesn't sound like $ is an issue. Good luck.

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When it's rustic......it's rustic

SMLWinds

Thanks for the responses. They have actually been very helpful. I know my question was open ended and tough to answer, but many of you figured out what I was wanting--I just needed a starting point. I know there are a million tools out there and what you need depends on what you want, how you want to use it, etc. But, obviously there are key things that every good woodshop has...for example, dust collection. Or, a table saw. That is what I was after--hence the title "CORE tools."

As anticipated, a few of you got a "kick" out of my ignorance and open ended question...I'm glad I could amuse you! As for price, I don't know how much a good shop costs, but I feel pretty certain I could afford it. I'm figuring it will probably take 15K to get the core set up going (the physical shop is in place, just need tools). But, I would have no problem spending 2 or 3 times that if necessary to have a nice shop. Most equipment I have run across is in the hundreds or low thousands which is well within my price range. So, while I do not want to burn money on nothing, I have the means and no problem opening up the checkbook to have what I need.

Thanks again for the help and support! It is hard breaking into something like this when you know essentially nothing. You guys have given me several good articles to read, I've read 2 books, and seen several websites that were recommended so my insight has come a long way. Any further opinions are greatly appreciated!

Shop Dad

I do suggest you ease into it a bit. Think about the projects you want to do first then which tools you need to accomplish them. You will be learning along the way and your subsequent decisions will have the benefit of further personal experience. The CORE tools are a relatively well defined expense, but it's the small stuff that really adds up. It's like dark matter - enormous mass that you can't even see. Then there are materials to buy. You could easily find yourself ripping through your budget. Another reason not to rush is you want to learn to use your tools and practice with them. Giving yourself enough time to do that will make you a better woodworker in the long run.

Another consideration is power to your shop. If you get more powerful tools they will need 220v. You may need to run some lines to handle that.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Sbrooks

By any chance do you have a pic of jointing sled for planer

woodnthings

There's several in this search:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=ut...r%20sled&type=

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A jointer is as important for preparing the work for the table saw as the table saw is for sawing it. Straight and flat is where it's at!
Wood "rocks", except on the table saw, not good...

cabinetman

The "core" tools have been mentioned, so no need to repeat all those. When you get to the buying stage, many members have preferences as to brand and type. It may be worthwhile to read some of the threads in that section of the forum to get an idea of what to look for.

It's much better to get feedback from those that use particular equipment. Just for discussion, if you buy new, and several machines come from the same distributor, I find them willing to negotiate to a better tune than for just one piece.





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MastersHand

http://www.ehow.com/how_2158073_outf...inet-shop.html

Here's a basic Site you may find helpful

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schnitz

I saw two "core tools" not mentioned at all. Safety glasses and hearing protection. Like Shop Dad already hit on, having all the best tools not not knowing how to properly use them (or being properly protected while using them) will never make you a decent woodworker. If you get lucky, you may only end up as a bruised wood worker. Unlucky? Try being deaf, blind, or missing several fingers. Just saying.


I had a friend back in H.S. who lost an eye in a shop accident, one who nearly lost a hand and forearm to a RAS, and a shop teacher who was missing 2 fingers on his right hand. And I won't even go beyond the co-worker who tried to chop his hand off in the miter saw. Just be safe with any tool you purchase.

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Turning good wood into designer firewood on a daily basis.....

Sbrooks

Thanks make sledge today

SSN Vet

I have this book and frequently make reference to it....


you can go deeper into any specific topic, but Sandor does a good job painting a comprehensive view of the big picture topics.

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Pine is fine, but Oak's no joke

aint no slack in Fast Attack!

Cliff

Geeze what a question.

If you had some kind of focus it might be easy like a turner would concentrate his money on lathes and such.

But from a open ended generalist perspective I'd say you need the following like you need air and water:

80" Sliding table saw
20 inch Resaw Band saw
12" (or bigger) jointer / planer
12" swing x 36" Lathe ( minimum)
Grinder/s
A floor Drill Press no less than 1 HP with a 6" quill throw
6x48 sander with no less than a three HP motor
A slew of hand Drills and hand sanders
Three Routers maybe four or maybe six
Track Sander
Dust Control 5 HP
Three Benches
Selection of hand planes
Selection of chisels
half a dozen whackers of various sorts
A collection of hand saws

Really it all depends on what you want to do and what you are willing to spend to do it.

lray

i'm a big fan of Festool power tools, i really like the vacuum system option that many of their tools have, keeps the shop nice and clean.
festoolusa.com.

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Dust Collection System