rollcast

hi, new to the forum and would like some advice.
im building a shop, in hopes to build some quality furniture and cabinets.im starting from the ground up experience wise. i'm starting classes at woodcraft to get me going in the right dir..i'm purchasing the pm2000 tablesaw at woodcraft on march 1st(15%off). as far as other tools i'm up in the air? i don't want to buy anything twice, so im willing to pay a little more for something i'll grow into. I'm dedicated to this venture and would appreciate some constructive advice!

Thanks!

pianoman

Basic beginner tools... Table saw, miter saw , jointer, planer. A band saw would be a luxury. Drill press, very handy... As far as hand tools... A router. chissel set, palm sander, drill, jig saw, block plane, disc sander, drum sander. Also... air equipment is handy, for making special fictures jigs ect. It`s real easy to get alot of money wraped up in tools... so, try to let your profit build your tools. German/Swiss made tools are a good investment. Try to stay away from all the bells and whistels. Oh, sharpening stones or diomond imbedded hone will be a must!! May the spirit be with you! Rick

__________________

dbhost

Ask those that know, and those that own the equipment you are interested in. Read the reviews. Check out Consumers Reports for reviews, etc... And do NOT let the brand name enthusiasts talk you into spending too much money on tools with bells and whistles that only serve to get in the way. Likewise, don't let bottom dollar price lead you into buying tools that are poor quality, or lack the features you need or want. Remember, great tools do not make a great woodworker, and a great woodworker can get by with junk tools.

If you have ANY inkling you will go pro with this hobby, then steer clear of B&D as their warranty does not cover professional usage.

As far as must have tools, depends on your use, but for me it was...

Table saw. HD Contractor saw is best for me due to space issues.
Compound Miter Saw. I chose a 10" model to share blades with the TX.
Fixed base router on a table.
Plunge Router
Planer
Palm Sander either quarter sheet, or random orbit. I have each. I like the Random Orbital better.

Yes German and Swiss Made tools are well made. So are U.S. made tools, and even a good number of the Asian made items these days are rapidly inproving quality wise.

I personally have an eclectic mix of low end stuff, mid range, and high end stuff. Even with the low end (B&D router and Miter Saw) I have some amazing quality work coming out of my shop via friends that are more skilled than I am. In the last two months, we have done fences (mine) custom cabinets (good friend with more skill than me), and a small array of cabinet mods including a pot hanger (simple) and a drop down knife drawer on a compound scissor hinge (not yet complete).

Just remember, the best tools in the hands of an idiot will never produce good quality results. And will likely result in an idiot with problems counting to 10...

Good luck, and post up pics when you get set up and projects start coming out of that shop!

__________________
-- Trying to follow the example of the master...

rollcast

thanks, the review i read on the pm200 were very good, with a price of $2200 with an additional 15% off i can not pass up especially with a 5hp motor. as far as reviews from what i've learned is they are either by the manfr, or tool distributers which are biased(ones i found). i also would like to ask about multi-week schools specifically for woodworking. i can not seem to find any in the baltimore area. mainly in the northeast? I am interested in learning to make fine furniture from good teachers. I want to start out on the right foot so i won't get frustrated. blah blah blah etc. etc.

Thanks,
T.J.(Baltimore)

jeffbayne

Rollcast, are you by chance a fly-fisherman? (hence the name)
jeff

rollcast

yes i am an avid flyfisherman and mountain biker!

aclose

T.J. you may want to call your Woodcraft and confirm that they will give you the 15% off on March 1st. the flyer i received in the mail says 15% off all power tools, but then in fine print says except powertools... my local Woodcraft doesn't give discounts on powertools at all.

that PM2000 is a great looking saw and was at the top of my list until the budget got into the way. you may want to look into the Jet Xacta Deluxe line as well. both PowerMatic and Jet are owned by the same parent company and the Xacta Deluxe line is made on the same assembly line as the PowerMatic. they share many of the same features and Jet has a rather large discount + rebate + clamps going on through April 1st. just a thought.

rollcast

on march 1st they start a 10% off sale on everything in the store except "Sawstop and "General" i think, but if you are there between 7 & 8 am you get an additional 5% off also(on March 1st).

aclose

yep, my flyer says:

March First Madness Sale
One day only! Saturday, March 1st, Doors open at 7AM

10% off
Power Tools & Everything in the Store!*

[Small Print Here...]
*Excludes All Festool Products, Leigh Jigs, SawStop, Steel City & gift cards. Not valid with any other discount or coupon offer. no cas value. Save 10% all day. Save additional 5% with early bird special coupon ONLY. One early bird coupon per customer. See reverse for details. Early bird special applies at participating retail stores only.

Other Side:

Early Bird Special 7AM - 10AM
Come in from 7AM - 10AM and receive a coupon for an additional 5% off for entire day! Must present coupon at time of purchase to receive the additional 5% early bird discount. One early bird coupon per customer. Excludes all power tools, Festool Products, Leigh Jigs, SawStop, Steel City & gift cards. Applies at participating retail stores only.

yada yada yada

so the add is a bit misleading if not confusing. are power tools 10% off (aside from the specific manufacturers listed)? or not? it says they are, but then it says they aren't...

Gerry KIERNAN

That's called clever marketing. Get them in the door and sell them the store.

Gerry

dbhost

I think the "Excludes all power tools, just about sums it up.

__________________
-- Trying to follow the example of the master...

lucas.j.dunton

if you are looking for a good place to learn in the NE check this out
http://www.woodschool.org/basic.html
it is AWESOME im from maine and know a few people who went to shool here, and they have everything from 1-2 week courses to 6 months or something