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tools recommendation for a newbie

8K views 66 replies 12 participants last post by  mulak 
#1 ·
Hi,

I want to get into woodworking as a side business and also something to do on my down time.

I have no ideas on what I want to make but at least something small, popular and easy to sell locally. I'm not expecting to make big profit as long it a profit to pay off the materials and a little leftover. So basically I'm just sacrificing my time.

I don't think I have a big space because I can't use the garage because it will be cold when the canadian winter come in a few months. I think I got small space in the basement that I hope my mom can let me use, it just cluttering storage area that is not organized properly which should free up some space.

If I want to get deeper into woodworking in the future then I would like to do things like coffee tables or side tables.

My current tools/equipments is pretty limited lol

- socket wrench set
- adjustable wrench
- pipe wrench
- master craft drill with set of wood and drywall drill bits
- 15 into 1 screwdriver
- a bit rusted fat max saw
- a couple measuring tape
- stanley tool chest (i know it not a tool but have something for storage)
 
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#5 ·
Thanks... deciding on what I want to make is the tough part ... I think I'm flexible on whatever as long it popular to sell because I'm pretty limited on what I can do at work as a pastry chef and I get bored since I can't use my creativity fully.

You list your occupation as "pastry chef," perhaps some kitchen related items would sell, and you'd have the extra bonus of giving your customers baking advice as well.

You may look into getting a small lathe to turn handles for utensils. There are kits for all sorts of kitchen utensils. I've made handles for a pizza cutter and ice cream scoop out of curly maple and a kit from woodcraft.

Check out chefwarekits.com for some ideas.
that not a bad idea at all... do you think people would buy these kitchen items from someone who handmade them instead of buying it at walmart or sonoma williams

that's cool with the wooden ice cream scoop... usually metal always known to scoop ice cream

I will check out that link.. thanks


Great advice from previous posts! Woodworking has many facets, and it is up to you to decide where you what to "fit in". Consider getting a book on easy wood projects that may help in discovering what "list of tools you need" as well as how to build a project. Do not get discouraged in your exploration of woodworking - as it all takes time to acquire and master any wood skills. Read, understand, and use ALL your tools with shop safety. Keep us posted as to your progress, and enjoy your stay.
Thanks ... definitely a bit overwhelming at first with the diversity of woodworking ... I hope I can find that sellable niche for me

is there a book that you recommend on woodworking?
 
#3 ·
You list your occupation as "pastry chef," perhaps some kitchen related items would sell, and you'd have the extra bonus of giving your customers baking advice as well.

You may look into getting a small lathe to turn handles for utensils. There are kits for all sorts of kitchen utensils. I've made handles for a pizza cutter and ice cream scoop out of curly maple and a kit from woodcraft.

Check out chefwarekits.com for some ideas.
 
#4 ·
Great advice from previous posts! Woodworking has many facets, and it is up to you to decide where you what to "fit in". Consider getting a book on easy wood projects that may help in discovering what "list of tools you need" as well as how to build a project. Do not get discouraged in your exploration of woodworking - as it all takes time to acquire and master any wood skills. Read, understand, and use ALL your tools with shop safety. Keep us posted as to your progress, and enjoy your stay.
 
#6 ·
You can learn a lot by watching woodworking videos on You Tube. We didn't have that option back in the 70's.

About the only thing I can think of right now is things you can make from pallets. The wood is cheap (free most of the time if you can find them). The hardest part is breaking them down.

A quick word. Don't make anything out of pallet wood that will come in contact with any type of food.

At some point you will need a table saw, jointer, planer, along with a band saw and a drill press. You can't hardly get around these tools unless you are really skilled, which at this time, you are not.

Instead of trying to sell the things you make, you might want to concentrate on honing your woodworking skills. Make stuff for your mom. Shelves, cabinets, etc.

Good luck. Wishing the best for you.
Mike
 
#7 · (Edited)
I can see where you are coming from

are you saying that no matter what my future niche might be ... I have to get a table saw, jointer, planer, saw and drill press?

oh boy, I'm glad my mom is not reading this or else my niche "will be making things for my mom" because she will make a very long list of items that she want me to make lol
 
#11 ·
Look, I am also "newbie", but I'm on the way to improve myself, what I have learned is that a table saw makes an incredible difference vs normal disk saw or jigsaw , especially if you tend to be a perfectionist

About used tool
Look, I was also very much in doubt when I started to buy items. But I learned a few things

1 - Go to the seller, do not buy anything you can not see the product before buying

2 - Avoid cheap and "unknown" brands, see brands that you know they often last for years, for example makitta

3 - If the tool has, ask if it has been replaced the carbon brushes, if so, possibly this tool has been widely used

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#13 ·
nice to meet another newbie and was in a similar situation like me... I'm a bit OCD that my family said lol ... I have to have things done in a certain ways and consistent because if one variable change slightly which affect the outcome in the end.

1. of course

2. what other brands beside makita do you recommends to keep an eye out for?

3. huh? lol ... what is carbon brushes?


awesome thanks for the material
 
#23 ·
Not into spoons and picture frames ... boxes, furniture and some cool wood decor would be nice as well ... if I don't sell then I gotta make something that is useful ... i'm not big in cooking at home even though I'm a pastry chef, i want a break lol and i don't hang pictures

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#24 ·
OK, that gives us a starting point.

I could go through the whole list, but it's been done a lot of times. Instead, here are a few books I'd recommend: you may well be able to find them in your local library:

1) The New Traditional Woodworker, by Jim Tolpin. An excellent starting point, he'll walk you through the basics of what each tool does, and the last section is building a bunch of useful wooden tools, which is a great way to learn some of the skills.

2) Working Wood 1 & 2: the Artisan Course with Paul Sellers, by Paul Sellers. Another good "starting out" book. Paul has some unusual opinions about woodworking, but he has been making furniture professionally for 40+ years, so he clearly knows something. He also has a lot of good videos on YouTube: his "Restoring the bench plane" video is one of the most thorough I've found.

3) The Anarchist's Tool Chest, by Christopher Schwarz. Take this one with a grain of salt. Heck, take it with a shaker of salt. Most of the people who write about Chris either love him or hate him. I mostly love him, but some of his arguments are pretty idiosyncratic. This is unlikely to be at your library, but may still be available as an ebook.

4) The Joiner & Cabinetmaker, By Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz. A historical book, I'm mostly recommending it as an interesting read. The projects it walks through are good practice on some useful techniques, though.


The first two will probably be the most useful, and the second two will be hardest to find at a library, and priciest to buy.

As a final related note: Always buy the best tools you can. That doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive in money, though. A 100 year old Stanley hand plane bought for $30 will likely perform as well as a brand new $300 plane... once you've spent the time to tune it up. Tools are always expensive, either in time or money. Figure out which you have more of, and go from there.

I hope this helps!
 
#25 ·
alright thanks for the book recommendation

I know for sure that I have to build a free standing shelf in the garage that connect to the ceiling because I couldn't stand my mother's winter tires taking so much space on the garage floor that I couldn't get around or go through the back door of the garage to the backyard.. it so annoying lol
 
#29 ·
I got to think of ways to convince mother to set up a woodworking shop in the part of the basement

I know my mom want to fix up the house to sell next year like moldings which require a miter saw and creating bulkhead for closet because they don't sell ceiling to floor sliding closet doors anymore, only regular height of doors

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#33 ·
Do you have a plan of this diy fan or link to how to make this?

If you're not buying power tools right away, either would work. My current space is 6x6 of permanent workspace, plus a 4x1.5 shelf unit. I can expand the workspace some while I'm working, but everything has to move back into it when I'm done for the day. I wouldn't want to try to build a bureau in the space, but I did everything except final assembly on a pair of toy chests roughly 20"x20"x30" there.

Not using power tools also helps with the dust issue... while hand tools do produce some dust, it's not generally thrown into the air like it is by power tools. Keep a shop vac nearby, and you can you generally clean up after a day's work pretty quickly. Sweep shavings and big piles of dust into a yard waste bag, vacuum up what's left. You need to be pretty consistent about it, though, or it piles up fast.

Don't get me wrong: I'd love to have a dedicated shop space, and I'm working on trying to get my garage set up to be at least a three season shop, but you can do a lot with a little space if you have to.
I'm gonna try to do hand tools just to see if my interest can be deeper over time. plus hand tools are cheaper than power so it can soften the blow if I'm not invested in wood working than I thought

I'm curious to know on what is the hand tool version of a table saw?
 
#31 ·


This is my garage if I clear it out by building a shelf on the left side at the ceiling and put the tires there and a few stuffs and clear out some crap that my mom put there... it would be about 5 by 9 feet area space

Or....



The basement .. obviously clean out the stuffs and probably get roughly 11 by 6 feet space.. probably a bit more

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#32 ·
If you're not buying power tools right away, either would work. My current space is 6x6 of permanent workspace, plus a 4x1.5 shelf unit. I can expand the workspace some while I'm working, but everything has to move back into it when I'm done for the day. I wouldn't want to try to build a bureau in the space, but I did everything except final assembly on a pair of toy chests roughly 20"x20"x30" there.

Not using power tools also helps with the dust issue... while hand tools do produce some dust, it's not generally thrown into the air like it is by power tools. Keep a shop vac nearby, and you can you generally clean up after a day's work pretty quickly. Sweep shavings and big piles of dust into a yard waste bag, vacuum up what's left. You need to be pretty consistent about it, though, or it piles up fast.

Don't get me wrong: I'd love to have a dedicated shop space, and I'm working on trying to get my garage set up to be at least a three season shop, but you can do a lot with a little space if you have to.
 
#35 ·
Even though I have a dust collector, I also use a 20 inch box fan with a filter attached to the front. You will be surprised how much of the big dust gets collected by the filter.

The fan is easy to mod to form a filter holder. See my pics attached.
 

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#36 ·
Even though I have a dust collector, I also use a 20 inch box fan with a filter attached to the front. You will be surprised how much of the big dust gets collected by the filter.
Yeah, with a box fan, you have 90% of the job done, I don't use one because it is impossible find a new in my country :/
I use a desk fan in a frame [emoji52]

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#47 ·
Ahhh make sense now lol

My mom is actually letting me use the part of the basement for woodworking :)

I mention that I can build a shelf because she is planning to change the spare room into an office for herself

Then I mentioned that i wanted to build a chest for the end of my bed to store some stuffs and she want one.

So I told her that I need to buy some tools and a space to do it ... she was cool with the basement lol :)

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#51 ·
Lot of good information for you in the above posts. Before you jump hook line and sinker as mentioned, spend time with on line You Tube videos. There's a lot of good ones. After awhile you'll get the feel for the goof balls that have no clue.
Also check out park districts or senior citizen centers as several in my area have wood shops. The fees here are about five to ten bucks for four hours. As your not a senior yet, the ones here welcome new members. Shops have all the tools and us seniors love to share options and teach the newbies.
This will give you a feel of what you might like.
If they won't let you join because of rules, you might be able to hang out.
 
#60 ·
Simple: Steve Ramsey, April Wilkerson

Intermediate: Jay Bates, Matthias Wandell, Steve Carmichael, Chris Salome (Four Eyez, new channel)

Pro-Level: Jimmy Diresta, The Wood Whisperer (Marc Spagnuolo), Matt Cremona, Frank Howarth, Carl Jacobson (wood turning), Paul Sellers (hand tools only)
 
#61 ·
Will see Steve Ramsey for beginner since I am one ... plus will check out ultra pro guy lol got entertainment and curious on what an ultra pro guy can make

Is there a work bench that I can break apart? Because I'm currently living at my mom's place and eventually going to move out and get my own place

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#62 ·
There are a LOT of sets of plans out there for folding or knockdown workbenches. A few examples off the top of my head:

Roy Underhill's Folding Bench:

Christopher Schwarz/Popular Woodworking: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/knockdown-english-workbench and https://vimeo.com/104208541

Paul Sellers: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD39949332C7FB168 (If you make it so the bolts are easily removable, it can knock down pretty quickly)

My bench: http://cheapsawdust.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-inexpensive-bench.html (The top is held on with TimberLok screws, and the tool rack is held on with drywall screws. The top and body are heavy, but moveable when they're not screwed together.

I'd probably recommend starting with something like the one Paul Sellers or Christopher Schwarz made... they're pretty simple, and pretty much a proven design.
 
#64 ·
There are a LOT of sets of plans out there for folding or knockdown workbenches. A few examples off the top of my head:

Roy Underhill's Folding Bench: The Woodwright's Shop, Season 15, Episode 8 Preview - Folding Workbench, Part 1 - YouTube

Christopher Schwarz/Popular Woodworking: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/knockdown-english-workbench and https://vimeo.com/104208541

Paul Sellers: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD39949332C7FB168 (If you make it so the bolts are easily removable, it can knock down pretty quickly)

My bench: http://cheapsawdust.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-inexpensive-bench.html (The top is held on with TimberLok screws, and the tool rack is held on with drywall screws. The top and body are heavy, but moveable when they're not screwed together.

I'd probably recommend starting with something like the one Paul Sellers or Christopher Schwarz made... they're pretty simple, and pretty much a proven design.
Quite some work for a simple design like Paul sellers lol

I just found out today that my aunt have a bunch of tools that her ex boyfriend left behind like 1 or 2 years ago. She is not a handy person at all and I mean at all.

At least easily 20 screwdrivers, drill, circular saw (saw a brand name called slik), table saw I assumed because I remember the ex use it to cut tiles for my aunt basement floor. Is it possible to switch the disc for wood cutting style disc?

It was a quick look around ... probably more stuffs ... somehow I have to subtly convince her to give me the tools lol since obviously she will never use them.

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