Advice sought on woodwork power tools.

[StuartOrd]

Hello all,

I'm a newcomer, hoping for some advice on purchase of tools.

I am an experienced DIY guy, mid 50s, but with no "quality woodwork" experience. I built a kit aircraft 15 years ago (mainly welded steel tube construction), a kit car 7 years ago, and am now starting a new aircraft to be built from scratch from plans. The aircraft is almost entirely wooden construction (Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and birch ply) and needs to be built to high standards as my life will depend on it!

I have no power woodwork tools although I have a pillar drill, metal lathe, hand electric drills, and a scroll saw.

Yesterday I bought a Titan band saw from Screwfix and after assembling it I decided to return it as it's just awful quality. I had intended to buy a Fox F36-522 saw table and Fox disc/belt sander from Rutlands, as these guys seem to sell good quality tools. However I then discovered by chance that the Fox saw table has operating instructions that look exactly the same as the Titan band saw! I found another web site slating the sander too, saying an adjusting screw had broken easily.

So, my question is this - please can you advise me on which tools to buy? I still think I need these 3 items from talking to other builders, but I want to buy tools that are decent quality without costing the earth. Clearly there are lots of professional tools around, but a) my workshop size is limited, and b) I need to leave enough in the kitty to buy the aircraft after equipping the shop!

It might also be a good idea to buy a planer/thicknesser, as the plan calls for lots of different thicknesses of spruce, and the sawmill might not be able to do them all for me. Is there a suitable machine out there? I saw B&Q had some in stock, but again at £100 would it be a waste of money?

Thanks!

Stuart

 

[matt]

Hi Stuart,

Welcome to the forum. It took me a while to work out why your life would depend on the quality of a model aircraft. Then I realised I'd not seen the word "model" :shock:

I've got absolutely no idea what type of sawing you will be doing to make an aircraft. I'm guessing framework with lots of angles and then lots of long slim and thin panels to cover the frame?

If I'm correct then I'd seriously consider adding a mitre saw to the shopping list, perhaps instead of the tablesaw. Used in conjunction with the bandsaw this could meet your needs.

I'm happy with my Xcalibur tablesaw and Record BS300X bandsaw.

 

[beech1948]

Stuart,

First thoughts are that getting a supplier to mill your timber is the most expensive way to go. So expensive in fact that buying some used but good kit will pay dividends.

Cheaper but good table saws may be Bosch and Makita table top models.

P/T if the sections are not too big then maybe something small like the Woodstar P/T

Bandsaw will probably be the most used so maybe a Startrite from ebay.

SCMS is probably not going to be all that useful other than for cutting to final length as longer cuts eg a spar etc would not be possible.

regards
Alan

 

[StuartOrd]

Thanks for your replies. Yes, a full size - if you put "Corby Starlet" into Google or whatever you'll find lots of hits, it's a popular aircraft. Single seat, 18'6" span, VW engine. I have made many dozens of models, but the techniques are quite different.

Full size aircraft woodwork generally comprises glued lap joints, spliced joints and butt joints reinforced by ply gussets. No dovetails, mortices, biscuits, dowels etc! So good clean accurate cutting is needed - the plans have to be followed as exactly as possible. Yes, lots of cutting lengths of spruce from say 12" to 12' in length for making the fuselage sides, ribs, tail framework, hundreds of gussets in ply, lots of scarf joints (I intend to make a machine for that - plans include a plan for one using a sanding drum on a jig)

I've taken the Titan bandsaw back (Screwfix were quite understanding) as the table and fence both wobbled around even when "locked" into place.

It seems I can get a Woodstar P/T from Screwfix - might be nice to return the favour. However this one (Woodstar PT85 200mm Planer / Thicknesser) seems to require the user to push the work over the blade, whereas the one in B&Q I saw was like an adjustable letterbox (simliar to the Sealey Planer / Thicknesser 200X120Mm I've found on Tooled-up.com) whose height could be altered. I'd presumed it could be used by getting the work nearly right then setting the required thickness for the finishing cut? How do you get the thickness right on a machine like the PT85?

Sorry, can't fathom out "SCMS".

Startrites look OK but I'm wary of e-bay for such things, and they need travelling to pick up generally. If it's going to be the tool most used it makes sense to put the most money there. I see the Record saw is about £400, although they do a smaller one at about £200. The Xcalibur looks too big for me as well as expensive. Maybe I don't need one, but one book I read said it is useful especially with a fine cut preferably hollow ground blade.

I'd thought a budget of £1000 for tools would be enough, but looks like I'm wrong...

 

[PAC1]

Have a look at Axminster Power Tools http://www.axminster.co.uk/ they provide a good range of equipment along with some good own brand tools. the machine that you had to hand feed the wood over the top of was a planer. this is for planing a straight face on wood. The machine that you fed like a letter box was probably a thicknesser for getting the right thickness once the wood is straight. The two machines do different jobs A thicknesser cannot plane a straight edge on wood. you can get machines that do both jobs.

Hope this helps.

PS the price of our advice is that you MUST provide photos of the project as you build it :lol: :wink:

 

[OLD]

StuartOrd I live in nantwich and have the m/cs you are considering if you would like to have a guided tour of the workshop and ask some questions etc please PM for contact details.
a old post for extra info.
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... highlight=

 

[StuartOrd]

Hey, that would be great OLD - I live in Chester which is only a short hop to Nantwich. Would the weekend or a weekday or evening suit you? I'm relatively free until holiday starts in 2 weeks time.

Axminster do look like a good supplier. Thanks for the link, PAC1.

Photos of the project? Sure, if you like! I'm still chasing up the spruce, so glueing won't start before my holiday I guess.

 

[Deejay]

Sorry, can't fathom out "SCMS"

Sliding Compound Mitre Saw.

Cheers

Dave

 

[OLD]

I have sent you a private message (PM) look out for it in your email.

 

[StuartOrd]

Thanks all.

Yes, I think you're right, an SCMS won't be that helpful.

I'm going to spend some time in Nantwich later this week with OLD and hopefully get a better idea of what I need from that and all your comments.

Stuart

 

[StuartOrd]

Looks like my tool list is shaping up something like...
* Makita table saw
* 300mm sanding disc machine - something like an Axminster AWDS12H
* Band saw - something like an Axminster AWSBS2
* Possibly a thicknesser depending on what wood I can source, but it looks expensive eg Axminster AWEPT106

I've been convinced to raise my budget on the grounds that if my next aircraft is composite I can sell quality tools I then no longer might need! Sounds a good plan to me.

As it happens I went into Grahams Machinery which is only a few miles away from home and found they can offer me a deal on all of these. However the sales guy also directed me to the Festool TS55 as an alternative to the saw table. I was sceptical but all the web reviews are fantastic. It can be turned into a saw table but only at further expense. I'm told Festool ave a strong hold on price, but I see Rutlands are offering 15% off everything, and Grahams offer it with 2 x 1400mm tracks and joiners thrown in.

What do people reckon to this idea?

 

[OLD]

I suggest you also consider a mitre saw say makita LS1040 accurate and good resale value for those 'non standard' angles cutting to a line that can be difficult to set on a table saw

 

[PAC1]

you might want to talk to Axminster as they might be willing to do a deal over the purchase of all the toys you want in one sale.

 

[Fergus]

I'm told Festool ave a strong hold on price, but I see Rutlands are offering 15% off everything, and Grahams offer it with 2 x 1400mm tracks and joiners thrown in.

In the Rutlands offer email it said the 15% was everything other festool !.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Hi Stuart

to add to OLD's offer, I am in Grappenhall, South Warrington (5 minutes off the M62), so if you fancy popping in to have a look around you are welcome.

I have the Axminster 106PT2, 4300 bandsaw and Fox F36-530 tablesaw which I am very happy with, so you can inspect it (and all the others) to help with your planning if you want.

PM me if you're interested.

 

[StuartOrd]

I'm told Festool ave a strong hold on price, but I see Rutlands are offering 15% off everything, and Grahams offer it with 2 x 1400mm tracks and joiners thrown in.

In the Rutlands offer email it said the 15% was everything other festool !.

I missed that. Looks like they do have a good hold on price, then. Still, the GMS offer holds, I believe.

 

[Jake]

I missed that. Looks like they do have a good hold on price, then. Still, the GMS offer holds, I believe.

Almost certainly (sorry, can't be bothered to check their newsletter on the UK site which sets them out) one of Festool's regular promotions - they always have a few promotions like that on the go, 'free' saw blade, or 'free' guide etc.