Beginner needing some advice as to what to buy next?

[cmwatt]

Hi folks,

As the title says, I'm a beginner to woodworking really. The last time I done anything was at school really (probably 10 years ago)! :? At the moment, I've got a small collection of tools including some of my father's stuff:

- Jet JWBS-9 Bench Top Bandsaw (now fitted with a 10mm 6 tpi blade from tuffsaws)
- Spear & Jackson Tenon Saw
- Cheap Draper Rip Saw (for laminate flooring etc)
- Stanley 5 1/2 Jack Plane
- Axminster 9 1/2 Block Plane
- Corded and Cordless drill's (Bosch I think)
- Small jigsaw
- Draper Expert Chisel Set (4 piece set)
- Mallet
- Draper Marking and Mortice Gauge
- Combination Square
- A smallish hoover
- A workbench my father made, which only has a mechanic's vice (hope to get a woodworking vice like a Record at some point soon)
- 2x 400mm Axminster F-Cramps (plus a few G clamps etc)
- Screwdrivers
- Sharpening Oil Stone

I think that's it, probably missed a few small things. I was offered a small Dremel I think it is too, so I hope to get that soon. The kind of things I plan to make to begin with are probably boxes and small furniture items and maybe eventually a desk and bookshelfs etc. I can source my hardwood here: http://www.woodworkz.co.uk/prices.html.
I've bought some elm which I hope to make a jewellery box with at some point soon, but will probably practice on softwood first. When I was up getting the wood cut to size and planed, he had an old Electra Beckum Planer Thickness (10inch he thought) which he didn't use anymore and said I could have it for £180 or so.

My problem is, I am still looking for employment and this is just a hobby at the moment so money is tight. I have about £200 to spend and wondered what others thought would be the most usefull tools to buy next? The planer thicknesser I was offered does sound a good deal for the price, but then I wouldn't be able to buy anything else for a while. Although it would be useful having one, so that I know what I am working with is square and saves a lot of time rather than hand planning which I'm struggling with a bit, trying to keep things flat.

Or do I buy say a circular saw and a router and just buy my wood already squared, which would allow me to do more things?

Any advice or recommendations welcomed. Thanks.

Craig.

 

[adidat]

hard to say, but a p/t is great when you need it. if you cut something to short (it happens) you then have to wait for my stock to be prepared by timber yard. also timber yards tend to charge an amount for stock prep

adidat

 

[Dibs-h]

£180 for a 10" wide P\T sounds a very good price, especially considering where you are and the cost of getting something delivered there should you buy used equipment from Ebay or a forum user. Although a table top P\T that will do 6" wide timber might be adequate for you.

A P\T would make life easier for you and be a more efficient use of time - some might disagree tho.

If you bought that P\T (and maybe haggled a bit - say £170) you would have enough left over for a cheap'ish circular saw - which would get you started.

HIH

Dibs

 

[Chrispy]

Hi Craig

Get your vice first, a planer thicknesser is fine if your in business but it won't do any thing your jack plane can't do allready!

you said it your self you need to practice so start with the basics ie hand tools, machines eat money (and fingers) blades to sharpen, dust to suck up ect.

good luck Chris (Cabinetmaker)

 

[Mike Wingate]

I find powered routers so useful and versatile. You can easily make a table and fence to invert it. Great for grooves in boxes, never mind chamfers and rounding over profiles with the right bits.

 

[cmwatt]

Thanks for all the comments and advice so far. I phoned the man from woodworkz who is selling the P/T and he's now wanting £200 but he'll include new blades, show me how to use it and deliver it to my house for that which is still quite reasonable. He couldn't tell me the model at the moment, because he's away from home but he confirmed it was a 240V Electra Beckum and thought it was a 10" model. He also offered that I could have it on a trial basis to see how I got on and if I didn't like it he would refund me, so sounds as fair as you'll get!

I understand what you're saying Chrispy, but I don't know if I have the patience to learn it all myself and I think the P/T would make life easier. Yes there are risks with power tools but I make sure I read up about them first. Don't get me wrong, I still plan on doing some things by hand and learning the basics with hand tools.

Thanks for the info Mike, yeah I was thinking a router would be really handy for making grooves in boxes amongst other things, maybe that will come soon. Is it bad when you start thinking about things you can sell to fund your new hobby? :roll:

 

[Dibs-h]

Thanks for the info Mike, yeah I was thinking a router would be really handy for making grooves in boxes amongst other things, maybe that will come soon. Is it bad when you start thinking about things you can sell to fund your new hobby? :roll:

As long it's not body parts\organs or children (your own or someone else'e)! :mrgreen:

I think you are doing the right thing in getting the P\T - being able to process your own timber, i.e. getting it PAR over the long term will pay for itself.

As for a router - even a cheap 1/4" router can be had for a modest some - and later on would extend the things you can do.

Dibs

 

[tisdai]

I will 2nd the Router a great universal tool, and I also noticed you have picked up on Tuffsaw blades for the Bandsaw . The only other things to consider is a decent dust extractor when you have the monies and if you can buy some face masks for the finer dust particles.

Cheers

Dave

 

[SurreyHills]

If you go for the P/T then I think you will find that you need a dust extractor. £180 for the Elektra Beckum is OK, depends on the condition though. But looking at where you are based, the fact that he will deliver it makes it a good deal, esp. with the new blades.

I would suggest a tablesaw as the next item and then a router.

If you are going to be making fine jewellry boxes using dovetails then look at a cheap dovetail saw.

 

[cmwatt]

Do you think the vacuum will do for extraction? It's a earlex I believe, which is designed for use with power tools and dust extraction. Granted it's not big or powerful, but do you think it would be ok until I can afford something better? :-k

I think you're right Andy, I might need a table saw or at least a circular saw after the P/T because the bandsaw is only an 9inch one, which is kind of limiting for cross cutting. Maybe I could just get a cheapish circular saw and make a guide for it myself? Would allow me to cut up sheet materials too.

 

[tisdai]

You won't believe the ammount of shavings a P/T will throw out, unless the earlex has a 100mm or 4inch hose then no it will be no good for the P/T sorry to say, cheers

Dave

 

[cmwatt]

Hmm ok, maybe have to rethink getting the P/T. Thanks for the info Dave. This is pretty similar to what's in the garage just now: http://www.earlex.co.uk/wd1000.html

Could it be adapted for use with the P/T? My father says he should have some spare 4 inch ducting. If I am just putting smallish bits of wood through it, will it still produce a lot? What is the waste material like from a P/T? Is it big chips of wood, or is it smaller and finer shavings, or large dust particles or what? I'm totally new to it.

I was planning on going to have a look at it tomorrow morning, so if you think it's pointless without proper extraction, then should I just forget about it and get other things then?

 

[tisdai]

Please don't let me put you off the P/T m8, at that price it sounds a good deal. Not sure if it can be adapted to be honest, you can allways use it to clean up after using the P/T if it can't be adapted as the shavings will not be as bad as the dust off other machines like saw's, router sanding and so on, that it willl be ok for. The finer dust particles could be more harmfull to you than shavings could be.

Other more experienced members on here should be along and be able to answer your question better than myself. I have yet to set-up all my equipment and to buy my own dust extractor, with all different things going on over the past 12 months I have not been able to do anything.

Cheers

Dave

 

[cmwatt]

Ok thanks for the help. I think I may still go ahead and get it, since it sounds a good deal and I could save for better extraction. The earlex is not too bad, it's hoovered up loads of wood shavings from my hand plane and small chips of wood ok, so don't think the size of particles is an issue too much. I see on the earlex website they do a 'wide bore hose kit' for it, which might be an option for just now.

 

[tisdai]

Yes Craig just checked it out, as you say might as well, cheaper than a new dust extractor lol. The P/T does sound like a good deal, if your ever passing North Wales drop it off :lol:

Hope it all goes ok for you m8

Cheers

Dave

 

[Smithy]

If I had £200 and money was a bit short I would be looking to buy seconhand hand tools. You can find good quality tools for a reasonable price at boot fairs and e bay. Learn to use your jack plane it will do all what your P/T can do and the experience will be a lot more enjoyable.

Mike

 

[SurreyHills]

I have the EB HC260 P/T and to start with I put 63mm extraction hose on it and the dust extractor struggled to clear the shavings. Upgrading to 100mm sorted the problem out.

I don't think the Earlex will be up to the job as you need something with a much stranger flow rate (5x the Earlex rate)and a bigger capacity bin/bag.

 

[tisdai]

How did you get on with your visit to see the P/T Craig, did it all go ok for you.

CHeers

Dave

 

[cmwatt]

Yup got on fine thanks Dave, I confirm its the EB HC260. I ended up buying it for £200 as mentioned before but just waiting for some new blades he ordered for it and a locking nut for the fence although he'll get one for me too and drop if off next week with the blades. For now he's made an imporvise which works, but I don't need to use it immediately. He delivered it straight to my garage and showed me how to use it. Looks in good condition, slight marks (small scratches) on the planer surface but nothing to worry about I think (made from aluminium). Will post pictures of the P/T later.

As for extraction, I will have to make do with the earlex for now, but will upgrade the extraction when I can. Thanks for the info Andy.

 

[Chrispy]

Sounds like you might need a bigger shed before long!

Don't forget to look out for that vice

See what I mean about machines eating money.

Regards Chrispy