Homemade Tools

[Michelle_K]

Hi all I just wanted to say that I only joined this forum recently and I am really enjoying it. I have learned so much and spoken to some really nice people. As a beginner woodworker I have been really inspired.
Anyway my question is Have many people made homemade power tools like bandsaws and tablesaws etc? And if you have was the cost a lot more or less then just buying one and what were the real benefits aside from cost if they worked out cheap to make. .

I hope this makes sense

Michelle

 

[blackrodd]

Hello MichelleK, and welcome.
The master of this home made machinery subject would be Matthius Wandel, Go visit him on u tube.
He's a very clever and capable man, Just loves his green paint!
Bearing in mind you do need some tools and machinery to make machinery, I suggest you keep an eye out on the for sale section on here, there are some decent bargains to be had from time to time, better prices than e bay and a more reliable seller.
The sellers on here, tend to sell items as they are up grading, not to make money from the cheap auction sale stuff
or the worst boot sale items.
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Michelle
Matthias is a genius and if you can copy him then more power to your elbow.

My dad made a wooden bandsaw once. I think my brother has it now. Plywood frame, plywood wheels, plywood table. It worked. But was it any better or much cheaper than an entry-level bandsaw? Well it might have been cheaper, I bet the motor was off a spin dryer, I bet my uncle gave him a few bearings and I bet he scrounged the plywood. But the fact is that a plywood bandsaw is not going to be as stiff as a steel one, size for size.

Years ago there was a whole series of articles in FWW of people who had made their own machines. Tablesaws, bobbin sanders, drum sanders. Very clever. Very American. But a lot of work and I doubt if they were were excellent machines.

If you want to kit out your workshop with decent machines, I think your best bet would be to learn about what makes a good tablesaw or sander or whatever, and keep an eye out for good second-hand machines. It does require patience, but the rewards are, eventually, high.

I admit that I bought most of my machines new, but then I could afford to do so. I couldn't do so now, but actually I wouldn't want to now, either.

I have a Meddings drill press. I paid £160 for it, which was too much really, but you know how it is at auctions... the bloke would have been happy with £100, it turned out. Anyway I spent a bit more fitting an NVR switch and giving it a coat of paint.

I did post about it at the time but unfortunately the images are no longer there. However I have recently cleaned it up again, after its storage in a barn for a couple of years

It is the most beautiful machine and I dread to think how much I would have to pay for a new machine of that quality.

 

[Claymore]

If ya use a motor out of an old Microwave Oven you can cut projects in seconds 9-)

Brian

 

[heimlaga]

Welcome to the forum Michelle

I started out with a table saw that my uncle had fabricated in his youth. It was fabricated from mild steel profiles with a plywood top. I would say it was equivalent to a good site saw of the kind used by carpenters on site.
He built a better table saw for himself after he sold this one. Later on he also made a planer/thicknesser built on the cast iron frame from an old printing press. He still uses both.
I have seen a number of mostly wooden home made surface planers, table saws, band saws, spindle moulders, lathes and at least one more home built planer/thicknesser and one overarm router around my area.
Most owners tell that the home built machine is better than a low end hobby machine but not by far as good as the better quality ones on the market. Most of the home made machines were obviously made during the post war shortages when nothing could be bought.

So..... is it worth it?
At one time it was. Many businesses started by making at least some of their own machines from scratch. All machines used by hobbyists were also home made just bacause there was nothing on the secondhand market and new machines were too expensive even for professionals.
At present I don't think it is worth the effort. The world has changed a lot since the early 50-ies.

There are plenty of good secondhand machines on the market. Many of them require some repairs or safety upgrades where one can put one's creative spirits to work. Machines in need of some work are usually cheap so there is a bit of money to be saved from doing those repairs and upgrades on elderly factory made machines.
My newest machine is a 1970-ies drill press. My oldest machine presently running is my mortiser which is from the late 40-ies. Though I have a 1910-s bandsaw under restoration and an 1885 cirkular rip saw and a 1930-ies spindle moulder awaiting in storage. There are no limits to what one can make from cheap old machines with some basic metalworking skills and some help from a friendly machinist in the neighbourhood.

However most people aren't in the situation where I am, tooling up for a part time business on a budget that would barely be sufficient for a hobby workshop while having some time on hand and counting several machinists among my friends. Lots of people buy new machines beacause that is what fits their life situation and economy. Lots of people buy fairly new secondhand machines. It all depends on whether time or money is more plentiful in your life and what kind of skills you have.
Choose what fits you best!

 

[dzj]

Making power tools/machines from scratch is not as inexpensive as it might sound. Much better to go for second hand.
A fellow on this forum a while ago bought a very nice old cast iron surface planer for £50.
Some work is needed to get it in working condition, but once he's finished he'll have a brilliant little machine, much better
than anything similar on offer in the shops.

 

[DennisCA]

I'm a big fan of matthias and his machines, I like making machines and I am currently building a dust collector. I can see why his wooden bandsaw would be a good machine as well, seems a well thought out design and I might have built one had I not found a really good cast iron saw.

When it comes to table saws though, I don't think it's worth it, I saw his build and others and I don't think the results are worth it. It's a more gray area where people take a small saw and build around it, making it bigger, adding cabinets, better fence, sliding table. Those look like they can be worthy additions to extending a smaller saw if that's all you got.

I also don't think it's worth it to build jointers when you can find good cast iron or aluminum ones for cheap. Matthias I've noted in an article about his fathers workshop, seems to prefer his modern, cheap and plasticky delta lunchbox planer to his fathers large cast iron 20" planer. Weird, I wouldn't have rated a lunchbox planer highly.

 

[DennisCA]

Oh and speaking of homemade tools, I was reminded of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGiFAAmqvM8