Hello Paul, and welcome to the forum.
Someone once said that ocean yacht racing is a slightly less expensive hobby than woodworking, so I hope you're bank balance is suitably braced :shock: Now electrikery is a closed book to me, so I'll confine myself to the kit issues, in reverse order.
Combination machines: I do have one, but it's a Record Maxi 26 so that's not going to result in a balanced view of combis... They look like a good idea, but you do have to be the organised type. There's nothing worse than having to reset the thicknesser for just one more piece, just after you've set up the table saw for the cross cuts for instance. There's also a theory that they take up less space than seperate machines, but I disagree. You have to keep the wretched things out in the middle of the workshop
all the time, and all those useful ways to maximise storage and design workshop layout are no good 'cos they're always done with seperate machines in mind. It is a very personal thing, and not really something you can decide until you have some experience about how you like to work etc. My advice would be to forget it, unless a good one comes up secondhand. But if you can see one at a show or whathaveyou, or better yet actually in someone's workshop, take a look and see what you think yourself.
Beginner's Kit: Now this is one heck of a question. Every woodworking author and their mother has written the "definitive starter kit" (sorry Ralph, but it's true), and none of them agree. I did try compiling a list from the lists once, but gave up as my brain was in danger of exploding. There's a good reason why they don't of course, 'cos it depends. Space, budget, what you want to make, what wood you want to use, how comfortable are you with whirling blades, do you mind taking a little time to learn a skill, are you in a hurry all the time, etc etc. I must say yours is about the best example of asking that question, 'cos you've actually said what you want to make! I'm going to assume you're going to use ready planed stuff and that you'll start more hand tool orientated than not.
A good book. I, boringly, always recommend "The Collins Complete Woodworker's Manual" by Jackson and Day. You can get it via the link on the book reviews page.
A magazine subscription. Good Woodworking was my rod and staff, but try them all and see which you feel comfortable with.
UK Workshop easily accessible in your bookmarks.
A copy of the
Axminster Power Tool Centre Catalogue and your SWMBO keeping firm hold of the credit card. :wink:
Workbench:
A sturdy worksurface is a must. It makes life easier and safer. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it does need to be able to take the slings and arrows.
Layout tools:
Squares x 2. I like a 12" combination square of reasonable quality for the large stuff with a protractor head so it'll do angles too, and a cheap engineer's square of about 3 or 4" for everything else.
24" and 6" steel rules
Vernier calipers
Marking knife
Propelling pencil and eraser ('cos we all make mistakes)
Wheel type marking gauge - much easier for the novice to use
Sawing:
A good circular saw and some simple workshop-made jigs. This can handle big sheets of ply, and accurate crosscuts with a simple jig.
Handsaw - I'd say get an old wooden handled one, but a plastic handled hardpoint saw will do fine.
Backsaw - go Japanese here for out-of-the-box accuracy and affordability.
If you envision doing curved stuff, then a jigsaw would be pretty essential. Or a bow saw or coping saw if you feel neanderthal. If you want to saw out the waste between dovetails, you'll want the latter anyway.
I'm nearly moved to recommend a powered mitre saw too; it gives those square cuts that can often lead to problems for the beginner. Yeah, maybe Axminster's compound sliding mitre saw; lots of capacity but won't break the bank (too much)
Boring:
Bradawl
Electric drill. It doesn't have to be cordless, so you can get a really good one for silly money these days. Make sure it'll drive screws too.
Drill stand, if you want accuracy. Although bench top drill presses are so cheap these days, you could have one of those for less than a good drill stand.
Set of brad point or dowel drill bits. Axminster has a good set from 3-13mm in half sizes, which is really handy.
Countersink - snail type if you can afford it; they're so much better than the other varieties.
Drill bits in #1,2 & 3 pozidrive. Don't bother with slot headed power drill bits; they always slip. Set of screwdrivers assorted
Chisels:
One of the bargains in chisels at the moment is the set from Kirschen, also from Axminster. Worth getting reasonable quality right from the start, because even the most hardened Normite uses them.
Hitting stuff:
Wooden mallet or rubber deadblow mallet
Warrington pattern cross pein hammer, 8oz
Nail set, and pincers when you need to get 'em out again...
Planes:
Low angle block plane. Depending on budget, in order of desirability, Lie Nielsen 60 1/2, Lie Nielsen 102, old Record/Stanley, new Record/Stanley. Block planes are like chisels, you will always use them even if you go power mad, so get as good a one as you can afford.
Jack plane. I hardly ever use one, but if you just one one bench plane it's the most useful all-round size. If you can go for two, get a smoother (#4 or 4 1/2) and a jointer (#7). Again, L-N would be nice, or Clifton. But for a bargain, go to
Ray Iles and ask about his reconditioned planes.
Don't buy a new Stanley or Record. They're expensive and they're no good anymore.
A shoulder plane, or rebate plane, would be nice, but it's expensive when you don't know exactly what you want. You can make do with chisels instead though.
Miscellaneous:
Clamps! Lots of them. You can never have enough. I find cramp heads on wooden bars to be most economical, and F-clamps for smaller sizes. You'll end up trying all sorts though, everybody does. If you're Rockerfella you can probably get Bessey K Body clamps, a la Norm, and we can all be as jealous as hell :wink:
Half round smooth cut file. This can hide and repair a multitude of sins. DAMHIKT...
Sharpening kit.
Very important. Doesn't matter what system you pick, learn how to use it, and by all means use a honing guide (the Eclipse type copies for a fiver or so are fine). Sharp tools are a million times more useful to you than blunt ones. Scary Sharp is popular for newbies (Google for it and you'll get the details)
Safety gear; eye protection, ear protection, dust mask, sturdy footwear, first aid kit. A small dust extractor too. The Earlex combivac is very cheap, but sucks like a champ. Noisy though :?
Sundries:
Bottle of PVA wood glue; Screwfix's will do fine.
I found a mixed trade pack of Goldscrews from Screwfix was a good start, and you could do the same with nails, pins etc. Their brass screws ain't so hot though, so avoid them. A few bolts, washers and wingnuts are handy for making jigs and such too.
Abrasives; get 10 sheets of each grit of aluminium oxide, and buy more as you see which grits get used first. I've found an expanding document wallet jobbie is a good way of storing them. Get a plastic one if your workshop's damp. Cork block to wrap them round.
Webrax/Scotchbrite/woven abrasive pad wotsits. The fine grade are excellent for applying wax and denibbing between coats of finish.
Liberon Finishing Oil or Danish Oil (I prefer the first, but the latter is easier to get hold of. It's a personal preference thing again)
Tin of neutral wax polish.
Cotton rags for polishing.
Kitchen towel for applying finishes.
Roll of electricians tape. I use this all the time; for making joints when applying finishes to temporary depth stops on drill bits.
And finally the device that's made a multitude of planes redundant, The Router:
Don't ask me, I hate the things. One thing though, don't buy cheap sets of cutters. Get a few basic ones such as 1/4" & 1/2" straight and maybe a round over, and then the rest as and when you need them. Wealden Tools include delivery, so it doesn't make it an expensive option. Alternatively the Perform range for Axminster are cheap but really not bad.
From then it's on to machinery... My preference for order of acquisition would be bandsaw, planer/thicknesser and table saw a distant last after everything else, but that's just me. :lol:
Yikes, that seems a lot. :shock: Bet I've missed something glaringly obvious though. More than one thing probably... Still it's a start, and further questions are welcomed.
Cheers, Alf
