Kitting out my workshop

[SGKent]

How much woodworking experience do you have? Before sinking too much money into tools and machinery maybe you should think about some very basic skills training.

Here's the thing...even bought new most items on your list will not work particularly well straight from the box, so you'll need a fair bit of knowledge just to get them operational. The initial stages of woodwork are an exercise in endless frustrations and disappointments. By getting some training you can minimise those early hurdles and move on faster to the more rewarding stuff.

By the way, don't even think about the powered machinery until you've got the basic hand skills sorted. The woodworking machinery market is full of traps for beginners who want to fill their workshops with as much shiny kit as they can...trouble is almost all of it is rubbish.

Go slowly and good luck.

Thanks especially for this advice. I have now been on a 5 day intro training course and really enjoyed it - would really recommend it to any newbie or anyone considering taking this up as a serious hobby.
Having done the intro, it is obvious to me now that I will need very few specific machine tools, I simply enjoy doing things by hand too much. If I do get machines then probably just a router and at a push a band saw or chop saw if I feel I need it.

I learned how to use (properly):
- Chisels for things such as paring, mortises and anything else that needs it.
- Saws for cross cutting, ripping, coping saw and how to mark cutting lines properly and how to measure and cut angles.
- Using measuring and marking tools tools like sliding bevels, mortise/marking gauge
- As well as some time saving tricks of the trade for joinery/carpentry

Practical stuff included fitting hinges, learning principles of mitre cutting and scribing for skirting, mortise and tennon joint, halving joint, dovetail joint (and others) and made a small scale door lining, fitting locks, latches and hinges and hanging doors.

I enjoyed it so much that i ended up signing on for a 6 week City and Guilds carpentry course with a view to doing the joinery course later down the line. 2 weeks into the course and I can now make and fit common rafters and ceiling joists, fit skirting and fit trussed rafters. Other things to come will be floor joists, making and fitting full sized door linings and making a casement window as well as learning basic machine skills any time left over and I will build stud walls and more rafters as I will have uses for doing this in the near future for building from scratch an outbuilding to use as a workshop.

 

[custard]

I have now been on a 5 day intro training course and really enjoyed it - would really recommend it to any newbie or anyone considering taking this up as a serious hobby.

You're doing it absolutely the right way around, skills first then equipment second.

=D>

 

[heimlaga]

This sounds good!

The more you learn the easier you will find it to learn more. Different branches of woodworking often contain some of the same steps so everything you learn and experience will help yopu learning new things.

 

[Wizard9999]

Thanks especially for this advice. I have now been on a 5 day intro training course and really enjoyed it - would really recommend it to any newbie or anyone considering taking this up as a serious hobby.
Having done the intro, it is obvious to me now that I will need very few specific machine tools, I simply enjoy doing things by hand too much. If I do get machines then probably just a router and at a push a band saw or chop saw if I feel I need it.

I learned how to use (properly):
- Chisels for things such as paring, mortises and anything else that needs it.
- Saws for cross cutting, ripping, coping saw and how to mark cutting lines properly and how to measure and cut angles.
- Using measuring and marking tools tools like sliding bevels, mortise/marking gauge
- As well as some time saving tricks of the trade for joinery/carpentry

Practical stuff included fitting hinges, learning principles of mitre cutting and scribing for skirting, mortise and tennon joint, halving joint, dovetail joint (and others) and made a small scale door lining, fitting locks, latches and hinges and hanging doors.

Which course did you do?

Terry.

 

[JonnyW]

I'm new to this forum and from what I've read, we are in the company of truly knowledgeable, experienced and clearly gifted individuals. So there isn't much an amature like me could add other than anecdotes and things that have helped me along the way.

When I started serving my time in 1989, the old guy that mentored me and tried his best to teach an impatient teenager the ways of the woodworking samurai (and was near retirement), told me that you NEVER stop buying tools. That comment resurfaces in my head every time I'm online buying tools - which is a lot. I've spent most of my adult life obsessively collecting planes and buying tools and it's like anything else, you could spend several mortgages. I no longer work as a carpenter and joiner, so all my work is DIY and around the house projects.

Your list is pretty impressive. If I had anything to add, it would be save money and forget the tenon and dovetail saw, and buy yourself a really good carcass saw. I bought a second hand carcass saw donkey's years ago, and it can do most joint cutting jobs you can throw at it. Then when your joint making skills move on, start adding to your tool box. I'm currently looking to buy a Lie Nielsen carcass saw to complement my LN dovetail saw.

The other thing I'd add to your list and it should be high on your list, is a low angle jack plane. Again this plane is the mother of all planes and can cover most of your needs - excluding block plane chores - although I think my Lie Neilsen low angle jack would give most block planes a run for their money. It's an extremely forgiving plane and is a must for any beginner.

Best of luck to you.

Jonny

 

[SGKent]

Thanks especially for this advice. I have now been on a 5 day intro training course and really enjoyed it - would really recommend it to any newbie or anyone considering taking this up as a serious hobby.
Having done the intro, it is obvious to me now that I will need very few specific machine tools, I simply enjoy doing things by hand too much. If I do get machines then probably just a router and at a push a band saw or chop saw if I feel I need it.

I learned how to use (properly):
- Chisels for things such as paring, mortises and anything else that needs it.
- Saws for cross cutting, ripping, coping saw and how to mark cutting lines properly and how to measure and cut angles.
- Using measuring and marking tools tools like sliding bevels, mortise/marking gauge
- As well as some time saving tricks of the trade for joinery/carpentry

Practical stuff included fitting hinges, learning principles of mitre cutting and scribing for skirting, mortise and tennon joint, halving joint, dovetail joint (and others) and made a small scale door lining, fitting locks, latches and hinges and hanging doors.

Which course did you do?

Terry.

https://www.ableskills.co.uk/carpentry- ... carpentry/ This one, I then converted it to the 6 week city and guilds course.

 

[skeetstar]

Sounds like I am just a few months ahead of you. I don't have any of the heavy machines like table saw, bandsaw etc. I do have a pillar drill that I got for nothing. I don't have a circular saw, but I do find a jigsaw invaluable. I have a router, but the power tools I use most are my battery drill driver and electric sander.

Most of the advice you have had, is sound. the only things I would add;

Make sure you build your bench flat and level, I was eager to get something to work off quickly and wasn't careful enough, and now I am going to have to go back and adjust it. You really do need a flat and level work surface.

I built racking to store wood. I salvage wood from wherever I can, never miss the opportunity to get a hold of free or cheap wood.

Spend some money on squares to get good quality. Then spend a bit more on a steel one that you keep purely as a reference square.

I've found marking knives much better than pencils,
I can't remember if you had marking gauges on your list, but I bought a Veritas 'wheel' gauge, £35 or so and don't regret it.
My planes are old English ones bought from internet and renovated
Chisels are Lidl, per Paul Sellers, absolutey brilliant value, but I am supplementing them with Narex ones as well.

Get yourself decent flatbits and brad pointed bits for boring holes. Steer clear of cheap brands here, they are mostly rubbish.

You can never have too many sash cramps or G cramps.

Things like mallets, hammers etc are just ex B&Q or wickes. My saws are cheap modern ones that I throw away when they become blunt

Its surprising what you can do with a basic set of hand tools