Kitting out my workshop

[SGKent]

Hello everyone,

I've been wanting to get into DIY woodworking for ages but never had the space to set up my own workshop. We will hopefully be moving to a new house around Aug/Sep and i will finally have that space.
I want to suggest a set up to you and your feedback would be hugely appreciated.

First projects for which I have designs in my head and will get inspiration from online after practising my joinery on scrap wood:

[*]Heavy duty work bench with drawers and storage
[*]Folding Trestles
[*]Any other basic project suggestions for honing my skills?

Here's my shopping list (which was suggested by my wood work manual - great book):

Hand tools: (hammer)
[*]Carpenters pencils
[*]Metal rulers
[*]Measuring tape
[*]Marking knife
[*]Combination square
[*]Rafter square
[*]Sliding-bevel gauge
[*]Mortise gauge
[*]Marking gauge
[*]Dovetail marker

Hand saws
[*]Panel Saw
[*]Tenon Saw
[*]Dovetail saw
[*]Coping Saw

Planes
[*]Jack Plane
[*]Smoothing plane
[*]Block Plane

Chisels
[*]Chisels (mortise and bevel-edged)

Hammers/Mallets
[*]Cross pein hammer
[*]Pin hammer
[*]Rubber mallet
[*]Wooden mallet

Others
[*]Flat spokeshave
[*]Double cut-cut flatfile
[*]Pincers
[*]Bradawl
[*]Screwdrivers
[*] G cramps
[*] Sash cramps
[*] Table vises (for attaching to my workbench)
[*]Router table

Hand held power tools
[*]Jigsaw
[*]Drill/driver (battery)
[*]Power drill (cord)
[*]Router
[*]Orbital (or random movement?) sander
[*] Circular saw

Machine tools
[*]Band saw
[*]Planer-thicknesser
[*]Shop vac/dust extractor
[*]Compound mitre saw
[*]Pillar drill
[*]Table saw

I think there's more here than I need at this stage... But it would be good to know what i will need outright and what would be useful in say phase 2, 3 etc when I becoime more adept and take on more ambitious projects.

 

[custard]

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.

 

[SGKent]

Thanks for the response Custard. It's the kind of advice I am looking for esp regarding the machine tools.

I am a complete novice when it comes to actual woodworking. One thing I know is that I am dead set on it. I discovered the joy of it when I made a basic table last year which has unique dimensions for what I needed using basic improvised techniques - I guess it worked because I have an eye for measuring and precision. Ever since then hobby woodworking and DIY furnishing has been on my mind. I am looking to take it to the next stage now that I will have the space for it. I did think about taking a course but thought I would use guides to learn the basics. Will look into that again.

Thanks again.

 

[dc_ni]

You don't have a rafter square on your list, I've found having one very handy. Besides being useful for checking squareness, drawing straight lines etc, it can also be used as a guide rail for a jig saw or circular saw.

Something like this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-rafter-square-180-x-180-x-257mm/8188c

As for first projects, build a bench out of pallet wood/old door's etc, anything you can get your hands on cheap/free. It doesn't have to be pretty, this is just going to be a stable surface for making other projects on as your skills improve. You could also look at making things for the garden, things like planter boxes or a garden bench. If you have a cat or dog, a kennel.

As far as machine tools go, like custard said, I'd avoid the big tools such as a table saw etc until you know more about whats what. The only thing I would recommend getting is a pillar drill. If I had a workshop that would be the first thing I'd get.

 

[Mr T]

I agree completely with Custard. You need to get a bit of experience with a basic kit under your belt before investing too much. Having done that you will have a better idea what path you want to take on your woodworking journey and invest in the the appropriate tools. For instance if you decided that you wanted to work more with machinery you probably don't need mortice chisels, but if you go the hand tool route they will be useful. Also having a bit more experience will hopefully give you the knowledge to avoid some basic buying mistakes.

Chris

 

[SGKent]

Thanks for the additional input.

Thing is, I do want to learn the hand tool techniques and then once I understand those, I would like to use machines for bigger projects where there would be a lot of repetition but for small jobs I would prefer to use hand tools. I looked for local courses and came across this one:

https://www.ableskills.co.uk/carpentry- ... carpentry/

It does cost 395 but I think of it as an investment for future home improvement projects where I will save a lot more than the outlay for getting skilled up.

 

[SteveF]

I am purely DIY and no experience apart from many years playing

you are more than welcome to come and have a look at most of what you have listed to get an idea of space required and choice of tools

Steve

 

[Myfordman]

When I start out on a new hobby or interest I tend to buy secondhand stuff on the basis that if I don't take to hobby then I can sell the stuff with little loss. If I do take up the interest, the tools are either retained or help define what should have bought and I then get a nearly new or new version with the benefit of experience and then sell the first bought item for what I paid for it.

Good luck

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

I don't know how much room you have but tablesaw and bandsaw takes a lot of space as you need room to feed the wood in and out, sometimes cross cutting and some times rip cutting. I have a large workshop and have all the stationary tools (heavy 3 phase machines), however there is loads you can do without these expensive, space hungry and frankly dangerous machines. If I did woodwork only as a hobby and did not have to make a living (I repair boats) the only power tools I would have is a lathe and an electric light.
You probably will end up wanting some machines but start with handtools. If you're choosing between machines then a bandsaw and planer thicknesser are loads more useful than table saw and mitre saw (once you learn to crosscut with a handsaw and shoot with a plane a mitre saw is a waste of space, mine just lives in a pile of tools I wish i'd never bought along with half dead routers and jigs I wasted days of my life making).
The best description of a jigsaw I ever heard was from youtube's Stumpy Nuts "it's the tool you use when you want to really want to f##k things up".
Below is an answer so a similar question I posted the other day

If I were you I would start off buying PAR (planed all round) timber. It costs a bit more but it is normally perfectly square, just watch out for twisted boards. All timber yards I have been to let you look through the timber and choose the pieces you want. A stanley/record no.4 and 5 plane from ebay ( or ask on the hand tool forum if anyone can sell you one), a few chisels (Lidl or Aldi if they are doing them, or narex from workshop heaven),some kind of sharpening (diamond, oilstone or water stone) and leather strop a tenon saw (veritas for new or ebay for vintage), a square and a mallet and you're good to go. There are then loads of handtools you will want, hand router (not a machine router), plough plane and spokeshave are all very handy and all available on ebay for very little money. Leave off machines for now, later a bandsaw and a planer thicknesser will allow you to buy rough sawn planks and make them PAR yourself.
I wish someone had given me this advice many years ago. I started woodworking always asking "what machine does that?". I bought and made router (machine router) jigs that I never really use now. I've found that the more I get into woodwork the more a cutting edge is better than a spinning disc, both for the wood and for you.
A couple of days ago a couple and small child came into the boatyard where I work with a hole in their boat. A pipe for the toilet water inlet had broken off. There was a jet of water coming into their boat. I got the Dad to stick his finger into the hole, went into the workshop, got the spokeshave and a little piece of larch and made a tapered round plug, hammered it into the hole and stopped any water coming into the boat. I was reminded how this simple task with a tool I paid £5 for would have been such a struggle some years ago as i tried to knock up a jig for the router/bandsaw/tablesaw to make the tapered plug.
My point is that often machines make things harder not easier and are a lot less fun to use. If you get really in to woodwork you will eventually need some machines but start off with handtools and get machines when you really need them. I know I wish I had.
Best of luck with it all
Paddy

 

[DiscoStu]

You sound a lot like me 12 months ago. All I would say is that I like power tools and they can speed things up a lot which is great if you just get odd days to play. I've got all of the machines you list on your list. The one I barely use is the tablesaw. I wish I'd spent the money from that on a better CSMS. That said I do also own a plunge saw and rail which is brilliant for boards. So I'd say a decent mitre saw and upgrade your circular saw to a plunge saw and rail. I'd suggest a double bevel CSMS if you are short on workshop space.

 

[dzj]

The tools you list is what most shops have. more or less.
Before you get any of these things, as someone suggested, take an introductory course, or join a WW club
if there is one in your area.
You'll see if this is something you'd like to commit to and they'll also teach you how to avoid the usual stumbling blocks
regarding tool and machine purchase, sharpening and so on (something that is hard to convey via forum).
Or maybe there is a forum member near you who wouldn't mind if you dropped by sometimes.

 

[shed9]

Only advice I can throw in is to buy the best you can afford or find. I'm not suggesting you buy only expensive tools but certainly buy something that is worth the money - sounds an obvious statement but it's easy to convince yourself your getting more for your money by buying cheap.

Cheap tools will quickly turn you off woodworking and rarely hold any value beyond your purchase of them (to you or anyone else). Some low cost tools are a false economy and incur regret in both use and lost investment. Don't get me wrong, their are some half decent tools out there for pennies - the Aldi chisels for example are just superb for the money and will always have a use even when you upgrade.

I would also advocate going down the hand tool route before powertools.

 

[heimlaga]

You have already gotten some very sound advice in this thread. Everybody don't agree on every detail but we who frequent this forum are all individuals doing a wide variety of jobs from jewelry boxes to timberframes so everybody has got an uppinion based on his/her personal experience and personal way of working.

My oppinion is that there is no standard workshop nor standard set of tools that fits everybody. For instance I have never owned neither a band saw nor a router which many consider to be absolutely essential. On the other hand I could not imagine working without a big solid spindle moulder and a big floor standing hollow chisel mortiser. Everything depends on what kind of work you do and what level of productivity you are aiming for.
I dislike the way television programs and youtube videos promote a "standard workshop" just like the one Norm Abrams or some other film star seems to have. There is nothing such as a one size fits all in woodworking.

I started out without other machines than a power drill and a drill stand and a jigsaw and a home built table saw and a lathe. Everything else was hand tools. Not very many in the beginning but little by little I built up a fairly compete hand tool workshop. However the stock preparation stage that is ripping and resawing and planing rough sawn wood to size soon became a frustrating bottle neck in my work flow even though I had the table saw. Then I bought an old 250mm planer/thicknesser and fixed it up to working condition. Suddenly I became productive as the bottle neck disappeared from the workflow. Everything became a lot more fun.
Then woodworking became a side income and I outgrew both the planer/thicknesser and the table saw but that is another story which doesn't relate to your situation.

Looking back I learned that it is always wise to buy good tools. There is little or no resale value in low quality tools when you upgrade which you are more or less bound to do if your first tools weren't of good enough quality. Using bad tools is a very efficient way of developing a bad self confidence because the tools just don't do the work they are intended to do.
If you have time on hand to do some repairs then secondhand tools and machines are usually the best buy. If you have space and time old industrial quality machines are usually much better and more fun to use and cost the same as machines built for the hobby market. If you are short of time and/or space you are forced to look at the new hobbyist's machines found on the market but don't expect them to be neither good nor cheap. Again there is no route that fits everybody.
Whathever route you choose I think you should start with a lot fewer tools than there are on your list and then buy more tools little by little as needs arise and as bargains turn up. Then you will develop a workshop that is customized for the kind of work that you end up doing and for the personal way of working that you develop.

By the way...... jig saws are most suitable for onsite work for instance when fitting siding around rafter ends under a roof overhang and other jobs of that kind. If you keep your hand planes sharp and learn how to use the smoother properly you will rarely need a sander. I would spend that money on sharpening equipment instead.
A lathe is by no means essential unless you are specificly going to make turned products or products with turned parts. I rarely use mine.... partly because it was too cheap and only frustrates me.

 

[SGKent]

Great advice guys. Thanks a lot. On the back of your comments, my intention now is to buy tools on a job by job basis until I build up a set suitable for my needs. In everything, I tend to buy the best I can afford as often I find that the cost of going through cheap products catches up and quickly overtakes in time and money the cost of the good quality products. Especially where machines are involved. I do want hand tools that will last me a lifetime so won't be holding back there.

 

[SteveF]

the offer still stands if you want any advice

Steve

 

[petermillard]

Just to add: Matthias Wandel on Youtube builds a good sturdy workbench from 4x2s and an old door, using just a circular saw and a corded drill - might be worth a look.

HTH Pete

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Personally I have no interest in working wood like Mathias, all those table saw and router jigs, but it has to be said the man is a genius

 

[SGKent]

the offer still stands if you want any advice

Steve

Thanks for the offer Steve and sorry for not replying before, I've booked onto the course and I'm in Faversham and moving out into the sticks a few miles out soon. I'll be in touch if/when I decide to get any machines or have any existential questions on woodworking tools.

Sean

 

[BobM]

Hi, like yourself I have only just joined this forum but unlike you I have been a keen DIY woodworker since learning the basic skills at school a few decades back. My maternal Grandfather was a wheelwright and I think I caught the bug from watching him achieve amazing results with very limited hand tools, some of which I have been lucky enough to inherit. Although I own many power tools I love using good quality hand tools and have built up a well stocked tool cabinet over the years, with some prized items originally being old rusted relics purchased on ebay. In my experience old British made hand tools where very well made and can be refurbished to an 'as new' condition without too much effort: Paul Sellers captures this very well in some of his many video presentations so don't be tempted to pay out hundreds of pounds on a beautiful new jack plane when a vintage Stanley or Record can be acquired on ebay for circa £20-£30 and after some loving attention will work just as well.

Anyway, the main point of this post is to mention sharpening! Although I agree with the main gist of what has already been posted (certainly start with hand tools and go for quality items), don't forget that any tool is only as good as it's cutting edge. If it's not razor sharp then it will not work and you will quickly become frustrated with your lack of success. I have been successfully sharpening my woodworking tools for many years using three key items:

A good quality (medium grit) silica carbide (Carborundum), stone for honing the main bevel.
A good quality natural stone for honing a final micro bevel.
An eclipse No 36 honing guide (older vintage versions are better than the new models).

I have never been tempted to use diamond stones or to learn how to hone free hand, although I am sure that many people will advocate both. The above works for me and gives me consistent bevels and razor edges time after time after time. Deneb Puchalski has produced a good video advocating the use of a honing guide and micro bevels although I think he uses Japanese water stones in place of silica carbide, etc.

Hope this has helped and apologies for getting carried away a little but once I get started!!

 

[SGKent]

Not at all Bob - many thanks. i am going to use this thread as guidance for getting started and all input is appreciated.

I have to agree with you. I find that many old school British items excel in quality. I hope one day soon we can see quality British made hardware return to the fore.