New woodworking shop

[Jack Burgess]

would like ideas on setting up a woodworking shop in garage along side of wall - need to keep 2 cars in garage - would like suggestion on tools needed for hobby woodworking and dollhouses.

[Brendan Plavis]

Shouldn't this go in the Workshop Forum?

I would be concerned with working around 2 cars.... imagine having a piece kick and go through a windscreen... that wouldnt make the Mrs. happy....

Others will comment, but, if you are just starting out, I would try for a TS(PowerMatic, Grizzly, Delta, all said to be good saws), a BS(Same brands apply, I have a Delta which I like.. but then again I havent used anything else...), Perhaps a Jointer/Planer combo(save on space)(Same brands apply... I know that Home Depot carries a Ridgid for $400 and change), maybe others? I am not certain what exactly you are wanting, but, I know that those would be on my list(and are) for the first things to buy... And remember, buy as much tool as you can afford/ need(more than needed is better than less than needed in a few months...)

As I said, others will chime in, and I am sure they will give you suggestions.

My final suggestion is... Craigslist is your friend.... look at the thread for the guy that got a 20" BS for $400..... those usually run 1.5k+....

-Brendan

[Jack Burgess]

you are probably right - this is my first posting and was trying to figure how to do this - will learn the right catagories - thanks for reply

[Jack Burgess]

Forgot to mention that I am retiring and will try to buy good stuff - something less that industrial grade. I was at HD today and looked at Rigid, Milwaukie (sp) and Roybi - any recommendation on these brands?

Thanks in advance

[Brendan Plavis]

Its mixed between the brands.... I hear that Ridgid BSes need a bit of tuning(link belts, urthane tires, etc) to work well, but then do work well. I hear wonderful things about the Ridgid Jointer/Planer. But Milwalky(sp) I hear is good for hand held power tools(drills, porta BS, angle grinders.) And Royobi... I dont think I would... I hear too many mixed reviews....

[Myk Rian]

Keep an eye on craigslist for a Delta band saw, a radial arm saw (DeWalt, not Craftsman) if you want to restore a tool, a good contractor table saw, and a drill press. That ought to give you a good start. Everything can be put on wheels to roll in and out of spaces in a work bench built on the wall. Even the radial arm.

[Carroll Courtney]

Brendan you had said the good stuff,HD does not sell the "Good Stuff" and neither does Lowe's.Like Myk said,check out Cl's each and every day,post on forums WTB,look for auctions.First order of business is a good used Unisaw:eek: yes I have seen them up to 1000plus,but I pick mine(CL's) which is a 1956 for around 300 and after restortation I have maybe the most 375.Mount it on a mobile base,you can have the garage for the cars after play time.BS?An old Rockwell 14" for around 250 is an average,and I think that a bench top spindle/belt sander would round out for making Doll/bird houses.Fun part is the hunt for good used american made machines,which I have posted here on this forum that came from the above list,check them out and post your finds.Good Luck----Carroll

[Van Huskey]

First figure mobile bases for most of the larger tools.

For dollhouses a 14" bandsaw either Craigs list for an old Delta or a Grizzly if you are buying new.

Depending on the woodworking you plan on doing a table saw may be an after thought OR may be the very center of the shop. Cabinet saws take up less room than a contractors saw though it seems counter-intuative.

The sander will probably be important to you so either the Rigid OSS/Belt sander or maybe a belt/disc combo.

If you plan on using rough lumber then a jointer and planer. Plenty of good 6" planers and either a Rigid or Dewalt lunchbox planer.

PS my assumption is you plan to move the cars to work, as most people do. If you want to be able to wor AROUND the cars you need to give us an idea about how much actual space you have when both cars are in and you can still open the doors.


BTW this was indeed the correct part of the forum to post this, you are asking about machines, the workshop issue just acted as a limited on tool size.

So table saw, bandsaw, jointer, planer and sander along with dust collection is a basic shop, the ones I mention are sorta the budget route still decent quality but like anything you can spend as much as you like. Keep in mind on the budget I have heard many people retiring point out they want to buy quality so they don't have to EVER buy again, with machines it is easy to do this unless you are retiring at 30 and plan to live to 100.

From here you need to decide what you want/need and your budget (this is very important) and then ask about specific recommendations. You can also get better replies if you are as specific as you can be regarding what you plan to do past dollhouses.

PS I assume you plan to move the cars to work as moct do, if not that changes things drastically!

[Don Jarvie]

Go pick you a few books on Workshops, check the Fine WW site. Quite a few of the shops are on the small size in garages that have cars in them. You can pick up quite a few ideas.

You know the garage is no place for a car :)

[Van Huskey]

You know the garage is no place for a car :)

I think is you "declare" that it is a shop it becomes illegal to park a car in it! :D

[Victor Robinson]

My short list based on what you've told us, and the approx costs if decent quality (not the bargain stuff, but not the high end either) is bought new:

14" bandsaw ($400-700)
Cabinet or contractor tablesaw depending on your budget ($500-1200)
Router + table in tablesaw extension wing ($250-400)
Drill press (12" benchtop or floorstanding depending on what fits better) ($200-400)
And if you're planning on actually milling rough lumber yourself as opposed to buying material that is pre-surfaced:
6" jointer ($300-500)
12-13" lunchbox style planer ($300-500)

You will also need to factor in $60-100 per tool for mobile bases.

Other miscellaneous power tools that you may already have or want to get:
Orbital sander
Miscellaneous woodworking hand tools (chisels, planes, etc...these will add up $$!)
A good shop vac! ($75-100) Unless you are planning on investing in a dust collection system right off the bat...


Note that I've listed price ranges for the midrange brands and options if bought new. Not the Ryobi's of the world but not the extremely high end either. Note that you could also save quite a bit of money if you buy used or wait for deals.

How does that look compared to what you were planning on spending? Based on that folks can start recommending specific makes/models. As far as value goes, my personal recommendation would be to take a look at Grizzly first for any stationary power tools (tablesaw, bandsaw, jointer, planer, drill press). While by no means the end all be all of tools, the bang for your buck is hard to beat and their customer service is excellent as well. As far as brands that are available in the big box stores, Home Depot's Ridgid line is nice quality and value with the awesome lifetime warranty. All of their offerings are good buys, especially when on sale or clearance. The Ryobi stuff is cheap and hit or miss - there are occasional gems in their tool lineup but largely you get what you pay for. This may be fine for some but I doubt you'll get a resounding vote of confidence for Ryobi on this forum. I'd stay away unless the budget I posted above is way, way too high and even then, you'll probably get recommendations to buy used tools over new Ryobi stuff.

By the way, I've been setting up shop over the last year and a half in my two car garage and managed to fit all of the above in there. It's all about mobile bases and creative & efficient use of space.

[Chris Parks]

There is a video and PDF on the FWW site showing just what you want. It is called Roll Away Workshop. You most probably need to be a subscriber to see it unfortunately but the place is such a mine of info it is a good investment for someone starting out.

[Jack Burgess]

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions, It feels like I have a whole new group of friends. One other idea I am looking for is a plan for a drop-down table, I use to have a 4x8 table fro working on dollhouses, Would like to think I could make one mounted to wall and could drop one end down which I need the large table and fold it back against wall when finished - wonder if that is practical ?