Nick Lambert
03-03-2017, 1:34 PM
Hello all,
I've been lurking around for a little while and reading up while deciding whether or not to jump back into woodworking after a 16 year hiatus. I have had the itch more and more over the past few months and finally bit the bullet and started converting my 24x25 detached garage into a workshop.
A little bit about me:
I'm mid 30's and live in Huntsville, AL. I grew up in South Alabama in a woodshop with my dad. He has been a cabinet maker/contractor for over 30 years. In 2001 I met my wife and moved to Huntsville with her and got out of woodworking. His current shop is a 30x50 and inside he has mostly Jet equipment (table saw, shaper, belt sander, drill press, band saw, two lathes, and dust collector) but a few other things. He still uses the same old RAS that he bought when I was about 10. He also has two nice Jessum router setups for his cabinet doors and a molding machine. His most recent purchase has been a CNC router for doing fine carving in cabinet doors and for sign making.
Recently due to the number of renovations we are about to do to our house (and after not liking the quality some cabinet shops showed us nor what the box stores offered) my dad recommended to my wife that I build them for us.... and we have been off to the races ever since. I'm going to really have to dust off the old hat since it has been a long time since I've done it but I'm sure I'll get it done. After the cabinets I plan to begin building more outdoor furniture. Eventually though I REALLY want to get into building a few guitars for myself.
I'm having to watch my budget very closely but have been scouring over all of the local ads and have ran across some pretty decent deals and managed to keep my budget in check and keep the wife happy. So far I have acquired a few of the larger tools:
Craftsman 10" 22124 1 3/4 HP hybrid belt drive table saw (used once) with a bunch of accessories - $400
Porter Cable 240v 60 gallon single stage air compressor (new) - $420
Craftsman 10" radial arm saw (used and old, but works very well) - $80
Jet JJ-6 6" jointer (it' the old funky greenish colored model and needs the top surfaced but runs beautifully) - $100
I am waiting to hear back on a 14" bandsaw, a planer, a clamp rack (full of various clamps), router table, belt sander, and a few other tools in an estate sale and hopefully I have the basic tools needed to get going.
I think I'm well on my way to getting everything set up to start what I hope will be a lifelong hobby. As a kid I hated doing woodworking (because it felt like work) but as I get older I am beginning to realize how much I enjoy working with my hands.
Sorry for the long post, but I am excited to get going again and to learn all that I either don't know or have long forgotten. :)
I've been lurking around for a little while and reading up while deciding whether or not to jump back into woodworking after a 16 year hiatus. I have had the itch more and more over the past few months and finally bit the bullet and started converting my 24x25 detached garage into a workshop.
A little bit about me:
I'm mid 30's and live in Huntsville, AL. I grew up in South Alabama in a woodshop with my dad. He has been a cabinet maker/contractor for over 30 years. In 2001 I met my wife and moved to Huntsville with her and got out of woodworking. His current shop is a 30x50 and inside he has mostly Jet equipment (table saw, shaper, belt sander, drill press, band saw, two lathes, and dust collector) but a few other things. He still uses the same old RAS that he bought when I was about 10. He also has two nice Jessum router setups for his cabinet doors and a molding machine. His most recent purchase has been a CNC router for doing fine carving in cabinet doors and for sign making.
Recently due to the number of renovations we are about to do to our house (and after not liking the quality some cabinet shops showed us nor what the box stores offered) my dad recommended to my wife that I build them for us.... and we have been off to the races ever since. I'm going to really have to dust off the old hat since it has been a long time since I've done it but I'm sure I'll get it done. After the cabinets I plan to begin building more outdoor furniture. Eventually though I REALLY want to get into building a few guitars for myself.
I'm having to watch my budget very closely but have been scouring over all of the local ads and have ran across some pretty decent deals and managed to keep my budget in check and keep the wife happy. So far I have acquired a few of the larger tools:
Craftsman 10" 22124 1 3/4 HP hybrid belt drive table saw (used once) with a bunch of accessories - $400
Porter Cable 240v 60 gallon single stage air compressor (new) - $420
Craftsman 10" radial arm saw (used and old, but works very well) - $80
Jet JJ-6 6" jointer (it' the old funky greenish colored model and needs the top surfaced but runs beautifully) - $100
I am waiting to hear back on a 14" bandsaw, a planer, a clamp rack (full of various clamps), router table, belt sander, and a few other tools in an estate sale and hopefully I have the basic tools needed to get going.
I think I'm well on my way to getting everything set up to start what I hope will be a lifelong hobby. As a kid I hated doing woodworking (because it felt like work) but as I get older I am beginning to realize how much I enjoy working with my hands.
Sorry for the long post, but I am excited to get going again and to learn all that I either don't know or have long forgotten. :)