Add tooling. But what?

[Bill Jobe]

I'm asking for opinions as to what hand or power toil to add to what I have.
Currently I own a 12" compact miter saw, a small drum sander, a small basic table saw, and a Grisley 0766.
My workshop had to be moved to Spring and probable it will not be used til warmer weather so I can move it to the 16" door and place fans behind me.
I also have 2 power sanders, cheap ones. A square sheet unit and a 5" orbital.
But I have about $150-200 set aside to add to this.
I'd like to try making pieces such as chopping blocks, end table or something along that line so I can make a free style piece.
I've mentioned before that I have some skill in carving and others with detail, but they are skills that I think came with the package. They need practicing and mentoring.
I bought a Stanley plane but it is very small and I have some 4" kiln dried walnut in mind but don't know what to make yet.
What would members suggest?
A better plane or a plane for another purpose? Or is there something else on the market at that price that would get the most use?

[Bill Dufour]

whats a 766?

[Jacob Mac]

I would suggest whatever tool could help you the most on your upcoming projects. I would start with deciding what you are going to build and then decide what you need to buy.

[Bill Jobe]

whats a 766?


22" swing Grizzly lathe

[Bill Jobe]

I would suggest whatever tool could help you the most on your upcoming projects. I would start with deciding what you are going to build and then decide what you need to buy.

Yeah, I know. Unfortunately there's that.

[Ted Derryberry]

Clamps....

[Matt Day]

What’s unfortunate about it? Decide your next project, buy appropriate tools. If you’re going to make cutting boards, good clamps are a necessity.

Do you have a jointer and planer yet?

[John K Jordan]

I'm asking for opinions as to what hand or power toil to add to what I have.


A bandsaw, even an inexpensive used one, can benefit almost any kind of woodworking.

[Keith Hankins]

For me back in the day when I started up, I knew that to do some decent woodworking, I needed to start with dimensioned lumber that was flat and square.

My first purchase was a TS, then I got a small jointer to get my wood flat one face. This can also be acomplished with a number 7 plane (rob cosmons rough to ready method). My next purchase was a small planer makita 12 back in 87 and still have it and gave it to my son. Next was a bandsaw which is a great tool

I have assembled my shop over many years (30) and I would save my pennies and get one tool a year (wife blessed) and it worked ok.

watch craigslists (searchtempest.com) for old tools to pop up. Be patient. I got an old old bandsaw for a couple hundred that way. My son picked up some great old handplanes for 20 - 30 bucks in flea markets.

Be patient, but I'd start with getting your lumber flat and square and go from there.

Cheers and good luck.

[Bill Dufour]

Since you have a lathe maybe a chainsaw.
Bill

[Bill Jobe]

Since you have a lathe maybe a chainsaw.
Bill

I have a gas saw and a corded electric saw.

[Bill Jobe]

A bandsaw, even an inexpensive used one, can benefit almost any kind of woodworking.

Considered that, John. But that price would not get me a very good one and i'm really looking for something that will get me through winter.
But, you are right, I could rough out the shape of whatever I decide to make.

[Bill Jobe]

For me back in the day when I started up, I knew that to do some decent woodworking, I needed to start with dimensioned lumber that was flat and square.

My first purchase was a TS, then I got a small jointer to get my wood flat one face. This can also be acomplished with a number 7 plane (rob cosmons rough to ready method). My next purchase was a small planer makita 12 back in 87 and still have it and gave it to my son. Next was a bandsaw which is a great tool

I have assembled my shop over many years (30) and I would save my pennies and get one tool a year (wife blessed) and it worked ok.

watch craigslists (searchtempest.com) for old tools to pop up. Be patient. I got an old old bandsaw for a couple hundred that way. My son picked up some great old handplanes for 20 - 30 bucks in flea markets.

Be patient, but I'd start with getting your lumber flat and square and go from there.

Cheers and good luck.
Another good idea, but I have on hand quite a bit of kiln dried and planed dementional oak and walnut.

[Mike Ontko]

If you're uncertain about which tools would best support the kind of work you're doing currently or are wanting to do, then maybe the best way to get started would be to invest a little of your $$ to get a little additional knowledge on that particular related topic. Maybe buy a book or video (if your local library or YouTube doesn't have what you're looking for), take a class at a local school, join a woodworking club or organization in your area, get a magazine subscription, etc., etc.

The point is, the more you find out about the types of projects that your'e interested in building and in the many different ways that different woodworkers go about making their version of those projects (try searching on box making sometime, picture frames, or cabinets), the better of an idea that you'll get for how you'll want to go about doing those things and the types of tools that you'd be interested in spending the money on.

[Rick Moyer]

At your stated price point I would suggest a combo router kit.

[Ted Derryberry]

Just because the lumber was dimensioned and flat when you stocked it doesn't mean it is now. Even under the best of storage conditions wood moves. It should be final dimensioned as soon before it's needed as practical.

[Mike Kees]

Bill what exactly are you looking for help with ? I think you have gotten the advice you need,figure out what you want to build and buy a tool you need for that job,repeat. This is how everyone I know has built their collection of tools and machines and the area they work in. Woodworking is like a living organism it breathes and changes and switches directions etc. Everyone has their own path down this "road". Sounds like you are into wood turning and are working out from there ,so if it was me I would look at a bandsaw. Good luck "finding your way",Mike.

[paul cottingham]

A bandaw or a planer would my next purchase. Both get used a great deal in my shop.

[Mike Heidrick]

Heater and connections for it.

[Mike Kees]

Just reread your first post, do you have a bench of any type yet ? If not start with that.

[Bill Dufour]

Heater and connections for it.

Maybe air conditioning would be used more. perhaps insulation before either. What is your climate like?
If you are in the USA or Canada I would watch Craigslist for older American iron being sold. trademe for NZ.
Bill

[Stan Calow]

You said power or hand tools. I would suggest investing in good quality measuring and layout tools. Start with a Starrett 12" square.

[Derek Cohen]

I second the recommendation of a bench. A solid bench is a must-have for any work with any tools, especially hand planes. A decent face vise (Record type) is also essential. Look up work holding methods.

Beyond these, you need to decide on what you plan to build, and get the tools for that project. Don't be daunted - the art of woodworking is the work-around. Personally, I would look at a few hand planes, such as Stanley #4, #5 and #7. It sounds as though you already have a block plane. Oh ... do you have chisels?

Regards from Perth

Derekg

[Patrick Walsh]

Purchase what you need as you need it.

Get excited to build something and start working out what you need to build it. Get what you need that you dint already have and build it.

Keep building projects on a consistent basis and before you know it you will have a fully operational shop.

I agree with Derek. Wood working is all about work arounds, there is more than “one way to skin a cat” as much as I don’t care for the saying.

When I started building a proper shop I already had a full arsenal of site based tools. I could for the most part build anything I wanted all be in a pita other than dimension lumber. I purchased a piece of junk dewalt planer and a 100 year old 6” jointer. I used those for one project before I decided no way was I going to build anything ever again with those two tools. The jointer had zero dust collection and the planer might of well had no dust collection either. Both the dewalt did such a poor job planing I decided I needed to save my pennies for a proper jointer and planer.

I saved for about a year and purchased a 16” combo and a 5hp dust collector. These two or three purchases changed everything. I then purchased a band saw then a cabinet saw, then a shaper, then a slot mortiser, then drill press, then another band saw. You get the point, once the jointer/planer/table saw/dust collector purchases where behind me buying the tools as needed as the project called for them was painless by comparison.

I have been knee deep in hand tool purchases for a couple years now. The plan has been at least for me when the hand tool purchases are done for the most part to upgrade my ts to a slider and add a second shaper.

On the flip side for the most part I could do anything back with a job site table saw, track saw, crappy jointer/planer as I will be able to do with a 50K slider and $30-50k shaper. It’s just much much more easy to get a good result in a reasonable period of time with the later tools. And it’s much more enjoyable using your tools rather than spending all your time fettling with them trying to get them to work right or cleaning up after the mess they make.

My point remains. Get excited to build something. Figure out how your gonna do that, what your gonna need and get to it.

[Al Launier]

Frankly I think with the amount you have set aside to spend you are basically limiting yourself to hand tools As noted above a band saw is very useful, but is outside your price range. Given that you might consider a quality jigsaw as a substitute until you can get a band saw. You could also consider a set of chisels, hand held belt sander, set of files, can never have enough clamps.

[Bill Jobe]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I mentioned a plane in my original post and I may go that way.
It's bitterly could here so a heater would light a fire under me. Hard to drum up the ambition to work with any tool at below freezing.
You are a great community, Sawmillcreek.