Thoughts on selecting appropriate "sized" power equipment

[Jay Champagne]

Much of my hobby woodwork has been more construction/building oriented vs (what I consider) more fine woodworking.
I built a large home addition, mostly myself. So I have a lot of jobsite type tools. Handheld power, contractor table and chop saw, etc. Framing, drywall, flooring, roofing, finishing, wiring, plumbing are my experience.
I did splurge on some festool stuff awhile back also, track saw, domino and mft.
I am working toward gearing up for things like furniture and cabinet making. I do not have some of what I consider "core machines" in my shop. I have a decent size workshop- a well built shed that is insulated and drywalled, 15'x15'. Good size but not terribly large.
A future project is going to involve a much larger space, I am going to build a large garage. It is a few years out.
I currently don't have room for an abundance of large machines. But I might in the future.
What I'm looking for input on, is if I were to start with smaller machines, eg, lunchbox planer, benchtop bandsaw, drill press, etc would those be tools I would want to keep and still use in companion with larger ones?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Jay, I would not expect to continue to use smaller machines when I later upgraded my shop.

I would suggest a combination jointer/planer as a start, it takes up less space than separates and has large machine capacity and capability.

I have a shop in a townhouse basement with a jointer/planer and a saw/shaper for space savings.......Rod.

[Jim Dwight]

I do less than many here but I have built at least 6 bedroom sets plus other furniture. Most recently I made a crib and changing table. I use an old Ryobi 10 inch lunchbox planner and have no plans to upgrade. My shop is 14x24 and I have to be careful with big tools. I have a SawStop table saw and plan to add a full sized bandsaw but also plan to just use my old 8 5/8 INCA jointer and Ryobi planner. I built most of my furniture before I got the SawStop. I had a BT3100 table saw, about the size of a jobsite saw and before that a home made one. It is definitely nicer to use nicer tools but I do not believe you are terribly limited in what you can make even if you have lesser tools.

Lunchbox planners cannot take heavy cuts and my Inca jointer has a short bed. As a result, I straighten long boards with the track saw (mine is DeWalt) and I make lots of passes on the planner. I still usually start with rough lumber. If I had the space I would love to have a 12 inch jointer planner but I don't have the space nor room for an addition. So I get by just fine with what fits into my shop.

Your situation is different with plans to expand. I would be careful how much you spend for tools you might not want to use in the future. But I only paid $100 for my little planner and even for temporary duty it would be worthwhile, I think. If I had a big nicer combo machine I think I would keep it and reduce the changeover. But I might not once I used the bigger machine.

[andy bessette]

...if I were to start with smaller machines, eg, lunchbox planer, benchtop bandsaw, drill press, etc would those be tools I would want to keep and still use in companion with larger ones?

No. Save your money for real machines.

[Jim Becker]

No. Save your money for real machines.

Small machines are real machines that can and do do good work. Physically small doesn't necessarily equate to poor performance.
------

OP, you can take a middle of the road approach that compliments what you have now and have some equipment that you'll likely to continue to use once you have a larger shop and some that you will likely up-size once you have the space to fully utilize them. One example...instead of a benchtop thickness planer and a small jointer, consider going right to a Euro style jointer/planer combination machine so you have wide capacities for both. That investment will be lower than buying "big" separates later and is still very compatible with small shop woodworking. Etc.

[Stan Calow]

just dont get a bench top bandsaw. It will limit you're thinking of what a larger one can do for you.

[Jay Champagne]

Thanks for the responses!
So a few takeaways, and some thoughts I had reinforced.
The combo jointer/planer was suggested twice, which is interesting because I had not given it much consideration.
A jointer was a machine I was hoping to do without for the time being. I was going to try to face joint on a planer sled and edge with tracksaw or router. I also have a jointer handplane.
A bandsaw is one tool where I'd like to buy something in a larger machine.
So I think for now what I'm leaning toward is a keeping an eye for a deal on a small planer, and a decent bandsaw.

[Andrew More]

A thickness planer is probably fine in a benchtop. The next step up is a pretty big one, and you might not get a huge benefit from it. Generally it's a few extra inches of space, deeper cuts, and potentially a helical head. I've watch Jimmy Diresta work with a small 12" Delta for years, and make tons of projects. If Jimmy can do it, I think 99% of the people on this forum could as well.

Similarly for drill presses. You often don't need the extra depth of a full floor drill press, bench top is fine.

The smaller bandsaws don't see like much of a savings, and a lot of them are 3 wheel models which is usually bad for the blades. I'd go for a 14" model from grizzly, or an old Delta from Craigslist.

A jointer is probably best done as a larger unit, simply because most of the boards at the sawyer are going to be between 6"-8", and there is no substitute for a longer bed. I'd either go with a cheap benchtop unit mostly for face jointing, or an 8" monster. The 6" models tend to be a compromise any way you look at it, though you can often get them on Craigslist, while I've almost never seen an 8" jointer on Craigslist in my area.

A chop saw is a chop saw is a chop saw. Buy whatever appeals to you. The smaller, non-sliding models are often more accurate, because the slide can introduce some play, the sliders allowing more material to be cut.

For a table saw, either buy something cheap, like a craigslist Craftsman, or buy something more expensive, like a unisaw or other cabinet saw. Maybe stick with your jobsite saw for a while. Whatever you do the fence is going to be the most important part of this system, make sure it's a good one, or you're going to be very frustrated, wondering why nothing is ever quite square and true, or you're going to be constantly fiddling with the fence to make sure it's setup correctly. Generally the better fences are on the cabinet saws, putting a $500 fence on a $300 saw is a bit like adding an after burner to a Civic.

[andy bessette]

Small machines are real machines...

Unless the OP will limit his work to small boxes etc, those small machines, especially bench-top bandsaws and such, will just be in the way when full-size machines are required.

[johnny means]

Im a huge proponent of augmenting as opposed to upgrading. A larger shop means that there is space for the old 14" bandsaw and the new 24" model. That old contractor saw, sans the wings, is a great dedicated dado cutter. The only smaller machine I would not be able to put to good use in the larger shop is a jointer.

[Jared Sankovich]

It really depends on your end goal.. if you really want a 30" 8000lb planer then the bench top (or 15" stationary) isnt much use after you upgrade. My benchtop jet mortiser was gone the week after i upgraded to a 1200lb oliver.

[Curt Harms]

Thanks for the responses!
So a few takeaways, and some thoughts I had reinforced.
The combo jointer/planer was suggested twice, which is interesting because I had not given it much consideration.
A jointer was a machine I was hoping to do without for the time being. I was going to try to face joint on a planer sled and edge with tracksaw or router. I also have a jointer handplane.
A bandsaw is one tool where I'd like to buy something in a larger machine.
So I think for now what I'm leaning toward is a keeping an eye for a deal on a small planer, and a decent bandsaw.

I have a 12" Jointer/Planer, it takes a space about 2' X 5' when stored, quite a bit of utility in a small package. It does require 240 volt power. Also adequate dust collection as does any other planer.

[David Buchhauser]

No. Save your money for real machines.
Andy,
I'm afraid that I will have to disagree with you. I've still got most all of the "small machines" that I started out with over 35 years ago. I have since acquired many larger and more capable machines. But I still find many uses for the smaller machines as well.
David

[Jim Becker]

Unless the OP will limit his work to small boxes etc, those small machines, especially bench-top bandsaws and such, will just be in the way when full-size machines are required.
I don't disagree that smaller machines have physical limits. But the OP stated that his actual space to work in is currently limited in a significant way. Clearly, he doesn't want to wait a few years to be able to enjoy woodworking, so there's going to be some compromise required to be able to work now until he has a much larger space. And small projects also have great validity...just look at some of the work in the Woodworking Projects forum area that's small, but "wow".

[Jay Champagne]

I found a decent deal on a Dewalt 735x planer I'm going to jump on. That's a tool I want to put to work asap so I made it a priority.
Eyes are open for a bandsaw. I think I'll be patient on that for the right deal.

[Jay Champagne]

16" Laguna on CL for $800...
"Used little" Tag says 1999.
Anyone familiar with these? Seems like a steal?
https://vermont.craigslist.org/tls/d/williston-laguna-16-bandsaw/7003924396.html

[andy bessette]

16" Laguna on CL for $800...
"Used little" Tag says 1999.
Anyone familiar with these? Seems like a steal?
https://vermont.craigslist.org/tls/d/williston-laguna-16-bandsaw/7003924396.html

This should be a very capable machine at a great price. I'd go for it.

[Edwin Santos]

16" Laguna on CL for $800...
"Used little" Tag says 1999.
Anyone familiar with these? Seems like a steal?
https://vermont.craigslist.org/tls/d/williston-laguna-16-bandsaw/7003924396.html

I have that same saw. It is made by an Italian company called Meber. For a while Laguna Tools imported their saws and put their branding on them. Later they dropped the line and switched to other suppliers. From what I can see, the one in the ad is the Laguna 16 SEC which is an upgrade over the base model in a few ways - 2.5hp motor, foot brake, rack/pinion guard. I see this one has the euro guides.

I love my saw. It's the bandsaw I started out with in my cramped one stall garage shop, and now that I have a bit more space, it lives alongside a Minimax MM20. The MM20 is a whole other class of machine, but the Meber is the one I use 90% of the time. I do not think you will outgrow it, but it is possible you will augment it should you get into really demanding ripping and resawing.

Is $800 a steal? It's a good price. New, that saw sold for about $1300 or $1400. They are hard to come by. I would recommend jumping on it, see if they seller will take $700 and you will have gotten yourself a steal. Looks to be in very good shape. The only caveat is that parts may be hard to come by should you need them. Mine has been going on pretty much all the original components for 20 years.

A few notes - that saw does not like being over tensioned, so don't fall in for the school of thinking that says more tension is better. It handles narrow blades very well. I have mine up on a four inch platform to get the working table higher because I'm using it for artisan work, curves, intricate cuts sawing very close to a line. If you put a blade like a Lenox Tri-master on it, it will handle demanding ripping and resawing quite well, just not like a monster. Awesome saw, I would never part with mine.
Hope this helps
Edwin

[Jay Champagne]

That was tremendously helpful Edwin!
Glad to hear you are happy with yours.
I am in contact with the seller, and have every intent on paying under asking haha.

[Edwin Santos]

In case it's helpful to you, here are a couple of photos of my saw. You'll see why I'm certain it's the same model. The only mods I can speak of, besides my cosmetics, is the booster platform and the Kreg fence, which I mounted easily to the stock angle iron rail. I sanded and polished my table because I didn't care for the rough ground finish that the Craigslist saw apparently still has.

The only non-user error problem I have ever encountered was when the saw started losing power about 15 years in. It turned out that what was going on was the drive belt had aged to the point of becoming glazed and brittle. I went in for link belt, but if you preferred conventional v belts, any auto parts store would have the right size.

Yes it lives in the shadow of a $4000 MM20, but the Meber does everything I ask of it from very intricate work to ripping, circle cutting with a jig. If you adjust the table so the blade is cutting parallel to the miter slot and align the fence to the miter slot, you should have zero drift. I hope you score the one you found.

BTW, the Meber company is still active in Italy. So theoretically parts would be available, but it might be a pain to obtain them.

418171418172

[andy bessette]

The 16" machine is an extremely good choice as that size wheel will normally accept a large range of blade widths, including those more suitable for resawing.

My own shop includes a 16" MiniMax and a 20" Agazzani.

[Adam Shapiro]

Thanks for the responses!
So a few takeaways, and some thoughts I had reinforced.
The combo jointer/planer was suggested twice, which is interesting because I had not given it much consideration.
A jointer was a machine I was hoping to do without for the time being. I was going to try to face joint on a planer sled and edge with tracksaw or router. I also have a jointer handplane.
A bandsaw is one tool where I'd like to buy something in a larger machine.
So I think for now what I'm leaning toward is a keeping an eye for a deal on a small planer, and a decent bandsaw.

I've also got a small shop area, and while I can't recommend what to buy I can tell you what I regret having bought already. The floor standing drill press is a waste of space - it's rarely used and I've never had a use for it that a benchtop model couldn't have handled. I've got the lunchbox planer and I've never had a problem with its size or abilities, but I'm frequently trying to work around the limits of my 6" jointer. If you're skilled with the jointer handplane for face jointing that may not be a concern, but the combo machines do look nice. When I was shopping they were relatively new at the retail level and everyone seemed afraid of the changeover time, that doesn't seem to be as much of an issue anymore so I'd recommend looking at one of those. A bandsaw has been on my wishlist for years, I just can't find the space.

[andy bessette]

In a very small shop one can actually do without a jointer as long as there is a track saw (which is so easily stored). And mobile bases become even more important so that machines can be conveniently stored against a wall, close together, and brought out only when needed.

[Jay Champagne]

I will be seeing this saw tonight.
Suggestions for transporting it? It's a pretty long trip, 130 miles or so.
I have a very good wood deck car trailer. He has a forklift on site (yay!).
I have no issue drilling/screwing into the trailer deck.
I've read a bit on methods, laying on its spine, or bolted down as if in a crate. It is on a mobile base which could be removed if needed I imagine.

[Derek Arita]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see doing without a decent jointer. When I was learning, I did my best without one not realizing their value. Sheet goods aside, seems nothing I ever built fit together very well and it was frustrating. It's amazing how important flat and square is and how easy it is to attain, with a decent jointer. Pair that with a well adjusted planer and you're set. A 6" jointer and lunch box planer will take you a long way.
Table saw, jointer, planer.

[Jim Becker]

Bandaws with welded (Euro style) frames are easy to transport on their spines and can be tipped up off a trailer with reasonable ease...best to have help, of course.
------

Derek, I agree...I wouldn't want to be without my jointer, even though I only use it for flattening faces. It's an essential tool to me for how I work. But some folks work differently.

[Mike Kees]

Jay I hauled my Centauro CO 600 home on my flat deck trailer. I took along some 2''x 4'' pieces and an impact driver. I screwed down blocks around the machine and rachet strapped it down (laying on it's spine). My drive home was 340 kms. It did not move at all.

[David Eisenhauer]

You can trailer it upright as long as overall height is not an issue, but I would cargo strap the devil out of it so that it was prevented from moving/tipping in any direction. Perhaps drive at a less-than-bat-out-of-hell pace and stop to check the tension on the straps not long after starting out. 86 the "watch this" moments during the trip :).

[Jay Champagne]

Yes, the more I think about it the less ok I think I am making due without the jointer.
I can make the space for it, the more equipment I end up with the more creative I will need to be with my organization.
I've pretty much excluded the ability to store any quantity of wood in this space, so that does change things.
I have a 1.5 car garage available, and also a good dry basement.
Mike, that method had crossed my mind also, box the base in with 2x4's screwed to the deck and strap as appropriate.
I will pretty much come equipped for a variety of methods, and decide the best approach on site. It's not my first rodeo.

[Jay Champagne]

So I brought that saw home. Layed on its spine, strapped and wrapped. Piece of cake, it wasn't as heavy as I was picturing.
$600, which I was very happy with. Looks like a machine with very low hours. Clean, ran smooth and quiet. Guy was moving, and was down to the wire, I got the feeling he would have taken a lower offer haha.
He also had piles of stuff he couldn't get rid of so I got a decent Makita router and a few sharpening tools for the low price of nothing.
I'm really happy with this purchase and find this is definitely the perfect size for me at the moment. And if I feel the need for a big resaw machine down the line, this one will still have it's place, especially given my cost in it. Win win.

[Jacques Gagnon]

You can trailer it upright as long as overall height is not an issue, but I would cargo strap the devil out of it so that it was prevented from moving/tipping in any direction. Perhaps drive at a less-than-bat-out-of-hell pace and stop to check the tension on the straps not long after starting out. 86 the "watch this" moments during the trip :).


Jay:

You probably want to avoid straps on the table itself. You probably already know this, but I mention just in case. Another option would be to lay down the saw on its back; this is how it arrives in its original crate.

One question, you have the luck of having a forklift at the departure point; do you have one at the arrival point? If not, you will likely have to lay the saw down and slide it out of the trailer, hence my second option.

Looks like a nice find; I am sure you will enjoy working with it.

Regards,

J.

[Edwin Santos]

So I brought that saw home. Layed on its spine, strapped and wrapped. Piece of cake, it wasn't as heavy as I was picturing.
$600, which I was very happy with. Looks like a machine with very low hours. Clean, ran smooth and quiet. Guy was moving, and was down to the wire, I got the feeling he would have taken a lower offer haha.
He also had piles of stuff he couldn't get rid of so I got a decent Makita router and a few sharpening tools for the low price of nothing.
I'm really happy with this purchase and find this is definitely the perfect size for me at the moment. And if I feel the need for a big resaw machine down the line, this one will still have it's place, especially given my cost in it. Win win.

Jay,

Score!
Good job and great buy. For 21 years I have never regretted owning that machine.

A few things I've learned -
It doesn't like excess tension. There is a camp on this forum who believe more tension is better, blade beam strength, etc. Maybe for some saws it is okay to adopt this attitude. For this particular saw, the key is the right tension. I generally tension at or one notch down from the (metric) tension scale on the machine. You could also use the flutter test.

Stay with blades with no thicker than a .025 body. I do not generally use more than 1/2" wide blades on that machine though I do have a 3/4" blade laying around. The lenox tri-master 3tpi is pricey but excellent for resawing, veneering, ripping. Other than that I only use inexpensive carbon steel blades. There is a good thread here on SMC written by a guy named Van Huskey that discusses bandsaw blades at length and it's worth reading.

Look for a video produced by Fine Woodworking showcasing Michael Fortune who demonstrates how to tune and adjust the bandsaw and table to eliminate drift. I have taken a class with Michael, followed his advice and have gotten excellent results.

[Jacques Gagnon]

Sorry for my last post. I somehow missed the « other » branches of this post. Glad things worked out Jay.

J.

[andy bessette]

Definite score.

[Jay Champagne]

Thanks Edwin, I looked into the tri-master because you had mentioned it earlier, I've found nothing but good reviews.
It's on my buy list, along with the Kreg fence. But for now I'll spend some time getting to know what I've got.
Actually, I have wiring to do before it even gets to work. I moved my workshop across my yard last summer. That was a fun project. Jack, blocks and my trailer. It used to have 220v but I didn't have equipment to bury more wire so did a make-shift (but safe) 110v hookup as a temp. Well I haven't need that second "hot" till now...
Good thing I enjoy this work!

[andy bessette]

Had a 14" Delta bandsaw with the Kreg fence. The fence seemed too flimsy and cheaply built compared to all other fences I've owned.

[Jim Dwight]

I am working on a bed based upon the Woodsmith Classic Cherry bed plans. The legs are 3x3 cherry. My little 8 5/8 INCA Jointer, 30 inch bed, did fine on the leg stock. The headboard legs are less than 4 feet long. It also worked OK for the cross rails which are 61 inches long. But it did not work well for the bed rails which are 80 inches long. But one piece in particular was much too warped to straighten on the jointer anyway. It would have been 3/4 thick or less (5/4 at the start) which I think is too thin for a bed rail. So I used the planner and it isn't straight. The bow will be out and I will pull it in with the slats. I don't think I could have worked around similar bow in the legs or the cross rails of the headboard. So I used straighter pieces there. I was glad to be able to joint a face and an edge - although the edge of one rail didn't really get straight (should have used the track saw).

My INCA jointer and Ryobi planner are limitations. But so is the wood I am using. Learning to work with your machines is no different in my mind than learning to work with your material. I don't have the patience to use hand planes but good people can make a lot of nice furniture with hand planes.

Your DeWalt lunchbox is a significant upgrade from my Ryobi. A jointer will be a significantly easier way to make lumber flat and straight. But I would try to get at least a 6 inch. That would have worked for all the boards I have used this week except for 2. I could have roughed them down in width and used a 6 inch. There will always be things you could do easier with better tools. But there is also nearly always a way to produce a nice result without those tools.

[Curt Harms]

Here's a rule of thumb re jointer bed length. Material length you can reasonably joint = total bed length X 1.5 or 2. I tend toward the lower number but find that plenty for most of my projects. 55" X 1.5 = 82". Cutting stock to rough length before squaring results in less waste IMO.

[Jay Champagne]

Thanks for the advice on the jointer guys, very useful. I'm going to keep my eyes open for the right deal to come up on one.
Meanwhile, I had a productive weekend.
I did pick up the Dewalt 735x planer, new in box at a great price.
I also scored a dust collector, Delta 1.5hp, model 50-850. Excellent condition, $100 bucks. Super happy with that deal.
And I ran my 220v underground, a miserable experience...
I have the hardest rocky ground you could imagine. Most of my backyard is hard fill from the highway dept. Years ago when you could still get away with this kind of thing, my grandfather (this was their house) had a buddy at the highway dept that would bring in free fill. Did it for decades. I have more asphalt back there than I-95... digging is AWFUL.
So, a 50' trench took me half a day with a pickaxe. I've been dreading it, but now its DONE.
I have some outlets to install inside the workshop, but then I'll be up and running!

[Ole Anderson]

One item to consider is your source of wood. If you have a local mill that can inexpensively flatten and plane to near-thickness your wood, you can save a lot on your planer and jointer. Not to mention emptying your chip bin. I get by fine with an old 6" jointer and a lunchbox (Delta) planer. Taking a stack of wide 4/4 rough boards down to 3/4" on a lunchbox takes quite a few passes. and generates a whole lot of shavings. I will admit though, it is fun.

[Andrew More]

And I ran my 220v underground, a miserable experience...
I have the hardest rocky ground you could imagine. Most of my backyard is hard fill from the highway dept. Years ago when you could still get away with this kind of thing, my grandfather (this was their house) had a buddy at the highway dept that would bring in free fill. Did it for decades. I have more asphalt back there than I-95... digging is AWFUL.
So, a 50' trench took me half a day with a pickaxe.

Not sure how you're thinking about running your wire, but I'd suggest you look into 2" PVC. Then the next time you need to run a line, you're all set. I thought I was done when I ran 100 amp 220V to my garage, but I put in an ethernet* line a year or so later. If I ever put solar panels on the garage, the 2" PVC will once again save me a lot of work.

*Note - generally people are advised to avoid low power with high power lines, but I don't see any other good options for the ethernet. I run the risk of frying it if there's a short, and some cross talk, about I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

[Jim Becker]

Andrew, the thing with putting the low voltage line (Ethernet) in the same conduit as high voltage is that it's not kosher with code. Even if you discount potential crosstalk, an inadvertent short between them due to unforeseen circumstances could be deadly. A separate conduit is required for parallel low and high voltage for that reason.

OP, given the soil conditions you describe, I find it amazing that you were able to do a 50' long trench of sufficient depth for high voltage lines in the short time you accomplished it....with a pick-axe.

[Jay Champagne]

OP, given the soil conditions you describe, I find it amazing that you were able to do a 50' long trench of sufficient depth for high voltage lines in the short time you accomplished it....with a pick-axe.
UF wire direct buried at 24", as per (my interpretation of the) NEC.
(I am not an electrician and I don't claim to give advice)
The trench took 6 hours, my back and hands are paying for it.

[Jay Champagne]

Adding extra room for future expansion is wise, for sure.
My research tells me that wire in conduit can be buried at 18". So burying another pipe is your only code approved method, unfortunately .
When I construct my garage/ workshop, I will definitely leave an abundance of expansion room in that regard.
100 amp service in it's own conduit, probably a whole extra empty one next to it, data in a separated area, probably a spare empty there also. And a water line, buried below frost line. Cheap insurance to go overboard.

[Tom Bender]

Hi Jay
I need to disagree with some about the drill press. A floor model is not a waste of space, it takes up only 2 square feet. However planting a monument on a bench top will really compromise that bench. When you want to drill in the end of a post or into the top of a cabinet or bench you will appreciate the floor model.

You plan to do substantial work and good sized work in your current shop. Putting too much big machinery into it will really limit your work. Loose the chop saw and hold off on the jointer. Build a tool cabinet to clear some space.

418992

Mine has almost 100 sq ft of drawer space and it made a huge difference in my 250 sq ft shop. You may never get into that dream shop so make what you have work for you.

Congrats on the new saw and I am awed by your digging effort. Surely you will be able to joint by hand for a while.

[Jim Becker]

I need to disagree with some about the drill press. A floor model is not a waste of space, it takes up only 2 square feet. However planting a monument on a bench top will really compromise that bench. When you want to drill in the end of a post or into the top of a cabinet or bench you will appreciate the floor model. .

I honestly agree with this, although there are certainly situations where bench top is the only practical solution for some tight shop situations, including some that share small space with vehicles.

[Derek Arita]

Have to agree on the necessity for a good, stable drill press. My DP is the most used machine I own. I use it for metal work, wood work and even for hand plane and clock restorations. Since quill travel and minimum runout were key, I bought the biggest and most capable DP that I could afford and a floor model was essential.

[Edward Dyas]

The little home shop machinery will do fine for you. You just might have to work a little slower than if you had professional equipment. It's like the lunch box planer, you might only be able to take off 1/32" at a time where a professional planer could take off 1/8" at at time. Both will do the job but if you had a huge amount of wood to surface you would have to keep an eye on the temperature of the motor on the lunch box planer. It would get hot after a while and you would have to let it cool off. I started off with one of those lunch box planers and today have it sitting right next to a 2 ton 24" planer. The little planer will surface a little smoother and surface shorter pieces of wood than the 24" so I continue to use both machines.

[Gary Ragatz]

Build a tool cabinet to clear some space.

418992



Tom,

Some day, I hope to have furniture that nice in our master bedroom!

[Mike Kees]

Jay I know how hard it is to figure out what you need in a shop. After 25 years of buying and selling and upgrading I have some experience in this . I like what you are doing with your purchases so far. The bandsaw is an excellent purchase,that is one you will probably never need to sell. My advice is to keep buying used. First it is way cheaper than new and secondly if you need to sell to move up to a better or bigger machine you can usually get most of your money back. I save money and buy whatever is on my list when I find a good deal. Enjoy the journey.

[Ron Citerone]

I would rather put more emphasis (aka$$$) toward a longbed jointer and live through the 12” planers which are under rated in IMO. Assuming you want to work with rough lumber. Good luck!

[Carl Beckett]

I will chime in here, because these type of answers are really only a collection of personal opinions. 1) Personal and 2) opinions. You will have to figure out our own path, but it is great to hear the path that others have taken. PLUS, I love to give my own OPINION

The thought that you cannot make great furniture on smaller equipment is fallacy. My first few projects were a borrowed router and a cheap contractor saw at work. Some build works of art with zero power tools.

Plus, I do not subscribed to the philosophy of paying more than you can afford, thousands of dollars in some cases, starting out when you dont really even know all the different ways you like to work. Again just an opinion. Plus I do not like the idea of going broke to feed a HOBBY. Figure out what your budget can afford as a hobby. You CAN have fun and do great work with less than $30,000 investment. For certain, you can.

Also note that in this day and age things change. My workshop space changed several times over the years, which impacted what type of tools were practical. Once I sold off my entire shop for an overseas move, only to replace it all later when I moved back to the states.

As for individual pieces, my personal journey which served me just fine.

I added a band saw much later than most here. Was fine with that.

I went with a contractor saw and a good fence for many years. It was tuned nicely and worked well. For sure I enjoyed the cabinet saw upgrade later, but the contractor saw served me well.

For me, I built a router table fairly early on. It was the type of work I was doing at the time (small boxes, picture frames, etc). Although before the router table I had a small lunchbox planer (which was fine, and I could store under the bench of my tight shop space), and a benchtop jointer which worked surprising well (a cheap Ryobi, but dang that thing worked well). I am likely not the norm here, but it is rare than I joint the edge of anything more than 4 ft long. And 90% is less than 2ft long. If you can straight rip with a track saw I believe a shorter planer bed will serve fine for a long time.

If I had space, I would NOT get a planer/jointer combo. I find the switchover to be annoying, and the way I work is always one piece to go back and remake. Part of this is because I use a combo TS machine so the switchover is worse. But starting out, I would use benchtop units and tuck them away for a few years before sinking what... $2k to $3k into a decent combo machine?

I went without a drill press for a long time. I had good hand drills. Then again got a benchtop DP then later a floor mount. They are cheap on CL (as are 14" bandsaws)

More important (to me) than machines are some decent hand tools, and a workbench. These will not be cheap. Also I agree build some storage cabinets. And of course lumber. It all adds up to $$.

Of course these are just my own experiences and others will have very different experiences and are free to claim I do it all 'wrong'. Yes, of course I do. Some great advice on this forum, but at the end of the day you will have to choose your own journey and the journey often is as fun as the end result (some people enjoy building fancy shops and never use them much, others build what I consider to be art forms, others are more utilitarian with intent, some want to use all hand tools, some are professionals trying to make money and be efficient, etc..... it does become a philosophical journey.

[Jim Becker]

Carl, you're absolutely correct that it's not the tool...it's the woodworker. That said, there can be some advantages to better/bigger equipment when that's possible for the woodworker in that sometimes a feature or a level of precision or a capacity/capability or something else makes it easier and cleaner for something to be created without work-arounds. It's a balancing act. My opinion is that in general, tool quality for the money matters first because early replacements cost you far more than investing in something better up-front. And better doesn't necessarily mean larger physically. I also agree that there are often good opportunities in the used market for budget conscious folks to acquire some really nice stuff...it can take patience, but is worthy for sure.

[Tom Bender]

This journey is a little like learning golf, buying one club at a time. You can get around the course with a 5 iron,,,but adding a putter will make a big difference. Once you have a handful of clubs another one will help less.