New woodworker looking for advice on taking the next step

[Will Pate]

Hi all, new woodworker here looking for some help in getting started on more projects.

I have done a few projects (outdoor storage bench, ground level deck) but haven’t done anything in years and looking to get more regularly into it.

I currently have a circular saw, drill, impact driver, orbital sander, and reciprocating saw. I also have some other necessities like a workbench, sawhorses, squares, hammers, drill bits, a few chisels, measuring tape, etc. Regular DIY home maintenance stuff.

A few of the projects I would like to be able to complete are picture frames, toy box, bookshelf, shoe storage shelf, coffee and side tables, and toddler bed.

I’m looking to see what my next tool purchases should be to complete those projects? I know a lot of people will probably say a table saw; originally I was going to try and do a Delta 36-725 or equivalent Ridgid but honestly I just don’t have the space for a hybrid saw. I could make room for a decent job site saw with stand but not sure if that money could maybe be better spent elsewhere.

I currently have about $500 I could spend.

The two options I was considering was spending full budget on a Dewalt job site table saw or the direction I’m leaning:

- PC air compressor and tool combo (brad and finish nailer, staple gun) - currently on sale for $200
- Ridgid jig saw (already have batteries) - $130
- Bosch 2.25hp router with fixed and plunge bases – currently on sale for $190

I can already rip and crosscut with the circular saw. The air compressor and brad nailer is something I've wanted to have for a while and currently on sale. Same for the jig saw. With the router and a homemade table I could do rabbets/dados, joinery, and other finishing work. I have checked my local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for used table saws and didn’t have much luck finding anything worthwhile but might’ve found a good deal on a PC 1.75hp router for $50 I might grab.

Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are or if there are any other recommendations?

Also, as a beginner I know a lot of people use pocket hole joinery for basic furniture; I used a buddies Kreg Jig to build the bench and it was easy to use but I don’t love it. I would like to be able to build stuff with minimal fasteners and not spend $150ish dollars to get my own Kreg set-up. Could I fairly easily do mortise and tenons with the router? Are dowels a good option? I’ve seen mixed reviews on less expensive dowel jigs and if you bump up to something like DowelMax you’re in the same boat as Kreg with a couple hundred dollar outlay to get started. Any other options I’m overlooking?

Thanks in advance to anyone who made it this far and for any advice you can give!

[roger wiegand]

I'd give serious thought to signing up for a week long furniture building class at one of the many schools around the country. I expect it would really jump-start a beginner and provide a lot of clarity about what, if any, new tools are needed to do what you want to do.

[lowell holmes]

Do you have a Woodworkers Club to go to?

In Houston we have this one.

http://www.wwch.org/HomePage.htm

If you become a contributor your location will show on your post.

[John TenEyck]

You can easily do loose tenon joinery with a router and edge or shop made guide. Some folks like dowel joinery, but I've always found the precision level too high for it to be considered an easy task; loose tenon joinery is a lot more forgiving and likely a lot stronger so that's the route I use most of the time. Both are more durable and rigid than pocket hole joinery so pick whichever appeals to you most. Or go old school and chop mortises by hand with nothing more than a chisel. People have been doing it for at least a thousand years.

Unless you want to be a handtool guy you will most likely want a TS at some point. For me that was the most important machine to acquire when I first started out. I built a lot of projects with a Sears TS, a router, jigsaw, hand plane, and few basic handtools. You are limited to using S4S lumber and plywood, but that was fine while I was building enough skill to take on more complex projects. I would happily use a jobsite saw over no TS at all.

John

[andy bessette]

...I was going to try and do a Delta 36-725 or equivalent Ridgid...
- PC air compressor and tool combo (brad and finish nailer, staple gun) - currently on sale for $200
- Ridgid jig saw (already have batteries) - $130
- Bosch 2.25hp router with fixed and plunge bases – currently on sale for $190...

Find a way to get a real table saw and larger compressor.
Get the corded Bosch jigsaw.
The corded Bosch routers are generally excellent if you avoid bottom of line.

[Rod Sheridan]

I've been making furniture as a hobbyist for 40 years.

I've had zero need for a compressor or nailer, or a router in most of that time period.

You'll gain the most in my opinion by buying a good table saw, and later a jointer/planer for processing rough material into furniture grade components.

A drill press is also a must have.

I use the band saw a lot, however if you're just cutting curves a good jig saw can suffice. Note I said good.

Have fun, keep learning, you've received a lot of good suggestions from other people............Regards, Rod.

[Mike Kees]

Will buy that P.C. router quick. As a carpenter I own at least three mobile air compressors,air tools and compressors are very handy for house renovations ,finish/trim work on houses and that sort of stuff. I do use a finish nailer in my shop some. If you have plans to do renos on your house these tools will come in handy ,otherwise I would buy other things first. I agree with the advise of buying a good tablesaw early in your journey as a woodworker. That machine and a jointer and planer are the foundation machines for solid wood furniture building. Listen to Rod and at least look into the jointer/planer combination machines. I wish that I could have started with one of those however, available money was non existent in my early years. Good luck.

[Bill Carey]

I started with a piece of flint and a stick. Just kidding - not quite that old. If you have craigs list look for a table saw. If it needs tuning up so much the better - you'll learn a lot, and by using it you'll discover what you like in a ts and what you don't. Then, down the road a piece, you'll make a much more informed decision about a better ts, and avoid a possible disappointment after spending some larger bucks. Some good chisels and a good hand plane. A router if you can swing it. S4S lumber is not all bad. And don't forget that you'll not only be finding out what tools work for you but also what kind of things you like to build. I like mortise and tenon work so I've accumulated tools that lend themselves to that kind of work. Who knows - in a couple of years you might have 2 or 3 lathes and have become addicted to turning. There is no cure as I understand it. Don't underestimate the power of good books - there's a tremendous amount of info out there. And, of course, here at the Creek. Become a Contributor (all of 6 bucks a year) and share and learn.

[Jim Andrew]

Check with your local high school. Ours used to offer evening classes for adults in woodworking. That way, you have an instructor with safety in mind, and a shop full of machinery you can try out. And you can build something.

[Will Pate]

Thank you to everyone who replied. Trying to plan out purchases has been difficult. I want to have the right tools to make good projects and not get frustrated but don’t want to go overboard and splurge unnecessarily in the beginning.

For everyone who suggested classes or clubs I would love to look into that but with a 1 year old and another on the way that’s just not in the cards right now. For now I do have a decent amount of free time in the evenings to tinker in the garage.


You can easily do loose tenon joinery with a router and edge or shop made guide.

Unless you want to be a handtool guy you will most likely want a TS at some point. For me that was the most important machine to acquire when I first started out. I built a lot of projects with a Sears TS, a router, jigsaw, hand plane, and few basic handtools. You are limited to using S4S lumber and plywood, but that was fine while I was building enough skill to take on more complex projects. I would happily use a jobsite saw over no TS at all.

John

Do you have any links for the loose tenon guides you mentioned.

I’m rethinking the table saw idea. Any recommendations for best bang for my buck on the jobsite saws? I was eyeing the Dewalt DWE7480 and Metabo C10RJ.


Find a way to get a real table saw and larger compressor.
Get the corded Bosch jigsaw.
The corded Bosch routers are generally excellent if you avoid bottom of line.

What would you recommend for a table saw? Unfortunately due to space constraints I probably don’t have room for what most here would consider a “real” saw.

Which Bosch jigsaw do you recommend? Lowe’s has several from $69 up to almost $200.

I’m probably going to forego the compressor for now.


I've been making furniture as a hobbyist for 40 years.

I've had zero need for a compressor or nailer, or a router in most of that time period.

You'll gain the most in my opinion by buying a good table saw, and later a jointer/planer for processing rough material into furniture grade components.

A drill press is also a must have.

I use the band saw a lot, however if you're just cutting curves a good jig saw can suffice. Note I said good.


I’m going to forego the compressor for now and am probably getting a used router.

I’m surprised you haven’t used your router much. That seems like a commonly used tool in furniture building from a lot of tutorials I’ve watched.

Just curious what all you use your drill press for? Where would you rank that purchase in comparison to table saw, jointer, planer, etc?

What jointers and planers would you recommend? Again due to space constraints I would need to start with benchtop models.

What would you recommend for a good jigsaw?


Will buy that P.C. router quick. As a carpenter I own at least three mobile air compressors,air tools and compressors are very handy for house renovations ,finish/trim work on houses and that sort of stuff. I do use a finish nailer in my shop some. If you have plans to do renos on your house these tools will come in handy ,otherwise I would buy other things first. I agree with the advise of buying a good tablesaw early in your journey as a woodworker. That machine and a jointer and planer are the foundation machines for solid wood furniture building. Listen to Rod and at least look into the jointer/planer combination machines. I wish that I could have started with one of those however, available money was non existent in my early years. Good luck.

I’m just waiting to hear back on the router to confirm the model because it was tough to tell from the picture but if it’s what I think it is I’m going to grab it. Is a plunge base essential to have early or will the fixed base suffice for now? I would like to make a router table as part of another small mobile workbench.

I’m going to hold off on the compressor for now.

It seems the combination jointer/planers get really mixed reviews. I was looking at the Jet 8” JJP-8BT. Are there any others in that price range I’m missing?

If I went the separate route what brands are good value? And should I buy the jointer or planer first?

[andy bessette]

...Which Bosch jigsaw do you recommend?...

I'd get one like this:

www. ebay. com/itm/Bosch-1587VS-Variable-Speed-Top-Handle-Jigsaw/323954164204?epid=1603933174&hash=item4b6d2c41ec:g:j~MAAOSwunNdrMck

[justin sherriff]

I would not put a drill press on the need to have when starting out. I have one and it is nice to have but 95% of what I have used it for I could do with a hand drill.
make your self a guide / track for your circular saw it is cheap and you can do a lot with one I have a few different sizes. Clamp them to what you are cutting. https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/saws/two-essential-saw-cutting-guides/ you can make it out of anything not just mdf.

Have you looked at the portable table saws like dewalt bw745 or dw7480 they are not as nice as the bigger saws but the smaller saws do not take much room. I have a Bosh it is nice that it can be put away and does not take much room. But I wish it had a wider ripping with only 18 inch on the bosh. and the space between the start of the table and blade I wish was longer.

the kreg jig is nice to have for some things look at the R3 it will do what you need for less than the bigger ones. https://www.amazon.com/R3-Promo-Pocket-Classic-Clamp-Pack/dp/B01G3VP3N8/ref=sr_1_4?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvIe56vG05QIV2CCtBh2sQ AfKEAAYAiAAEgInQfD_BwE&hvadid=214487479919&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9022128&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8370893253734323966&hvtargid=kwd-298332984643&hydadcr=1437_9488555&keywords=kreg+jig&qid=1571919886&s=hi&sr=1-4

[Erik Loza]

Table saw. If your area is is anything like mine, PLENTY of used table saws at bargain prices on CL, FB Marketplace, etc. Not necessarily needed for what you are doing but I think everyone should own a vertical bandsaw. Just because using them is fun, safe, and opens up new areas of the hobby you might not have thought of. Best of luck in your search.

Erik

[Mike Kees]

Will that Porter cable (690) is best as a fixed base. If you want a plunge machine Make that router number two down the road.Or option number two buy a kit with both bases,such as the Dewalt or Bosch kits. The plunge base for the 690 P.C. routers is not very good,I have one that is never used.

[Will Pate]

Have you looked at the portable table saws like dewalt bw745 or dw7480 they are not as nice as the bigger saws but the smaller saws do not take much room. I have a Bosh it is nice that it can be put away and does not take much room. But I wish it had a wider ripping with only 18 inch on the bosh. and the space between the start of the table and blade I wish was longer.



Table saw. If your area is is anything like mine, PLENTY of used table saws at bargain prices on CL, FB Marketplace, etc. Not necessarily needed for what you are doing but I think everyone should own a vertical bandsaw. Just because using them is fun, safe, and opens up new areas of the hobby you might not have thought of. Best of luck in your search.


Checking Facebook I found a Hitachi C10RJ for $350; looks like they sell new on Amazon for $399 and at Lowes for $499 (they will price match Amazon) with a 2 year warranty.

I also found one on Big Sky Tools (reconditioned grade A) on sale for $169; with shipping would come out to $254 with a 1 year warranty.

I really like the looks of this saw; does anyone have any opinions? Also, that deal from Big Sky almost seems too good to be true. Anyone have experience buying reconditioned from them?


Will that Porter cable (690) is best as a fixed base. If you want a plunge machine Make that router number two down the road.Or option number two buy a kit with both bases,such as the Dewalt or Bosch kits. The plunge base for the 690 P.C. routers is not very good,I have one that is never used.

Thanks. For $50 it seems like a no-brainer to get me started.

[justin sherriff]

Checking Facebook I found a Hitachi C10RJ for $350; looks like they sell new on Amazon for $399 and at Lowes for $499 (they will price match Amazon) with a 2 year warranty.

I also found one on Big Sky Tools (reconditioned grade A) on sale for $169; with shipping would come out to $254 with a 1 year warranty.

I really like the looks of this saw; does anyone have any opinions? Also, that deal from Big Sky almost seems too good to be true. Anyone have experience buying reconditioned from them?



Thanks. For $50 it seems like a no-brainer to get me started.

Hitachi is being rebranded as Metabo HPT so go into Lowes and see the what the price of the saw is. At my Lowes they have the last of the hitachi tools all marked down. All so ask if they could knock down the price some more for you maybe you could save a few more bucks.

[Tom Bender]

Get a Dewalt ROS, good bang for the buck.

Drill press is good for precise work and it doesn't use up much floor space. Get a floor model, it's the last one you will ever buy.

Get into hand tools, with them you can make anything, just a little slower.

Good rasps will empower you to do fine work.

A planer is really good to have.

TS, a cabinet saw has a smaller footprint than a contractor saw. Save up for it and use your circular saw for now.

A couple of hand planes are needed. Start with a block plane, inexpensive and you will learn a lot from it.

A band saw is a great tool and has a small footprint.

Build yourself a bench.

[Alex Zeller]

Since your budget is, lets say light, I would just look for used tools. Last month I bought a used Powermatic cabinet saw for under $200. A week later a Delta Unisaw sold for about the same money (https://www.irsauctions.com/popups/paddle/?lot=406269&auction=76Z9KRKV1MBWH1ZCT4S1SER24GKRT5&id=23009 ). You do have to watch out as they have things like taxes, loading charges, and a buyer's charge of 10% to 15% that add up and then there's the extra cost if you buy a 3 phase machine to make it work on single phase power. But if you are a little bit handy you can bring one of these back to excellent shape with mostly elbow grease and you'll have a great saw that's more that just one step up from what you can buy new for less than $500 (in fact you would need to spend well over $1000 new to equal that Unisaw). Table saws are one of the few things that are always coming up at auctions.

Routers are also easy to find used. See lots of them on Craig's list. If you stick with woodworking you'll own at least 3 routers before you know it so I wouldn't buy new. Also if you buy used you may find the seller is actually someone who is competent and can give you advise. I've read lots of good things about the DeWalt table top planer (DW735 I think). Also 6" jointers can be found used for a reasonable price as most people upgrade to something with more width. Of course I'm probably 3 times your budget already.

[Jason Matisheck]

Some more thoughts to muddy your water:

Craigslist and similar sites are good places to look. The trick is being able to evaluate the tool well enough that you are not buying someone else's problem. I highly recommend joining a local woodworking club if you can. Not only can you get some great mentoring, but they often have members selling tools, and leads on woodworker estate sales. The odds of finding good equipment are much better.

Table saws are considered the heart of a woodshop, but they are not really the end-all-be-all of woodworking. They take up a lot of space and are relatively dangerous. A job-site saw will not be good for sheet material. You already have a circular saw for that. Joinery can also be cut with routers, or bandsaws, or hand tools. Look up "worth the effort" on you tube. He recently replaced a job-site saw with a hybrid saw and has a good video on the issues he had with the small saw. One of his primary problems was that the saw wasn't capable of the repeatable accuracy he needed. Some people do all their rough cutting with jigsaws.
The point is if you don't have room or $ for a good table saw, there are ways to live without one.

You can also build your own machines, if you are so inclined. Matthias Wandel has a website and a tube channel that include his builds of every major tool out of wood, including table saw, bandsaw, jointer, sanders, dust collectors, etc. His horizontal mortiser would be good for loose-tenon joinery.

I personally lean towards hand tools for joinery. They are generally inexpensive and don't take up a lot of room. (Until you get bitten by the plane hoarding bug.) You spend your time developing skills and cutting joints rather than setting up machines and cutting test pieces. For one-off projects, they are not a lot slower. You do need to learn the skills, and a class or mentor is probably the best place. That said, Paul Sellers on the Tube is a good place to start. You can also go to the Lost Art Press website and look up "The Naked Woodworker" video, which is about how to get started in woodworking from zero.

If you want to work with rough lumber, the DeWalt 13" planer should be high on your list. There are ways to make a sled to use it for face jointing, and there are ways to use a router for edge jointing. (I personally wouldn't bother with a 6" jointer, unless all you make are small boxes. They aren't wide enough to face joint anything useful.)

Finally, if you're doing a lot of router and circular saw work, you should probably be wearing a respirator. A real one, not a white dust mask.

[Thomas McCurnin]

This is really an expensive hobby if you're going to go the power tool route. Even on the cheap, these are some rough prices on the discount or used basis in order of my priority:

Table Saw (Most important tool in my shop) $800-2,500
Sliding Miter Saw ($500-$1,000)
Band Saw $800-$2,500
Router Table and Router(s) $1,000
Drill Press $500-800
Jointer $500-$1,000
Planer $500-800
Sharpening Stones $150
Jigs Make Your Own or Purchase $150-$1,500

Hand Tools are a fraction of the above prices and you can do a lot with some cheap chisels and some used planes. I also recommend watching some Paul Sellers videos. That guy could build a house with a handful of tools. You'll need a decent set of chisels and a couple planes and saws, even if you go the power tool route. Learn how to sharpen them.

[Joel Turner]

Hi Will,

As a new woodworker you might want to consider looking into joining a makerspace in your area for a few months before you start buying tools. The cost will be nominal and they will likely have all the equipment you need to do some of the projects you are contemplating. This in turn will help you decide what tools you really need to tackle your upcoming projects.

I'd also suggest you go the library and get a copy of Bill Hylton's Power Tool Joinery since you seem to be leaning towards the power tool route. He does a really good job of exploring different options for each type of joinery using different tools.

If you want a completely different approach to acquiring power tools for furniture making, see an article by Gary Rogowski in Fine Woodworking #153 (https://www.finewoodworking.com/2002/01/01/my-five-essential-power-tools)where he offers his opinion on the top five power tools to get. A table saw is not on the list unless your looking to build cabinets and/or work with plywood. His first choice is a bandsaw. An excerpt from the article:

"A bandsaw can start the rough milling:slabbing out boards from logs, roughingout bowl blanks, trimming out shapes forcarved work, ripping boards to thicknessand width, and resawing. The saw will thencover your joinery needs: cutting tenons,finger joints, slot mortise and tenons, slot dovetails, half-lap joints and through-dovetails. Finally, the bandsaw can also be usedfor shaping, tapering, cutting circles,curves and templates, edge work and trimming joints."

It's a great tool and if you can find a mid 50's to late 70's Delta or Rockwell in your area you won't need to spend a ton of money to buy it.

[Will Pate]

Just wanted to say thank you again for all of the advice given! I wanted to give an update on what I decided to do.

I picked up the used PC 690 router with fixed base and a basic set of bits to get me started. I will pick up nicer individual bits as I figure out what I will need/use often.

I bought a Bosch corded jigsaw and a pack of fine blades.

I got a DMT diamond sharpening stone (I think it's 600 and 1200 grit) and will start by getting my chisels nice and sharp. Also have some chefs knives in need of a tune up.

And last but not least I got a Hitachi C10RJ jobsite table saw. Lowe's put them on clearance and one of my local stores had 1 in stock. Went into the store and found that it compared nicely to the top-of-the-line Dewalt jobsite saw. 35" rip capacity, soft start, brake, rack and pinion fence. I was able to get them to knock another 10% off because the box was a little damaged and then got 5% off for my Lowes card. Came out to just over $250 which I think is great to get me started. Picked up a Diablo blade for it as well.

Other than that I got glue, a couple bar clamps, and an assortment of F clamps. I already had eye/ear pro, masks, and shop vac so should be good to go there. I did get one of those small cyclone dust separates you attach to a 5 gallon bucket which I think is awesome.

I built a mobile workbench/outfeed table and plan to make a simple router table next.

My first non-shop project I'm going to try is some end grain cutting boards; I would also like to get into making frames and eventually nice boxes.

[lowell holmes]

One last suggestion. I found Homestead Heritage and took classes. Paul Sellers was there then.
They still conduct classes.