PDA

View Full Version : Setting Up Shop Advice



Barb Mrazek
03-17-2008, 1:09 PM
Good Afternnon all, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I'm Barb, new to wood working, and this forum. I am almost through my second ww course now, and I think I've become an addict :-)

I've decided to turn my basement into a workshop. I have been doing a lot of reseach on tools, but knowing how much I don't know :-), I thought I'd turn to you guys on some advice for my short list.

My aim is to not spend money on features I probably won't ever need, but also not to save money and by doing so, miss out on some features I should probably have.

I have already bought my jointer, picked it up at the Toronto WW show a few weeks ago, I got the GI 8 inch, bought the show model actually :-) It's waiting patiently at the store until I get the rest of my machines ordered, as I want to try to hire someone to move them into my basement all at once. (anyone in the Toronto area move heavy tools down stairs? :-) )

The rest of my current list is:

1) TableSaw-after much thought on this, I decided to bite the financial bullet and go with the Saw Stop. I can be a bit of a clutz, so decided safety over dollars here, and besides, from a woman's point of few, it's a pretty saw :-) My only unknown on this now is whether to get the 3 hp or spend the extra $ and go for the 5 hp. Do you guys think it's worth the upgrade? (3-4 hundred dollars).

2) Bandsaw- I'm looking at the Steel City 18"

3) Planer-haven't reasearched these a ton yet, but the salesguy at the store is suggesting the General International 15", I'm also looking at the Steel City 15"

Have some questions around dust collector's also, but won't get greedy now :-) Could you comment on my decisions, or suggest alternatives if you feel I could do better!

Thanks so much, look forward to becoming an active member of this forum, have been reading lots on it.

Thanks again.

Barb

Sam Yerardi
03-17-2008, 1:19 PM
Barb,

Welcome aboard and congrats on choosing woodworking! It sounds like you are off to a tremendously good start as far as equipment. The sizes of the equipment you've mentioned should be great for ANY small shop. I envy you :)......

Sam Yerardi
03-17-2008, 1:24 PM
I went back and missed a question you asked - sorry. You mentioned 3hp v.s. 5 hp. 3hp is more than plenty for most home shops. If you do decide to go higher you need to know what the phase requirements are for the motor. Some 5hp motors get into the 3 phase arena which is extreme over-kill (IMHO) for any home shop, but that's just my opinion. Most homes are not wired for three-phase and it can get expensive very quickly trying to go that route.

RickT Harding
03-17-2008, 1:25 PM
I second that, if those were my starter tools I don't know how I'd every justify upgrades. :D

It seems to me that 3hp should be enough especially for the hobbiest. A lot of us have half that and get by.

Peter Quadarella
03-17-2008, 1:25 PM
Happy St. Pat's to you too Barb :). I'm a newb woodworker but have spent a lot of time with the same questions as you and have been on this forum for months reading and learning. My shop is just about complete in terms of machinery, and while I don't have the experience of many of the fine people here I think I can help with some general thoughts.

1) 3HP is plenty of power. I can't really imagine needing more than that unless you are a production shop that needs the wood cut extremely quickly. I will throw in a plug for Eurekazone.com (see forum at bottom of list here at sawmillcreek) here since it's served me so well.

2) Steel City has nice stuff and I'm sure you'd be happy with that purchase. Based on the sawstop choice you might have a decent budget to work with, so you might want to look at Laguna and MiniMax offerings. I went with the Grizzly G0513X2 which is a bit cheaper but excellent bang for the buck in my opinion. Grizzly has some very nice offerings.

3) Are you sure you want to go with a big floor standing 15" planer? Most people would suggest a Ridgid or Dewalt lunchbox, which is a good bit cheaper and lighter. These small planers tend to leave nicer finishes (you still have to sand), but their universal motors are not quite as durable as the induction motors of the floor standing units. I tend to feel that going to a floor standing 15" is a little bit overkill, especially since your jointer can only do 8". You can always upgrade; people with large planers often keep their lunchbox versions. I'm sure some will disagree with me here and say its great if you can go straight to the 15".

Regards,
Peter

jason lambert
03-17-2008, 2:24 PM
I ahve been putting together a home workshop as well, or at least up grading one.

I got a saw stop upon research and talking to people 3hp is fine.

I have a 18" steel city band saw and love it, just got it I thought it was the best for the price.

After much looking I am also doing a dewalt 725 lunchbox plainer. Just less space and the cut is as good as any big plainer and better than most. Unless of course you have a well set up sprial head. But that is $$$.

As for dust collectors the only real way to go is a cyclone type system but $$$ if you are not going that way pick up a jet 1.5hp or something that has a 1 or 2 micron filter. They are all the same.

Marty Barron
03-17-2008, 2:41 PM
Barb, 3 hp is more than enough for a table saw, in a bandsaw and planer both would be a good choice get the one with the better deal. For dust collection I would go to Bill Pentz's website which is about the most comprehensive site on dust collection. I would get a cyclone for the sizes of machines you have and are about to purchase. Clearvue is a good company to deal on this purchase but you have a little assembly to get started or Oneida. I have included a link to Bill Pentz and the Canadian Woodworking magazine forum which will be able to give you some more feedback on the GI machines. There is a link to Clearvue from Bill's website.

Hope this helps.

Marty

http://www.canadianwoodworking.com/forum/

http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/Index.cfm

dave rollins
03-17-2008, 3:20 PM
Barb
Welcome and happy St. Patrick's Day to you also.
From a personal point of view I think that the 3 hp. Sawstop would be more than adequate. The minor variations of your excellent choices on the other machines will come down to your own personal preferences.
A suggestion or two since you stated that you would be putting your new shop into your basement would be 1) Dust collection is a must and the better system you can afford now will be important to you and your families health. 2) Take a look at your electrical needs since you are putting in some rather large hp. units. ie. do you have sufficient capacity in your electrical panel. You may want to upgrade now before you move all this nice equipment into your basement. 3) Address your lighting you have in your basement since you will want good lighting to take your pictures with that you will surely post here.
Just a few thoughts that you may want to consider that will make your new hobby much more enjoyable in the future.
Good luck
Dave

Peter Quinn
03-17-2008, 3:20 PM
Welcome to woodworking and congrats on your basement shop! Mine is one of the most peaceful spaces in my world.

3 HP is plenty for a TS, 5 horse takes a big circuit and you won't need that power most of the time if ever, I'd only get it if you have plenty of amps in your panel and cash to burn. Worst case its about an $800 upgrade done seperately in the future.

Get a good dust collector and set it up first if your in a basement. A 1 micron air filter (or 2 of them if you can fit/afford) is a good idea too. Basements tend to get dusty quick, and the dust works its way into your lungs and living space quick.

Its my considered opinion that almost any 15" iron planer is going to beat the pants off any lunch box. I keep my starter lunch box for the occasional job site needs but in the shop its an old 3HP delta 15" I got real cheap. With sharp knives and a good setup it produces an excellent cut, its much quieter, takes deeper cuts than a portable, and that weight equals stability when planing long boards. I can use carbide straight knives or a spiral head for hard exotics, and the HSS knives wind up costing less and lasting longer than my Dewalt does. Try to find one guy who sold his cast iron planer and went back to a lunch box! If a lunch box fits your space/budget there is no shame in it, but they are easy to outgrow.

I wish I'd bought a Laguna or Mini-max bandsaw, and am currently saving my pennies for one. I used a Laguna in a veneer class after I'd bought a 14" PM, now I just feel dumb. IMHO laguna got everything right on their machine. Don't know how your other choices stand up to the Italian machines. Any chance to take a class and learn to use one before purchase? Its one of the most hands on machines in the shop, it helps to have some experience with it to make an informed purchase that will suit your needs.

Good luck and remember to save some money for wood!

Brent Ring
03-17-2008, 3:40 PM
Barb,

Welcome to SMC. You wil definately enjoy your new hobby and congrats on your tool choices. Some of the most beautiful work here comes from some of the most humblest of shops and you have some machines that are light years ahead. Electricity requirements are important too. Get the power you need where you need it first.

I have my shop in the third bay of a 3 car garage. I am still working on finding room for dust collection, as I use a shop vac, and a cyclonic separator, but it is certainly overwhelmed. I would add dust collection as a number one priority for a basement shop. My garage is coated with saw dust, and it has gotten better since I added an air filter, but source dust collection is critical, and a good dust collection system with a cyclone will make all the difference in the world. Its next on my list.

I would next add a router table. I think you will be able to do some great things with a router and table as well.

Just my humble .02!

Welcome!

Rod Sheridan
03-17-2008, 4:08 PM
Hi Barb, welcome to the group.

Excellent choice of table saw, 3 HP is more than adequate.

I would go with a cast iron 15 inch planer, they're great and will last you a lifetime.

I have an Oneida cyclone, and have been extremely pleased with it. They are available in Ontario from a supplier, you don't have to import it yourself. I cannnot say enough good things about the Oneida.

regards, Rod.

Barb Mrazek
03-17-2008, 6:18 PM
Welcome to woodworking and congrats on your basement shop! Mine is one of the most peaceful spaces in my world.

Get a good dust collector and set it up first if your in a basement.

Thank you Peter of all your great info. Can I ask why it's important to set the dust collector up before the rest of the equipment, other then the obvious of having it setup before you run it :-)


Any chance to take a class and learn to use one before purchase? Its one of the most hands on machines in the shop, it helps to have some experience with it to make an informed purchase that will suit your needs.


I have used one some in my general course I'm taking, but not nearly enough. That's a good piece of advice, and I think I'll wait some on the bandsaw. TS, jointer and planer (along with router and mitre saw) will be enough for me to get my feet wet. :) Think I'll buy a bandsaw book first!


Good luck and remember to save some money for wood!


aw crap!! you mean I have to buy wood too??:D

Thanks Again!

Barb

Barb Mrazek
03-17-2008, 6:22 PM
Thanks for everyone's welcome, advice, and quick responses! It's been very helpful in clearing up some confusion in my head :-) I'm off to my class to see if they can help me fix the major mistake I made last night with the bench I'm making, got a little too confident :-) Wish me luck!

Barb

Rich Konopka
03-24-2008, 7:12 PM
Hi Barb,

Welcome to the creek. I have a basement shop and i have found that dust is a real problem. It gets everywhere and has been a real health hazard for me. I am actually changing over to a better DC system and just picked up a boatload of festools. I was going to upgrade my contractor saw to a saw stop but chose the Festools over the Sawstop because I can get quite bit of tools for the same amount of money. I recommend that you pay close ttention to the tools and the dust they generate.

Billy Dodd
03-25-2008, 1:00 AM
Hi Barb! Hope it's not to late for another reply. As everyone stated, watch the electricty. I just upgraded my shop and spent 1200 dollars on upgrading the electric to it. Most of the machines you mention are 220 volts that need to be on their own breaker also unless your electric panel is downstairs within sight you'll need to put in a remote kill switch for each machine. (I'm not sure what they call the box.)
For a starting out woodworker those sure are some heavy duty machines you're looking at. In a basement shop it would seem you probably wont be making a lot of kitchen cabinets or mass production big items.
You would need to figure what your goal will be before you get your machinery. What good will a $1500 bandsaw do if all you want to do is small cutouts you could do on a very good 14 inch bandsaw? Would you be to nervous around that big 18 inch monster to use it? I just picked up a new cabinet saw to replace a contractor saw and while at the store they had a discontinued 14" 5hp monster of a saw for the same price as the saw I bought. Just looking at that thing scared me. I make cabinets and entertainment centers and really have know use for such a big saw.
I do have a bigger bandsaw now for resawwing, but still have my 12" for doing most of my working. As for the planer it depends on what your plan is. If you buy your wood already planed do you really need a big powerhouse? You get your boards flat with your joiner then use your planer to get them parallel in thickness. A good lunchbox will work for that just fine. But if you are continually taking 15/16 stock and making 1/2 inch out of it, go for the big one. It's not portable so you would have to put room into consideration.
Sorry for the long post. I would hate to see you get machines you have no use for or that would be too much for you and scare you away from woodworking. Good Luck!!

Dave MacArthur
03-25-2008, 2:44 AM
Good words from Billy above, except I do not think a "kill switch" is accurate--at least in the US the plug itself satisfies the disconnect requirements; the switch is needed for hardwired equip.

Great lineup of equipment; as Billy mentions above, you may want to decide what you'll be building before purchasing. HOWEVER... if you have the $, no one disputes the advantage of getting top quality FINAL equipment first instead of wasting time, $, aggravation etc. on inferior stuff. Also, unless you're doing commercial biz, you're in it for the enjoyment. Everyone gets their hobby enjoyment differently, and that is valid. Personally, I find I actually get a great amount of pleasure from READING about woodworking tools, and browsing around for them on CraigsList, and hoping/looking for that super deal. This is separate from woodworking, and I guess the woodworking kind of just SUPPORTS this evil addiction heh. My point is that you sound enthused, you have a GREAT list of equipment, and if you can afford it you may get a good deal of enjoyment from using it no matter WHAT you end up making.

Welcome, good luck! Keep us posted!
PS., Another vote for dust collection in a basement first priority.