Making My List and Checking It Twice

[Terry Teadtke]

I’m a little hesitant about even posting this as I don’t want it to be taken in the wrong way but after 3 years of serious consideration and research I’ve decided to take the plunge into opening a professional custom furniture shop. That’s not why I'm hesitant; I just don’t want anyone to think I’m just dreaming and wasting everyone’s time or that I’m attempting to show off or bragging in any way. I can assure you I’m as serious as can be and am only asking for opinions because I’m going to be spending a fair amount of money.

I have put a great deal of thought and research into the following list of equipment and would like any input or suggestions.


Saw Stop 5 HP table saw (the only saw I will consider after my little accident a few years ago)
Grizzly 3 HP Oscillating edge sander. 6” x 108” belt. # GO564
Grizzly 3 HP 19” Extreme bandsaw # GO514X2
Grizzly 2 HP cyclone dust collector #GO440
Grizzly Oscillating spindle sander #GO1071
Grizzly 20” 5 HP Spiral cutterhead planer #GO1033X
Grizzly 37” 10 HP Drum sander #GO449
Grizzly3 HP Shaper #G1026
Grizzly 1 HP Power feeder #G4181
Grizzly 12” Jointer with spiral cutterhead #GO609X
Jet 1642 Wood lathe and bed extension
Powermatic 719 Tilt table mortiser and stand
Fuji 4 Stage HVLP spray system
Exaktor EX 60 sliding table
Bosch 6.4 amp Barrel grip jig saw
2 Triton routers (one for a router table)
Bosch ½ sheet sanderThat pretty much covers the new equipment list other than a 24” dovetail jig and a drill press. I have various other hand and power tools, clamps, saw blades, and so on. The only other major purchase is going to be a 4 X 8 ShopBott. Just as soon as I secure a space I will be placing my orders which should be in the next 30 days if all goes as planned.

Obviously the majority of my list is Grizzly. I looked hard at Delta, Powermatic, Jet, Steel City, and General and seriously considered machines from each manufacturer. But after reading the reviews and comparing each piece of equipment and specifications, I’ve determined Grizzly offers the most bang for the buck. I’m going with the Powermatic mortiser because it has the longest stroke of any comparable machine and the Jet lathe because of the reviews. Fortunately the fine Sawmill Creek members in the turning section steered me toward the Jet rather than the Grizzly (thanks again guys!). The ShopBott is for cutting plywood into intricate shapes and adding carvings to certain pieces. Again, I’m just looking for a few opinions before I write the big checks. :eek:

Thanks

Terry

[Ron Dunn]

Terry, if you don't have at least some of this equipment already, are you sure you have the experience to start a business with this considerable investment?

[Terry Teadtke]

I actually have a fair amount of equipment but I’m looking at is what I hope is a one time purchase. Some of my major tools are as follows:

Delta Contractors saw with 52”Unifence
6” Grizzly jointer
Delta 12” planer
An old Shop Smith I use for a lathe
A Craftsman drill press
A DeWalt 12” Compound Miter saw
A Grizzly table top mortiser
And various other smaller power tools

The equipment listed above is all fine and well but in my opinion not suited for building large pieces of furniture.

Fortunately I have another job as well that can at times leave me with a lot of free time so I will not be starving if my plan doesn't take off for a while. I’ve been building mission style furniture for almost 20 years and have designed a unique line of furniture which combines a couple of traditional styles.

Terry

[Joe Jensen]

Terry, do you have a business plan? I think a business plan might be the single most important thing to have. Some questions I'd want to have answered before starting.
1) What do I think I can sell in my area?
2) What is the competition for that product? How much do they charge?
3) Am I going to build lots of the same thing (like stuff for craft fairs) or one off custom? Maybe cabinets and built-ins.

I personally have spent a lot of time thinking about starting a cabinet shop. I haven't pulled the trigger because I can't find a business will make the income I want, and not be boring. It seems to me that there are very few folks making a good living doing high end one off stuff. I live in Phoenix so there isn't much architectural millwork, but if I lived in an area where that was popular, that's what I'd do. Cabinets look good, but in my area, I don't see how to compete with giant shops that are highly automated. I can buy red oak doors ready to finish for $7.00 a square foot. Pretty hard to beat that.

Several pros I've read about make their living doing volume of simple things, cutting boards and stuff like that.

How much an hour do you need to make. If shops in your area are paying say $15 an hour, what will you bring to the equation to generate more that that after covering your overhead and taxes?

So far I am pushing my commercial dreams out until I don't need to make a living, (retired) and then I'll focus building one off custom things. With, the dream that folks will beat a path to my door :D

[Terry Teadtke]

I’ve spent a great deal of time researching the custom and semi-custom furniture market here in Portland and feel there’s room for at least one more. I’ll have the standard line of mission style furniture that will be built on a semi-production scale and then I will have a high end line of my self-designed furniture.

I’m in a rather unique situation here in Portland. Portland’s full of Craftsman style homes and the younger people are buying these Craftsman’s, restoring them, and furnishing them with high quality furniture. I just happen to be a Realtor in Portland and all I do is work with older homes including Craftsman’s

http://terrysvintagehomes.com/ (http://terrysvintagehomes.com/)

I do a substantial amount of advertising directly to these older homes and should be able to piggyback my woodworking venture on my Real Estate advertising. Fortunately I’m not dependent on having to rely on my furniture business for income and actually plan on taking a year building up inventory before I actually start to market pieces. I’ll see what sells and then concentrate on those specific pieces. Maybe I’m going through a mid life crisis and I’m doing it wrong. Most guys going through a mid like crisis a get divorced, buy a Corvette, and date girls ½ their age. Me? I’m single, don’t care for Corvettes, and can’t stand the thought of dating someone young enough to be my daughter so I’m going to make sawdust with equipment that costs as much as a Corvette.

[Ron Dunn]

Terry, I love the houses on your web site ... if I was half a world closer, and several million richer, I think I'd be ringing your telephone :)

Sorry for misunderstanding your original post. I thought you might have been making a frequent hobby-to-business-dream mistake, but it looks like you do have an interesting niche and the ability to take a risk without being killed if it fails.

I've never seen a Grizzly - don't think anyone sells them here - so I'll leave the tool discussion for those with experience.

[Peter Luch]

Terry,

Nich, nich, nich is the word for a sucessful small business and it looks like you have yours.

Good luck and I hate you because I would love to have that list of tools delivered to my shop!

Aloha, Pete

[Mike Williams]

I don't have the knowledge to answer my question. Is anyone concerned about the Grizzly 2 HP cyclone dust collector being undersized for some of the equipment listed (e.g. a 20" planer)? I know it depends on the ductwork layout and proximity of the big dust / chip producers to the dust collector.

It especially seems like it would be undersized if two or more people (now or in the future) would be working in the shop at the same time.

Mike

[Larry Fox]

My first thought when reading your post was the same as Mike's - I would look into pushing up the specs on the DC. I would also reconsider the spray setup. Your shop will likely find 1,001 uses for lots of compressed air so, unless you need the portability the Fuji buys you, I would buy a big compressor and get a remote pressure-pot based conversion setup.

As others have said, good luck and you appear to be off to a good start.

[Chuck Saunders]

I was thinking the same thing Mike. I would suggest bumping up the DC to at least 5HP.

[Mike Heidrick]

Some of the tools in a buddies cabinet shop here in small town IL. He also can do farmed out contracts for doors. Not comparing your selection of tools so please do not get offended. Just giving you a different perspective. Have you visited local profitable cabinet shops in your area????

Blum dedicated euro hinge install machine
37" Widebelt Timesaver with big conveyor tables in and out.
3 different Weaver shapers all with LRH or Freeborn dedicated sets and three with Weaver power feeders, and one that uses the weaver sold template guides.
2 Grizzly 3hp shapers also with dedicated freeborn sets and with feeders. He wants these 2 replaced with Weavers.
A Ritter tilting 1.25" spindle profile sander (think sander built like industrial shaper) that uses custom made sanding heads
5hp cyclone DC system with two 55 gallon bins
8" jointer Grizzly (non spiral)
20" planer Grizzly (non spiral)
Jet Hybrid saw with sliding table
The big standalone Kreg table with pneumatic hold down and foot operated controls
A crazy wall mounted glue up press That has some air accuated clamping arm and these crazy ratcheting clamping - Don't know the brand (will update latter).
A dedicated finishing room (big enough to finish a kitchen all at once) with blast proof fan and a Kremlin finishing sytem. Also has door racks, lazy susan spraying table, and flamable liquids cabinet.
A small junky 12" craftsman bandsaw with marginal blades

Your shop selections to me sound like a well outfitted hobby/multipurpose shop (just IMO). I think this because You have many tools on your list that are not typical cabinet maker tools and not enough "tool" in the machines you do need. IMO - forego the 719 mortiser, 19" bandsaw (although I give my buddy crap for his junky one), and lathe. Upgrade to a larger cyclone and one with DC layout/planning services. Use your existing mortiser, buy a smaller bandsaw, and buy some more shapers (you really need to think about change over frequency and the time spent here!!). Also consider a widebelt sander vs a Drum. Also I do not see freeborn/'LRH tooling or ductwork in the list but those are going to be serious expenses.

You have a dedicated building for all this I hope.

[J. Z. Guest]

Terry, here are my thoughts:

- I wouldn't necessarily replace the stuff you have because it isn't considered pro grade. Wait until it is inadequate.

- Call Grizzly and ask them for a package pricing deal. If they won't do it, call Jet/Powermatic, Delta, Laguna, etc. You're talking about spending tens of thousands of dollars here, so this is realistic.

- Don't forget insurance for your tools and maybe yourself.

- It is great that you won't be dependent on the shop income. This is key to risk management, IMO.

- www.woodmagazine.com (http://www.woodmagazine.com) has some very nice Craftsman furniture plans. I'm working on the nightstands now.

[jim oakes]

Hi Terry, I'm a retired cabinetmaker and I live in the Gorge 1 hour east of you. PM me if you want . I love to talk about this stuff. I made everything from kitchens to conference tables when I was in the wood business.

I think it's great to do just what you're doing first, like asking for feedback here.

[richard poitras]

One thing you may want to consider is buying all the tools at once? If you can get by with some of your existing tools and buy new stuff each year, you can have write offs for each year, not just for the first year. Do to the fact that you can only write off so much a year (also you can see what direction things are going you never know what pieces of equipment you may need instead that aren’t on your list that you need or dint realize )..just something to think about for the Tax man!!!!

[Terry Teadtke]

Just the kind of feedback I was hoping for:). I forgot to mention I already have a compressor so I’m in good shape in the air department and I’m convinced I need to upgrade to a 5HP cyclone DC. I thought about asking Grizzly for some kind of bulk price and will see where that goes. Maybe a discount on shipping? We’ll see.

I agree my equipment selection looks like a high-end hobby shop or low end professional shop and that was done intentionally. Some of my thinking is as follows:

A Drum sander is way less expensive than a belt sander about the same size. I first was seriously considering a 26” Steel City drum sander but 26” wouldn’t be large enough for larger table tops to go through.

Building the type a Mission furniture I do a mortise machine is essential. I have worn out my Grizzly mortiser and it didn’t have enough stroke capacity for larger pieces.

At first I was seriously considering an 8” jointer but the 12” is not that much more expensive and will be large enough for building solid wood table tops. My 6” jointer was pretty limiting at times.

A 20” planer should be large enough for most my glue-ups

The 19” bandsaw is mostly for re-saw but is large enough for other work. My 12” Craftsman just isn’t large enough and never really was.

I will periodically need turned pieces up to 5’ long and chose the Jet because it has an extension and looks to be a pretty good intermediate level machine. If more of my work consisted of turned pieces I would have seriously considered the Powermatic

I figure one of three things will happen.

1. My venture will be a complete flop, I’ll close the doors, and all the pieces of equipment will go home.

2. I’ll do well enough to consider upgrading to a few pieces of more professional equipment and put a few more people on the payroll as time goes on.

3. I’ll become busy enough to where it makes sense upgrade to production equipment such as the big wide belt sander, the big sliding table saw, the horizontal mortise machine and so on and so on. Then I’ll need hire more people and I can see quality control being an issue (anyone look closely at Stickly furniture lately?:() But at that point of success you’re basically supervising a group of machine operators rather than woodworker so I’m not sure I want to get that big. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Many people do really well running that type of operation. It’s just not where I really want to go.

Right now it’s just going to be me and my next door neighbor to help. We will see how it goes from there.

Terry

[Peter Quadarella]

Terry that sounds awesome. I applaud you for your courage!

[Joe Jensen]

I’ve spent a great deal of time researching the custom and semi-custom furniture market here in Portland and feel there’s room for at least one more. I’ll have the standard line of mission style furniture that will be built on a semi-production scale and then I will have a high end line of my self-designed furniture.

I’m in a rather unique situation here in Portland. Portland’s full of Craftsman style homes and the younger people are buying these Craftsman’s, restoring them, and furnishing them with high quality furniture. I just happen to be a Realtor in Portland and all I do is work with older homes including Craftsman’s

http://terrysvintagehomes.com/ (http://terrysvintagehomes.com/)

I do a substantial amount of advertising directly to these older homes and should be able to piggyback my woodworking venture on my Real Estate advertising. Fortunately I’m not dependent on having to rely on my furniture business for income and actually plan on taking a year building up inventory before I actually start to market pieces. I’ll see what sells and then concentrate on those specific pieces. Maybe I’m going through a mid life crisis and I’m doing it wrong. Most guys going through a mid like crisis a get divorced, buy a Corvette, and date girls ½ their age. Me? I’m single, don’t care for Corvettes, and can’t stand the thought of dating someone young enough to be my daughter so I’m going to make sawdust with equipment that costs as much as a Corvette.

COOL

The other things I would add are Lots of space, and lots of benches. I'm thinking more of rolling work cart/assembly benches with carpet on top. This way you can move from project. I think you should also seriously evaluate Festool sanders. I needed a 1/2 sheet, and once I had the Festool 1/2 sheet, I completely converted within 4 months, and now I have 6 of them. I get essentially zero dust in the air, and I can sand for hours without getting dust on my black t-shirts. It's easy to try one, you can buy and use risk free for 30 days, or try a local independent dealer who would likely have demo stuff available.

Also, tons of clamps. I have about 30 Bessey K-body, and it I were going commercial, I'd want double that.

Lastly, I hate sanding. If I were going commercial, nearly the first thing I would get is a top end belt sander. Not so much width, but absolutely for avoiding time sanding. I've only used a friends drum sander (Performance open end), but even for hobby use it was slow, and left a lot of sanding to be done with an orbital. I have a local shop with a 37" Timesaver that will take outside work, and when I do table tops I go there. The finish out of that machine is ready for 120-150 grit orbital. Maybe I'm overkill, but I HATE sanding. Doing it as a pro without a Widebelt (good one with a platten and that oscillates) would be a non-starter for me...joe

[Peter Quinn]

Other than a bigger dust collector and pipes to connect it I'd be asking my self three questions regarding production methods and equipment:

1) When I think custom Arts and Crafts I think lots of M&T's. Assuming integral mortises and tennons, how are you going to make them. The mortises I get (PM mortiser), but how will you make the tennons? Tennoning jig on TS? DADO? BS? Shaper with tennon cutters? If your going to produce lots of tennons quickly and accurately you want to have a clear plan about how you will do this quickly. Some methods are quicker than others. Do all of your machine choices support your preferred method? Will you need any additional jigs or fixtures? How will you make thousands of tennons profitably in your shop?

2) What role does the TS play in your shop? When you spend on a saw stop you are in the ball park to buy many things. I get the safety issue, but another safe way to cut stock is to keep your hands away from the blade by using a euro slider. I find that sliders excel at accurate repeatable cross cuts in hard wood (not just for sheet goods). In fact I have yet to see a traditional american TS set up that even comes close in that department. Its not that you can't cross cut on a TS, its simply safer, easier and quicker on a slider. Your hands are MUCH farther from the blade.

Back to M&T, when I think semi-production Arts and crafts, I'm seeing lots of parts cut accurately to length in preparation for tennoning, and for that your going to want every advantage you can get. If you don't have a dedicated way to cut your parts precisely to length consider a slider sooner rather than later. If your not familiar with them Felder, Minimax and Laguna all have demo DVD's that may show you their use in action. Might be worth a closer look.

3) What role does your shaper play? A 3HP shaper is the bare minimum, and the Grizzly 3HP is bare bones at that. Depending on how you work and to what use you will put it a 3HP grizzly may be fine or may be a major restriction. A bigger machine with a sliding table can work as tennoning device. A 5HP with a tall 1 1/4" spindle can handle spiral index rabbiting cutters to make short work of flushing curves to a pattern and function as a spindle sander. I would think about all the things a shaper is capable of, look at your designs and decide if a small 3HP is truly enough for you. Think about what tooling you wish to acquire and decide if the shaper on your list can actually spin them. I have a 3HP delta and it is often a limitation to me. Perhaps a bigger used shaper might get you started and offer more value?

I applaud your courage. The proceeding comments are meant simply as food for thought and should be in no way seen as criticism.

[Terry Teadtke]

I’ll be cutting tenons on the table saw with a tenoning jig. I’m not anticipating needing a dedicated tenoning machine for some time, if ever, due to intentional limited production. Maybe only about 30% of my furniture will have tenons.

Since I’m planning on being and staying a low volume shop, the table saw will be more than adequate for the foreseeable future. I really like the sliding saws but can’t see the need for one in the near future. Now if I was building a lot of cabinets that would be a different story but most of my work will be furniture. I may need one in the future but that’s a ways off. I’ve looked at the Laguna and Grizzly sliding table saws and will reconsider when the need arises. In the mean time I figure I can use the ShopBott to make many of the pieces I need out of plywood. Sure it takes a little while to create the program for cutting, but once the program is saved I can just use it again when I need the same cut.

Like the Jet lathe, the shaper will be one of the least utilized tools in the shop but I will need one on occasion. I may need to shape 50' of material at a time and the cuts will be pretty much limited to ½”-1” round-overs. I’m not going to be doing raised panel doors or anything that’s going to put much of a strain on a 3 HP shaper. The feeder is for the most part a safety item.

I will probably keep an eye on Craigs list for a belt sander and sliding table saw when the need arises. I them every once in a while.

Again, this is the type of critical input I’m looking for and really appreciate it. The last thing I wanted was everyone agreeing with me.

Terry

[Don Bullock]

I just wish that I lived next door.;):D I hope that it all works out for you.

[Charles Shenk]

Terry, if you believe in yourself and are committed, you can't fail IMHO. My advice would be to buy as many used machines of higher quality as possible. Like most tools, the best collection comes about through shopping for specific needs as they arise verses guestimating what you'll need. Start with the core and build from there. I see many solid deals on used Felders and MiniMax's etc. If it were me, I would start with a new Sawstop 5hp, a new Minimax MM20 bandsaw for resawing, a used 14" powermatic or Delta bandsaw for cutting curves, a new or used 16" Felder joiner/planer, a Rikon mini lathe, a used Powermatic 5 hp shaper, a used drum sander, the powermatic mortiser and a well thought out dust collection system. If things don't work out, there's much more of a market for the quality machines than there is for the run of the mill stuff. I hate buying tools knowing that I will have to replace them. I usually save up for the nicer stuff. Since you are going pro, so to speak, don't mess around.

Start building furniture as soon as possible.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Terry,
Are you planning on making:
- Stickley
- Ellis
- later Ellis influenced Stickley
"style" or a combination of all or none or Mission/Prairie "style"?
Reason I ask is it could/would impact the machinery.

Stickley was all about (pre-Ellis) straight bold lines and obvious joinery - bold dovetails & through tenons. Think lots of table saw & planer to handle the massive straight cuts. You already addressed the mortiser.
Ellis introduced the gentle curve to the Stickley design. Think big bandsaw here to cover the massive wood.

Stickley also used a lot of quatersawn, so again, a large bandsaw.

Here's a thought.

I’ve been building mission style furniture for almost 20 years and have designed a unique line of furniture which combines a couple of traditional styles.
Stickley believed the fireplace was the central part of the house. His mantels - there's a few images on the web you can google - reflect it.
There's little doubt in my mind (based on the number of "Craftsman" houses I viewed in the last ~ 5 years) that the original mantles have gone the way of the wind.
By offering a "period/Stickley correct" mantle &/or one based on your design, you'd be setting yourself up as the furniture supplier.
it's be a good way also to "get your feet wet".

Anyhow - good luck with the endevour.
I've just about concluded that once the 9 to 5 is out of the way, I'm going to concentrate on rehabbing Craftsman houses.
( I shoudn't say this too loud ;)) There a few "restoration" outfits in my area. All of them concentrate on Victorians. None of them have a clue about Craftsmans, and try to "Victorian-ise" them.

[Stephen Edwards]

Have you considered loose tenon jointery for the mortise and tenons? This guy does beautiful Arts and Crafts furniture using that method:

http://eaglelakewoodworking.com

It sure seems to be a real time saver without a compromise in quality.

Best wishes with your venture!

[jim oakes]

I agree,if I had to make lots of mortise and tenon joints I'd use the loose tenon.
Much faster way to get good fitting joints.

But for marketing I'd call it the "double mortise and tenon" it sounds better and it's a good description of the joint.

[Terry Teadtke]

Hello Terry,
Are you planning on making:
- Stickley
- Ellis
- later Ellis influenced Stickley
"style" or a combination of all or none or Mission/Prairie "style"?
Reason I ask is it could/would impact the machinery.

Stickley was all about (pre-Ellis) straight bold lines and obvious joinery - bold dovetails & through tenons. Think lots of table saw & planer to handle the massive straight cuts. You already addressed the mortiser.
Ellis introduced the gentle curve to the Stickley design. Think big bandsaw here to cover the massive wood.

Stickley also used a lot of quatersawn, so again, a large bandsaw.

I’ve actually developed two unique furniture lines: one is indeed a combination of Mission and Prairie and the other is a blend of Prairie and Art Deco:eek:. The Prairie/Art Deco style will have long sweeping lines that should compliment the curves in Tudor style homes. Top secret stuff I’m sure will be copied the world over in just a few short years:cool: . Yep, I can just imagine future topics on Saw Mill Creek in twenty years discussing Stickley, Ellis, and that crazy Realtor guy’s work:rolleyes:. May be just Ellis and Stickley;).


Here's a thought.

Stickley believed the fireplace was the central part of the house. His mantels - there's a few images on the web you can google - reflect it.
There's little doubt in my mind (based on the number of "Craftsman" houses I viewed in the last ~ 5 years) that the original mantles have gone the way of the wind.
By offering a "period/Stickley correct" mantle &/or one based on your design, you'd be setting yourself up as the furniture supplier.
it's be a good way also to "get your feet wet".

That’s another reason I hang out here is to pick up ideas I would not have thought of. The fireplace mantel is a great idea something I hadn’t thought of including in my line. Inglenooks and Craftsman built-in cabinetry would be another great idea which could eventually include kitchens although I’m not too wild about expanding into building kitchen cabinets; yet. I’m going to have to owe you a percentage of each fireplace mantel sold for that idea.


Anyhow - good luck with the endevour.
I've just about concluded that once the 9 to 5 is out of the way, I'm going to concentrate on rehabbing Craftsman houses.
( I shoudn't say this too loud ;)) There a few "restoration" outfits in my area. All of them concentrate on Victorians. None of them have a clue about Craftsmans, and try to "Victorian-ise" them.

You’re miles ahead of the game sticking with Craftsmen’s. Easy to restore compared to the Victorians with all their delicate spindles and scrollwork. Victorians are beautiful to look at but the highly ornate ones are constant work to keep up. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions in the restoration process. I’ve restored many Craftsman homes as a hobby over the last 30 years.


Terry

[Terry Teadtke]

Have you considered loose tenon jointery for the mortise and tenons? This guy does beautiful Arts and Crafts furniture using that method:

http://eaglelakewoodworking.com

It sure seems to be a real time saver without a compromise in quality.

Best wishes with your venture!

That's something I'll look into. Most of my furniture will have through tenon jointery but loose tenon jointery would have it's place as well

Terry

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello Terry,

I’m going to have to owe you a percentage of each fireplace mantel sold for that idea.
2008 Contributor under your name = percentage paid in full in my book.
Glad I could help.
Looking forward to some pictures of your work when you get all squared away.

[Brian W Evans]

Terry,

Congrats on what seems like a great idea and a heckuva lot of fun. Just a thought: you might want to consider buying your machines from a local supplier. The two machines I bought locally were delivered fully assembled, cleaned, waxed, square, and in perfect working condition. I even got a lesson on how to use them. They were put where I wanted them in the shop and the delivery/assembly charge was less than shipping from anywhere else.

Having somebody local who remembers the time you spent $xx,xxx in his shop will be extremely helpful when you need a repair done ASAP. My local guy will usually lend a shop a machine while the repairs are being done, as well. Nice to have that kind of support.

Best of luck!

[Terry Teadtke]

I’m planning on buying a couple of machines locally like the SawStop and even Grizzly can be considered somewhat local since they’re only a couple hundred miles to the north. The majority of my blades, cutters, and other smaller tools will be purchased local as well. Thanks for bringing up a good point.

Terry

[jud dinsmore]

my woodworking business is almost off the ground (the electrician is supposed to start hooking up my machines tomorrow). i would highly recommend purchasing used equipment. there are deals out there, and assuming the worst, you can't lose as much money reselling used equipment as you can new. i got a '99 mini max 10' slider for $6k and a 37" wide belt for another $6k. i think both are decent purchases and, given enough time, i could probably sell both for within 10% of what i paid. this wouldn't be an option if i purchased these new.

as for some suggestions - bigger dust collector and a conversion gun instead of the fuji.

good luck.

[Steve Paxson]

Mike
Oneida has been compared to Grizzly a few times in magazines. Hands down, Oneida always got the nod. Grizzly has mentioned Oneida in there own comparisons stating better performance. Oneida has countered those statements on their website by comparing apples to apples proving Grizzly wrong. All in all, I chose Oneida and bought the 3hp super Gorrilla and do not have one regret! Buy American if you can!
Steve

[Thomas S Stockton]

I would get a wide belt sander with a platten before I bought a drum sander of that size. It will produce a much nicer surface and since mission style furniture is mostly flat and square shapes you will be using it a lot. If you can't afford a big one you can get a smaller one and send out table tops to a shop that has the capacity to do them. I would guess that a little 15" open ended one would do about 90% of your sanding.
The other thing I would do is get a copy of American Bungalow magazine and look at the ads because these people will be your competition.
Shop for a good price on the tools go into Barbo machinery and see what they can do for you same goes for western tool, you might be pleasantly surprised as to what they will do.
Tom