Tool List - What's Missing?

[Samuel Brooks]

Question:
I am thinking about making a few purchases this year to "complete" the major items in my shop. I share space with my wife's vehicle in our garage which is 24 x 40 but her vehicle has only spent about 2 weeks in "my shop" this year :D. Possession is 9/10th of the Law right?. If I happen to leave my breakdown table setup where her vehicle parks it's tough for her to park it inside. ;) I do general wood working for fun with one or two project a year that are paid for. The buyer has to have ALL LOT of Patience because I might not touch a project for weeks at a time when my lively hood / life is too busy. I am also the goto person for fix-up's :o which means I never know what I might be doing next.

Likes:
I like building furniture for some unknown reason and I really like the arts and crafts style, but I have not done any yet. I am going to skip listing brands, because I like to spend time researching tools which is also part of the hobby :D. So I am more interested in categories. I am also a Power Tool Guy so no offense to those of you who use hand tools. After I received a few comments, I decided to add model information to give everyone a better sense of what my current stuff can do.

Current Equipment List:
10" Contractors Saw with High End After Market Fence and 50" capacity JWTS-10CW2-JF Includes Cast Iron Tables and Incra TS-LS Fence with Removable Outfeed Table that does not get removed :-) and covers up the Motor that hangs out the back.
6" Jointer JJ6-CSX
12" Compound Miter Saw Ridgid MS1250LZ
42" Lathe Jet JWL-1442VSK
14" Bandsaw with 6" riser - Powermatic PWBS-14CS
Lunchbox Planer - Ryobi 13"
Shop Built Dedicated Router Table with Dewalt 3-in-1 Router, Woodpecker 32" LE Fence, Woodpecker Router Plate with Insert Set, "Original Incra Jig" for Fence Placement.
Scroll Saw - Dremel 18"
6" Disk 4" x 36" Belt Combination Sander Benchtop - Ryobi
12" Benchtop Drill Press - Ryobi - With Shop Built Table / Fence so I can do end-drilling up to 5' tall boards.
Quality Hand Held Saw Guide System for Sheet Breakdown using the EZ-Smart System with a Porter-Cable Hand Saw Dedicated.
Wet Grinder for Tool Sharpening - Tormek - With full set of turning tools sharpening jigs.
Central Dust Collection with Ductwork Installed - Jet 1100 with Remote. Connected with a metal 6" main run with 4" branches. I have not hand any issues with dust lying around except for the Contractors Saw.

Accessories that I have:
Incra Cross Cut Sled with 1000SCE Mitre Gauge
Shop Built Cross Cut Sled for larger items
Outfeed Roller Stands - Mulitiple used with lots of the tools
Dovetail Jig
Hand Sanders - Palm (Square Sheet), Orbital (2), Belt
Dremel
Jigsaw
Wixley tilt Gauge
Battery Powered Drills (2)
Digital Calipers, Manual Calipers, Straight Edges, Rulers etc.
Clamps of all kinds including quick release, bar etc.
A few low quality planes.
Two Shop Built Benches, One for Rough Work and One for Assembly.
All of the little stuff that I try really hard to not think about how much it adds up to.


Current Consideration List:
Spindle Sander - Something in the $150-$300 range. I have been using the bend on my benchtop Disk / Belt but it's just a pain.
Drum Sander $700 - $1200 range 16/32 Jet or 22/44 Jet or Steel City 16/32 but since this one just came out, I might not be able to get one to do my current project so it might be off the list just due to availability.
Vacuum Press - $300 - $600 range including bag that will handle a 8' piece ie table. www.JoeWoodwooker.com (http://www.JoeWoodwooker.com) Kit
Floor Standing Drill Press - $700-$900 range I am thinking about the Powermatic or the new Delta due to variable speed. They will be more Accuracy then the Ryobi and I find that I do not want to bother with changing belts so I end up drilling at the wrong speeds. Although, the Ryobi has been with me for 6+ years and does a pretty good job on Pens so this one will be a tough sell to myself.


Other Information:
1) I use a Router with some Jigs for mortise joints so I am not considering a dedicated Mortise machine. Even with the qty of them on Arts and Crafts :eek:.
2) I have a dovetail jig.
3) I am not planing on upgrading any of my current equipment other then the drill press. As much as I would like a new cabinet saw, I just cannot justify it. My Contractors saw has a 1.5hp TEFC motor and it cuts anything that I put at it and with the after market fence it is very accurate. Assuming that I have a sharp blade installed. :D
4) My last project could have used the Vacuum Press and my current project really needs the Drum Sander.

Personal Background:
I would classify myself as have an Intermediate skill level with aspiration of Advanced. :cool: I subscribe to 4 different magazines of which I read and have been at this hobby for about 7 years. I have attended several woodworking seminars and find that I have a real passion for it as a HOBBY not a living.

I tend to buy tools as I need them which is what is prompting this current question because I could really use a Drum Sander and Vacuum press and I have found that once I talk about spending more then $1000 at a single crack, it's easier to talk myself into spending $2000 - $3000 :) at the same time.

What might I be missing category wise on the consideration list? My intent is not to start a discussion about brands but more based on Categories.

Thanks for everyones comments in advance.

Sam

[scott spencer]

Switching to a floor standing DP might gain some mass and vertical capacity, but unless you go for more power and larger swing you wouldn't be gaining alot IMO....a DP is a tool that I only use occasionally so YMMV.

I'd think an 8" jointer would be a nice upgrade.

I had, and really liked a tricked out GI contractor saw for 2 years, but I still really liked the upgrades the 22124 hybrid offered....more mass, better DC, more foot room, no motor off the back, etc....power wasn't much of an issue with either saw, but the other attributes make the upgrade surprisingly more enjoyable. I'm in the middle of putting together a new Shop Fox cabinet saw now, and I expect I'll get the same benefits the hybrid offered and then some. The Shop Fox was a want, not a need, but it's a hobby that I enjoy and this is the type of saw I've wanted for a long time, so if it adds some enjoyment I'm pleased, regardless whether or not it adds more capacity or more function. It's more of a milestone for me. I justified it by selling my other saw, biscuit cutter, and some handplanes....no grocery money spent!

Other fun additions...A decent bench or floor sander is always a good addition, as are good highend cutters, good miter gauge, some handplanes, chisels, and a good workbench/vise setup. Remote control DC is a wonderful acquisition! I also really like having a digital angle gauge like a Wixey (http://www.epinions.com/content_406447296132). Digital fence readout will be installed shortly!

How do you cut mortises in the range of 1/2" x 1/2" for the vertical ballisters that much of the A&C/Mission style furniture uses?

Good luck and have fun.

[Matt Hutchinson]

A hollow chisel mortiser maybe?

Of course, all styles of furniture can, and in my opinion should when possible, use mortise and tenon joints. There are many ways to join furniture, but as a hobbiest I would try the better joints, like mortise and tenon.

Personally, I don't really like these mortising machines, mainly cuz the lower end ones aren't designed well. I have used a router setup to do my mortises, and it works great. I can get a perfect fit this way.

Other than that, I don't know. A sanding machine would be nice, like you listed. If I had lots of money I would get both an edge sander and oscillating spindle sander.

Hutch

[Don Bullock]

Question:
I am thinking about making a few purchases this year to "complete" the major items in my shop. ...
Likes:
I like building furniture for some unknown reason and I really like the arts and crafts style, but I have not done any yet. ...
I tend to buy tools as I need them which is what is prompting this current question because I could really use a Drum Sander and Vacuum press and I have found that once I talk about spending more then $1000 at a single crack, it's easier to talk myself into spending $2000 - $3000 :) at the same time....

Sam

Sam,
You sound just like me. My latest passion is A & C furniture and architecture (especially interior details). I even spend money on tools in chucks just like you do and concentrate on the tools I need for a particular project. If the County of San Diego ever accepts my plans and issues a building permit I'll even have exactly the same size shop/garage.

1) Your list of tools you're considering looks good. I'd love to have those as well. If your current project "needs a drum sander" then you may have answered your own question. A good one could easily eat up your $2,000 - $3,000 budget alone. The only one on your "wish list" that I do have is a spindle sander. I bought a RIDGID Oscillating Edge/belt Spindle Sander for a project for last Christmas and have used both the spindles and the belt on additional projects. It's a very handy tool to have.

2) I've found a compound sliding miter saw to be a very valuable tool in the shop. If your current saw is just a "chop saw" you might want to upgrade. Yes, I realize that you said "no upgrades," but I'm suggesting it anyway.

3) Due to the advice here and other forums I purchased an 8" jointer rather than a 6". I must say that it was a very good decision because the first board I jointed would have been too long to joint on a machine with a shorter table. I know, another upgrade suggestion.

4) Yes, I realize that this won't fit your current budget, but a good cabinet saw is in your future. I can't believe what a joy a good table saw is when compared to the contractors saw I struggled with for so many years.

Good luck with your decisions and purchases.

[Nathan Conner]

Likes:
I like building furniture for some unknown reason and I really like the arts and crafts style, but I have not done any yet...I am also a Power Tool Guy so no offense to those of you who use hand tools.

Current Consideration List:
Spindle Sander
Drum Sander
Vacuum Press
Floor Standing Drill Press


Hey, Sam. My personal opinion, as I found myself in the same boat a couple of years ago, would be (and I know, I'm a power tool guy, too, most of the time):

No on the spindle sander, No on the Floor Standing Drill press, Yes on the Vacuum Press, and maybe on the Drum Sander. Here's why:

- I bought a Big, beautiful Spindle sander at a great price. It sat, unused most of the time, until I finally sold it. It took up room, and I got no use out of it. You can hand-sand everything you'd need one for. Handy? Maybe. But not all that useful - not like you can use it for other things.
- I just sold my 12" DP. Have never owned a floor press, and rarely (maybe twice a year) used my little one. A set of plywood jigs seem more versatile. Stick with those and your 12" press for now.
- The Vacuum press - I built my own based on plans from THE guy on the web (look him up, you won't be sorry) and was quite happy with the results. It's versatile, and will help you do some creative stuff it's hard to do otherwise. Not too spendy, either.
- The Sander - That's sort of a maybe. It's useful (especially with veneer work) for larger panels, cleanup of a lot of pieces that are too small for the planer, and other things. The problem is, if you buy a cheap one - it's like all other tools, not very useful unless it's setup correctly and you have good dust collection. Otherwise, you're burning otherwise nice work.

I would recommend getting familiar with a good hand plane or two, a nice set of chisels (that water wheel will come in handy!), a card scraper, a nice one or two Japanese kogatana marking knives, maybe some nice measurement tools - I know you didn't list hand tools, but as far as that goes, a good solid machining square, nice marking knives and a good hand plane - you'll use those on EVERY project, once you start, and it will greatly improve the quality and fun of doing your work.

The other stuff - let it come. When you need something for a specific project or have extra cash, it's great. And don't be in a hurry, regardless of your power tool fetish. I have one, too, and I love the sound of a nice machine powering up. But I'm finding more and more that those can (And should) only be bought once. Getting a cheap tool to see if you like it often turns you off to the tool entirely. And getting an expensive one without knowing if you'll use it makes you crazy if it just sits and gathers dust.

Keep making a mess, though. The messier the shop is, the more likely it is that next year, she won't even park in there for those two weeks.

Cheers!

[Peter Quinn]

Yup. a good 8" jointer is is not merely 2" wider and a bit longer, it is in a whole new weight class. Most good 8" machines are far closer to industrial machines than a 6". 220V power plant, smoother on wide faces (I'd much rather face joint 5" QSWO on my 8" than on my 6" regardless of length, its just so much smoother). They do take up more space to store and operate, but its long skinny space that fits tight to a wall so it might work in a garage? Hard to explain how much of an upgrade that jump is till you have done it.

Otherwise, seems like time and wood would be more valuable to you than more machines. A drum sander helps a lot with sawn veneer, and a vacuum bag will help you apply it, also offers good clamping options if you use a router a lot. You can always apply veneer the old fashioned way if necessary.

I just bought a horizontal mortiser, SO MUCH EASIER than a router its hard to describe, quick, quiet and accurate. A router cut mortise can only be described as accurate. If you want to make a lot of mortises and have limited time a dedicated machine will get you there much quicker, but you will lose some space on that one. Have you considered adding a car port?:D

[Samuel Brooks]

Have you considered adding a car port?:D

Yes I did :rolleyes:, but I just added on 10' x 24' in 2007 to extend the garage 10' back so I could leave my tools setup. I am maxed on my Garage size due to property lot set backs and position of garage. :(.

This is why I have room for more tools. :D

Sam