If you could have just one stationary saw

[Winton Applegate]

Well there is no question at all for me so I posted without reading the other replies which I will do next.
Since your new shop is going to be smallish I would go with what I have over the 18 inch bandsaw. That is unless you have a frequent use for that capacity saw.


I have the Laguna 14 from several years ago. I am in love with that saw.
Of coarse bigger is better but how often will YOU need bigger.
My 14 is used almost exclusively for resawing and for the hardest 10 inch rough planks it doesn't even slow down. The two horse Baldor motor propelled by 220 v pulling the Laguna resaw king blade is plenty powerful enough.


I can even drag it around the shop to get it out of the way without a dedicated roller base but I will get around to making one of those some day. I admit to getting out some wheels a couple of times and starting in but figured I had better things to spend my time on since moving it without wasn't too complicated.

[Winton Applegate]

Stationary Saw vs Stationary Tool

I was confused why everybody was mentioning drill presses (that's not a saw) but since I reread your question I see.
Well OF COURSE you will need a drill press ! ! ! ! !
One turns the table to stick out perpendicular to the drill press head and adjust it to the same hight as the bandsaw table and
VIOLA
you have an out feed suport for your ten foot long, eighty pound plus, rough lumber coming off the bandsaw.
Sheeesh everybody knows that.

[Mike Holbrook]

I'm with Winton, mine is the Laguna 14SUV, with the mobile base and a Driftmaster Fence. I don't see a need for anything more. Ok the Driftmaster is probably over kill but, after years of dealing with a sort of fence on an INCA 10" saw I was going to make sure I had a great fence to help me make those long rips and precise resaws. Other power tools I have are: Drill Press, Steel City Planer, Festool plunge saw, mostly for breaking up sheet goods for construction projects, but it also can provide good edges and save me from needing a jointer. My table saw is now another work table that just happens to have a very flat surface. I have not turned that beast on in over a year and now that I have the Laguna with Driftmaster and a Festool plunge saw with guide and table I don't see why I would.

[john davey]

Bandsaw. I am dwindling my machines now and it is difficult. But the bandsaw, lathe and drill press will be the only machines I have when the dwindling is done.

[Derek Cohen]

I apologize if this question has been asked before, but if you could have just one stationary tool to complement a well-equipped hand tool shop what would it be? I build all types of fine furniture, mostly in mahagony and quartersawn white oak, and use virtually no sheet goods, even for drawer bottoms and chest backs. The question is an important one for me as I just sold my cabinet saw, 8 inch jointer, lunchbox planer, and 16 inch (older) laguna bandsaw in preparation for a move to a new city and shop. My new shop (maybe 500 sq feet) is significantly smaller than my old one so I do not ever envision replacing all of my old stationary tools. I have a good assortment of handplanes, saws, chisels, routers (with good dust collection) and a fantastic Ruobo workbench, which I made and posted about last year. My current thought is to buy a great bandsaw (something like a laguna LT18) and see how far that takes me, but I am interested in your opinions. I hate fine dust, so let's rule out lathes from the get go.

Hi Bob

If I were starting over in a small shop, there are 3 machines I would want (if I could get them to fit).

A bandsaw is hugely useful, but really no more so than other machines. I love and use my Hammer 4400 a great deal, but one thing you do need to realise, an 18" bandsaw is a large machine. You may be happy to settle for a smaller 16" machine, perhaps even 14" if it has a good motor and resaw facilities. There is a smaller Hammer out now.

The second machine I would want in a 12" combination thicknesser/jointer with spiral head cutters. The Jet 310 looks to be ideal at its price. Hammer make a more expensive version. This is a relatively small footprint machine and it would take up the donkey work in preparing hardwood rough sawn boards.

The third machine is a floor standing drill press. Mine gets a lot of use - from drilling to grinding to polishing.

These machines will not take up much room if on wheels and capable of being moved around as needed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Hilton Ralphs]

I have an 18" Chinese import Bandsaw but the adjustments and guides are terrible. I've since bought a Makita 12" bandsaw and I use it all the time. The 18" is now dedicated to 90 degree re-sawing and ripping.

In hindsight, I should have bought a 14" that could be extended in terms of re-saw capacity.

[Curt Putnam]

Just to be different - on the question of saws: Consider a quality bandsaw and a tracksaw. Tracksaws, while not stationary, do stationary quality work. Not sure the duo can handle long, thin rips though. Suppose it depends on bandsaw skill.

[Chris Griggs]

Hi Bob

If I were starting over in a small shop, there are 3 machines I would want (if I could get them to fit).

A bandsaw is hugely useful, but really no more so than other machines. I love and use my Hammer 4400 a great deal, but one thing you do need to realise, an 18" bandsaw is a large machine. You may be happy to settle for a smaller 16" machine, perhaps even 14" if it has a good motor and resaw facilities. There is a smaller Hammer out now.

The second machine I would want in a 12" combination thicknesser/jointer with spiral head cutters. The Jet 310 looks to be ideal at its price. Hammer make a more expensive version. This is a relatively small footprint machine and it would take up the donkey work in preparing hardwood rough sawn boards.

The third machine is a floor standing drill press. Mine gets a lot of use - from drilling to grinding to polishing.

These machines will not take up much room if on wheels and capable of being moved around as needed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Funny, as someone who works almost entirely by hand (though I do have a portable ts and portable router table) those are the 3 machines I persistently wish for in that exact order. On countless occasions I've found myself thinking that any and/or all 3 of those things would have made a project faster and more enjoyable for me. That's really all I wish for though in terms of stationary power tools.

[Winton Applegate]

. Festool plunge saw

Nice.
For the once in a great while i cut up sheet goods i too use a nice circular saw and a long guide or two. I have a dedicated folding leg table with sacrificial 2x top that stands flat against the wall in my tool crib room. Some spacers with slots where the exact kerf of the saw will be so it is quick and precise to set up . Works great.

[David Paulsen]

I don't ask this to be a horse about this subject, its really fine, but isn't this the neanderthal forum? Is everybody in here using machines? Have I gotten something wrong? I am new to this place so... Are you only working hand tools until you can purchase machinery?

Kind regards

[Chris Griggs]

I don't ask this to be a horse about this subject, its really fine, but isn't this the neanderthal forum? Is everybody in here using machines? Have I gotten something wrong? I am new to this place so... Are you only working hand tools until you can purchase machinery?

Kind regards

Some us are working entirely or almost entirely with hand tools. Some a lot of each...some probably mostly power but still us a good bit of handtools.

This thread is asking about what might be the most useful machine/machines in an otherwise all handtool shop.

I don't think anyone here is working with handtool just because they can't purchase machinery (not that I would take issue if that was the case for someone), but that doesn't mean some machinery isn't/wouldn't be nice to have in an otherwise handtool shop. I for one have no love for resawing by hand nor for planing 3/8" off a piece of hard maple if I need 1/2" board from 4/4 stock, and would love to have a couple machines to deal with that kind of grunt work. The beauty of it is you don't need to choose either/or...

[Derek Cohen]

Hi David

I use handtools for joinery and finishing. Sometimes I use them for completely preparing the rough stock, but more often I use them only partially in this regard. I could not conceive of working without handtools, but equally I could not conceive of doing all the donkey work by hand. The wood I use is too hard to make this a reasonable or satisfying task.

While I understand some wish to recreate some Olde Worlde environment in which power tools were not a part, the truth is that furniture makers of that era bought in their boards already processed. Today we use machines to achieve that end. This is not a justification for machinery, but a explanation why handtools and machines go together.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dave Pugh]

There were also quite a few machines that were foot or water powered. Of course not every shop had them, but they were in use and mainly at the mills as Derek said.

[Chris Hachet]

Well there is no question at all for me so I posted without reading the other replies which I will do next.
Since your new shop is going to be smallish I would go with what I have over the 18 inch bandsaw. That is unless you have a frequent use for that capacity saw.


I have the Laguna 14 from several years ago. I am in love with that saw.
Of coarse bigger is better but how often will YOU need bigger.
My 14 is used almost exclusively for resawing and for the hardest 10 inch rough planks it doesn't even slow down. The two horse Baldor motor propelled by 220 v pulling the Laguna resaw king blade is plenty powerful enough.


I can even drag it around the shop to get it out of the way without a dedicated roller base but I will get around to making one of those some day. I admit to getting out some wheels a couple of times and starting in but figured I had better things to spend my time on since moving it without wasn't too complicated.

Good to know about the 14 inch saw, my shop is also on the smallish side...I've looked at that tool with appropriate tool lust also...

[David Paulsen]

Chris, Derek and dave, thank you for your reply. Like I wrote it's fine, it wasn't to be "against" or anything. Just me comprehending how things work here.
I work hand tools only, because I can't stand the noise and speed of machines. It's both a comfort and an idealogical thing... But just for clarification, I'm not the kind who hates machinery and wants to live in the past, I have an Iphone.

I might get a machine when the day comes where I can't do the hand preparation of the lumber anymore... Or maybe not. I have honestly felt very uneven whenever using machines in the past. Something about taking a 200 year old oak and uniforming it in a day. But I do buy my lumber rough sawn, from someone who did it very quickly, with a very big machine.

Hehe, maybe one day I will be like those vegetarian types (fruitarians) who only eat the fruits/nuts that naturally fell from the tree. I will only make furniture from an oak, that has fallen in a storm, and can't get up again.

something like that...