Need good tools for a woodworking career

[Derek Cohen]

My dad is interested in funding a wood shop for me and I’m trying to give him an honest price.
I’m talking SawStop TS
I need a good brand for the following
Router Table
Bandsaw – this could come later but now would be great.
Joiner
Planer
Drill Press – later
belt sander for easy shaping parts
I want to build small items that would sell well. I’m thinking side tables, hall/wall tables, etc.
I had a shop before but I bought all cheap stuff and what a nightmare that was! so I had sold some stuff and now I’m starting over from the bottom up.
I also want a good vacuum air system as well.
any advice would be wonderful, thanks.

Brian, I am not a professional woodworker, and you have already received a great deal of information. Still, I want to emphasise this:

First decide what you will build and sell, and only then decide what equipment you need to do this. I have friends who produce a limited number of items and have a market for these.

It is unclear from your post whether you are wanting to equip a shop with the tools used in the profession, or have chosen specifically to meet a specific production process.

As others here have stated, one can spend an awful lot on equipment that is unneeded.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[William Chain]

Jeez guys, it might say advice is appreciated but he’s asking for numbers and brands on tools, not your thoughts on the furniture market and business plans. There are two replies in four pages with the specific info he asked for in the first place. You think he’s making a mistake? Ok. He asked about tools. Throw him the info he’s after and let his old man counsel him.

[Martin Wasner]

Sounds dismal.

Some days. But entrepreneurship isn't about today or tomorrow, it's about five years from now, or twenty years from now. What I failed to mention is it takes the sacrifices of today to support you later in life. I also increased equity almost $50k and made over $100k in improvements to equipment this year. Today might very well be dismal, tomorrow is looking pretty good.

You gotta be a special kind of stupid to work for yourself.

[Jim Becker]

Jeez guys, it might say advice is appreciated but he’s asking for numbers and brands on tools, not your thoughts on the furniture market and business plans. There are two replies in four pages with the specific info he asked for in the first place. You think he’s making a mistake? Ok. He asked about tools. Throw him the info he’s after and let his old man counsel him.

Can't recommend tools without knowing what he wants to make in his business. Yes, someone can provide a "general" list of things that they think they would want for starting up, but those thoughts are predicated by what that poster would likely be making. That would not necessarily represent a useful list for the OP. We just don't know what he actually wants to do or if he even knows that.

[Richard Wolf]

Actually Brian hasn't been on since he asked the question. I am always amazed that someone asks something and never checks for an answer. I also realize people have a life and can't get back as often as others.

[William Chain]

Sigh...

Ok Brian, while you're busy reading 4-5 pages of questions you didn't ask for, and you asked for rough estimates so I offer the following, assuming you're going for basic stuff, and buying all new. According to google, you're a one hour drive from two Woodcraft stores so you can see these things in the flesh if you like. I'm not affiliated with any stores or brands, I'm just trying to answer your question without sending your thread off the rails or asking you a million unsolicited questions.

8 inch jointer - $2k-2.5k. If its painted gold or white, you'll do just fine.
4 post planer, 15-20 in model - $2k-3k. If its painted gold or white, you'll do just fine.
bandsaw - highly variable depending on the size you want. i see from your posts that you have experience with a Rikon. And not good experience. $1k-3k depending on size, and again, if its painted gold or white, you'll do just fine.
Router table - since you've mentioned a Sawstop TS, you can do a built in router table from their offerings for $600-700 depending on bells/whistles, or you can pick any number of offerings in standalone products, budget $1k-1.2k depending on bells and whistles. You can make your own, you can go much cheaper, or you can offer the old man a $1k estimate on that investment.
drill press - you can wait for the right deal on CL for a good used one for much less or get a decent model painted gold or white for ~$1k.

Now I have to go rest after all that hard work answering your question.

Can't recommend tools without knowing what he wants to make in his business. Yes, someone can provide a "general" list of things that they think they would want for starting up, but those thoughts are predicated by what that poster would likely be making. That would not necessarily represent a useful list for the OP. We just don't know what he actually wants to do or if he even knows that.

[Simon MacGowen]

Now I have to go rest after all that hard work answering your question.

I like that, because it subtly (if not cunningly) reinforces the points many others have offered in this thread. If listing out some recommended tools is already an exhaustive undertaking, imagine plunging into a woodworking career, setting up a shop, finding customers, delivering promises made, etc.

Regarding the silence of the OP, does it matter as long as everyone is having fun with his post?

Simon

[Dave Cav]

I've been resisting this thread, but now that we've returned to more or less answering the OP's original question I'll jump in.

First, where is this shop going to be, and how much room do you plan on using? Is it going to be in a garage, or a free standing building? Does this building already exist? How is the access? Is it suitable for a shop? Can you heat and/or cool it adequately? Is there adequate space for all of your machines, for your lumber storage, and FOR FINISHING YOUR WORK? How exactly do you plan to finish your work? Conventional oil type finishes require less finishing infrastructure but are very slow. Sprayed finishes are much faster, but need a clean place to spray and equipment. Is there enough power available? You will probably need at least 100 amps with a 240 service, although I have worked with much less.

I build custom furniture and other odds and ends on a part time basis. I have a free standing 1200 foot shop, with an additional covered 240 or so feet of lumber storage. It's really not big enough. It's ok for me, but when there are two people in there with a project going it gets crowded in a hurry.

You want some sort of vacuum or dust collection system. Do you plan on an installed, ducted system, or a portable roll-around setup you can move from one machine to another? Do you know how the system will be laid out? If you're running a planer, some sort of chip collection will almost be mandatory.

It sounds like you've settled on a Sawstop table saw, which is fine; I have run the ICS models and they are good machines. However, you MUST have adequate sawdust collection attached to them or they will plug up in a big hurry.

As for a bandsaw, I recommend a 16 or 20" Minimax. I have had several imported saws (and still have an older heavy duty Grizzly 14") but the Minimax is a whole 'nother level of quality.

An 8" jointer is a minimum. A 12" is better. Generally, anything in the 8 to 12" size should be pretty good. There are a LOT of poor quality 6" jointers out there. Consider used. A jointer is a simple piece of equipment and generally all you need to worry about are the bearings (and knives).

What kind of belt sander? Belt and disk, edger, widebelt? More dust collection.

I have a router table in the wing of my 10" saw. It's a home made fence and table, with the router mounted in a Jess-Em Master Lift II. It works very well and I use it all the time. However, I also have two Delta HD shapers, one with a feeder, for serious work.

A 4 post 15" planer will work fine once you get it tuned up. I used one for years; they are simple and relatively easy to work on, but they sometimes have a tendency to snipe the work.

Good luck. I hope you get back to us with your plans.

[William Chain]

It was sarcasm. It took me two min to look up current estimated prices for the OP. It was not an exhaustive undertaking, which is why the rest of the 4 pages drove me nuts. Just answer the poor guy. I also forgot the belt sander, but that's another $1k ish.

I like that, because it subtly (if not cunningly) reinforces the points many others have offered in this thread. If listing out some recommended tools is already an exhaustive undertaking, imagine plunging into a woodworking career, setting up a shop, finding customers, delivering promises made, etc.

Regarding the silence of the OP, does it matter as long as everyone is having fun with his post?

Simon

[David Kumm]

I've not been part of this thread but have read most of it. I think the last sentence " any advice would be wonderful " is what got things going. I would not have assumed that prices or paint color were the primary questions. Specific models maybe but that takes more info about the intended purpose. Dave

[Simon MacGowen]

It was sarcasm. It took me two min to look up current estimated prices for the OP.

Sarcasm or not, it remains a reality that pursuing woodworking as a career is an exhaustive undertaking.

Simon

[Jared Sankovich]

It was sarcasm. It took me two min to look up current estimated prices for the OP. It was not an exhaustive undertaking, which is why the rest of the 4 pages drove me nuts. Just answer the poor guy. I also forgot the belt sander, but that's another $1k ish.

Seems odd to waist 50% or more on gold or white painted machines, considering machines with those colors come from the same offshore factories as the other colors. In addition to the fact you would start with nothing and a only 10k budget.

[Darcy Warner]

The SawStop must be the tablesaw option if the cabinet saw route is taken by the OP, not just for safety and performance reasons, but also for insurance purposes, if applicable.


Simon

ok, sure thing.

[Van Huskey]

It was not an exhaustive undertaking, which is why the rest of the 4 pages drove me nuts.

The bottom line is the OP has not tended his thread, he may be busy or he may have abandoned it. It drives me nuts when someone doesn't mention a budget. How does one know whether to recommend Martin or Harbor Freight or more appropriately used? I know from his cross-posting his budget is 10K but I don't know if that is total start-up capital or just for tools or tools and tooling. When an OP asks a broad question they will have to control its flow and answer follow up questions. if they don't they are unlikely to get quality posts that answer the questions that are in their head but they didn't quite communicate.

[Martin Wasner]

The bottom line is the OP has not tended his thread, he may be busy or he may have abandoned it. It drives me nuts when someone doesn't mention a budget. How does one know whether to recommend Martin or Harbor Freight or more appropriately used? I know from his cross-posting his budget is 10K but I don't know if that is total start-up capital or just for tools or tools and tooling. When an OP asks a broad question they will have to control its flow and answer follow up questions. if they don't they are unlikely to get quality posts that answer the questions that are in their head but they didn't quite communicate.

The reality is that 99% of the time, if those are the questions being asked, you're not ready.