First Post - New Machines - $30k budget

[Thomas McCurnin]

Make your own lumber?

OK, you'll need some serious space, like 30-40 feet of clear unobstructed space. A simple 8 foot board needs about 20 feet to saw the darn thing, 8 feet in front of the saw and 8 feet in back.

You'll need wide jointer, planer and wide belt sander.

You'll need dust control for these, as they really spit out wood debris.

Lumber is thick stuff, so a 12" table saw is probably on your list.

Re-sawing on the band saw is necessary as well, so add a 20" band saw.

Add several work benches for operations

This sounds like 1000 square feet to me.

Yes, lumber is expensive, but cheaper than buying or building a 1000 square foot shop and stocking it.

But hey, if you've got that kinda money, go for it.

[Greg Quenneville]

My only advice is, space allowing, to avoid getting a saw/shaper combo if you can avoid it. You may in fact delay using a shaper initially so could delay buying that particular machine. Most people start off with a router table and many never opt for anything bigger.

If you do end up using a shaper you will find that set-up takes quite a bit of time and will appreciate not having to switch over to the saw function as on a combination machine.

I like the advice already given to invest in learning first. Once you have some knowledge and skills then you will have a better idea of what machines to buy and how to use them.

[Al Flasi]

Thank you all for the kind advice.


I would like to add:
- The space I got planned for the shop is 50' x 32' x 12'

- I thought the shaper would benefit from the sliding table rather than being separate, would you kindly share more?

- Buying used is not an option for me, as. I don't live in the USA, the used market here is not that great sadly.

[Greg Quenneville]

A slider on a shaper is nice to have, and if you get a Felder, the tilting spindle and interchangeable router spindle are nice features too. The slider gets used for coping and tenoning operations primarily.

For comparison, I have a full Felder combo but I also have an older, more basic spindle moulder which is my first choice since I use that machine quite often, and it has a dedicated power feeder.

Used machines can be an inexpensive way to go, but they often require you to have the secondary hobby of machine repair.

[George Yetka]

A combination machine is not the best way to process a bunch of rough sawn lumber. You do get a wide jointer, but not a wide planer. Flipping the tables and cranking the planer tables up to go from the jointer and planer is not my favorite thing.

Me neither, I would have paid another 1000 for an auto down/up feature on the planer table. But the space savings is great

[George Yetka]

Building your shop will be half the fun. Machines are only the start and you will probably spend as much or more on the rest of the shop so plan for that as well

I consider myself a hobbyist and my machines are is on the upper end of average(Hammer/sawstop/laguna) and my machines total 1/3 of the cost of the shop.
Small power tools are 1/4
Hand tools 1/6
Clamps/benchs/workholding 1/8
Dust collection/ lighting 1/8

[Erik Loza]

…In all honesty, woodworking is a hobby that I dream of one day becoming decent at it to be able to make a living.
I find myself now in a fortunate position of having the funds to create the dream workshop. But I guess that I should better invest in myself first.

This is probably why your Felder rep steered you towards Hammer machines. In my opinion, something like a B3 Comfort, an A3-41 with spiral cutterhead, N4400 bandsaw, and an HS-950 edge sander would be a pretty ideal pacakage. You’ll learn on solid machines that are more precise than you are (at this stage) and still have money left over for tooling, dust collection, accessories, etc. Good luck with your project.

Erik

[John Kananis]

I'll just add there's there's so much out-of-site cost to every machine you add, which is usually exponentially higher than the cost of the individual machine. For instance, my last tool purchase was a lathe. Cost was 3k but I've spent triple that easily in accessories, chisels, chucks, etc, etc. 30k is not getting you as far as you believe. My premise is new equipment btw, buying used is another thing but then you need even more knowledge and experience to maintain, etc. I would take the advice of taking some classes and getting involved with the craft before making large purchases. Even the cost of hose clamps for your dust collection system will surprise you, there's so many little things like this that add up...Best of luck, I hope this works out for you.

Edit: also, have you considered the cost of work bench, work surfaces, clamps, guides, hand tools (good ones), so many things...

[William Hodge]

OP, what are you building?
There's a big difference in what you need, based on what you want to do.

[Al Flasi]

OP, what are you building?
There's a big difference in what you need, based on what you want to do.

As a beginning, I would love to try making doors and simple furniture. like simple dining tables , desks etc..

[Michael Burnside]

There are a lot of good replies, but the problem is that they're all coming from their own personal/professional experience. I don't see anywhere in this thread where you state what you're wanting to do in any detail. Cabinetry? One-off custom furniture pieces? Interested in handtool work? What style of furniture interests you. Is it ornate or clean lines? Do you want to build small projects, boxes, cutting boards and home decor?

With a 30k budget I personally wouldn't skimp out on the critical tools. To process lumber you need a jointer, planer/thicknesser, some sort of saw and a good dust collector. If you have space, I prefer separate tools, if you don't, get a combo for the jointer/thicknesser. For the saw, you have lots of options. I had no budget but I chose a cabinet saw. Plenty of people here have good advice on a slider, so listen to them. For dust collector, don't cheap out and get one with a cyclone.

You'll need clamps...don't cheap out here either. You'll need a couple squares. Buy a few good ones. My recommendation would be to stop here and start your first project. If you need a router, buy one. If you need a track saw, buy one. If you need a set of chisels, buy them.

You'll probably be able to build quite a few things before you need much else. For example, first project is likely a workbench I've built so many pieces of fine furniture and I only have 2 hand planes and 4 Narex chisels LOL. So, what I prioritize might not be what you do. For example, I personally wouldn't own a woodshop that didn't have a CNC. So, that would be the next thing I bought. OneFinity with spindle will set you back around 6k and is a VERY capable machine.

Good luck.

[Derek Cohen]

Al, you are in a most enviable position to be able to afford high quality machines from the start. My own workshop is the product of over 30 years of learning, building furniture and upgrading. I'm a serious amateur, and own a Hammer K3 slider, Hammer A3-31 combination jointer/planer, and Hammer N4400 bandsaw as the main machines. I have zero interest in upgrading further. I am experienced enough to recognise what these machines are capable of, and that personal skills really account for at least 75%. That said, since you lack the skills to build much, if anything, you really should spend the time acquiring this by taking courses and doing anything hands-on.

I know that you have your eye on machines, but hand tools are really the best place to start. They will educate you about wood and traditional joinery .... don't get sucked into instant joinery tools, such as the Domino or biscuits. They have their place, just not in your education. Start with a course in using hand tools. Build a solid workbench. Learn to use handsaws and hand planes and chisels .... you will be the richer for this.

Regards from Perth

Derek