Beginning Woodworking - How to spend a $1000

[Mike Marcade]

many of these items can be found at garage sales, or local classifieds or evern ebay.

I agree,

You can find lots of good deals at local rummage sales. I just found a brand new PC 690 router and the guy took 50 bucks for it. My boss was able to find a Dewalt 625 3 hp plunge router and got it for the magic 50 bucks. I got a good deal, he got a steal!

[Richard Dragin]

I don't think we could get three people to agree on this subject because we all base our advice on our personal experiance. I love buying used but that can be it's own hobby if you are restoring. I think for someone to start out the the first priority should be wood, without it the tools are pretty much useless. Pick a project and that will dictate what tools you need to buy first. Many plans will have a list of tools needed which can help decide on projects and tools.

[Prashun Patel]

I wouldn't buy a table. Build one. It's a great 1st project for a beginning woodworker.

My 1st tools would be a good circ saw, 2 cordless drills, and as many clamps as you can afford.

Appreciating the quality and versatility of good tools is something every person has to discover for themselves. No matter how many lectures you hear, a guy's always going to want to buy a $300 saw first bkz he doesn't anticipate using it as much as he invariably will. I made the same mistake. I have a $300 Delta Shopmaster which I'd LOVE to trade up for a cab saw. LOML would kill me though for getting YAUT (yet another useless tool).

[Scott Coffelt]

A different approach.

1. hand saws (all the basic ones)
2. planes (good assortment)
3. hammer
4. tape measure
5. good chisels
6. used ts
7. router & bits
8. good squares

I started off and only had a cs, router and some hand tools. I made lots of good stuff. Starting off, you can buy lumber already milled. Granted you pay more, but you can get buy. You can make lots of jigs for a router to accomplish many tasks. Also, if you learn how to make good joints with the saws and chisels, you'll be much farther along than most wood workers.

[Andrew Chavchich]

Sounds like an interesting challenge, little strange though.
Usually I have a project in mind and then buy the tools needed.

Here is a typical scenario:
an enthusiastic beginner goes to Home Depot or Harbor Freight (because other stores prices seems to be ridiculously high )and buy whole bunch of
of brand spanking new bargain tools or even worse "homeowner set" Attempts to accomplish something with them, quickly looses interest to woodworking and sells them dirt cheap at a flee market.

Here is what I would do (having 15 years woodworking experience and no tools and very limited funds with an intention to never sell/upgrade anything from my starter kit):

1. Go to a flee market and buy the following hand tools:
Stanley#4 hand plane
small low-angle block plane
level
small carpenter square
pliers
utility knife
chisels
tape measure
hammer
drill bits
screwdriver bits
scraper -$150

(All that stuff I see abundant every time I go there to hunt for antique tools. I would never touch anything that is made in China or Taiwan.)

2. Norton 220 and 1000 water stones and another stone to flatten them ( to sharpen chisels and hand plane blades) -$75
3. Festools smallest cordless drill $350 ( cost a lot but cordless drill is a super-important tool)
4. $250 jig saw (If I was allowed to only one saw it would be a jig saw)
5. $200 chop saw

Now though not very productively you can build almost anything. You can use a 2x4 as a guide and cut a straight line with a jig saw and then use a hand plane to make it "really" straight. Of course you can cut curves. You can produce a bunch of jigs now to increase your capabilities.

[Tom Walz]

I’ll go along with buy what you need for the project. Also leave $100 for little stuff. I have several tapes and can usually find one. Sandpaper. Maybe a screw assortment.
When my daughter moved out of the dorm she asked me for a tool kit for Christmas. For under $100 at Sears I put together a nice kit with screwdrivers, torpedo level, twine, screw asst, nail asst. etc.

I like a folding carpenter’s ruler because they are just neat. Hand planes have been magic for me since my grandpa taught me to use one 50 years ago. Get a nice, square straight one that fits well in your hand. Figure out some way to keep track of your tools. I now have 4 essentially identical claw hammers and really don’t know why.

Be careful buying big, early. I bought a Ryobi portable sliding compound miter saw. It was great but I never used it. Just really didn’t do anything where I really needed it. Finally sold it.

Remember if you spend $1,000 than you have spent $1,000. However if you buy a tool for a project you really haven’t spent anything because you can always use it again.

Tom

[Chris Smith]

Sears is closing out these so called zip code saws for under $300. Order it online to pick it up at one of your local stores. Act fast and pick it up immeditately because at this price the won't last long and once they are out of stock they won't honor the price. Spend the other money slowly as good deals pop up:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ame=Table+Saws

Next in line in my option should be:

Small hand held router
3 hp plunge router for router table
random orbital sander
kreg pocket hole jig
14" band saw (look at the sears model which goes on sale for around $300)
other tools such as a biscuit joiner, jig saw, circular saw, miter saw, cordless drill also help in the shop.

After buying router bits, clamps and other supplies your money will be long gone. Save up for the jointer and planer for the next go around.

[Justin Bukoski]

To be honest I've spent thousands on tools. I have a serious problem when it comes to the "add to cart" button. Just recently I invested in just about every tool that Festool makes - for no good reason really just lust. What I've found is a little amazing. If I had just bought the circular saw and guide rails as well as the router and guide rails a long time ago instead of the cheap table saw, cheap router (you know, all the stuff you buy and then replace because you realize its junk) I would have had a lot of fun, saved a ton of money and made better projects than I did to start out with.

Right now if I were starting over and had limited space and budget I'd buy the TS55 with an extra 55" guide rail to handle rip cuts in sheet stock and the 1400 series router and then build a table similar to the MFT. If I were really flush with cash I'd add a Domino and probably never "need" to add another tool for years. I know there would be some limits to what I could make but I think those limits would be about right for a beginner.

Anyway, I'm sounding like a Festool shill here but what I've found is despite the huge combo machine in the middle of my shop, the big bandsaw the shapers etc, etc the tools I use the most are the Festools and my lathe.

[Pete Clifford]

Remember if you spend $1,000 than you have spent $1,000. However if you buy a tool for a project you really haven’t spent anything because you can always use it again.

Tom

Tom, I like your economic theory. I'm going to utilize it on SWMBO the next time that I make a major purchase, "Honey, this garage full of tools hasn't cost me/us anything!"

[Art Mulder]

I have never met anyone who started woodworking this way.
What I mean is, I have never met anyone who started from nothing with a budget, and then spent it all on tools.

With me it was incremental - buy what you need for the project at hand - as other people have said.

[Norm Koerner]

I see little use for spending part of your "start-up" money for a jointer. I have an 8-inch longbed model and rarely use it. Instead use just a small portion of the money for a quality saw blade. Those carbide alternating top bevel (ATB) blades will create an edge quite good enough for edge-to-edge glue-up of table tops, for instance. And even biscuits are not needed.

The primary use of a jointer for most folks is to true up the edge of a board. There are other ways to accomplish this, and all are cheaper than a jointer which won't guarantee perfectly straight edges unless it's perfectly adjusted, which is difficult for many woodworkers to accomplish.

What I do with a curved board is to draw a straight line on it with minimal waste. Use another long board or even a chalk line. Then use your table or Skil (portable electric saw), cutting on or close to the line. Now you're ready to touch it up using your rip fence on the table saw.

However, on longer boards, your rip fence is not long enough and you will continue to get less-than-perfect edges. I solve this problem by fastening a 6- or 8-foot level to my rip fence to extend the length. To avoid the expense of a loooonnnngggg level, you could use another board or extruded aluminum piece.

[Jason White]

Avoid the Ryobi tablesaw and try to find one of these on closeout at Home Depot. I've seen them for $400 or less....

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...d&ddkey=Search

If you are a beginning wooodworker, it can be tricky to know where to start and what to get. Obviously the biggest thing starts with tools. I think everyone already thinks there is an endless supply of money. Go to any woodworking forum and ask what tablesaw you should get with $300. People will completely bypass your budget and say spend the money on a $600-$1000 tablesaw. What if wanted to purchase a jointer? Everyone will tell you to purchase an 8″ jointer. But what if you only have $300 to spend? This almost instantly makes it near impossible to get an 8″ jointer.

So with the limited budget of a beginner in mind, I thought I would compile a list of tools to get the beginning woodworker.

Ryobi BT3100 Table saw $300
Random Orbital Sander $ 70
Workbench with Vise $150
Measuring Tape $10
12 Inch Square $30
Electric Drill $50
Clamps $100
Router $150
Router Bits Kit $100
Shop Vac $70

Total $1,030

I owned the Ryobi BT3100 and thought for the money it was a great saw. It will not cut 2″ or 3″ hardwood all day but it has a decent fence, a sliding miter table, and comes with a decent blade to get you started.

At this price point you cannot dimension your own lumber which will cost you more when you purchase your wood but you should be able to build the majority of items you see plans for.

Upgrade #1 - Bandsaw

If there is anything I would get next it would be a bandsaw. I use my bandsaw as much as any other tool in my arsenal. A 14″ bandsaw with at least a 3/4 hp motor would be the minimum. If you can afford a riser block, get it. For me, resawing was the biggest reason to get a bandsaw but it can do so much more.

Upgrade #2 - Jointer/Planer

Starting with the bandsaw and moving to the Jointer and Planer, I say start to save up your money to get “the good stuff”. I bought the Ryobi 9″ Bandsaw, a 6″ Benchtop Jointer, and a low end Delta planer. I hated them all. The Ryobi Bandsaw was just too small to do any of the tasks I needed it to do. The Delta TP-305 Planer was a snipe monster. I have a Mastercraft 6″ Jointer which barely does the job. I have since replaced the bandsaw and the planer with equipment that does what I need it to. If I had the money, I would replace the jointer as well.

If you have already spent the $1000 and decided that woodworking was for you, it now starts to make sense to get good equipment that you won’t outgrow immediately and will last as long as you stay with your craft.
This all said, I would get a good jointer and a planer at this point. These tools in combination with the bandsaw allow you dimension rough lumber for your projects. This can save you a ton of money as well as expanding the limits of the 3/4ish material you find at your local building center.

Upgrade #3 - Jigs

There are a lot of contenders here.

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

The first jig I purchased was a Kreg pocket hole jig. If you are new to
woodworking, you are going to want to start building something quickly but with a sense of quality. The Kreg jig will let you do this. This jig lets you create a strong joint without a lot of clamps. They are very easy to master and do not require the type of precision that dovetails, mortise and tenons, or the rest of the assorted joints require. I can do a lot more now and so I don’t rely on the pocket hole as much as I first did. That said, there is rarely a project that I don’t use this jig on.

Dowelmax

Dowelmax is a dowel jig. I consider this a step up from the Kreg Jig. It does require a certain amount of precision but it doesn’t leave holes in your project like pocket holes. It costs about twice as much as a full Kreg kit but it can improve the overall build quality of the projects you produce without that much more complexity.

Biscuit Joiner

I have started to use biscuits a lot lately. They are another joinery method which is easy to use. The biggest negative to using them is the requirement for clamps. However, if you are going to be in woodworking you’re going to need clamps sometime. Typically anything that will get butt jointed has the potential to use biscuits.

After this, you’ll begin to figure out what you need based on the type of projects you enjoy making. If you’re a cabinet maker, maybe you need a dovetail or dado jig. I didn’t mention how useful a router table can be. And there is something incredibly satisfying about using a hand plane to create “shavings”.

PS - I actually wrote this while on vacation in Mazatlan this past March. I believe that Ryobi has since discontinued the BT3100. You can find them used fairly easily but next on the list would be the Ridgid TS3650 10″ Table Saw. This will add a bit more to the overall budget but I think it’s a good saw for the money if not a machine with a lot of power.

[Mike Hess]

I'm a used tool and bargain hunting enthusiast, and when I think about it, I've probably spent less than $1000 on my core woodworking tools.

1. Shopsmith machine with bandsaw, 4" jointer, SS dust collector, biscuit jointer, tenoning jig, 8" stacked dado set, 3 10" blades, and other small accessories - $300. This is probably the best deal I've ever gotten on anything, but it does happen from time to time.

2. Old Delta Rockwell Floor standing drill press - $100

3. Old Dewalt MBF Radial Arm Saw - $85

4. Newer Delta chop saw (36-585) - $60

5. Grizzley Planer - $100. This one leaves a lot to be desired. I wish I'd spent some more money here and gotten one with a locking cutter head.

6. The one place I did splurge was on a brand spankin new (well, OK - factory reconditioned) Porter Cable 7000 series plunge router. I think that was about $200, but the built in height adjustment lets me use it as a router lift when I use it in "makeshift router table" mode.

So that's what, about $850? Leaves $150 for assorted odds and ends.

This answer will probably draw plenty of ridicule, but I say go with a used Shopsmith machine. It's not ideal for every tool, but it is a great way to get started, and you can pick one up for about $500 without having to look for too long. You may eventually upgrade to a cabinet saw, or a standalone drill press, etc., but the Shopsmith is a great backup machine to have in the shop for tools you only use once in a while (the lathe for example, if you only need to turn a table leg on occasion) or to use as a second setup (say dadoing on the cabinet saw and a crosscutting on the Shopsmith). Even if I someday have a shop full of dedicated machines, which is doubtful due to space limitations, I'm keeping the Shopsmith for these reasons.

[Chris Kennedy]

When I started woodworking, I had pretty much no budget. Built some shelves with a $100 miter saw and a doweling jig. Like many here, my collection of tools has evolved over the past few years, but I still don't have some of the standards (jointer/planer).

I made the mistake of spending a small windfall I had on a LN #4. Not that it was a mistake to get it, but it made me realize the value of good tools. So, I save and make do until I can afford a decent version of a tool.

Cheers,

Chris

[keith ouellette]

Even though I have had my shop for about two years I am no where near finished setting up. For people on a budget its very hard.

I lost a lot of my start up money getting rid of a combination machine that I couldn't have hated more if it was chasing me around and poking me in the eye with a stick.

I like the OP's plan to start up and wish I had gone that route.

Its a good plan for a person on a tight budget because it allows you to see how things work and further more to see how much more difficult wood working is without spending to much money.

You watch tv and think. boy that looks fun and impressive but in the real world it can be very hard and frustrating.

I'm sure its easy for people who can plunk down a lot of money for the best and get to learn on the best equipment made but for most people it is an odd mixture of excitement and severe disappointment , fun and frustration, unwavering dreams and horrible nightmares.

I couldn't be happier (unless I found $20K to go buy A bunch of equipment)