Outfit My Woodshop?

[jyl]

Now that the garage has ample electricity (thanks to PPOT's advice and encouragement) I am outfitting it as a simple woodshop. Intent is to make some cabinets.

So far I have a Delta contractor's saw and various handheld power tools. I am making a simple 90 deg cross cut sled as we speak from some 3/4" baltic ply left over from another project.

What else do I need? Keeping it as minimalist as is reasonable, I'm not going to be making my living at this, it's not even going to be a hobby, just a means to an end, and I do need to be able to store bicycles in there.

I'm thinking:
- A dado cutter for the table saw.
- Some featherboards (I'll be making those next).
- A good workbench (I have a homebuilt workbench at the far end of the garage, but that's my "car" workarea, covered with oil spots and gouges from hammering on calipers etc, and it's not particularly flat either. I think I'll build a simple workbench and screw it to the long wall, keep it clean and flat for woodworking.)
- A low-end thickness planer (a $400 Home Depot thingy).
- Do I need a router table? (I can build one, or buy a cheap one.)
- I think I want a drill press (I am bad at drilling straight holes). This and the previous two items need to be benchtop types, live on shelves, get pulled out and bolted to a low base on a mobile base when I'm using them - I think.)
- Can I use my shop vac for dust collection? I don't have room for a big two-stage dust collector.
- What else?
-

[URY914]

Small air compressor.

[rick-l]

You need a jointer and a planer surfacer.

Get a good jointer.

Having uniform sized pieces makes things so much easier.

[mossguy]

jyl,
You can use your shop vac as a dust collector while you are deciding what type of proper dust collector you want, e.g. Delta, Cyclone, Penn State Industries, etc.

[Tomas95]

I just moved and will be building a large 24x26 garage myself, 9 foot ceilings with a 'Sidestepper' garage door opener that is mounted on the side near the door. Along with all my woodworking tools, I want room to put in a two-poster lift one day.

Anyway, along with all the very good suggestions already, get the best table saw you can buy; plus put everything you can on wheels. Saves my day every time I used the old workshop.

Good luck with that.

T.

p.s. If I can find the plans to my amazing workbench, I will email you the one I built last year. You could park a VW on it and it would be rock steady.

[john70t]

Buzz through these setups and see if anything is close to your workspace: My Old Workshop

[jyl]

The saw is a Delta contractor saw with a Biesemeyer fence on a mobile base. I got it from a cabinet maker who was quitting the biz and going to college. Running on 240v, it seems plenty for my needs. I looked at some cabinet saws, but they were just too big for my space.

Finished my sled, it turned out nice and square. I put a guard on the back side so's I don't cut my fingers off.

A jointer - urrgh, I'm mentally running out of floorspace. Gotta think about the layout. This is a small one-car garage, alas. I'm already thinking the router table, should I build one, needs to have a removable fence and double as an outfeed table.

Jointers are used to make straight edges, right? Can I use the table saw for that instead?

[rfuerst911sc]

A jointer is for cleaning up/trueing the edges. A thickness planer is for adjusting thickness. I would check local Craigslist for both. Buying a good quality used vs. new cheap crap I'll take good used any day. Put everything on wheels which helps with space as you can easily move items. The planer and jointer are really designed for cleaning up rough sawn lumber. If you are buying store lumber you can probably do without. But power tools are cool . I also have a Delta 10 inch contractors saw it is more than up to the task for a homeowner.

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by jyl

A jointer - urrgh, I'm mentally running out of floorspace. Gotta think about the layout. This is a small one-car garage, alas. I'm already thinking the router table, should I build one, needs to have a removable fence and double as an outfeed table.

Jointers are used to make straight edges, right? Can I use the table saw for that instead?

It will make a 6" (or 8" $$) board flat and put a straight edge 90 deg to that surface. You use the planer to make the two sides parallel and the table saw for width.

For cabinets (face frames) and doors these operations are a must.

Besides up there in organ you must have a source for rough cut lumber. It costs 25% as much.

[jyl]

I've never looked for rough cut lumber, but will - you know I'm in the Pinot-sipping nail-manicuring, sushi-nibbling part of Oregon, not the rugged woods where men are men and Bigfeet are scared . . .

[gruppe75]

I used to be a cabinetmaker, and our router tables were shop made. It is good to have a few routers and a couple of router tables. It is non-productive to keep changing bits and resetting depths. Once a router and bit are set, you leave it until the project is complete. Use another router for other profiles. I think I had at least 6 routers set up.

[Tim Hancock]

I have a bunch of woodworking tools I have accumulated over the years. It is nice to keep them portable/storable if they don't get used that often. You might want to make some nice solid sawhorses that can serve as "sawhorses" and as temporary work bench legs. I have at least 6 rugged adjustable sawhorses and have use them for all sorts of things over the years.

The only bad thing about woodworking is that sawdust covers everything in your shop (cars, bikes, auto tools, tv, laptop, hobby items etc). That is fine if you have a dedicated woodworking shop, but can be a pain when your shop serves multiple purposes. You might think about adding a center divider curtain that you can deploy when you are in the mood for making sawdust.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by gruppe75

I used to be a cabinetmaker, and our router tables were shop made. It is good to have a few routers and a couple of router tables. It is non-productive to keep changing bits and resetting depths. Once a router and bit are set, you leave it until the project is complete. Use another router for other profiles. I think I had at least 6 routers set up.

That sounds awesome, but I think it's outside of the realm of easy, cost effective or necessary for the average Joe...

[Zeke]

I've worked with wood almost all my life. One precept that I have invoked to keep from going overboard for shop tools is, "If I can't make it in someone's driveway, I will hire out the work to a shop." Well, I've made a lot of cabinets both at home and out on jobsites with the basic tools.

That having been said, I have always found lumber in any species available already thicknessed. Therefore, no need for a thickness planer. I use a very nice hand held planer that will mount to a base for edging.

Sliding chop saws have just about eliminated the need for a radial arm saw. Get a good one.

Look hard at the line of Kreg tools. I have a biscuit joiner, but Kreg would be able to do those jobs. Both is better.

I don't understand vertical drum sanders. I see on TV people using them on outside radii. That's for a stationary disc sander. But, get a good hand held belt sander and a vibrator and be done with it.

So, there you have it, a nice table saw, a good chop saw and a few hand held power tools and you can do it all.

I won't say don't get a drill press. If you do, spend a little more because they can do a lot of things. One of those things is drum sander.

A band saw will complete most any shop. Not a lot of things that a band saw will do that you can't do by hand, but you could say the same about a table saw.

Dust collection? I have a couple of box fans and the air compressor.
Oh, speaking of air compressors, you need a good one. Two words: nail guns.

[look 171]

Milt,

You know how many people can't use a belt sander. I think it is the hardest portable tool to use IMO.

[slodave]

Have fun! Don't drool over the table saw, it rusts.

Drum sander. Indispensable for a lot of things. Used this heavily in the beginning stages of the guitar build. From "planning" to getting the cover plates and headstock veneer to the correct thicknesses.


My favorite drill press. Bearings need replacing, but it runs like a champ. Also used a lot for the guitar build. We have a kit that turns it into a small oscillating drum sander. Good for tighter corners. Kit comes with a box that doubles as the dust catch-all. Works well when hooked to the dust system.


Router table. Dad built the table, he also added legs that can be used to raise the table up to save your back. Router is permanently (can be removed for maint.) mounted and designed for this use. It spins the opposite direction as a hand held router. In the table is the hand held router and should have a Dremel kit, but that's out in use.


Picture of on side leg to raise the table. There is a log pole my dad made that has a metal right angle at the bottom, stick it under the table and lift, drop leg. Move to other side and repeat.


Table mounted belt sander with sanding disk. Great for a lot of things, from projects to quickly removing a bit of wood, plastic, metal, nylon, your skin...


SawStop - Yeah, I'll pitch the product all day long. Expensive, yes. But, how much is a trip to the hospital when you cut off a finger or three?


Bench grinder - 'nough said...

[slodave]

Planer. You don't need it, but they are useful. Drum sander takes care of things over 12"


Not the best jointer out there, but used heavily, in tune and works for us. Used many times to create good gluing edges for the guitar project.


Dust collection unit and band saw. Ducts run along the top of the walls. This unit is good for our shop, but needs to have some of the ducts cleaned out on occasion. Especially if you use the planner with plywood or MDF type wood.
Bandsaw is modified with a riser block, other bits around the blade and a device to take the tension off the blade when not in use. . Great to resaw larger boards, cut raw veneer, big circles... Whatever... Gets a lot of use.


Lathe... This is on is a specialty item. Not great for turning bannisters or bats, but can swing a few hundred pound log around with ease. It runs off of 220/3 phase.. Try getting that in your home shop.


Shaper. Godd for cutting molding. Even better for holding magnetic lights and random tools for the lathe. - It never gets used....


For cutting mortises... Used on occasion.


Some misc. hand power tools. Even hand belt sander in the mix.


EDIT: As mentioned by others... Everything is on wheels. Makes life so much easier when dealing with lager projects.

[MT930]

+ 1 Drill Press
Planer
Bosch Random Orbit Sander

[look 171]

Jyl,

You could get away with a router mounted to the extension wing so you can take advantage of the fence and space. I personally like a separate table, but room can be a challenge sometimes. If sheet goods are the primary work out of your garage, I would look into a panel saw. One that can be rolled out to the open to cut and put back after you are finish. It is a heck a lot easier to cut panels on a panel saw then the table saw. Ofcourse, there are ways around that with jigs and a portable saw.

the trick for you is the ability to move things to the outside so you can move around. What will you your goal with the wood working, making your kitchen cabinets or just to monkey around and build some fun stuff?

[Drisump]

The word "cabinets" cover a lot of ground, my assumption that you mentioning "Baltic" birch" is that you will be making the cases out of ply and using solid wood for trim and possibly door frames (?). For a typical cabinet, say, "Shaker" style there are not many requirements for a router/shaper at all....a good dado set will cover most everything. Cabinets with shaped custom mouldings will require router table or shaper. A drum sander simplifies the flattening process if you have joined two or more solid boards but for most projects it's nice to have, but not required. For me a planer, table saw with dado set and 80 tooth ABT blade, sliding chop saw (with good quality finishing blade), jointer, random orbital sander, pad sander, biscuit joiner, lots of clamps of varying size and a shelf pin drilling jig (used with cordless hand drill) will give you a very good basic start. I have built many custom cabinets for clients and 80% of them only require these. The jointer is not really required for face frames but it's very useful around, say, frame and panel doors where the shape of the wood HAS to be straight and flat. Anyway, good luck on your project(S).
edit: forgot to mention compressor, brad nailer, and a narrow crown stapler (for non visible areas).