Newbi Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Got a Contractor table saw ts24241 for $150 off of Craigslist in very good condition, nothing missing or broken slight rust that I was able to clean up with little effort. Wondering if I should of stepped up and got a new one. Space is at a premium here so I figured I will get tools I can move out of the way when not in use. My question is what should I get next? What is a must have for beginners? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 This question has been asked many times and all "next" tools are what you may need to do your next project. Have a read through the pinned thread only you know what sort of projects you are interested in and that may well dictate next purchases. You may already have a few tools that will be of use. Also search through the forum (select Forums and enter a few relevent keywords) and you may find that advice already given to others will also suit you. Measuring tools are a absolute must. Welcome to the forum BTW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Welcome, Newbi. I have that exact saw, and have been very pleased with its performance. The mobile base is especially useful if, like me, you share your workspace with a couple of vehicles. I am a hobbyist, and build only a couple of furniture-scale projects a year. If you are more active, you may find a more powerful saw is in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gray Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Got a Contractor table saw ts24241 for $150 off of Craigslist in very good condition, nothing missing or broken slight rust that I was able to clean up with little effort. Wondering if I should of stepped up and got a new one. Space is at a premium here so I figured I will get tools I can move out of the way when not in use. My question is what should I get next? What is a must have for beginners? Great start I got a little help with Youtube videos.I am a beginner and having fun learning with my son.Hope this help you.I think you are on the right track. let your tools earn you money for better ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbi Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I don't have anything worth mentioning in the way of tools so I will have to buy as I go. My first project is gonna be a mobile work bench/out feed table with some storage. What are a couple of good Measuring tools to get and where should I buy them at? As my name implies, I am new and just starting out. Been wanting to work with wood since I was a kid and figured I'm not getting any younger. Just bought a new house and figured now is the time to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Purchases, depend on your need, A workbench can be made many ways, it all depends on how deep you are comited to doing this. This can be a very expensive hobby. If you plan on doing this for a number of years, take some time and look through the forum here and read at least a days worth of post's, there is advise here for every degree of woodworker. And the folks here are extremely helpful, and the knowledge base here is gigantic. So before you dive into the deep end, read as much as you can, and learn as much as you can. Measuring tools is a fairly large subject.. Squares, straight edges, tapes, folding rules and more.. a lot depends on what you are going to do. Research first, and go from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbi Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thank you all for the comments. I will do some more reading and take my time to learn as much as I can before I go any further, but I am excited to begin. Like a kid in a candy store..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 like some has said it depends on what you plan on making but I think for the table saw you should have the better tools the table saw is such a work horse in a shop that it can do most of the work of all the tools in a garage with some tinkering. for the table saw get the best saw you can afford. if your not sure you really want to do wood working or you just going to use it for a short while then move on to a different hobby then keep the contractor saw. but if you really want to do this and plan on making lots of stuff then upgrade to a cabinet saw for the extra horsepower and the extra weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbi Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I need the portability of the saw since I am going to use my garage as the work shop. I intend to start with making storage for the garage and once I get better at it for the house. I have already read a lot of posts here and am really intrigued at what people can make. This will be a hobby I have wanted to do for a very long time. My uncle had a shop in his garage and he was always making somethings from scratch. I guess that is what got me wanting to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Newbi and Ken Gray, welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Bailey Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I think you should do as RichardA suggests and let your project ideas dictate what tools you need. of course you will need a good carpenter's square, probably a couple, and frankly there are lots of lists of "must haves" that are fairly easy to find, including in the linked thread above. I've been doing this for just about 8 or 9 months now, and the one thing I did not get enough of early on that I really wish I had was better "workholding" tools - a bench with a vise, clamps, etc. especially if you plan on doing a lot of handwork, but even if you are going to be a power tool or hybrid person, you have to have good ways to hold down your work securely so you can ... well work on it. I finally JUST installed a front vise and bench dogs on what passes for my bench and it's made a world of difference. No idea how I ever lived without it, frankly. The other thing I have done was watch videos and read books, which has really helped also. Marc has a ton of free vids that are terrific, as we all know, but there are also other good channels. I'm a Frank Howarth fan myself, especially for anyone who loves giant tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Also somewhat new to this sstuff. Before any of my cutting tools I had a drill press and a hand drill. Add to these a couple of jigs and bits for making for dowel holes, pilot holes, pocket screws, and counter-sinking. I think most things get screwed together and making those screws go in smoothly and precisely goes a long way. Plus that stuff takes up relatively little space. That's my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I need the portability of the saw since I am going to use my garage as the work shop. I intend to start with making storage for the garage and once I get better at it for the house. I have already read a lot of posts here and am really intrigued at what people can make. This will be a hobby I have wanted to do for a very long time. My uncle had a shop in his garage and he was always making somethings from scratch. I guess that is what got me wanting to do this. There are mobile bases available for most every major tool.. For those that don't , a little info gathering here or a little AA engineering and you can make your own mobile base.... Moving tools is not a problem for any of them.... The problem becomes, where do you have enough room to move them to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Newbi and Ken Gray, welcome to the forum! Some good advice above for sure. You can do lots of reading back thru subjects here and get answers to many of your questions.. From reading this thread so far, I'll drop a few suggestions. 1. Mobile Bases - You can buy or build mobile bases for just about anything you want. For your outfeed table, I would also suggest some leveling feet so it always sits correctly by your saw 2. Measuring devices - Good old tape measure will work fine to start - Just use the same tape measure when transferring your marks. This way, if the tape is off it doesn't matter. Also, invest in a good square. Yes, they're expensive but, if you can't read square, you can't make square. 3. Learn your table saw really well. Build a crosscut sled for it. Great starter project that you will use for many years to come. - Check out Marc's free video on it or there are several others on youtube. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Bailey Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I too have a premium on space, and as a nice quick fix for outfeed I got a couple of those rollers, not identical but similar to these http://www.rockler.com/roller-support-with-universal-clamp and built a simple sawhorse to hold them, works well and takes up very little space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dwacker Posted January 9, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 The most important tool you have is the one sitting on your shoulders. Spend the time to actually learn and understand you tools and don't spend time worrying about all the gizmos and gadgets that may seem cool at the time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 The most important tool you have is the one sitting on your shoulders. Spend the time to actually learn and understand you tools and don't spend time worrying about all the gizmos and gadgets that may seem cool at the time. And fingers...they're the best tools so treat them accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbi Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 You guys are great! Very helpful advice. One question, where can I see Marc's free video? Can someone post a link. I am new to this forum and don't know my way around yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 You guys are great! Very helpful advice. One question, where can I see Marc's free video? Can someone post a link. I am new to this forum and don't know my way around yet. It's on the Guild site.. Try this.. http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/the-cross-cut-sled/?as=crosscut%20sled&mode=posts&ap=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 TIODS posted a link for you, just one point when making your sled..... Table size is an important thing to recognize. Marc's table top is probably longer and wider than a contractor saw.. Scale down the size of your sled, but build it the same way.. If it's to big, it won't work or you'll have a hell of a time getting square cuts! By the way, the sled is a very good first project to learn your saw and your tape measure and it will help you understand why accuracy is important! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'll suggest that if you are just starting to acquire measuring tools, a decent tape, a good square, a longish straight edge and a sharp knife are probably the most critical. Note that I didn't say expensive. Most any functional tape rule is fine, just use the same one every time. I recommend a speed square to start, because they don't go 'out of square'. Take a pencil and sheet of paper to the home center to test the squares. Fold the sheet over the edge of a sheet of mdf and strike a line on it with the square, flip the square and strike again. If the lines don't diverge or converge, you're golden. Use a knife for fine line marking, it makes an amazing amount of difference over a pencil line. And learn to use things like story sticks and pinch sticks to transfer measurements. It is much better than transferring numbers on a tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 The only reason I don't like to throw a good square in right away is that it's important to learn why your cuts don't line up right. You can't do that if you're looking for square. It seems counterintuitive, but just using the table saw and the tape measure to make a footstool (for example), you learn a whole lot, and have found areas that you need to address. Best part of a footstool project is that you can get one board from the Big Box lumber store (Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, whatever) and make two cuts: one at 90 degrees to cut off the top, and one at some angle between 0 and 15 on the indicator on your table saw. A little geometry, and you have two legs at matching angles (if you flip the second leg over). When you test the two pieces together, that's where the square will come in very handy... and that's when your own personal lightbulb should start to go off. As for speed squares... well, you gets what you pays for. I've got two from Harbor Freight that are very speedy, but not very square. (Both were gifts to me, so I can't complain, but ...) If you really want to spend the money on a square or engineering square that you'll probably use the rest of your life, look into Starret squares. (Full disclosure: I do own stock in them, and they are not cheap.) But you don't have to spend the big bucks to get a good tool. Use the verification method wtnhighlander gave you to test your square (not just the speed square) before you buy it. I'd suggest a good combination square as well as a tape measure be the next two purchases you make. Then, get some form of marking knife. Be it a box cutter, a purpose made marking knife, a pocket knife, whatever. Be consistent with it during your projects, through to completion. The next tool purchase I would suggest is a drill or sander. But that is entirely up to you, and not essential. (Who knows? Maybe you'll want a stapler so you can put cushions on that stepstool you made.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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