Getting Started with Woodworking

[jmaichel]

I have been using a Ohishi combination stone that I got from LN. Very affordable and I have been very happy with it so far. They are softer than the Shapton stones so I always have to make sure they are trued prior to use. 

[sdesocio]

Hello NC,

 

Welcome to the forum  . For me a real starter set would be general purpose chisels (Irwin blue chip or the like), a hard point panel saw (the throw away type), a #4 plane and a combination square. These tools will always be useful. Good luck on the Roubo, you making it up as you go or following plans?

 

 

What a great list - I built my dining room table with this list of stuff plus a Home Depot Table saw and a ryobi router. 

[G S Haydon]

Great Minds.......

[sdesocio]

NCwoodman - Im coming up on one year with a designated workshop and a more aggressive interesting in woodworking.  I spent too much on power tools that I thought I need and almost never use....

 

If you are diving in you could seriously get over whelmed.

 

Watch Paul Sellers and Chris Schwarz and try to find a balance between them

 

If you've watched  a bunch of how to videos then you probably have a feel for the tools that get a lot of use and the ones that dont. (I have a ton of specialty planes at this point but I didnt need them all to get started) 

 

A good place to start might be sorting through a few projects you want to do and then picking the one that gets you excited and builds momentum- then get the tools you need to do that project.

 

 

Here is a warning - Its east to take for granted a lot of smaller consideration.

(I realize that this is long so let me say up front - a rag with a bit of machine oil on it which you rub on your saws and planes will make everything go much better)

 

Like you Ive got hobbyist level power tools (are are a great help to get some momentum)

 

You need to  measure, hold, prep stock, cut, drill, shape,  clean, and finish. 

 

In my thinking most projects do most of the things on this list.

 

As a hobbyist without a lot of money this is what I did. 

Measure

Ive got a tape measure

a carpenters square

A plastic stanley carpenters level

a cheapo plastic speed square

a small & large combo square 

(all picked up at the home center)

 

 

Holding your wood:

I picked up all my clamps from Harbor Freight and home depot

4  36" bar clamps

6 different f style clamps

1 5' bar clamp 

I picked up two medium wooden clamps 

I also picked up two cheap corner clamps (really helpful )

 

You can use the wooden clamps as a vise in a pinch (you clamp the clamp to the top of the bench)

 

I started with a cheap $60 vise (but you need at least one pretty quickly) I then made myself a shoulder.

If you dont have a bench Id check out building this first thing - http://www.startwoodworking.com/plans/build-simple-sturdy-workbench

 

Prepping stock (if you cant get s4s -surfaced 4 sides lumber):

 

No 7 ( Grizzly sells one from $70 and Ive had no complaints) 

No 5

 

Cut:

If you are comfortable with the table saw Id say you should get 5 saws

two panel saws one filed rip cut the other crosscut 

a finer back saw for shoulders and tenons 

a dovetail saw

and a coping saw

 

I bought  the veritas molded spine saw (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=64007&cat=1,42884,64007)

 

I also went on ebay and picked up two more panel saws and back saws (but you dont really need the other back saws at first)

(Ive picked up 4 or five others since then)

 

Drill 

you probably have a drill but don't forget you need bits 

(I dont use screws very much and I don't bore out my smaller tenons on the larger stuff a small hand drill works fine.)

 

Shape:

I picked up a combo set of files and rasps (amazon and home store)

I also picked up a cheap spoke shave and am happy that I did

No 5 plane

No 4 plane

I eventually bought a stanley 78  shoulder plane (and it works but not well)

I also eventually got an old Record 405 (stanley 45) for tongue and grove work - I love the steam punk feel of that kit

 

Clean:

I went with the marple chisels and Im sure there are far better ones our there, but they work well and as long as you dont drop them on a cement floor they stay sharp. 

A white rubber mallet

A card scraper - (dont forget you need a burnisher if you get one)

 

 

Finish:

Youll need some brushes and a box of rags - 

Also get gloves and some thinner/cleaner for afterward

 

 

These are the tools that Ive got but that doesnt deal with keeping tools sharp and keeping your shop clean and safe

 

If you got the ebay route you are going to have to clean and resharpen almost everything you buy. 

 

Youll need saw files and a saw set -

If you think you are getting a steal on the same Disston D9 that Underhill uses but you dont sharpen it you will get discouraged. 

I bought these (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=69854&cat=1,320,43072,43089,69854)

 

For planes and chisel sharpening I started with a norton combo stone ( that was the only sharpener my dad ever had and he was a legit finish carpenter)

And I bought some sand paper and spray adhesive which I glue down on a piece of glass tile and I bought some higher grit paper

 

I also bought a bevel gauge and am happy that I didn't try to free hand things.

 

When it comes to your shop - if you are moving away from power tools dust is much less of an issue but you will still have to clean up the mess

 

a broom and one of those stand up dust bins is very helpful. I also picked up a masonry brush with the plastic bristles for brushing off the bench - I got a shoe shine brush that I use to cheap off my wood once its close to finished.

 

All these things can add up quickly

 

Brian Boggs said his first shop was $50 but I think that was 30 years ago - today to set up a shop for $50 youll start with a tape measure, a norton combo, and a sharpened spoon.