gardnesd Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 Which would you buy first??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 If you have a planer, and a table saw, you can get away with no jointer. A couple of jigs can make it happen. So that being said, probably a bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardnesd Posted November 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 If you have a planer, and a table saw, you can get away with no jointer. A couple of jigs can make it happen. So that being said, probably a bandsaw. I have those things(ts and planer, also have a jointer plane). I need to upgrade either the table saw or the fence on the existing table saw. Can you explain the jig thing?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteJr Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 A Drill Press will make you a better woodworker. Drilling holes for shelves, door hinges and more with precision and repeatability are key to a successful project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikbrown Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 I went with the drill press... but the band saw gives you a lot more flexibility.... curves!!!, rough cutting/ripping thick stock, thicknessing without wasting a ton of wood, making bookmatched panels etc... Can you tell I really want a band saw?!?! That being said a full sized drill press is 200-500 where a decent sized band saw is 800+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 I love the bandsaw. So, that is my vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 Gotta run right now, but when I get home tonight, I'll take a pic of mine and you'll understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bywc Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 What kind of wood working do you do? would really help in deciding but just randomly guessing blindly I would say out of all you listed a bandsaw can do more tasks than any of the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 I have those things(ts and planer, also have a jointer plane). Sell the tablesaw and get a bandsaw and drill press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bennett Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 Which would you buy first??? I would say that the Bandsaw is probably the most versatile machine in the shop. But, if you get one get the biggest and heaviest you can afford. It's possible to run even the narrowest blade on a big saw but impossible to run a wide blade on a small one. By this I mean I have a 600mm bandsaw capable of ripping at up to 410mm beneath the guides, which is great for ripping veneers and some very large logs.. It has a 5hp motor and I have blades from 6mm to 52mm that I regularly use. It weighs 490Kg nearly half a ton. With some thought it is possible to do far more than just cut shapes, though of course it does this very well. It is also useful if you can tilt the table. But, if like mine, you have a very large cast iron table, make sure it has a rack and pinion or similar mechanism or you'll not handle it. Good luck. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mzingali Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 Bump..I'm having the same dilemma...i need those same tools..but I think jointer and planer will be first..followed by bandsaw and drill press..rounding up with drum sander if I can...I only have 110V at this house so i'm limited to the size of tools i can get. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_ Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 I have drill press bandsaw and jointer and the drill press was the last one I got, but I use the drill press the most, it gets used on almost every project so I would vote for drill press. I would love to get a drum sander I think it will be my next big purchase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnie Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Sell the tablesaw and get a bandsaw and drill press. Sell the tablesaw??? Did I read that correctly? The tablesaw is one of the most important saw's in my shop... I think that it is more versitile than the bandsaw.. But if I was to pick I would buy the drum sander...I have a tablesaw, planner, scroll saw, router/table and I just got rid of my miter saw. And I wish I didn't... But my pick would be a drum sander. Its nice to have a wide belt drum sander when you need to sand down wide panels. I have been in situations when I really needed one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samhell Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Bandsaw. Its extremely useful. 2nd choice would be the drill press. Depends on what you are planning to do really... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Sell the tablesaw??? Did I read that correctly? The tablesaw is one of the most important saw's in my shop... I think that it is more versitile than the bandsaw.. Yup, you read that correctly. What I didn't, and should have said, is that I do a lot of work using hand tools, and I rarely use plywood. So here are the ways I deal with cuts that most people would make on a table saw. 1. Rip cuts: use the bandsaw to make a straight rip cut, clean it up with a jointer plane. The resulting surface will be as straight as from a table saw, and smoother. 2. Cross cuts: Use the bandsaw to make a cross cut, use a shooting board to clean and square up the edge with a plane. The resulting surface will be as straight and as square as from a table saw, and smoother. 3. Making multiple pieces of the same width: rip cuts as above, gang all the boards together, and use a jointer plane to plane all the edges simultaneously so that they are even. 4. Making multiple pieces of the same length: set up a stop block with my shooting board, and make cross cuts as above. 5. Curved cuts: wait -- you can't make curved cuts on a tablesaw. 6. Resawing a 8" board: wait -- you can't resaw a board that wide with a tablesaw. 7. Dados/grooves/rabbets: use a plow plane, a fillister plane, or a rabbet plane. Unless you've seen this in action, you probably have no idea how fast this goes. Now, I realize that many people love their table saw. In my case, my shop is small enough that I needed to make a choice between table saw and bandsaw, and I went with the bandsaw, and am very happy that I did so. I just think that people who say that a table saw is indispensable often don't realize that the other ways of doing the tasks that they do with a table saw can be done easily with other methods. Anyway, my point for the OP is that I think that the combination of bandsaw and drill press is a better combination than table saw and bandsaw, or table saw and drill press. The best would be to have all three, and if my shop was big enough, I'll be honest and say that I would probably have a table saw as well. But I bet that it would be among the least used pieces of machinery in my shop, unless you count storing things on the table as a use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnie Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Yup, you read that correctly. What I didn't, and should have said, is that I do a lot of work using hand tools, and I rarely use plywood. So here are the ways I deal with cuts that most people would make on a table saw. 1. Rip cuts: use the bandsaw to make a straight rip cut, clean it up with a jointer plane. The resulting surface will be as straight as from a table saw, and smoother. 2. Cross cuts: Use the bandsaw to make a cross cut, use a shooting board to clean and square up the edge with a plane. The resulting surface will be as straight and as square as from a table saw, and smoother. 3. Making multiple pieces of the same width: rip cuts as above, gang all the boards together, and use a jointer plane to plane all the edges simultaneously so that they are even. 4. Making multiple pieces of the same length: set up a stop block with my shooting board, and make cross cuts as above. 5. Curved cuts: wait -- you can't make curved cuts on a tablesaw. 6. Resawing a 8" board: wait -- you can't resaw a board that wide with a tablesaw. 7. Dados/grooves/rabbets: use a plow plane, a fillister plane, or a rabbet plane. Unless you've seen this in action, you probably have no idea how fast this goes. Now, I realize that many people love their table saw. In my case, my shop is small enough that I needed to make a choice between table saw and bandsaw, and I went with the bandsaw, and am very happy that I did so. I just think that people who say that a table saw is indispensable often don't realize that the other ways of doing the tasks that they do with a table saw can be done easily with other methods. Anyway, my point for the OP is that I think that the combination of bandsaw and drill press is a better combination than table saw and bandsaw, or table saw and drill press. The best would be to have all three, and if my shop was big enough, I'll be honest and say that I would probably have a table saw as well. But I bet that it would be among the least used pieces of machinery in my shop, unless you count storing things on the table as a use. Not everyone has those kind of skills. Although I wish I did. Where I would only use hand planes and chiesels. Thats some skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Not everyone has those kind of skills. Although I wish I did. Where I would only use hand planes and chiesels. Thats some skills. Actually, I don't think it takes much skill at all to incorporate hand planes and chisels into your working routine at all. If I can do it, anyone can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 I can understand the overall desirability of a band saw (especially a bigg'un with enough horsepower to resaw a wonking big plank of bubinga) in the abstract; but this isn't a question to be answered in the abstract. What are you building? What have you already built? On your last build, was it the lack of a tool that held you back? Can you explain the jig thing?? A router, a planer and possibly a hand plane can pinch hit to cover the absence of a big jointer. The router can straighten an edge using a guide and a bearing bit. The planer can be used for initial flattenning provided that you either a.) build a sled to keep the board stable as it goes through or b.) get one side ballpark flat with a hand plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susieq4131 Posted November 13, 2010 Report Share Posted November 13, 2010 Out of those mentioned, a band saw and drill press are critical. If I was you, I would shop on Craig's List and you might be able to get all of them for a lot less than retail. Happy hunting! SQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick LoDico Posted November 14, 2010 Report Share Posted November 14, 2010 Life exists without a jointer but I wouldn't want any part of it. Next would be a drill press, band saw and finally a drum sander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted November 14, 2010 Report Share Posted November 14, 2010 You will know which one you will need first, it is the one that would assist you the most in your time in the shop. If it was me, it would be the jointer. I use mostly rough stock and building with square stock is a must. There are other ways instead of a jointer to do the task but unless you take the handplane road you will find that either the setup or lack of funtion still leave you wanting a jointer. All the tools you have listed are very nice to have, you just have to figure out the order of purchase that works for you. Best of luck Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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