Spangler1992 Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Greetings, I am extrememly new to the hobby of woodworking. I recently inherited all of my grandfathers hand/power tools. He was a woodshop teacer for 30 years. Among the items that I have received are: All Contractor grade: Delta 10" platinum edition Table Saw Delta Drill Press Delta Scroll Saw Delta Belt Sander Several routers, circular saws, misc hand tools Craftsman Lathe that looks to be about 30 years old in great shape Numerous types of clamps, and much more. Unfortunatly my grandfather is in a nursing home and cannot have a good conversation so I cannot ask him these things Where do I get started? I do not have any of the manuals that come wiht them so not sure how to adjust or tweak anything. I am extremely scared to even turn these items on as to not knowing what I am doing (this can be a good thing as it shows that I have respect for the machinery and that it could hurt you) If anyone can point me in a good direction whether it be the internet, dvd's, books etc. I would be greatly appreciative. I will be setting up shop in my hoime garage that is 23' x 23'. Am very excited but very lost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bywc Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 First of all let me welcome you to the wood working hobby. If I were new I would start with these videos and the sections I would watch in order are. http://thewoodwhisperer.com/category/video/ * Safety * The Shop * Tool Setup * Techniques * Projects * Finishing As far as manuals most if not all manuals can be found online. Delta - http://www.old-woodworking-tools.net/delta-tool-manuals.html Craftsman - http://www.old-woodworking-tools.net/craftsman-tool-manuals.html I am sure if you search the same site for your routers etc they will be there also if not at another source online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 On top of the info Paul gave you magazines can e great help in getting your feet wet. Watching episodes from The New Yankee Workshop is also helpful, these are the two things that I and many others did when first entering the hobby. Joining the Guild here would also be helpful. The Guild has builds, along with a lot of other things, that Marc films the process so you can follow along. He usually shows a few different ways and skill levels to do the process so no matter the tools you have you can get the job done. All of that is great but the main reason I am a member is the comradery, between the live chats, meetings, and the regular forum you will make a lot of friends here that will help you out every step of the way so the hobby isn't so intimidating. As far as the tools go, I wouldn't try to learn all of them at once. Start with one (like the table saw), watch Marcs videos here, and here, then get to know the machine along with what you are doing then move on. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must be with all of those tools staring at you! Take it step by step, ask us lots of questions and have fun!! Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 One more idea ... figure out what kind of woodworking you want to do, and then find a group or a class or something near you who can actually show you what to do in person. There's nothing like a good mentor or two if you can find them. -- Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russjohnson Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 I agree with all of the suggestions above and would add Charles Neil and David Marks Woodworks. I also find the projects from Woodworking for Meremortals has good starter projects. Good thing is it sounds like you have been gifted a good set of tools. Remember there is always the community to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon003 Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 There's also the New Yankee Workshop. Youtube and other sites have plenty of videos as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattvan Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 All of the above is great info! Paul's suggestion for the manuals was my first thought. OWWM is an amazing resource for late model tools from manufacturers still in operation and many that closed their doors years ago. Chances are they'll not only have access to the old manuals, but their forums are a great resource for using and if necessary repairing the tools. They were who I turned to, when I inherited my Grandfather's old Sprunger Bros tools. One other thought is to contact the manufacturers themselves. Often while the owners change from time to time, they still maintain databases with copies of the manuals. You might even find them in the library of congress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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