Tools for the trade needed

[cody_lathrop]

I'm a retired vet at 27 and since I have been retired, I have needed something to occupy the time and woodworking drew me in. Now I am at a time when I could start working on projects and possibly sell them to family members and to a very small community. My only hitch in the whole project is not knowing the required tools of the trade that I need to start making furniture, benches, and possibly some cabnitry. Any help knowing what tools I may need to tackle these projects would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[davestanton]

Hi Cody and welcome!

To help you with your quest it would be handy for us to know your woodworking history and skills. Also if you own any tools or if you have access to any from friends or family. To a lesser extent, we also need to know do you have an area like a garage that you can use and if so how big , some dimensions and if it has good lighting.

Dave.

[aengland]

I'm a retired vet at 27 and since I have been retired, I have needed something to occupy the time and woodworking drew me in. Now I am at a time when I could start working on projects and possibly sell them to family members and to a very small community. My only hitch in the whole project is not knowing the required tools of the trade that I need to start making furniture, benches, and possibly some cabnitry. Any help knowing what tools I may need to tackle these projects would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I dunno; a hammer, 2 handsaws (6 pt rip and 8pt cc), 10" handbrace, cordless drill, 29 bit set, screwdrivers, backsaw (12"), tape measure, 2' and 4' levels, pick-up and/or trailor, basic chisel set (narex, 10 for $85 Lee Valley), Bosch jig saw, and either--(1) jack plane (#5, 14"), smoothing plane #4 or 4 1/2, and jointer or (2) power planer, orbital sander, hd belt sander, and finishing sander--might get you started.

First, this isn't a joke. Second, there's a lot more that can be accomplished with hand tools plus power tools.

Good luck.

[rmac]

Another way to look at it is to just pick a project and start trying to build it. You'll discover soon enough what tools you need and you can gather them as you need them. That way, your tool set will grow to match the way you work and the projects you want to build, and you won't end up buying (and having to store) a bunch of tools you'll never use.

-- Russ

[davestanton]

Many years ago when I started as an apprentice carpenter, my boss took me to the local hardware store and purchased the following items for me.

Carpenters ruler, hand panel saw and crosscut saw, a smoothing hand plane, a marking gauge, 4 chisels 1/4 " to 1 ", a hammer, nail punch medium, pliers, a ratchet screw driver flat bladed, a medium philips head screwdriver, small nail bag, hand brace and bits and a hand drill.

The first items I ever built with them was a plywood tool box with a sliding drawer and also a timber cradle for my oilstone to live in. These were mine but I did have access to the full joinery shop with Table saw, jointer and bandsaw.

[cody_lathrop]

Well at this point I have the following:

Hammer

12'' level

Rubber Mallet

square

circular saw

miter saw

drill press

and all the timber I could ever imagine.....we own 1000 acres,400 of which is timberland

and my own sawmill

As for my workspace, I have a very large 30'x50' shop that I can renevate to anything i desire.

Now im just looking to what you as a group would do with this space and timber avaliabilty I have at my disposal.

Thanks everyone

[aengland]

Well at this point I have the following:

Hammer

12'' level

Rubber Mallet

square

circular saw

miter saw

drill press

and all the timber I could ever imagine.....we own 1000 acres,400 of which is timberland

and my own sawmill

As for my workspace, I have a very large 30'x50' shop that I can renevate to anything i desire.

Now im just looking to what you as a group would do with this space and timber avaliabilty I have at my disposal.

Thanks everyone

Well, I was going to reply but now I'm depressed

Great for you! That's truly fantastic. Turning wood on a lathe, when done well, can actually earn one a fair bit of money. I've got a friend who has sold thousands (literally) of Christmas ornaments (for $11 each). Buying tools is no longer a problem. Likewise, I've got two other friends who have boutique owners offer them $300 a bowl wholesale for everyone they'll make. Both guys have different talent sets. One takes nearly two years to produce a bowl (he has 100s in various stages of drying and finishing); the other is quite artistic with carvings, etc. and doesn't make as many but doesn't take as long either.

BTW, the 'project approach is really a great idea. If only I had heard such counsel. Nah, probably wouldn't have listened. Nope, spent all that money on the big tools that everyone wants; but, didn't have what I needed anyway.

Do your homework on drying lumber. And, I'd suggest starting small with simple bird houses. Give 'em away at first, then sell them at flea and farmer's markets, and then see what happens next. With your resources, think of building 25 or 50, perhaps of certain designs.

Lots of luck,

Archie

[ddg]

Cody,

It will depend on how you want to build. Archie laid out some good hand tools to start with, but don’t forget a sharpening system (water, diamond or other stones, what ever you like/get used to using).

Moving into the power tool route (these are in addition to Archie’s list - you didn't talk budget):

[*]Table saw - it sounds like you are remote, consider the SawStop. At least you will minimize potential damage on the table saw.

[*]Jointer (on Archie’s list – look for an 8” model because of the size of your shop)

[*]Planer 12” is the cheapest. But it might not work with the wood you have. Look at your trees and determine if your needs.

[*]Dust collection system/cyclone

[*]Drum sander – not required but nice to have

[*]Router table & routers, or if you are cutting large profiles, a shaper

[*]Nailer (pneumatic then a compressor too, or battery) depending on how you plan to join material

[*]Mortiser – bench top, floor, MortisePal, Leigh FMT, Forstner bits with chisels, it depends on what and how you plan to build.

[*]Kreg jig if you want us screws to join things together

[*]Biscuit joiner may be of use for joining cases if you don’t want to use nails/show the connections.

[*]Festool Domino is also a possible solution if you are going to do a lot of work. The cost of the Domino + Festool Extractor is a lot to be spread out over projects/list]. If you are going to produce and sell a lot of projects, then this FDE$/project could be low.

I’ve read that some people feel they can replace their table saw with a track saw. I can see that with cutting sheet goods. I use a circular saw to cut sheet goods down into smaller, easier to handle pieces (I used to move full sheets around like they were nothing when I was building cabinets in my Dad’s shop. It’s heck to get old). But I don’t see using a track saw to rip lumber.

As others have said, your first project will drive you to the tools you need. But if you don’t have the experience with the tools, take a class. Woodcraft offers classes on some of these tools, including how to tune up the machines. You can take classes from different schools where you walk out with a piece of furniture. You might find a specific brand of tool you want to buy in these schools.

You have a large space, figure out how you want to finish your projects and dedicate a dust free area. You might want to frame out a room, or build one with plastic walls. But you want to keep dust out, and give yourself some way to spin the piece, even if you are hand finishing.

Good luck,

Doug

[areynoldsre]

The other tool I'd suggest is: knowledge. Find a class or a woodworking group in your area and join.

The way I started was picking a project, figuring out how to do it and then buying the tools and materials to do that project. I am also lucky to have a place nearby that holds classes and I took a kitchen cabinet class and a bunch of others. Got to learn a few things and had a chance to try lots of different tools before I bought.

I also joined a woodworking club this year and it's been a great place to learn stuff and get to see other's shops.

and, of course, I read forums like this (so far this is the best one I've found).

[Tobbe Arnesson]

This should probably help a bit: http://benchmark.20m.com/workshop/ShopToolInventory/shoptoolinventory.html

Also look at the videos Marc have put up, tons of great info there! http://thewoodwhisperer.com/category/video/

The best way to get a good tool selection is probably to buy each tool as you need it.

[Stevenn77]

As a woods teacher I have found a very interesting approach to answering this question. Many people think otherwise, but I would recommend taking a class if there is one available. Look through your community ed and contact local high schools ect... to see if there are any adult woodworking classes or "open shop" times. If you are able to find a class you will most likely have a full shop to your disposal. Pick a realistic project and keep track of what tools you use during the class to build it and how much you use each tool. Also don't be afraid to ask the instructor and others around you about multiple uses for a tool like dados that could be cut with a router, table saw, or other methods. This could offer a new outlook on how you would use tools once you purchase them and the ability to envision them in your workspace.

Just an idea to kick around. Hope it offers some help

[Sac]

Hey Cody, Welcome to the early retirement club. I too retired from the military when I was 27. I was in your exact shoes just a few years ago. I started by reading just about every issue of WOOD Magazine. And then watch all of Marc's videos. The just start buying the tools that you need to accomplish the job that you want to do. Three years later I have a shop full of tools. If you have any questions in the process, stop by here and ask away.

[tim0625]

Cody,

Sac is right....watch the videos, read the magazines, and as you do, look for what excites you. It may be birdhouses, outdoor furniture, fine furniture or like some of us, we get about as much pleasure working on the shop as we do BUILDING THINGS! Everyone has a preference inside them. You just have to find it and then begin buying the tools you need. Some of us see a hand plane peeling off shavings and get all tingly. For some, it's when the fine, high HP table saw starts up and dims the lights in the city (insert Tim the Tool Man's "grunt, grunt, grunt"). The variety of forums here display the individuality we all possess and the neat thing is, there are many ways to arrive at the same finished product. I know you are probably looking for a list from us of tools to buy; but that's really hard because most of us have a LOT of stuff that we've acquired over years, a few pieces at the time so if I gave you a list, it would be massive because let's face it guys, are there any tools we really feel like we can do without? Negative! You can't buy too many tools. There is no class where you'll say "Hi my name's Cody and I'm addicted to tools"!...Regardless, this is a good place to come - people enjoy sharing and a lot of these guys have forgotten more than I'll ever know so ask the questions on your mind. Thank you for your service to our country - it's sacrifices of guys like you and Sac and many others that allow us to enjoy a really neat way of life here.