Absolute beginner, becoming frustrated


BDY33

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On 8-5-2013 at 1:11 PM, bobcrosley said:

 

This is true. Garage woodworking is a game of inches! You just keep expanding very slowly, and before you know it, you're running the garage.

It means that at least you have a garage you can work from. I live at an apartment complex and luckily we have a storage center, short walk away but most of my woodworking at this point will be on the porch and in the kitchen.

I'm not looking forward to possibly having to move it all to my storage boxes as it will be cold and no coffee available.

In a couple of months when it starts to get warmer it would be a nice option though and i might have to talk my wife into getting a larger storage box with power and light so i can just go there when I feel like doing some work.

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I've seen a poor-mans table saw used and it cuts good, straight lines. All it is, is 2 pieces of wood screwed together, do make a straight line cut using your circular saw. While you do have to endure that you place it squarely and use caution while using it, it is MUCH cheaper than a table saw, and it's only 2 pieces of wood, so it can lean on a wall or hang up out of the way instead of taking up half the garage. Il see if I can find the plans and post them here

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Not really plans, but you can see what it is. The tallest point of wood is where the side of your saw slides against, like your fence. Then the edge of the jig is where your saw kerf is. So you can clamp this to your work piece, or stick some sticky orbital sanding pads to the bottom so that it doesn't slide while cutting. I would recommend clamping if possible though.

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If you YouTube Izzy swan, you will find that he BUILT a table saw from a circular saw, as well as many other cheap, just getting started tools and machines. While some of that stuff may be sketchy and look unsafe or won't do the job, it's done so that one may do just enough to get the job done, sell whatever you made, take the profit, and upgrade your tools as you go. Wouldn't recommend makin a table saw out of a circular saw and making that your permanent fixture, but it will get the job done enough to get your first couple projects finished nicely and won't break the bank

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There has been some great advice for you so far on this thread, I wish I had Marcs' and Shannon's Advice when I was trying to learn this stuff. Oh, wait I did, Thanks again guys!!

Anyway,

They have a good point with the mask and the tool purchases. It is about patience in woodworking. When I first started I was so impatient that if I couldn't finish a job in a weekend I didn't want to take it on, now I work on chairs that take months to complete. My tool cabinet for my shop has been a year in the planning stage and has taken about a month already to build, that's just for a tool box. Patience young padawan, forty is just the beginning. ;) 

I started out following in the Maloof style which meant a lot of grinder work, so I turned into a fair weather woodworker and when the sky's were clear I would take the project outdoors. Little by little I acquired tools, some sucked, some I still use. Replace the crappy ones, and take good care of the good ones. Try to arm yourself with as much info as you can before you buy a tool. Save up, if it means you can't get that bit or blade for another month, so be it. Over all be patient and stay safe. We all want to see you doing this wonderful craft years from now. Take care,

Brian

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Without reading through the other responses I can only say this:

 

My first projects were made with 1x4's from the lumber store, a cheap corded drill, a saw, glue, and screws.  I worked that way for a long time and slowly added.  A circular saw here, a square there, bits and pieces from all over, bought used and cheap.

Here I am at 55 and still do not have top of the line equipment and still loving it.  I have a small shop now and I have extended the hobby into a small You Tube channel just because I want to learn how to make videos and there is so much inspiration from other content creators (Thanks Shannon).

Do what you can with what you have and enjoy the journey.  A shop, or workspace is never "done" and it is all about the trip, not the destination.  If by magic a huge fully equipped shop appeared out of no where, for me at least, it just wouldn't be the same.

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  • 1 month later...

Craigslist is your friend.  I started with all used tools, bought from Craigslist.  Yes, they weren't the best.  I learned how to finesse them into shape, where their weaknesses were and how to best use them.  This turned out to be valuable knowledge.  When I decided to get serious about the hobby, I knew what I wanted and bought better tools.  

Woodcraft is a good place to start learning and meeting people.  See if there are any local woodworking clubs and start attending meetings.  Generally, people in those clubs are very helpful and will point you in the right direction.  They're often first to be told of older woodworkers who are retiring of who have passed away.  Estate sales, garage sales, used tool sales, etc. I have grown tremendously from my affiliation with the North Texas Woodworkers Association (www.NTWA.org)

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  • 1 month later...

I am in your shoes as well and know how you feel, I have wish lists all over the web. all I have is a 7 X 12 space and in that space I have a Ryobi table saw, a belt disc, a bench top drill press, a bench top band saw 2 circular saws, a jig saw, 2 drills plus all the blades bits, etc + a folding lawn chair a junk box and misc' squares, levels and rules and believe it or not the only problem I have had is my own mess. I just built a small boat just to see if I could get it done, my grandfather was a self employed boat builder back before fiberglass became big, I picked good weather days and set it up outside on saw horses and once I got through with assembly I moved it inside to wait for dry weather again before the final finishing.

I have never really had a lot of interest in wood working other than wood turning, I actually bought most of these tools for my wife who has become interested in ornamental blacksmithing to use in her stuff but when I started trying to learn to use it I found it to be one of the most relaxing things I had ever done. I love metal work but it is a hot pass time here in florida.

in short find a way to make it happen if it is enjoyable to you, I bought these tools thinking it would be all my wife would ever need seeing as most of the work would be in metal but even now I don't regret any of it except the table saw, its not bad but I already see I will probably outgrow it pretty quick. I don't regret it because I will pass it on to my two grandsons as I replace things and they come of age. I am debating now on weather to build a shop or buy one of the buildings from Carolina carports. I can buy it a lot cheaper than I can build it but I can build a little at a time out of pocket and have it just like I picture it.

I sincerely wish you all the luck in the world and look forward to learning from you and all the others here.

 

SC

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On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2013 at 3:18 PM, thewoodwhisperer said:

Amazing advice in this thread already. The way this is headed, I might have to make this an official sticky post!

 

One piece of advice I'll throw in here that might be helpful when selecting your tools is to not focus too much on brands. Spend enough time in forums and watching podcasts, like mine, you might come away with a false impression that you simply can't get the job done without high-end stuff. That's simply not the case. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten comments on places like YouTube that say, "If I had a $400 router I could do that too!" Seriously? Yes Festool makes a kick-butt router, but at it's core, it's still a motor spinning a bit in circles and every brand of router does that much.

 

That's just one example but there are many we can talk about. Less expensive tools can certainly get the job done as long as you avoid the lemons. 

 

I occasionally try to do a video that shows a project being done with basic tools. Here's an example: http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/low-entertainment-center-pt-1/

 

Hope it helps to inspire you. The last thing we want is for you to be stifled and discouraged.

AMEN, I could have the best tools money could buy and monkey up a plain box. another thing that inspired me somewhat ( off topic somewhat ) was in my metal working. I have had a Lincoln 225 AC since I was about 21 and always wanted a multi process machine or at least an AC/DC machine but could never afford it or bring myself to spring for it but through trying different electrodes I found some that work nearly as good as the 7018 rods I use on DC at work. I have always been cheap and raising kids broke a lot of times as well so I try not to get discouraged if the tool I have isn't the one I wish I had, I use good tools and equipment at work so I know the difference but whenever something doesn't go just the way I had hoped I just recite this mantra, Oh well, we aint building no piano.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had the same problem as you a few years ago.  I wanted both cars in the garage and a workshop.  Doing that with power tools won't work.  So I decided to go the hand tool route.  Now my entire workshop hangs on a small wall and in some drawers and on a few shelves.  Both cars fit in there also.  And the tool cost can be very low if you buy older tools (you can do that with power tools also).  And the tool cost is spread out over years since you only have to buy what you need.  An expensive old used tool that still works can be less than $50.  It would be rare to have to spend much more than $50 at one time for hand tools.  I got one for $5.  I even got some for free (15 old wooden planes).  My workbench is an old WorkMate.  Not the best but it works good enough for what I do.  Plus it folds up if I need room for something.  I still have a plastic table saw that hangs on the wall, a circular saw and a drill, but I rarely use them any more.  You have to learn how to use the hand tools.  But I don't have to worry about loosing a finger or so because I messed up using a power tool.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

You have to start simple. You can actually do a lot with simple hand tools and some people find that they like to stick with that. If you use power tools the sky is the limit as there is simple and cheap clear up to ridiculous and expensive. I started with an inexpensive table saw and found friends to lean on for other stuff. Friends have given me leads to get cheap wood and I've used Craigslist and yard sales. At this stage of my life I have a little more expendable income and now I find I'm getting more of the nice stuff. Yes it makes it easier but I wouldn't give up the years of training I've had where I've learned to do with what I had. It makes for some interesting solutions. If you try to start out with everything you better have a significant budget to back it up. but if you want to learn and just make cool stuff you really don't need much to do it.

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On February 8, 2013 at 11:34 AM, BDY33 said:

Hi all,

 

I hope this won't come across too negatively, I am looking for encouragement and strategy to overcome some frustrations. I do not mean this as pessimistically as it may sound.

 

I have wanted to get into woodworking my whole life, and at 40 with the help of a very supportive wife and family I have begun to do so in a corner of our small garage. So far I built a workbench (not a woodworkers bench, just a run of the mill garage workbench), which is very ugly but sturdy - not easy to do without already having a workbench! - an end table with drawer for our living room, and a stand for our girl's digital piano. They have all turned out well, but they don't really encompass any amount of actual woodworking skill - just cheap "whitewood" from Lowe's, cut crookedly with a cicrular saw, attached with pocketholes. It has definitely gotten me interested in learning more, and I have a ton of projects around the house I want to do. So I've been reading several books, reading lots on forums like this one, and have taken a 101 class from the local Woodcraft store.

 

So now it seems like in order to actually progress, I am going to need at a minimum a table saw. Every single book, plan, and TV show I watch, with the exception of the hardcore handmade guys, assumes you will have a table saw. So I start planning on how to save up around $500 for a decent Bosch or DeWalt model.

 

Now for the wood itself, I can either pay around $15-20 per bf for red oak at Lowes/HD, or I can get roughsawn lumber locally for closer to $3 per bf. Obviously I want to do the latter! But then, I would need a jointer and planer. OK, I think I can see how I can find another $500 for a Jet 10" jointer/planer (which already is a little dubious, reviews are all over the place for that).

 

So, $1000 and pretty much cramped into my 1/3 of the 2 car garage, doable. But I guess I am going to need an air solution, I already have been coughing more than normal from just 2-3 small projects. So, maybe $200 for a cheapo from HF? OK, maybe I can swing that. But wait, lots of folks saying that is inadequate. OK, need to add air cleaners. Those cost - holy cow, $600? And really, if you care about your and your family's health, you should check out Bill Pentz's site and get one of his cyclone machines. Only $1600! Well you can get a kit for $600, and just add the motor for another $400, plus all the other parts....

 

And this is just the bare minimum. I probably don't even have room for stuff like a bandsaw or drill press, etc.

 

So all of a sudden it seems ridiculously impossible and like I should just forget about it. Am I missing something here? Maybe I'm overthinking this. Can someone please help me out of this and explain how to get started in a more reasonable fashion?

 

Thanks for any help.

Hey BDY33,

I am a fairly new wood worker myself and I can understand your frustration when I first started wood working I thought in order to make anything of quality I needed everything the pros have its just not true there are plenty of small things you can use to get great quality projects. I seen you mention your cuts were crooked with you circular saw that's ok it happens when you free hand it. Look on YouTube for a circular saw straight edge jig! It made from scrap plywood and you will get perfect cuts every time! Also look online at wood magazine they have a article call idea shop 6 and it's all based around budget and putting money back they show you things that are cheap to start with and every two weeks add little things to improve your tool collection or jigs to help the tools you currently have if I could do it over I would follow there plan! One more thing don't get caught up in what ppl say you need to have if something makes your job easier on you use it! And Craigslist is your best friend at this stage. If you can afford a hybrid table saw and can find the space for it I would use that over a contractor saw any day it's just much easier to cut down full sheets of ply just my 2 cents on that. Good luck and take your time you will acquire all the NEEDS over time the wants can come later. Btw you can get a pretty nice delta hybrid saw at lowes for 599.00 I would spend the extra 100 on that over the dewalt for the bigger table and it still has a mobile base so it can easily be moved around in a small shop! Check it out! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I started out with smaller tools, bench top models, cheap little craftsman bandsaw, a portable job site table saw, which, you can find these tools used or nearly new on ebay, craigslist, amazon... cheaper than homedepot/lowes etc. I would keep them in the corner of my garage and set up saw horses with some plywood and set them on it as needed. You can start small and build up... Don't get discouraged. It's a great hobby. I've seen people do amazing things with a smaller budget. There are hacks on youtube for almost everything including air cleaners. Let us know what you decide! Good luck.

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  • 2 months later...

I am new to this forum, but I wanted to pipe in and tell you that you don't absolutely need all those nice power tools.  It sure makes it nice and much much easier. But when you don't have all those tools you learn to think outside the box and begin to get creative to solve problems. I was able to build these projects with a circular saw, a power drill, and a couple hand tools while being deployed in Afghanistan. Take the opportunity to think about how the project needs to be constructed and then how you can the parts necessary to accomplish that. You begin to be able to understand the simple processes that develop the skills for the more complex building skills.

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3 minutes ago, House of Livingston said:

I am new to this forum, but I wanted to pipe in and tell you that you don't absolutely need all those nice power tools.  It sure makes it nice and much much easier. But when you don't have all those tools you learn to think outside the box and begin to get creative to solve problems. I was able to build these projects with a circular saw, a power drill, and a couple hand tools while being deployed in Afghanistan. Take the opportunity to think about how the project needs to be constructed and then how you can the parts necessary to accomplish that. You begin to be able to understand the simple processes that develop the skills for the more complex building skills.

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Thanks for your service first!  Welcome to the forums second!

You are correct in that you don't need fancy tools to build projects.  Although technique and the process are most important, those "fancy" tools do speed things up and add a certain measure of accuracy.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

Start with a good table saw and a respirator.  Get a good one so you don't get even more pissed off because it's going to be the staple of your shop.  I have a Ridgid r4512 that is basically a mobile cabinet saw.  It's not too expensive but it's been an extremely good tool in my shop and didn't break my budget.   Maybe you get a few other hand tools this year but that would be a very good start.  Then you make something for your wife.  Then you make something she tells you to make for the house.  And just like that your budget is tripled for next year...

 

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BDY33, I started reading this post and got about 2 pages in and decided to jump to the end and weigh in.  Becoming a master in woodworking is a wonderful journey and a long one with no end - Sam Maloof  was still creating new designs and methods before he passed away.  I built an oak ice chest and a barristers bookcase for my first 2 projects about 30 years ago.  I had a router (black and decker), a 4" sears table top jointer and a Canadian Tire table top saw and a handful of basic hand tools.  I worked in a storage closet that was about 150 ft2.  One of the best tools I had was a subscription to Woodsmith magazine.  If you can read and follow directions you will be well on your way to learning to be a wood working craftsman.  The thing I learned the most from Woodsmith was the wonderful world of jigs, there is pretty much one designed for every kind of joint you want to cut.  Today, 30+ years later I am semi-retired (still working to buy tools - most of them are high end hand tools) working in a 30x40 shop and I am on about my 4th generation of power tools.  With the amount of money I have invested in tools over the years  I probably could have bought most of the furniture I have made (although the quality would not even be close to the solid hardwood furniture I built) and still have lots of money left, but my life would be so much less not having learned the skills and joy I get from creating something from a beautiful piece of wood.  Trust me, you will know you are hooked on the craft  whether you create a well constructed table or bench out of plywood or a Sam Maloof rocker out exotic hardwood and you spend hours admiring your finished product knowing you created it, regardless of the quality or amount of tools you own.  Like many have said start with a project, obtain the basic tools required and the many hours of jig making and improvising you can muster and create that masterpiece.  Start small and if you get hooked by the passion of working a piece of wood the tools will accumulate in time.  By the way, although I stopped buying Woodsmith magazine many years ago I still use them as a reference when I am trying to figure out the best way to construct a particular joint or how to build a certain jig for a difficult cut.  

I just realized this post was started almost 4 years ago, BDY33, by now I hope your tool frustration has passed and you are hopelessly hooked on woodworking!

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I am a young person and I always had an interest of building things, my dad wanted me to have the skills to help do things around the house. Like you, me and my dad didn't want to buy all these new and expensive tools, so we searched craigslist to find tools most woodworkers have like a table saw, miter saw and a handheld drill. Then we waited to buy some quality drill bits and blades at menards, after a few weeks of woodworking in the garage I made a list of tools I wanted to buy that weren't essential but would be nice to have. After a month or two of searching for adds in craigslist and other places me and my dad soon got all the tools I have today. The thing that I'm trying to say is buy quality tools off of craigslist and only get the essential tools first, sometimes you can even get away with a hand plane and other hand tools until you upgrade, because used tools today are cheap and quality tools are essential. Some deals I got off craigslist were my Rockler 9" tablesaw- $50, Ridgid 12" mitersaw- $65, DeWalt cordless drill set- $75, Craftsman router- $20 and my Craftsman 4" jointer- $120 and as for dust collection all of my tools have an adapter for a shopvac, I used that until I upgraded to a better system.

Thank You and Happy Woodworking

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 2/8/2013 at 8:34 AM, BDY33 said:

Hi all,

 

I hope this won't come across too negatively, I am looking for encouragement and strategy to overcome some frustrations. I do not mean this as pessimistically as it may sound.

 

I have wanted to get into woodworking my whole life, and at 40 with the help of a very supportive wife and family I have begun to do so in a corner of our small garage. So far I built a workbench (not a woodworkers bench, just a run of the mill garage workbench), which is very ugly but sturdy - not easy to do without already having a workbench! - an end table with drawer for our living room, and a stand for our girl's digital piano. They have all turned out well, but they don't really encompass any amount of actual woodworking skill - just cheap "whitewood" from Lowe's, cut crookedly with a cicrular saw, attached with pocketholes. It has definitely gotten me interested in learning more, and I have a ton of projects around the house I want to do. So I've been reading several books, reading lots on forums like this one, and have taken a 101 class from the local Woodcraft store.

 

So now it seems like in order to actually progress, I am going to need at a minimum a table saw. Every single book, plan, and TV show I watch, with the exception of the hardcore handmade guys, assumes you will have a table saw. So I start planning on how to save up around $500 for a decent Bosch or DeWalt model.

 

Now for the wood itself, I can either pay around $15-20 per bf for red oak at Lowes/HD, or I can get roughsawn lumber locally for closer to $3 per bf. Obviously I want to do the latter! But then, I would need a jointer and planer. OK, I think I can see how I can find another $500 for a Jet 10" jointer/planer (which already is a little dubious, reviews are all over the place for that).

 

So, $1000 and pretty much cramped into my 1/3 of the 2 car garage, doable. But I guess I am going to need an air solution, I already have been coughing more than normal from just 2-3 small projects. So, maybe $200 for a cheapo from HF? OK, maybe I can swing that. But wait, lots of folks saying that is inadequate. OK, need to add air cleaners. Those cost - holy cow, $600? And really, if you care about your and your family's health, you should check out Bill Pentz's site and get one of his cyclone machines. Only $1600! Well you can get a kit for $600, and just add the motor for another $400, plus all the other parts....

 

And this is just the bare minimum. I probably don't even have room for stuff like a bandsaw or drill press, etc.

 

So all of a sudden it seems ridiculously impossible and like I should just forget about it. Am I missing something here? Maybe I'm overthinking this. Can someone please help me out of this and explain how to get started in a more reasonable fashion?

 

Thanks for any help.

If you buy a decent table saw and create some jigs with plywood and square to align your fence, you can get by with some rough sawn lumber for sure. I would suggest creating a straight line jig that will allow you to plane boards on your table saw. The problem with using rough sawn lumber is that your width\height of board might be limited in all regards without extremely expensive equipment to handle such large boards. But i can tell you that people are a sucker for the reclaimed lumber look. For that look with a good top, the boards can be nice and wide, and edge jointed at the table saw. You can attach them with pocket screws or just glue. You can pickup a harbor freight biscuit jointer to help you line them up. The world is your oyster. Just prioritize your purchases and come up with a game plan on how you will get by without them for the time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Reading this forum again I can't lie. Part of what drew me into this hobby was watching many of the wood whisperer's videos and finding myself totally amazed by all the knowledge. This, coupled up with a thirst to try everything that Marc posts, and seeing his vast array of tools, you start to feel a little envious. I have been told recently "learn to walk before you run" and that is incredibly sage-like advice, but at the same time, it's hard to pick a path to go down when there are just so many to choose from. What I am quickly learning is to pick something I want to learn and go for it. I don't disagree that even the cheaper tools will get the job done, but man oh man... getting a well crafted tool in your hands and having that as your beginner tool can help you avoid so many mistakes as you hone your skills with them. Before choosing to pick up this hobby, I was a jack of all trades, master of none-kinda guy. I had certain tools that I didn't really care much about and these tools were sometimes put to tasks that they actually weren't even intended for. I guess that's what separates necessity of getting a job done and actually learning how to properly make that tool work for you. Recently I bought a chisel set from HD. I got it home and opened it up and as if some kind of twisted fate, I dropped my brand new chisel. Don't sweat it though, I caught it, with the sharp end, yeah, impaling my finger and laying it wide open. The funny part of this story?! It was dull. The chisel had a factory edge on it and I had no idea it needed to be sharpened, especially after my mishap. That same chisel is so sharp now (because I invested time and money into learning how) that I would not want that same mishap to happen again.  

Summary: don't get too excited when getting into this craft. Take time and research tools that you are interested in using (not ones that just look like they belong in your shop because they are pretty). Figure out if you can Afford to throw any extra money at your lacking tool collection. Try to determine if that tool is going to help you in the near future so as not to clutter your shop with tools that sit and collect dust. 

Keep asking questions. I joined this site in October of 2016 and I honestly have never felt so welcome. People respond quickly and give advice and even some pitfalls to avoid. I realize the original post was made in 2013 but I hope to add to the help of any newbies who come along with these same questions. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Craiglist, amazon's warehouse deals, and local garage sales are always a good place to look (and kill countless hours if you aren't careful).

My wife looked at me funny when I looked up estate sales on craigslist last weekend. I haven't checked any out yet, but have heard you can have some good finds at those too.

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  • 2 months later...

Don!  You're overthinking this.  Yes, you're going to need tools.  Check with local woodworking clubs and Craigslist.  As a member of a local club here in DFW, I can say for certain that it is VERY common to have tools donated or hear first about sales.  Usually it's from a widow contacting the club, offering her husband's tools for very reasonable prices.  Yes, they're usually older tools but they're often good tools.  

(1) Find a local club - introduce yourself.  "My name is Don, I live in ______ and I'm looking to get into woodworking.  I don't have any tools but I am interested in buying good used tools.  Primarily, I'm looking to start building ________ (insert project here so people know what tools you'll need)".  Someone is going to direct you to tools.

(2) Craigslist.  Check it out - there are always deals to be had.  I bought my first jointer on Craigslist for $200 (nice 6" jet model).  It had some issues that I worked out and fixed.  In time, I sold it for $400 and bought another jointer from someone in my local woodworking club for $500 (nice 8" Grizzly).  Last year I sold the Grizzly for $800 and bought a 16" jointer.  Never lost money on those deals.  

On 1/15/2017 at 2:52 AM, sapling111276 said:

Reading this forum again I can't lie. Part of what drew me into this hobby was watching many of the wood whisperer's videos and finding myself totally amazed by all the knowledge. This, coupled up with a thirst to try everything that Marc posts, and seeing his vast array of tools, you start to feel a little envious. I have been told recently "learn to walk before you run" and that is incredibly sage-like advice, but at the same time, it's hard to pick a path to go down when there are just so many to choose from. What I am quickly learning is to pick something I want to learn and go for it. I don't disagree that even the cheaper tools will get the job done, but man oh man... getting a well crafted tool in your hands and having that as your beginner tool can help you avoid so many mistakes as you hone your skills with them. Before choosing to pick up this hobby, I was a jack of all trades, master of none-kinda guy. I had certain tools that I didn't really care much about and these tools were sometimes put to tasks that they actually weren't even intended for. I guess that's what separates necessity of getting a job done and actually learning how to properly make that tool work for you. Recently I bought a chisel set from HD. I got it home and opened it up and as if some kind of twisted fate, I dropped my brand new chisel. Don't sweat it though, I caught it, with the sharp end, yeah, impaling my finger and laying it wide open. The funny part of this story?! It was dull. The chisel had a factory edge on it and I had no idea it needed to be sharpened, especially after my mishap. That same chisel is so sharp now (because I invested time and money into learning how) that I would not want that same mishap to happen again.  

Summary: don't get too excited when getting into this craft. Take time and research tools that you are interested in using (not ones that just look like they belong in your shop because they are pretty). Figure out if you can Afford to throw any extra money at your lacking tool collection. Try to determine if that tool is going to help you in the near future so as not to clutter your shop with tools that sit and collect dust. 

Keep asking questions. I joined this site in October of 2016 and I honestly have never felt so welcome. People respond quickly and give advice and even some pitfalls to avoid. I realize the original post was made in 2013 but I hope to add to the help of any newbies who come along with these same questions. 

Sapling - this sounds VERY familiar.  I think that a lot of us came up through this same method.

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Guest Randy

I probably can't add much to what was already said, but I started out many years ago with very few tools, some used and some new. Then I accumulated tools on a tool by tool basis, some used and some new. I first bought wood already surfaced on 4 sides and, while not ideal, it does work. I graduated to finding someone who would plane the wood which is when I bough a short bed 6" jointer which I used for 20+ years before upgrading. From there, I accumulated tools little by little. Now, of course, I have a lot of tools; in fact, all I need. While it's hard for me to understand how I got along with the tools I initially had, I did get along and made some nice stuff. You just learn to work around the short-comings of the tools you own.

You can always go the hand tool route; at least to fill in where you don't have the power tools to do the work. Generally the dust isn't a problem, so dust collection isn't essential. It's also an excellent way to learn the basic concepts of woodworking. It is hard work and, during the learning process, can be a little frustrating but, in the end, it is satisfying. Also, good new hand tools aren't cheap either.

I would look for good, used power tools that are in working condition and look like they haven't been abused. You don't need a great table saw to start, but I'd find one that has dust collection or looks like you could rig up an enclosure for dust collection. Table saws make a lot of dust. I have always been able to find a place that will plane the wood to the desired thickness so I would look for a good, used 6" jointer, preferably with a longer bed. Condition wise they might be a little harder to find, but I believe they are available. I confess I don't know what to recommend about dust collection because cost usually translates into effectiveness with collectors, but you might even be able to find a good used dust collector. Then I'd work with those for awhile and see what you need to progress to the next level of your satisfaction with your work.

Then, don't forget hearing protection which is really the cheapest of the whole operation. You can get disposable foam insert plugs very cheap if you search online and I've found they provide the best protection. But you can also get other reusable protection inexpensively.

There are an infinite number of routes to becoming the woodworker you want to be and, I found that, until the tools you own don't satisfy your needs, they do satisfy your needs.

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What tools you buy and when you buy them depends a great deal on what you plan to build and how you plan to buy the materials you are going to build them with.  I’m also going to assume that when needed you can use the rest of the garage to, for example, to cut down  4 x 8 sheet goods.  Let me explain. . .

If you are going to build furniture, of any type, using hardwoods, then the first tools you are going to need are a table saw, a jointer, and a planer; pretty much in that order.  Add a band saw when you can.   Keep in mind that you can do almost everything by hand if you have the proper hand tools, but the sweat and skill required go up dramatically to achieve what even modest modern power tools can do.  If you start out trying to make a warped board flat with hand tools you will most likely get frustrated and go down a different path.  (BTW, the Ridgid 4512 that someone mentioned wouldn’t be a bad choice, more on that subject later).

If you are going to build cabinets, using primarily sheet goods then you should get a decent circular saw and straight edge.  You’d be amazed at what you can do with a Ridgid R8651 18V circular saw.  Last year I bought a three piece kit with the saw, drill and screw driver for about 200.00 including a nice carry bag and 2 LI-ION batteries and a fast charger.  Even a nice table saw is not going to have the fence required to cut the 4 x 8 sheets down to size (hence the circular saw and straight edge).

For hand power tools the above Ridgid kit (or some variety of drill and circular saw), a jig saw and a router (I like the 1 3/4 HP Porter Cable 690LR $150.00). I've have had one for 30 years and it still runs great.  I bought the plunge variety of it a couple of years ago on Craig’s List for $30.00.  There are a lot of good routers out there, but I would make sure it accepts the Porter-Cable template guides.  You’ll also need a small grinder.

For hand tools I would start with a set of chisels (they don’t need to be expensive), a block plane and a smooth plane.  You’ll also need a wet stone.  There’s nothing more dangerous than dull tools!  I’d start watching garage sales for the hand tools.  Don’t be afraid of a rusty hand plane, they’ll clean up just fine.

My two cents on dust collection.  For the hobbyist, it’s not a big deal.  Get a broom and dust pan and  wear a dust mask when you are sanding.  The rest of the time you probably get just as much stuff in your lungs mowing your lawn.

Finally, new verses used tools.  I have a 36 x 60 foot shop that is mostly outfitted with used tools.  From auctions, to garage sales, to Craig’s List, really most were purchased used.  One example is a 15” open end wide belt sander that I picked up for $1200.00 that new is about $4700.00.  I just retired my Craftsman table saw that I paid $100.00 for, added a 3 HP motor and decent fence to ($300 total and used it for 30 years) a few years ago.  Replaced it with a used Jet Supersaw sliding table saw that I paid $700.00 for.

The last piece of advise I have is to look for a mentor and/or take a couple of entry level night shop classes at your local university or community college.  You will learn a lot in a short time. And most of all have fun.  For me there’s nothing better than getting off work, and stepping into my shop, smelling the wood I cut the day before, and rolling up my sleeves. . . Good Luck!

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