Thread: New to wood working . What tools to buy?

Hi Paul
Those chisels seem to be quite reasonable ... but dont forget to see Paul Sellers site for breaking in new chisels ... they wont be sharp enough straight from the factory.

Routers are fine for doing the mortise ... hand held is OK if you make a jig .. IMG_3400.jpg


What you have made looks great ... I can see that you pay attention to the finish .. nice work.

If you want to do M&T joints than a good marking knife and a marking gauge will be required.

As for the budget ... you might be restricted in what you can make to a certain degree ... some cuts, joints, designs etc will need special equipment so chose what you make so that it is within the capacity of your tool range. DAR timber can be expensive ... but it is cheaper than an outlay for milling machines/tools if you use designs that suit standard boards.

Mitres are the most cranky of things to do unless you have accurate machines or tools (planes and shooting board for example) ....its just a matter of finding the right designs that are capable of being achieved with the tools at hand .. lap joints for example in picture frames.

Be careful not to buy tools that have features you will seldom use .. ... a sliding compound (bevel and mitre cuts together) mitre saw (SCMS) is seldom used to its full extent in cabinetry .. a chop saw with mitre function is all you should need ... they are much cheaper and will do 99% of the cross cuts you will ever do. A track saw or a circular saw with a track jig will handle long grain cuts and panel board quite well. Don't be overly precious when it comes to machines .. a small Ryobi bandsaw will do most of those cuts you need from a bandsaw ... (if you are not doing a lot of resawing or big timber breakdowns).

Good luck .. keep it simple ... and choose designs carefully to suit your available resources.

Cordless drills are great ... but the small Ozito corded drill has a screw torque function (I think it is the only corded drill that does) and most of your work will be drilling and screwing ... no need to pay big money for a 4ah drill set if you have an extension cord. Spend on quality drill bits ..

Regards

Rob

Originally Posted by paul.aldred1

...
what if anything you already have?

• A 18mm and 1 inch chisel, cheap bunnings ones

...
I have gleaned from the responses that i should have the following as a basic kit:

• Chisels - better quality than i currently have have seen this kit (https://www.finetools.com.au/collect...els-set-863010) is it reasonable?

...

Those Narex chisels look quite nice. I'm almost tempted myself.

I've been bumbling along for several years on buying and using tools, not really knowing what's good what's not. I still don't think I know that much but I've bought a lot of different tools. making mistakes after mistakes, sometimes I thought I learnt a lesson but eventually realised that there is much more to be known.
So take what I said as just one person's journal on chisels.

1. You can sharpen almost any chisels to a razor sharp edge, sharp enough to shave the edge of a piece of paper at ease, or pare the end grain on a piece of oak. Cheap chisels can be as sharp as a very expensive one.
2. A good quality chisel like the Veritas PMV11 chisels can hold their edges longer than others. But unless you're chopping mortises on our Aussie hardwood, you wouldn't notice it very much. You should always sharpen your chisels after each phase of work.
3. What is noticeabe is the amount of time you take to flatten the back of chisel and the time it takes to shape the iron. Some chisels are ground so badly that there is a hollow at the back right where the edge should be. You can't really flatten them.
4. I find that chisels with a longer blade ~ 140 mm before the handle for example are nicer than short blade ones, because you have more length to use to clean up your cuts.
5. I find chisels with a thicker blade at the handle end feels more balance in my hand and have less vibrations when you hit it with a mallet as you would when chopping mortises. The difference in thickness is highlighted by the two chisels that I own, one is an older marples (probably before it was taken over by Irwin) and another one an inexpensive Stanley.

chisel comparisons.jpg

I personally quite like those stanley chisels. I like the feel of them. They are easy to sharpen, stay sharp pretty well. The handles aren't the best looking though. But I guess I could replace them with nice wooden ones when I retire from work.

Other people will have different opinions through their own experiences. For example, the youtube below is one such take.

Paul, you've had all sorts of good advice, here's something else to consider. Spend some of your initial budget by signing up for a course with one of our local W'work teachers like Robert Howard or Richard Vaughan. Not only will you get excellent tutoring, you'll get to see/use the sorts of decent tools folks are talking about. Only downside is it might cause you to seriously re-consider your tool budget in the long-run.

I learned through experience, but it takes a very long time when you plug away on your own. What helped a lot was that I started with some very thorough basic woodwork training in primary school, back in the 1950s (which makes me an ancient life-form, doesn't it?!). So I knew how to prepare stock & lay out & cut all the basic joints, which is something you do need to master if you wish to do 'real' woodwork. From what I saw with my own kids, the 'basic woodworking' they did in primary school was very basic, thanks mostly to the tiny amount of time they allowed for it, so the sort of initiation I had hasn't been available for a very long time.

Actually, building a bench involves some basic joint-making, and even though your first efforts might not be 'furniture grade', they will be 'good enough' for a workbench. Main criteria for a workbench are that it be solid (i.e. no wracking), and as heavy as possible.

Unfortunately, there's only one way to get experience. If you get the bug, & stick at it, be prepared to make all sorts of mistakes, and it will take time before you can be confident that what's in your mind's eye will translate into wood, but slowly & surely you'll get there, every mistake made is a lesson in itself, and there is often a fix or 'workaround', so thankfully, utter disasters are rare (but I've had my share!). And I think most of the respondents so far will agree that once things do start to go your way, and you begin to make things that look like a professional has been at work, it's one of the most satisfying experiences you can enjoy - and what's more, it's still legal.....

Cheers,

I would say that before you commit to a whole bunch of tools - decide what sort of woodworking you are interested in. Most folks have one major primary hobby area and the rest are sort of on the side... Let your interest dictate the tools and kit you need.

My guess is that building a workbench isn't going to be your primary woodworking focus (although for some here, it is....). The workbench is just a vehicle for some other sort of woodworking.

So.... What interests you? What sort of things do you really want to do? Toys? Pens? Fancy boxes? Wooden spoons and implements? Musical instruments (which ones?) knives? Automata/machines? Cabinetry? Chairs? Fancy reproduction furniture? Etc...

The reason I ask this is that each of these requires different tools and a different setup than the others. For example - making musical instruments hardly requires a table saw - while cabinetry certainly does. Making fancy dovetail boxes or knives doesnt require a lathe - though pen turning and spindle turning does....

I build acoustic guitars... The first "I gotta have this" tool for me was a good laminate trimmer with a circle cutter base.... I bought a bandsaw before I bought a random orbital sander. I dont own a power jointer, wood lathe, planer, drill press, or table saw.. But I love my band saw and wide drum sander.

but - if I was primarily pen turning, making wooden spoons, or chip carving - the laminate trimmer and drum sander would be useless.

Thank to everyone who has replied i done the following utilising all your advice:

1) Emailed the men's shed to obtain membership and will try to go 1 day a week (Work permitting)
2) Started practising half lap joints using some scrap wood - 1 joint was good other 3 were average, my chisels were not sharp and the saw was a cheap $15 tenon saw from bunnings which has been abused a little so would be very dull.
I turned the halflap joints into legs for a mini table for my 3 year old just added a marine ply top from an off cut i had in the shed. He can use it and its very stable - he wont notice the average joints. (will upload a pic later)

Now for the purchases:
3) Bought the chisel set i linked earlier - $64
4) Bought some extra clamps, chisel honing set and squares - $60
5) Bought a new Veritas Dovetail saw tsi14 - $100 (recommended by Paul Sellers)
6) Bought veritas wheel measuring gauge - $58

Not bought yet :
7) Watching a Stanley No. 4 Smoothing Bench Plane on ebay and will pull the trigger if its a reasonable price (recommended by Paul Sellers)
8) A work colleagues dad is an ex-carpenter and has some hand me down tools, manual and power. I have been offered a few, just waiting for a list of the ones he doesnt need and i will take them off him. all free

I have plenty of offcut pine left from the carport so will be practising the half lap joints as well as mortise and tenon joints in the coming weeks. I will sharpen up the cheap bunnings chisels i already have too. I've not started on the workbench yet thought im best playing with scrap pieces until i become more confident and then will build the workbench.

As for the lessons, i dont have time at the moment so will try to do the men shed and weekend tinkering, if the bug bits hard ill be stepping up the professional lessons for sure.

I definitely want to build household furniture and think a table saw will be very useful, sadly i cant afford one now so have opted for the handsaw above. if the bug stays I will save up for the table saw or plead with the fiance for one for Christmas.

Thanks again for all your advice, will keep you posted on how it all goes.

As a fellow beginner, I would love to know how you go with the Dovetail Saw, looking at buying one myself so would be great to see what you thoughts are.

Originally Posted by Fergy1987

As a fellow beginner, I would love to know how you go with the Dovetail Saw, looking at buying one myself so would be great to see what you thoughts are.

Will keep you posted when it comes. I bought it from www.thewoodworks.com.au so far they have been quick to respond to my questions even over the holidays.

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Hi paul

as a beginner, can I suggest you also purchase a copy of The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing (Lost Art Press). Available from Henry Eckert in Adelaide.
I highly recommend it as an introduction to the essential skills which need to be mastered to successfully build furniture.
short of standing beside you giving instruction, I know of no better resource for a beginner.

Thank you Ian, have just bought a hardbook version online.

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I think you made a great decision with the Men's Shed... Likely they have power tools and hand tools you can use as well as people who can teach you the various techniques and practices.

One tip about good hand saws. You will wreck your first few saws to beginner mistakes while you are learning techniques and establishing muscle memory.

Put up your expensive hand saw for now and buy a throwaway cheapie in the $20 range....

Start with less expensive saws and throw them away when you kink, bend, twist, dull the teeth on a hidden staple, knock a few teeth out of set, wreck it on MDF/OSB/PT wood, leave it where the kids can use it to saw rocks/cement, or saw the vise/clamp...

Once you sort this out - your good saw will really do a fine job.

Chisels aren't so bad because its pretty easy to sharpen out your mistakes.

Thanks I have two cheap tenon saws that I've been practising with one is very dull, the other brand new. The new saw hasn't been dispatched yet so will leave that one in storage when it arrives until I'm comfortable that I can cut straight and correctly with the cheap saws.

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I have built a couple of workbenches in the last couple of years. I find that I am always wanting to clamp things to the bench top. I built my current bench with this in mind, the bench top overhangs the frame and legs by about 80 mm so there is plenty of room for clamps.

Also, you can never buy enough clamps.

So have been practising building a mini workbench (can give it to my son to use) its not finished yet still a work in progress uses a lot of lap joints and isn't perfect. Reasonably strong at the moment.

The premise is that I build a mark 2 version later for myself.

Still waiting on tools to be delivered, chisels arrived but haven't honed them yet.


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Nice work. You could have trenched those lower support rails into the legs a bit for even more strength.