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

If I might offer just one bit of wisdom, in that to buy this book and read it first: The Anarchists Toolchest: https://www.amazon.com/Anarchists-To.../dp/0578084139

Its a very stupid title, but it discusses electron powered vs muscle powered woodwork.

Im a huge enthusiast of electron woodwork (by my user name and business!) but also vastly enjoy the pleasures of muscle woodwork.

To that end, Im rebuying a lot of tools such as the LeeValley/Veritas planes and marking gauges, plus the set of dovetail saws.

Its far too easy to spend a LOT of money REAL fast and regret having done it in 18 months time.

The second wisdom is the bench. Build yourself a good bench. Your success will need it. You can do without it or even build a compromise, but with a decent one everything is so much easier. Make the first one cheaply and quickly. Use it to death, then build a good one with the lessons learned and knowledge of how you use it.

Great , thanks.

This is the bench I was thinking of building. https://youtu.be/ZX8ZuMmaHIY

Quite simple and uses the pocket hole joints throughout. Still not certain on the pocket hole approach and would prefer to do doweling instead. Either way only want to buy a pocket hole or a dowel jig.

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Its far too easy to spend a LOT of money REAL fast and regret having done it in 18 months time.
.

This must be a typo haha. Never regretted buying a single tool provided it was a high quality one. Only regrets are buying cheap junk only to be replaced by a quality tool soon thereafter. Of course you want to ease into it and see if woodworking is for you. If it is, you'll never regret buying the best you can afford.

My recommendation would be to save enough money to buy a table saw. While a circular saw or a jigsaw might be useful for DIY at home. It's not something I use at all for woodworking. It's not accurate enough to get tight mitre joints on your youtube video, for example. A table saw is a one of my very few machines that I use in woodworking, the others being a drill press and a Tormek for sharpening.
The pocket hole jig, in my view is a very good bit of kit and pocket holes are a simple and yet solid joinery method, especially when you're a beginner. You can start creating things and start enjoying the process of making things while you are learning other joinery methods.
There are other skills that you'll have to develop in order to make things that are pleasing to look at as well as being functional and strong. You should get some simple tools that help you to practice these skills.
In my view, these skills are:

1. Recognition of a reference edge and reference surfaces to measurements and marking.
2. Accurate marking and measuring - you will need a marking knife, a combination square that is true and square, some steel rules and a tape measure.
3. The principle of jointing especially the process and idea of getting two surfaces to be perpendicular to each other and flat through out, e.g. if the 4 x 2's that the guy in the video used are not truly flat and square, the resultant bench top would be either warp or twisted. Even though you might not have the skill to flatten and dimension stock right away, knowing the principle would allow you to select the right stock for your project.
4. Sawing true and square with just a hand saw, and accurately on the waste side of your marks. A simple hard point handsaw is fairly cheap to acquire and the skills that you learn will be useful in many situations even with a motorized saw later on.
5. learn how to sharpen chisels and plane irons.
6. learn how to plane and chisel.

I highly recommend learning some of the skills from Paul Sellers' videos. He has a set of videos that uses making a work bench to teach those basic skills. The joinery methods that he uses could be a bit difficult at the beginning and it's alright to substitute some of those methods with pocket holes until you become sufficiently confident enough.

If you must buy a circular saw, then buy a sturdy one. With the saw fully withdrawn, rock the saw from side to side, it should be sturdy and no flexing and the base plate of the saw should be strong and no flexing there either.

Originally Posted by paul.aldred1

Great , thanks.

This is the bench I was thinking of building. https://youtu.be/ZX8ZuMmaHIY

Quite simple and uses the pocket hole joints throughout. Still not certain on the pocket hole approach and would prefer to do doweling instead. Either way only want to buy a pocket hole or a dowel jig.

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Hi Paul
I just watched the video ... there are quite a number of areas where the table could be much better.

For example, cutting the outside frame before the top planks are joined and squared is a fundamental error ... as is making the rail at the bottom of the legs flush with the ground.

A significant problem will be movement when planing or putting any lateral pressure on the table because of inadequate cross bracing. this is called racking and is fixed by having better bracing of the legs, better joinery ... or a triangular section between the skirt and the leg in each corner.

My first table was this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Wt3R4S6dw it's not a workbench but an out-feed table and it is my daily use table for layout and assembly ... mine has 300mm void under the top and then a set of drawers on each side and cupboards at each end. I use 2 18mm ply for the top, and covered with masonite (which is waxed finished ... glue and paint wont stick to it and it is easily cleaned or replaced)

I have fitted a vice to one end. It is perfect for glueups as clamps can be used on the table. It is heavy and solid ... and was made with basic tools.

If you intend to use mostly hand tools then this table may not be the best for you ... but as an assembly table with storage its a winner.

Just in case no one has mentioned .... you will need clamps, clamps and clamps (various sizes and lengths) and some good finishing products .. sealers, waxes, wipe on poly, etc ... don't skimp on paint brushes ...buy good ones and treat them well. Sharpening with sand paper and diamond stones is the key to accurate work. Chisels are your friend .. Dont worry about a full set .. a few good ones is all you need to start off .. buy 3 decent ones (Narex for exqmple).
Regards

Rob

PS ... Pocket hole joinery is not cheap . better to use glues and floating tenons until you have mastered true M&T techniques.

PPS As mentioned above .... Paul Sellers is a fantastic tutor.

Hi Paul,

What's your short and long-term budget (not detailed but are we talking hundreds or thousands per year and how much would you like to spend to start?) and what do you aspire to do with your woodworking? Also, do you have a space to work and if so, how large is the space? Two car garage, single garage, small/large shed? These questions will better inform any advice on what tools to get.

My answer would be completely different for someone with plenty of disposable income and aspiring to do fine woodworking than someone with a limited budget / income an/or only wanting to make the occasional simple project.

You don't say what if anything you already have - this would be useful for us to know.

Tool purchase can be (and usually is) a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

If you buy a heap of tools just to have the tools on hand a couple of things will happen.

The first thing is you will inevitably end up with tools that you never use and others that get little use, and regrets that you wasted the money.
I still have somewhere in my shed the then very expensive portable drill jig that I bought with the Black and Decker drill in 1978. It clamped onto the drill to hold it straight when drilling holes. Not long after I bought the jig I bought a drill press and never used the jig. I found it a couple of years ago and it had rusted solid.

The other thing is you will tend to tailor what you do to the tools you have. There's nothing wrong with this but you may end up limiting yourself.

The other approach is to purchase what you need when you need it. That way the tool will get at least one use .
This can also be a PITA when starting as you have to stop what you are doing and go buy the tool. This can be minimised with a little planning.

The tools you end up using are often guided by the materials you have access too. If funds are not an issue you will always be able to afford to buy materials that specifically suit your need. However, if you are budget limited you will end up accessing and picking up a wider range of materials in an opportunistic way and then you will need some tools to adapt these material to what you want to do. This is where machines like Bandsaws and thicknessers come in handy.

There are some things that you can almost guarantee will get used.
A set of saw horses.
Measuring/marking gear like set squares, various length rulers, marking knives etc.
A range of clamps.

It often pays to think outside the power tool aisle to solve problems. for example, a table saw is a quick way to get accurate cuts - BUT you can't really cross cut a 3m long piece of wood on a table saw so a circular is handy to break up large pieces, but then so is a hand saw.

Welcome to the forum Paul.

Welcome to the forum Paul,
A workbench is a good start to woodworking. Makes it loads easier to make things on a bench than on a rickety table or the ground even. That pocket hole constructed job is not really going to make the grade as a decent bench to work on. Being new and not yet up for mortice and tenon joints the answer is a bolted together frame and the top can be either wood or sheet material (ply, chipboard or mdf) screwed on top. An old solid core door makes a good top also. I have had a couple of benches built this way. When all is said and done a bench is just a flat top to work on. It helps a lot if it is good and solid especially for hand tool work. The word is workbench so for a first go it does not have to be pretty just functional. Have a read through some of the bench builds on here.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f213
There are thousands to be found online also. As for what tools the advice from the others is good so just get what is needed to build a bench for now. You cant buy everything at one time. After the bench then get what you need to do the next job. Thats how we all make up a tool collection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR08Ubw9CtQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oJFNM7WFuU

Those should give some idea of the bolted structure. Should get the ideas flowing
Have fun with it.
Regards
John

Wow amased by all the responses thanks to all in advance, ill try to answer all the questions raised.

What's your short and long-term budget (for equipment only, i understand materials would be extra) ?

• Start up: $700
• Yearly : $200
• Long term: Not sure depends how i go and if im happy with the outputs and progress.

What do you aspire to do with your woodworking?

• At the moment, workbench, garage storage, picture framing, indoor chairs & tables and eventually wine cabinets etc.. essentially useful furniture and cabinets in the house. happy to do little projects first before moving to larger things like chairs and indoor dining tables.

Do you have a space to work and if so, how large is the space?

• I have a carport with a solid wall 4m by 0.6m wide (left hand side) to store a workbench and allocated to other work space. The carport is 11.5m in length and only have one car so have adequate space to utilise but it needs to have moveable tools/ tables to accommodate if i need to put the car in the space.
• pic of carport - has door on now -
• IMG20161222184925.jpg

what if anything you already have?

• I have 2 tennon saws, one standard rough saw
• A 18mm and 1 inch chisel, cheap bunnings ones
• One Saw horse
• Mitre block
• Standard range of screwdrivers and power drill etc..
• hammer
• lots of screw etc.
• paintbrushes etc.
• Electric sander
• two clamps one small and one maybe 50cms in length

Experience to date:

• Garden planter, built from off cuts from the carport, 50cm by 50cm , its okay not great but got me thinking about woodwork.
• An oak slatted shower mat , simple design but looks good. Screwed together and treated with oil.
• pics: IMG_20170318_141435.jpgIMG_20170318_141442.jpg
• Oak boxed shelving for the bathroom, simple boxes. had issues cutting straight as the mitre block wasnt big enough.
• pic: IMG_20170421_114009.jpg
• All built with a tennon saw and the electric screw driver/ hammer.

Constraints:

• Time poor can only build one day a week at the weekend due to kids and family life.

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?
• A set of saw horses - need to buy one more.
• Measuring/marking gear like set squares, various length rulers, marking knives etc.
• A range of clamps - need some larger clamps

I like the idea of floating tenons to begin with so thought a router would be the best to get this done quickly in the short term till i master the chiselling.


I also need to be able to cut quick straight and mitred cuts so would like a power tool to do this, sadly a table saw is too pricey for now with my current budget hence why i thought a circular saw would be good in the short term.


I would be happy building the bench from pre cut DAR pine so i can use minimal cuts by hand to get a useable bench quickly.


Thanks again for all the links and videos will take my time looking at this and gather more ideas.

Bugger buying the saw horses. Make them with your bench.

Perhaps you would like to make a "paulk" bench.... it has AWESOME potential for you.

Here is an idea of what this wonderful bench is and can do: http://www.paulkhomes.com/order-plans.html and a review: The Ultimate Work Bench | THISisCarpentry

-- Its portable, so you can slide it out of the way
-- It can be made easily with a couple of sheets of MDF
-- It gives you a HUUUGGE workspace
-- Clamping options galore
-- Adding a type of vice is easy
-- Soup it up with a saw, router and other doodads as time permits

There are videos etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnNi6Tpp-ac

A quick google for "paulk workbench" will have your thinking juices flowing.....

Your estimate of a $200 pa expenditure might blow out a bit...!

I went down the route of starting with cheap power tools; then more expensive power tools; then to hand tools. With hindsight and knowing what I like doing now I should have gone the hand tool route first.

Can I suggest that before you spend anything you join a Men's Shed or Woodworking Guild or whatever you have in your locale? That way you can draw on a massive amount of knowledge and experience; you can also learn the differences between hand and power tooling. As an example; I can spend a couple of grand on a table saw that can cut accurate mites for picture framing. I can also spend $100 on a cheap hand saw and Chinese hand plane; build a mitre box and shooting board from scrap materials and make mitres that are more accurate. So can you... providing that you either spend a long time researching, learning and experimenting or learn directly from somebody who is doing just that in front of you in a communal setting. Or you go and chat to the guy on the table saw. Point is that right now you don't really know what is going to work best for you until you have a crack, and a Men's Shed will give you that opportunity.

The ONE tool I probably couldn't be without now is a quality cordless drill.

Wow thank you didnt even know these places existed. Found this one locally:Home for Stafford Men's Shed - Stafford Community Mens Shed

only issue is getting out of work , just negotiating a new contract job so might ask for one morning off a week to go to the place above.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Your estimate of a $200 pa expenditure might blow out a bit...!

I went down the route of starting with cheap power tools; then more expensive power tools; then to hand tools. With hindsight and knowing what I like doing now I should have gone the hand tool route first.

Can I suggest that before you spend anything you join a Men's Shed or Woodworking Guild or whatever you have in your locale? That way you can draw on a massive amount of knowledge and experience; you can also learn the differences between hand and power tooling. As an example; I can spend a couple of grand on a table saw that can cut accurate mites for picture framing. I can also spend $100 on a cheap hand saw and Chinese hand plane; build a mitre box and shooting board from scrap materials and make mitres that are more accurate. So can you... providing that you either spend a long time researching, learning and experimenting or learn directly from somebody who is doing just that in front of you in a communal setting. Or you go and chat to the guy on the table saw. Point is that right now you don't really know what is going to work best for you until you have a crack, and a Men's Shed will give you that opportunity.

The ONE tool I probably couldn't be without now is a quality cordless drill.

Hi Paul, not sure if you've used a circular saw before, but when you get one, respect it in terms of what it can do to you in a fraction of a second! It's a tool that can be rather dangerous in inexperienced hands, as I saw first hand when one of my workmates, a fellow apprentice carpenter at the time, almost cut his hand off just a couple of months into his apprenticeship. He cut through the tendons and bones in his wrist.

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