Thread: Hello and questions from a newbie in Brisbane

Hi Daniel & Welcome
You will find lots of good advice in this forum on just about every thing. There is a nifty forum on the work bench in the "woodwork general" section that may appeal to you.

As for timber sales and knowledge of timber, your best bet is the local timber yard or saw mill. Timber is expensive and bunnings does sell the cheap stuff. You can buy lengths of rough sawn timber and cut smaller lengths from this.

As for clamps, a good cheap way is to go is to use pipe clamps. Check out McJing Tools. They are one of the sponsors of this forum. They have the clamps at a very good price and all you need to do is buy a length of 3/4" gal pipe from a plumbers supply and you can have 4x 1.5mtr clamps for a reasonable price.

TT

Daniel ,

the Forum will help you as much as we the members can with advice, you will have to gain the skill through practice, sorry it only comes with practice.

if you are like me look at your local FLEA Market, and garage sales for hand tools, and hand power tools.

You will need some basic power tools,
1, battery drill
2, power saw
3, electric drill
4, power plane
5, jig saw.

Then you get all the other stuff as you need it.

For timber , if it's exotic Lazzarides at Northgate.

Jeff
vk4.

Thanks so much, TT and VK4. ) It'll come in handy.... I'm plowing through my first project (my European work bench) - I've got all the materials and tools, I laminated 16 boards for the bench top (bloody Bunnings didn't have thick enough pieces, hence the 16 boards being laminated) and I'm half way through hand planing the top. )

Now just to do some exploring around the timber places for future projects! I think a simple tool cabinet is next!

Welcome to the forum Daniel dont forget to take some photos of your WIP and post some pics

Cheers Rumnut

Hi Daniel,

Bunnings have a price match guarantee to better their competitors price by 10%. Check out the price of Irwin quick grip XP clamps at Masters. You might to be able to get a bit of a discount from the big green shed.

Cheers

TT

I forgot about Bunnings' 10% deal. I ended up grabbing 4 big bar clamps from Trade Tools. I like them, but the one thing I wish they had would be different handles. They have the ones without the little sliding bar that turns perpendicular to the screw. You have to grip hard and it tires out the old hands )

Had no luck finding a spokeshave, hand drill, or hand router at any Trade Tools or Bunnings stores though. Might have to try to find a proper wood working tool shop.

Hi Daniel. My first post here, so g'day all.

Have you tried Carbatec at Tingalpa for tools. They ain't the cheapest, but do carry some good stuff.

3390 5888

They also have a website.

Daniel,

Another good source for small hand tools is eBay. Shipping might be a little high but you can get good vintage tools made in the USA instead of the junk they sell at the big box stores made in China. Also garage sales and estate sales. A lot of times you can get a lot of tools or hardware for next to nothing.


Bret

Hi mate and welcome.

I would love to see some photos of your work in progress of the bench.

You can attach photos in here as well.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Daniel99

I forgot about Bunnings' 10% deal. I ended up grabbing 4 big bar clamps from Trade Tools. I like them, but the one thing I wish they had would be different handles. They have the ones without the little sliding bar that turns perpendicular to the screw. You have to grip hard and it tires out the old hands )

Had no luck finding a spokeshave, hand drill, or hand router at any Trade Tools or Bunnings stores though. Might have to try to find a proper wood working tool shop.

I was going to recommend trade tools sash clamps. I bought a couple recently and was impressed with the quality at $45/each.
What exactly do you mean by bar clamps? F-clamps?

Originally Posted by tdrumnut

Welcome to the forum Daniel dont forget to take some photos of your WIP and post some pics

Cheers Rumnut

Thanks, Rumnut! Have been taking a couple of photos. Will take more tomorrow and post. Nothing major to see yet. Laminated 16 pieces together for the thick benchtop, cut a few mortises and tenons, and joined one rail to two legs. Getting closer! Just have a devil of a time with mortises and tenons since the pine is brittle and just breaks... Getting better at it though.

Originally Posted by peter.m

Hi Daniel. My first post here, so g'day all.

Have you tried Carbatec at Tingalpa for tools. They ain't the cheapest, but do carry some good stuff.

3390 5888

They also have a website.

Hi Pete! I checked out Carbatec and might buy some stuff. Thanks!

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Daniel,

Another good source for small hand tools is eBay. Shipping might be a little high but you can get good vintage tools made in the USA instead of the junk they sell at the big box stores made in China. Also garage sales and estate sales. A lot of times you can get a lot of tools or hardware for next to nothing.


Bret

Thanks, Bret! I'll have to keep a lookout... Looking for a hand (unpowered) router, and some more planes )

Originally Posted by Robomanic

I was going to recommend trade tools sash clamps. I bought a couple recently and was impressed with the quality at $45/each.
What exactly do you mean by bar clamps? F-clamps?

Yep, F-clamps... I got some $25 ones from Trade Tools, but they are the type where the lower sliding jaw is held by its own friction, and they just slide around when you move them (e.g. from bench to the storage shelf) and one little piece of it broke today... Argh! Back to get a replacement tomorrow. Oh, and the handle to tighten the clamp is just the round type which doesn't have a perpendicular bar, so it takes good hand strength to close/open it. It's fine a few times, but using it instead of a vise is a right royal pain! Should be better once my proper workbench is done later this week and the proper vise is in use. Will check out the sash clamps. Thanks for the recommendation!