Thread: Newbie looking for some advice

My first router table was a bit of plywood clamped to the work bench. If that's not your cup of tea then timbecon have a router table for $220. Having never used either that or the kreg table I feel like I'm qualified to say that a beginner wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.

http://www.timbecon.com.au/details/r...ble-13701.aspx

I also think it's better in the long run to learn how to join bits of wood together manually first.

Thank you for the reply DonIncognito, That will give me something else to think about and open up some options.

Ben, before I even try to answer your questions, it would be good to know what you are going to use the tools for. Are you going to be using the router table with a dovetail jig? Or for profiling timbers? Or for jointing edges? The reason I ask is that there are many ways to achieve tasks, and certain tools are better suited than others for certain tasks. You can also achieve a lot on a budget if you are doing only a limited number of activities. And if you're only just starting on this journey, it is a good idea not to spend a huge amount until you know that you like it and will stick with it. I speak as someone who started the hobby about 8 years ago, with almost no tools and very little experience. The first thing I did was sign up for a course (Monday nights - very part-time). I then started buying tools based on the recommendations of my teacher and more experienced course-mates. I started with hand tools, and bought most of them second hand and as cheap as I could - but going for decent quality (so old Stanleys/Turners/Falcons for planes, and old Bergs/Titans/Wards for chisels). I've since become convinced that I'll be a woodworker for life, and I've bought a lot more tools, both hand and powered. And I'm currently spending rather a lot (for me anyway) on a new shed which will house all my gear and give me a place to work. Until you get to that committed stage (in both senses of the word), I'd buy the tools you need to do the jobs at hand. Generally hand tools will cost less than their powered equivalents, and will also give you the experience of learning how to make things by hand - which is very satisfying and therapeutic. When you want to step up to making things faster and with less elbow grease, then you can look at powered alternatives, and you'll also likely have a much better idea of what you want by then. There are folks who love their bandsaw and use it for all types of things, and make do without a tablesaw. There are folks who use their router table for damn near everything. Then there are folks who just like turning things - so they need a lathe and a bandsaw and bugger all else. If you buy a heap of kit before you know what you're going to use it for you'll be wasting quite a bit of your money.

I'm somewhat new to the hobby/obsession myself but I've made my own router table as I could not justify the price being asked for router tables. I did buy an insert plate which made the mounting of the router a piece of cake.

I'd forgo buying the pockethole jig too. Get yourself a saw & a chisel or 2 and make your joints by hand. I've found the best way to learn is by doing all the work by hand and then if you want to use power tools later on you have a better understanding of how the particular joint works. There are so many ways to join 2 pieces of wood, it's fun to explore the various options and the associated level of difficulty & the varying strengths/weaknesses of the joint.

In terms of what tools to buy I'd give away with any preconceived idea (ie I'll need a *** and a ***). Rather pick your project and buy the necessary implements as required. Basically you accumulate tools by buying the tools as you need them.

If nothing else you can tell your wife/girlfriend/partner "hey, I'm making this so I don't want the tool, I need it"

Thanks for the insight guys, I will explain where I'm at and what has steered me into wood working.

My animals. That is pretty much the bottom line. This may come across a bit strange, but I attended a shed day in need of help refurbing a 8 foot cabinet and hood. The older fellow that helped me I would consider to be very skilled and was a great teacher. The beginning of that project was a nightmare and the end result with some help, appropriate tools and elbow grease turned out to be a great result, I was very happy to say the least. Not only did i enjoy myself, but I was extremely happy with what I had accomplished and the small amount that I learned.

Now, as of today I am a keeper of reptiles, Pythons to be specific. The prices that I have been quoted to get enclosures made for them are far beyond reasonable and I would rather spend half of that on some good working tools and have a lot more satisfaction making my own.

I already have the plans of what i need and have seen some pretty impressive stuff made with next to nothing. But seeing as I will be building quite a few of these I assumed there would be no harm in having the appropriate equipment there to get me started and confident. I don't mind learning by my mistakes at all, That's what I think makes you better at the things you do, but, if I make a mistake when I am trying to house a 9ft python, well... it may not turn out well.

The router I would like to shape stuff with, cut slots with and so on, mainly just to shape and add some spice to these pieces of furniture rather than just be square. I ask about the kreg table mainly because of the reviews that I have read and although ( what I would consider ) to be expensive it seemed like it was pretty plug and play, and something to learn on and get some half decent results on to. The Triton router, because, again, they have designed it to fit in to the kreg table and I assumed it might be ok to learn on.

I understand that just because you put someone on a boat it doesn't make them a skipper, and so on. But I thought with some quality gear ( I think it is anyway ) it may give me a head start to get my head around things.

With all that said and done, this is something that I would really love to learn about. That fellow that helped me with that cabinet and hood has family dinners and such and they all sit at a huge table that he made himself, that is a goal that hopefully I will reach some day. So if my post has come across like " hey I want to blow some cash on stuff i know nothing about " it is a bit of yes and no, yes i don't mind spending some money on some stuff, but only if it will ease me into it, and make life a bit easier, and a bit easier to understand. If I constantly time after time stuff things up it will be something that i will walk away from pretty quick, to fail once, twice even three times is bearable, but to constantly fail time and time again and wondering why with no understanding of it... well everyone has a breaking point.

Regards,
Ben

Ben, thanks, that makes it a lot clearer. I would certainly say that having a router table and using it a lot you'd end up with a very useful tool, especially if you make quite a few cabinets with one. The Triton routers are great - I have 2 of the TRA001 model which I'm planning to mount into self-made router tables. I've heard that the smaller Triton is just as good in a router table, and it may be cheaper for you to start with. Because you've got a definite task in mind that you need to accomplish (and it is a sizeable undertaking rather than just one thing you want to make), I would say that what you're proposing sounds entirely reasonable. Will be interested to see how you make out. And yes, mistakes are definitely part of learning and nothing to get disheartened by...

Ben, a router table does not need to be fancy or complicated.

I made my own based on a design by Roger Gifkins of the Gifkins Dovetail Jig fame.

Google Gifkins router table and you will get the plans for nix.

Thanks heaps for that guys,

@artme I had a look at that site and going to have a bit more of a look in to it today. The you for pointing me there. I think that would be something that I would be confident in doing.
@Poppa Thank you for that, that was the kind of answer i was looking for.

As for the value for money on the router question, I called the company that had the higher priced router and asked him pretty straight forward, and he answered it very honestly, so that clears that up for me to.

Cheers,
Ben

Hi Guys and Girls,

It has been quite a while since posting this thread, and in the meantime I have tried to be patient and have been scouring the second hand adds for some stuff to start with. I am fairly happy with what I have come across so far and my tools are slowly building, the rest of it will have to be bought new and I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction.

So far I have bought a Carbatec sliding router table that cam with a Triton TRA001 router that came with everything including the box and a few bits and pieces. I also bought a leda KS-12 table saw, it is a older machine, and had been neglected a bit, but after a good clean up, it has come up a million bucks and it should get me through for the time being.

The next thing I would like to look at is a new blade, I would likely be cutting melamine, pine and maybe some ply, can someone please point me in the direction of a somewhat decent blade that could suit my needs. I was looking at a Freud Fusion blade, but if there other alternatives out there that are maybe a bit cheaper that would be good to. And I will ask the question, if people would prefer to private message the answer that will be fine. Is it better to shop local or look further abroad for stuff when it comes to getting bits and pieces together?

Anyway, thanks again.
Ben

As far as I am aware Freud Fusion blades are combination blades (ie. suitable for rip and crosscut). For the type of materials you are talking about cutting (assuming you are not intending to rip the pine) you would be better off with a fine crosscut/melamine/plywood type blade - more teeth for finer cut. Triple chip grind (TCG) teeth give a very fine cut. Although you have a 12" saw, for cutting these not overly thick materials a 10" blade is more than adequate (and a lot cheaper ) - I have a 12" saw and use 10" blades almost exclusively.

There are many good blades available from Freud, CMT, Everlast etc., etc., etc. If you don't want to purchase in Australia Amazon is a good source - wide range and plenty of reviews.

Originally Posted by aldav

As far as I am aware Freud Fusion blades are combination blades (ie. suitable for rip and crosscut). For the type of materials you are talking about cutting (assuming you are not intending to rip the pine) you would be better off with a fine crosscut/melamine/plywood type blade - more teeth for finer cut. Triple chip grind (TCG) teeth give a very fine cut. Although you have a 12" saw, for cutting these not overly thick materials a 10" blade is more than adequate (and a lot cheaper ) - I have a 12" saw and use 10" blades almost exclusively.

There are many good blades available from Freud, CMT, Everlast etc., etc., etc. If you don't want to purchase in Australia Amazon is a good source - wide range and plenty of reviews.

Thanks for that aldav, I ended up getting a freud 80t melamine, plywood thin kerf blade. When looking on amazon, I found that they wouldn't ship the blades to Australia. Thank you for your advice.

Ben