Thread: mini-workshop startup

What sort of woodworking are you planning to do? Obviously tool choice is largely determined by what type of work you want coming out the other end.

If you want to set up in a carport with portable tools you're going to have a tough time getting set up well. The biggest problem I can see - apart from the sheer inconvenience of course - is corrosion. Unless you're able to store everything inside everything is going to rust. It's also going to be a pain trying to work in winter of course. Any chance you can turn the carport into an enclosed garage as your first project?

IMHO stay away from Ryobi if you want quality. The other brands you mention are good, Festool are great - if expensive. Also look at Dewalt, Jet and Delta - all good value, especially Jet for larger machines and Dewalt for smaller.

No matter what else you buy, get the best table saw you can manage - preferably a Jet or Delta cabinet saw for my money.

Check out Carba-Tec for good advice & decent prices. Remember Bunnings has the 10% price guarantee, so if you find something cheaper take the catalogue into Bunnies & get it 10% off that price. Not sure who else to talk to in Melbourne.

G'day Chuffman - Suggest you wait a couple of weeks and visit the Melbourne Timber & Working With Wood Show at the Exhibition Centre 25th - 27th October 9am - 6pm daily.

There will be a lot of stuff for sale and plenty of bargains to be had. The VWA used to have an access workshop at the Meat Market but as far as I know it is long gone. Think you will find that insurance has stuffed up this type of thing. There are a couple of clube in the Eastern suburbs with well appointed workshops that allow members access. Try Manningham and Knox. Click Here then on Woodwork Clubs, then Victoria on the map to find the clubs and their info.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - Neil

PS Had a look at your profile. Occupation: Honeydoer. What'tha????

Originally posted by ubeaut:
G'day Chuffman ...
PS Had a look at your profile. Occupation: Honeydoer. What'tha????

G'day.

I think it means "Dreamer"



------------------
Catchya,
Cliff

It means, Honey do this & Honey, do that. Similar to SWMBO.

------------------
Woodchuck Canuck
Good luck is the residue of good planning!

Ive got a Honey Dipper, is that the same????

------------------
Some days I turns thisaway, somedays I turns thataway and other days I don't turn at all.

Just in case you lot take my last post the wrong way I feel I should explain.

My honey dipper is 5" long, round, hard, with ridges on the business end.

I dip it in my honey every morning before I head to the workshop.

So there!!!!!!

And further more I wasn't the first to hijack this topic.

------------------
Some days I turns thisaway, somedays I turns thataway and other days I don't turn at all.

I think you've opened a Pandora's box with your honey dipper Tim. I've heard that as with all instruments coming into contact with consumables that they should be cleaned every now and then with baking soda and boiling hot water !
I like my honey dipper too much to treat it like that thou.

Chuffy, as for the tools shop around. Look at the standard cattle dogs from carbatec and timbecon, etc then go to the ww show and you'll hopefully see some of the stuff in use. Personally I'd opt for a sliding compound mitre saw before a table saw, unless money is not a problem and you can afford a decent table saw with a decent mitre systems and so on. Combine that with a router table and a few hand tools, a little knowledge and ingenuity you can do a fair bit in a small space. Having a look at the above posts you've got some pretty good advice to kick the ball rolling. Once you've checked out what's available to you then comparisons can start.

[This message has been edited by Eastie (edited 09 October 2002).]

Thanks all!

Good points. My first project will be building shelves, cupboards & folding workbench in my carport to store the tools in. That's what makes portable tools so attractive. The carport is pretty well sheltered from weather & cupboards should help alot.

Mainly, I'd like to build furniture & cabinets. Initial projects will be a medicine cabinet, a wine rack, then moving on to something bigger. Perhaps some bookshelves & file cabinets.

As for the Ryobi - That was my first reaction too. But I read some enthusiastic posts on a US site, so I thought I'd throw it out there. I have become a loyal subscribe to the Trading Post searching for tools. Unfortunatley I don't see a lot of Festool stuff going in there. Wondered if there might be other second-hand markets to check out. (& yes, I've seen the guys on Plenty Rd. in Preston.)
Carbatec stuff looks very impressive. I really like their combo machines (although the words French & Machinery together make me nervous.) But, I'm not sure about the size. To protect something like that in a carport, I'd need to build a big box. Not impossible though. I can probably find 1 sqm. in the carport to hold something like that & have to remove the rails.

I think the leader in my mind though is Festool. I have heard very good things about them. Anyone know how their accuracy holds up over the years? Exy, yes. But I think that they'll hold their value for resale.

Who carries Jet & where can I see some pricing? Any opinions on Ledacraft?

I'll be the guy at the WW show sniffing around the reps for a deal on last year's models.

Finally, blue ribbon to the Canuck, eh. We have a HoeyDo pot with lots of projects written on piece of paper from the boss.

Cheers! and thanks again to all!
-Curt

I think you'll find that the fact the carport is not sealed will lead to there being a lot of moisture in the air, and that will be the problem you need to deal with. Exposed MDF will swell, but you could probably use HMR melamine for your cabinets & benches out there.

I think one of the previous posts was on the money with the idea of getting a sliding compound mitre saw first up. You can build a lot out of timber that you can cut on a SCMS. Without at least a contractors saw you won't easily be able to handle full sheets of melamine etc, so finding a local supplier who can cut that to size for you might be the way to get started.

The Festo saw is really designed for jobsite work cutting mouldings etc, not really capable of easily handling sheet goods or larger panels, table tops etc. Festo is great gear, but each machine has it's uses. They last for years - but it's not what I'd buy for cabinet work.

I think Woodworking Warehouse (03) 9587 3999 do Jet in Vic - but you'll see them at the show.

Remember that the US Ryobi range can be quite different to the tools we see here - though the new (blue box) range from Ryobi seems to be the same as sold in the US. If you're not sure you really want to get into this, I guess you could do a lot worse than spend $269 on a Ryobi saw from Bunnies & throw it away 6 months later. Don't expect accurate cuts from it, and don't expect to be able to handle ripping 2" timber or cutting large panels.

If you do go for a cabinet saw (or a decent contractors saw), don't attempt to remove the rails to store it - way too much work aligning them again, especially if you've got the saw set up properly with a table on the right side & 50" rails I guess you could put it on a mobile base & roll it up against the wall with a heavy waterproof cover for storage.

Anyway, good luck - it's a great hobby

Originally posted by chuffman:
Thanks all!

I think the leader in my mind though is Festool. I have heard very good things about them. Anyone know how their accuracy holds up over the years? Exy, yes. But I think that they'll hold their value for resale.
Cheers! and thanks again to all!
-Curt

I have the Festo ATF55EB circular saw which I picked up second hand. I have just bought an aluminium guide rail for it. If you work a lot with sheet materials ie veneered boadr and melamine board this thing with a fien tooth blade will bive you a better cut than most table saws.

There is a table attachemnt also to mount the saw in I tink it is the Basis system. Sort of like a flash festo style Triton. I dont have this but it could be worth looking into but it is expensive.

I am using my saw to make kitchen and laundry cabinets. I just lay the sheet of material on the ground on a 100mm thick sheet of polystyrene foam set out my cuts put the rail on the line and cut away. It is also pretty easy to work big sheets this way as you don't really have to anhandle them much.

If you are going to work solid timber a lot then I would look for some type of table mounted saw.

HTH

Darryn

Skuze my atroshus speling in the post above
Thats what a belly full of curry and beer duz for ya

Darryn