Thread: What to buy

gidday mate and welcome to the trade
the answer is money...money...money..
the first thing to get is an accurate drop or compound saw...you need about $1000 for a good one and as much crimping you have to do try to spend it here. accuracy is everything. even if you by a second hand one and drop it in for an imidiate refurb so you have a good saw.. as for chisels most top end ones are good ... it is the lenght of time they hold their blade that differs. i have used marples for 25 years now and some people hate them and other love them. i think they are good value for money and result. as for squares...go fo a rabone chesterman, it is sheffeild steel and you can drop it off the bench with out a drama. clamps...well just get some to start with then once you know what size you use most then chase the better ones. the cheep ones do a great job in general. hand planes...all i can say is "old" the old steel is better than today's stuff. try to get to a garrage sale or simmilar. the adjustments are better and the tongue is truer. this is my opinion only though. good luck ...you have come to the right place to ask as there are lots of experienced people here that want to help. dont hold back...get stuck into your bench...if you dont like it once your finished use it as a bench to build a great bench...you will get loads of satisfaction doing it.. welcome aboard.

Im looking at spending less than $1000 on tools excluding power tools (eg SCMS)

Ideally id like to start with tools in good condition, i dont really want to be reconditioning tools before i get to use them.

Id prefer to wait longer to end up with better tools

Re work bench - does anyone know a good place to pickup timber in adelaide? i dont really like bunnings for timber

There is a wide range of woodworking tools you can buy and the prices vary ,i own a green Makita 184 mm saw its 12 months old done a fair bit of work i like it and its about middle of the price range.i bought 7 Stanley wood chisels for $49 in a case with a oil stone i consider that cheap and a good buy if your starting out like me.i go to the flea markets and buy what i think are good tools that need repairing, last sunday i bought a one and half inch titan firmer for $6 it needs a top steel band and a clean up and its a good chisel. some you don't touch .thats my opinion ,you can get good advice here on the woodwork forum. Lloyd

thanks

more info the better

For SCMS im looking at 12" such as the makita, hitachi or bosch

You've asked about hand tools. Probably a basic set up to start and add as you require things for specific projects. I've never owned an SCMS but managed quite well with a mitre box and tenon saw for many years. It depends on what you are doing.

Probably if I was going back to basics it would be a single plane either 4 or 5, a low angle block plane. Basic chisels 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" seemed to be the main users for me. A tenon saw and possibly a panel saw. Square, bevel, couple of rules one 300mm and one 1m and a tape, and vernier calliper just a basic metal one. A marking guage is handy. Crown have good mid range stuff.

There is often no need when starting out to get excited by the top end names, that is for later on when your skills and interests begin to dictate the tools you need most. The most useful thing I made was a shooting board.

Ebay is not bad for a starter plane, chisels, brands like Bahco and Marples are quite serviceable. In the end its a case of what do you want to make and what do you need. There is no prize for having the most expensive tools in the shed, the prize is when you actually turn something out that satisfies both you and the family. I've got a friend who was all the power tools you could want, its a shame some are still in boxes, unused after seven years, there is a lesson there for all of us,.

the best value for dollar is the ls 1214 makita...this is a big heavy saw that will last your lifetime and will be able to cut small and big timber with absolute acuacy. i have had 5 of these saws and loved them i also have had the hitachi equilivent but found them harder to move and the parts for them were dear. if money is no option then the elu is fantastic...it is a smaller machine and one third the noise as it has an inducted motor. but bloody expencive. the makita 1012 is the smaller brother but is much easier to handel in and out of the ute....we are a mobile company. the boch is clmbsy in opperation and does not run positively. my opinion..... no i'm not makita bias but they make a terrific droppy. hope this helps
glen boulton

Thanks all

Im not made of money so i do want to spend as little as possible but at the same time i want quality tools that i can rely on and so the job i need.

seems the basics should do to start with eg chisels, planes, rules/squares etc

Feel free to point out any bargains you see especially planes - they seem quite dear brand new

It's not so much a case of how much you pay but how much attention you pay when learning how top use them.

I have a good range of hand tools collected over the years, but helped someone out on the weekend at there place they had a very limited range of questionable quality tools at hand.

The results were still very acceptable, so I propose that Patience, Practice and Perseverance over rules price.

My motto with students is "Your Place, Your Pace, Your tools and My rules!"

The sooner you get started the sooner you'll get better and then be able to upgrade is necessary.


Cheers

Steve

mac_man_luke if you want to save money & get quality I myself buy factory seconds power tools from dewalt and others. I do this because they are cheaper because some have had covers broken & replaced under warranty before I bought them. They also come with a warranty about half the original warranty of a brand new one.
hand tools I am starting to get them I have a lot of old preused tools but do get as good of quality as you can as the cheaper tools I bought when I started with wood working don't stay sharp as long as a quality tool does
Regards Michael

well i started collecting tools today

picked up a Stanley #4 Smoothing plane and Stanley 103 Block plane (old steel)

Looks like im going to pick up some Irwin chisels

Hi there! Well, I MUST agree with Glen. I own the Makita LS1214, and people just get tired of hearing me say it's a wonderful machine. Accurate, strong, versatile and not the most expensive. Get it! You won't regret it at all!
I also own the Irwin 4 chisel pack, and they are sharp. I can also recommend those Vise Grip clamps. They're handy and reliable! Just love them.
I'm also in the process of acquiring a decent stock of tools, and I've had great experiences with Bosch (circular saw, cordless drill and palm router), Makita (belt sander, my beloved miter saw and a nice little driver), Delta (press drill and plane thicknesser), Dewalt (just the cordless recipro saw), Stanley and a huge pleasant surprise with a cheap but sturdy and precise B&D Router.
Have fun!

Try and break it down into categories.

These are great videos, explains the basic hand tools for any shop and more, good website too. Start at video 1 and work your way up.

http://logancabinetshoppe.weebly.com/podcast.html

Hope it helps.
Harlan