Thread: About to buy some tools & would like some advice.

so i guess this an option then.
http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind..._350_1870_1872

Yes that is good for hand powered tools even its little 24lt brother works well and it's on special at the moment.

which type of machine does a dropsaw normally connect to? I think the 1 at the shed connects to a machine similar to the 36L vac.

Originally Posted by Rattrap

which type of machine does a dropsaw normally connect to? I think the 1 at the shed connects to a machine similar to the 36L vac.

Either one. It depends on your setup. If using a "shield" type collector, the 4" is good. If using the smaller one typically built on the saw, the vac type is better, IMO.

Yer i'll probably be using the extractor built onto the saw. Are these shop vacs good at filtering out the really fine particals? I read here somewhere that its the under 5micron particals that are the most dangerious. Or can these vacs also go outdoors? With only a 5m hose as standazrd that will almost certinally mean an extension hose is required with the vac outside. But a longer hose will also mean a significant drop in pressure too wouldn't it?

Originally Posted by Rattrap

Are these shop vacs good at filtering out the really fine particals? I read here somewhere that its the under 5micron particals that are the most dangerious. Or can these vacs also go outdoors? With only a 5m hose as standazrd that will almost certinally mean an extension hose is required with the vac outside. But a longer hose will also mean a significant drop in pressure too wouldn't it?

There are a hundred ways to break your budget, and a vac dust extractor is another one. IMO, no bagless shop vac will keep small particles from being returned to the air. Fein, Festool, and maybe some others make bag versions with better filters and less noise, but you pay for the privilege.

As to the longer hose, no noticeable drop in suction if the hose is in good nick.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

As to the longer hose, no noticeable drop in suction if the hose is in good nick.

Exellent, then out the door it will go. lol. I'm going to build a dedicated little room on the side of my shed for dust collection so i'll allow a a bit extra space for a shop vac.
1 of the blokes from the shed has recomended this 12" carba-tec TS
http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind..._450_3030_3170
He recons the extra 2" of blade is worth the extra $$ plus hes had the same saw for yrs & its done a lota work without giving any problems.
I think i'll have to drop out the bandsaw from my list for now to give me a little more breathing room in the budget for all those little things like bits etc.

Thanks for all your opinions guys. Its a great help to be able to get these items sorted in my head before i spend the bucks.

I've got to disagree with Honorary Bloke.
given how I envision the setup you're describing will be arranged, the hose to a shop vac outside the shed (implying a hose >10m long) will be just too long resulting in substantial drop in air flow and hence ability to suck dust away from the tool.

If you are serious about dust collection browse Bill Pentz's site
Bill's take on the basics is here http://billpentz.com/woodworking/Cyclone/DCBasics.cfm
and also look at the Onedia web site

you'll be surprised how much air flow you if your dust collector is plumbed in rather than wheeled from machine to machine.

I'm not sure what you envision making when you say "fine furniture" but given your budget I'd be inclined to buy
a bandsaw
a planner/thicknesser combo (if it were cheaper than separate machines) or alternatively a jointer and "lunch box" planer
a decent dusty plus the plumbing (including remote start and blast gates)
a much cheaper saw than the one you're considering
a drum sander
a router (build your own router table)
get a Giflins Jig for your dovetail needs
a good (comfortable to use) random orbital sander connected to a decent shop vac

then you'll want at least some hand tools
3 or 4 chisels
#60½ adjustable mouth block plane
#4½ or #5 hand plane which you'll use for trimming drawers to an exact fit and on a shooting board
clamps, more clamps and then more clamps

your first project should be a decent flat sturdy work bernch


ian

Hey ian, thanks for dropping by.
I plan on making items ranging from small delicate boxes right up tables & cupboards (SWMBO has already put in an order for a new kitchen. lol)

I defenately want a seperate jointer & thicknesser. I've got plenty of space to play with & can leave the car out of the shed for when i need more space.

I've just bought my first router, i got a dewalt 526E & i've saved a bunch of designs for router tables from this site. I haven't played with a griffins dovetail jig but i love working with the wootrat so you'll be hard pressed to sell me on any of the other dovetail jigs out there.
I also lashed out & bought a festool ROS, the ET2 150/3mm ver as well as a belt sander & a wasp sander fitted to my drill press. I'd like a drum sander later down the track, a cpl sanding machines actually but they will have to wait a while i think.
chisels yes.
cordless drills yes.
power drill yes.
lots of clamps of various sizes yes. (i'll need more for sure. - is there such thing as enough clamps. lol)
electric planer yer
hand planers no.
circular saw yes.
drill press yes.
2nd hand cheapo chineese lathe unknown brand yes.
Drop saw yes.
scroll saw will be a yes soon as i pick up the 2nd hand GMC i got my name on.

Thanks for the link bills site, i'll have a careful read thru that tonight. I'm determined to have all my dust collection outside in its own little shed & u bet the ducting will be plumbed off the floor out of the way. I hate tripping over exhaust ducting!
On the subject of the shop vac, the unit i'm looking at comes standard with a 5m hose, what do u think would be the maximum it could be extended without too much loss of pressure. i'd prob take a guess at half again - extra 2.5m tho an extra 5m would be better.

The tablesaw, well we'll have to disagree on that 1. To my mind thats 1 toy where bigger is always better so i'm stretching my budget all i can on that item. I think the bandsaw might be able to go back on the list as i recon i might be able to add a little more to my budget. I'll wait & see how much arm twisting i can do at carba-tec. I hope those guys have loose shoulder sockets cuse u plan to do a lot of twisting. lol

the very first project at the community shed for me was a good solid bench. That 1 is already in my shed & burried in a mountian of junk as i sort out my shed to make space. I want to build at least 1 more bench to go in the middle of the room & probably another against the wall that i'll mount the drop saw into.

I'm heading into carba-tec today to pick up a few essentials & i want to have a look at their japanese hand saws, in particular the dozuki fine saw 150mm or 210mm blade.

the shopping list just keeps getting longer & longer.

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

I have had the overhead thicknesser for the last 6yrs or so and can tell you that changing the blades is not a PITA as the motor pivots out of the way, in fact I would reckon it would be the same as doing it on one with the motor below.

The two that I've played with didnt, is yours belt or gear drive(from the motor to the cutter head)? These ones were belt driven, you probably could undo the belts and swivel the motor upwards on the mounts... PITA!

Originally Posted by Harry72

The two that I've played with didnt, is yours belt or gear drive(from the motor to the cutter head)? These ones were belt driven, you probably could undo the belts and swivel the motor upwards on the mounts... PITA!

Mines belt driven, don't have to undo the belts at all, just loosen two bolts and the whole lot swivels out of the way to expose the knives, not a PITA at all. The belt tension is not affected in any way at all.

Yeah, let's agree to disagree about the saw. Personally with a $5k budget I'd get a 12" contractors saw like this
http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind..._450_3080_3130
and put the savings into a set of shop-built extension tables and a very good shop vac.

for the shop vac, dad and I both have Festos. The 3m hose is just long enough, but the big benefit is the units are quite enough and clean enough to keep in the shed.
If you're going to put it outside the shed, you're almost certainly looking at about 10m of hose.
At a guess this will result in a doubling of the pressure loss (halving of the air flow) which is almost certainly only just enough at the end of a 5m hose.



ian

Ian, do you have this saw or have personal experience with it?

The reason I am asking is that when I was researching my tablesaw acquisition, this saw was on my shortlist. On paper it seemed to promise a lot for a very reasonable sum of money.
I took it off my shortlist after a personal inspection at Carbatec and after having read numerous threads on this forum about this saw, not all of them complimentary.

It certainly, not even in anyone's wildest imagination, could compare to the 12" tablesaw Rattrap is considering.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Ian, do you have this saw or have personal experience with it?

I don't have this saw, and I don't think I've seen one in the flesh

my comments are based on my father's 10" contractor saw which he got from Hare & Forbes about 6 years back. The saw has a cast iron top mounted on a folded steel stand and does all that we ask of it
based on this experience, if you wanted to maximise your machinery within a tight budget, you'd seriously consider a contractors saw and use the "savings" for something else.

but then we use a Festo saw and guide rail to cut up ply and the like and other tools to cut tennons


ian