Needing advice on wood working tools!!

Hi All.

I have a stash of old baltic floor boards to turn into tables.
I have also found myself a selection of timber that is crying out to be finished and used. A lot of this timber has been milled and still has the bark on the outside so it will make beautiful slabs.

I am new to timber and looking to buy the right tools for the job.

I want to sand these slabs down, so am i best of buying a 9" belt sander for the job?

I don't claim to be a timber man, but learning and want some home advice from guys that do this stuff.

For making tables do i need any special tools? I am looking at doing a course to get some good hints, but basic good tools to do the job without blowing my budget before i begin.

Cheers Guys

Pete:D

Pete

are these tables for yourself or to sell?

what is your budget?

what is your aim
— to make and sell timber items
— to have a bit of fun making stuff for yourself
— do you see yourself making rustic items or finer furniture

answer these and collectively the "brains trust" should be able to throughly confuse you (grin)


ian

Hi Ian

These tables are for myself and if they are any good i might sell them to friends family if they want them.

The cheaper the better. my motto is to start low and learn and buy as i need.
I am big on recycling what we all ready have, so if I could buy unwanted equipment instead of buy something cheap like GMC that will last 12 months then end up in the rubbish.

My aim is to make something useful out of this timber as I like timber, so having fun and enjoy myself.

If i am any good at making furnture and it remains fun yep to make fustic furniture would be good.

Hope this gives you a picture.

Cheers

Pete

Pete

In my opinion the one BEST investment you can make at this stage is a structured woodworking course of some sort.

buying tools will rapidly get you into strife in terms of frustration or safety or both.

This year I enrolled myself in the Furniture and Cabinetmaking course at the local TAFE.
two evenings a week (5:30 to 9:30) with a bunch of fellow mature age students doing the first year of what is notionally a three year course.
Other providers offer very similar courses over different time frames, but TAFE is probably the cheapest.

During the year we've studied timber and it's properties, tools and their use and built a few projects as exercises in technique and skill development.
I'm sufficiently impressed with one of the projects that I'm giving it to my mother-in-law for Christmas.

Oh, did I mention that we get to use the sort of equipment most home hobbiest's don't even dare dream about — fully electronically controlled panel saws and thicknessers — plus Festo routers and sanders


leave the timber where it is, or stack it properly if it isn't and get some instruction.

once you know working timber is for you, build yourself a bench — there's a good easy cheap one in the latest Fine Woodworking or Popular Woodworking magazine — acquire a really basic hand tool kit (a #5 or #6 plane, three chisels, a combination square, steel ruler, pencil, marking knife, sharpening kit) and have some fun



ian