Setting up workshop

[chiseling away]

Hi folks. Seriously new newbie. Am away to start setting up my workshop and am looking at the kit to put in it. As with any new interest it is exciting but bewildering with far too much choice.

I would appreciate any and all advice.

I want to make different things from furniture to beehives but haven't made anything since school (a few years ago now)

What do you recommend to start buying in terms of machinery as I sadly haven't won the lottery yet. I have been looking at table saws but the choice is staggering. I don't mind saving up for longer if it means I get the right machine for me.

I thank you in advance for your time in replying.

 

[marcros]

How much space do you have?

If space allows, I would build the workshop around a decent tablesaw. For beehives, a radial arm saw would be useful but there are often many ways of making most things, depending on what machines you have available. I wouldn't necessarily say buy one as one of your earlier purchases but if you are looking at batch production of, for instance, brood boxes or supers it would work.

A planer thicknesser, or separates would probably be worthwhile and would enable you to buy sawn stock and process it. You could do it with hand tools too, but if you are starting from scratch them you would need to learn how and then buy the hand tools.

 

[chiseling away]

I have an almost empty garage about 10 ft wide by about 15ft long. I have a good selection of hand and power tools already but am keen to add to them to let me progress and make life both easier and more accurate as well as a bit quicker. I have been looking at axminsters site at their middle of the range table saw

 

[marcros]

I would have a look at the ts200 or ts250.

You will need to be creative with space- I have a garage too and it soon gets used up.

The alternative may be a track saw and the festool mft table. After you have had a heart attack over the price, do a search on here for "mft top" and look at the shop built alternatives.

 

[chiseling away]

Cheers for that macros.

I had been looking at the Axminster Trade Series AW10BSB2 saw, but i am guessing that this may be overkill.

 

[paulm]

You may well find you get more use from a bandsaw than a tablesaw, coupled with a planer/thicknesser and mitre/chop saw you probably won't miss a tablesaw that much if at all ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[chiseling away]

Ah more options lol. I presume Axminster is a good manufacturer to buy kit from or are record etc all pretty much the same I try where possible only ever to buy decent stuff. Not one for a cheap, cheap bargain.

 

[paulm]

Ah more options lol. I presume Axminster is a good manufacturer to buy kit from

Sometimes, but always check prices elsewhere too. They have a decent range and good customer service but I've found them increasingly uncompetitive on a range of items.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Just had a post disappear! +1 for the bandsaw, you'd probably find it far more versatile than a table saw. Track saws are great if you've loads of sheet stuff to work, but how many people have (in a home environment)?

 

[wizard]

I started off with all new stuff and soon got fed up with it and replaced all of it with better quality old machines

 

[SurreyHills]

As well as the tablesaw and p/t, if you are making National hives then a router with associated table is a must for making the joints and the rebates. Even for other hive types a router will be one of the most useful tools for making up the boxes etc. go for a 1/2" model.


Cheers
Andy

 

[Hickorystick]

I'm just finishing fitting out my garage workshop. I've just bought a bandsaw and a tracksaw because the table saw was going to take too much space and I think I can do without..... Time will tell..

 

[DiscoStu]

I was in the same position about 12 months ago. I guess I'm a little more fortunate in that I've bought most of the machines listed here:

Table Saw
Planer Thicknesser
Bandsaw
Router & Table

Plus I bought a bench mounted disc/belt sander, a pillar drill.

I already had a CSMS.

So being in a similar situation with similar space. I'd say the tool I use most is the bandsaw.

I am amazed at how often I just make a quick cut on it. It's the one tool so far that I wish I'd spent more money on and bought a bigger machine.

I thought I'd be using the tablesaw all the time, but you need so much room around it, it's a major pain. I put mine on castors but I find I have to move the whole thing to swap between ripping and cross cutting. It was ok in the summer as I could wheel it outside. I'm now thinking that a tracksaw is the best option and just using the table saw when I have lots of repeat cuts to do. Bandsaw definitely gets my vote. Stick a decent wide blade in it and you'll get beautiful clean straight cuts. I also use my sander a lot. I just bought a cheap Clarke one for around £100 and that works well for me. I also spent about the same on a pillar drill and use that a lot, it's ideal for big holes etc.

If i were doing it all again I might buy a pillar drill with a better depth stop.

I found choosing a router and table difficult as I really wanted a lift. I ended up going for the triton and the triton table and that's been a great choice. Lots of tools can do similar jobs ie CSMS, Bandsaw, Table saw etc. But the router is on its own, I use mine a lot and you get nice professional round overs etc. So things are finished nicely.

 

[John15]

I'm with Paul and Stu on the table saw question. I think I could do without it if I had a larger bandsaw.

John

 

[heimlaga]

My approach has always been buying a very basic set of quality tools instead of many not so good ones. When developing beyond entry level people tend to upgrade and secondhand entry level tools don't have much market value so when upgrading the money spent on entry level tools is essentially wasted. When looking back I am very happy that I had this approach from the beginning.
I am not rich enough to buy new high quality tools so I usually buy secondhand and rebuild.

This is my way. It does not suit everyone but it suits me.

 

[DennisCA]

I've found lots of use for the table saw, I have a hard time seeing how a bandsaw could replace some of the things you can do with a table saw. But a bandsaw can do things a table saw cannot, and perhaps it does some things better even than a table saw? I have not yet joined the group of people known as bandsaw owners, perhaps today or tomorrow though.

Heimlaga also directed me onto the path of buy old and rebuild if needed, I have saved money this way and been able to buy machines I could not otherwise have afforded, and of industrial quality.

 

[marcros]

The downside of old machines is often the size of them though. In a small workshop, a lump of cast iron may not be welcomed, particularly in a workshop 10x15ft.

I think it is entirely dependant on what you are making, what other kit you have and the comprimises that you are happy to make. I had a table saw, which I sold and used the money to but a bandsaw. A nice big axminster bandsaw, which I have not yet struggled for capacity, other than wanting to cut something wider than the table allows. I did miss the table saw though and bought another one after a few months. For making jewellery boxes, the tablesaw is essential in my process. It isn't the only way of doing them. i would also rather rip timber down using the tablesaw and a fence, rather than a bandsaw and a fence. again, not the only way but it works for me. If i was cutting at the capacity of the tablesaw, to be honest, I would rather use the bandsaw. I would also use the bandsaw rather than table saw if i needed to get my hand within 6" of the blade.

There is no right answer between table saw and bandsaw- just a matter of which you think that you will use most. The tablesaw cannot cut curves, and isnt particularly useful for cutting veneers or resawing. But do you need to- many people make a lot of projects without having to do any of those things.

 

[DennisCA]

That's a small shop indeed, converted that into meters and that's smaller than I figured. I thought my shop was small and it's 10x27ft.

 

[wizard]

When i buy a new machine i have to extend the shed, it’s now bigger than the house