Having taught Joinery at a school and furniture making and design at a college I can sympathise with the Teacher concerned. Teaching any practical subject is very difficult. You need to have eyes everywhere at the same time. It is true that it's good practice to give initial training to the...
I'd agree with wallace on the 'buying used' front. You'll get more for your money and if you want to upgrade later you'll lose less (or break even) on your outlay. The classifieds on here are worth a look and there is always fleabay. If you google used planer/thicknesser you'll find a few...
The 'Fine woodworking' you tube vids are worth a look. Another shout for Tom Fidgen and Paul Sellers. 'Wood and Shop' is also worth a look, especially if you like Shaker style furniture and methodology.
Minimax machines seem to represent good value.....you get a lot for your money. But Felder seem to be a big step up in the engineering that goes in to them. It may be that you won't be doing massive amounts of work with it though, in which case you could save yourself a few quid and still be...
Building your first bench really depends on ones needs at the time. For me, I needed something robust and sturdy that I could build quickly. The cost was secondary. Having a plywood top meant I was using it within two days of starting construction. When/if I ever have more time, I'd love to...
That's an impressive bench Woodbrains......nice work sir!
I made my bench from 25mm exterior ply and chunky section softwood for the legs and rails. It's solid and stable and didn't take too long to make. Probably less than £50 (Had a few offcuts laying around).
Have dominoes taken over from biscuits? I use biscuits, screws and glue for ply or mdf cabinet construction. Filling the countersunk screw heads before paint. As Peter shows in his YT videos, I use a small roller to apply paint or varnish then de-nib. I don't have any Bessey clamps (tho' I'd...
I guess the thing to take issue with is the inference. It's a grey area for sure. When I see worktops advertised as 'solid' when it's made up of what looks like offcuts, I can feel my blood pressure rising. To see a leg or rail made in the same way is taking the mick imo.
I had a Felder BF631 for many years and only have good things to say about it. Supremely accurate, reliable, built like a tank and very straight forward to use. Thoroughly recommended. As others have said, be very diligent when it comes to buying. A friend of mine got scammed for nearly £5k...