£5-600 to spend on tools - what do you think of my list?

[LewisM]

I'm in the middle of renovating / building my first proper workshop, and while the Christmas deals are around I'm thinking of stocking up on various tools.
At the moment I've got:
- A table saw with a good blade, but it needs a better fence.
- A miter saw.
- A router table and bits, but no router.
- A nice set of chisels.
- A No. 5 plane (Stanley, brand new for £20 on GumTree!)
- A little Black and Decker electric screwdriver that's been passed around the family for probably near 10 years.
- Various odds and ends - a few saws, hammers, marking gauges etc.

Most of what I do is either furniture making or restoration, so at the moment my list is looking something like:
- 3 good sized sash clamps: ~£75
- Various sizes of F clamps: ~£40
- A Veritas wheel marking gauge: £25
- A decent fence for the table saw: £45?
- An ok router: £100
- Maybe a fence for that router: ~£25
- An orbital sander: £75
- A good set of drill bits (we have some but not many): £25
- A little block plane: £40
- A nice engineers square (the one I've got is terrible): £10
- Whatever's left I'll probably spend on a vice, and maybe some odds and ends.

Have I missed anything?

 

[YorkshireMartin]

This is such a tough one.

To me, your budget of only £10 for an engineers square stands out as being under funded and perhaps the wrong choice. If you're looking at making furniture, you'll probably want a combination square rather than an engineers square to start with. A good one will set you back around £100. If there is one thing I've learned on my woodworking journey so far (I'm a beginner), it's absolutely and utterly essential to have at least one *accurate* reference of that type. There are not many brands around which offer the accuracy necessary for all but rough furniture making. For me only Starrett, Moore and Wright and Veritas spring to mind. Starrett do a set for about £130 which has a protractor, a center finder and a combination square with a metal ruler. I use mine constantly, more than any other tool, justifying the cost. It is without doubt, my most essential purchase.

I'd suggest at the very least, considering the advantages that having an accurate flat surface and 90 degree angle reference bring to the table.

You can get around many things in woodworking through innovation, but without an accurate reference of flat and square, you're really on a hiding to nothing, or at least a lot of frustration.

The rest of your list sounds fine, but unless you know you have a preference, I'd avoid the wheel marking gauge and go for an Irwin/Marples mortice gauge, which allows either single or double pins. They are easier to use in my opinion. An older, second hand example is perhaps the best choice.

Other comments: You can make a fence for your router yourself with a bit of profile aluminium and a couple of clamps. You'll need abrasives to go with your orbital sander, which often aren't cheap so need budgeting for. Drill bit wise, whilst not the best quality, I have found the Bosch X-Line sets to be reasonable. A block plane can be had for much less than £40, check out ebay for an old stanley 110.

Edit: Do you have dust extraction already? If not, I'd make that a priority.

 

[stockonehundred]

More sash clamps and at different sizes. 1800mm 1200mm and 800mm.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Keep an eye on Aldi for "F" clamps. There are offers on Irwin augers atm - about £30 a set, iirc. UK Drills do some decent sets of twist drills. You don't mention a bench? Hunt down your vice before you build your bench, ideally.

 

[dzj]

I imagine a 10" or 12" used planer/thicknesser in good condition could be found for £5-600.
The things on your list you can buy later as you need them.

 

[DennisCA]

- 3 good sized sash clamps: ~£75
- A Veritas wheel marking gauge: £25

Both of these I think you could make to save a lot of money, that you could invest in a better fence for your saw, or a better router. I made 6 wooden bar clamps from scrap wood and some threaded rod and nuts, spent less than 20 euros on them and have had lots of use for them. Youtube is filled with various designs.

Likewise there are loads of designs for marking gauges. John Heisz has a simple design made from a dowel.

And have a good look around 2nd hand stores and boot fairs and whatnot.

 

[RobinBHM]

I imagine a 10" or 12" used planer/thicknesser in good condition could be found for £5-600.
The things on your list you can buy later as you need them.

I agree, a planer thicknesser would top of my list. It opens a whole new world of being able to prepare your own timber in any section, as flat and straight as you require. One of the 260 elektra beckum or variants is a great starter machine

 

[LewisM]

...To me, your budget of only £10 for an engineers square stands out as being under funded and perhaps the wrong choice. If you're looking at making furniture, you'll probably want a combination square rather than an engineers square to start with. A good one will set you back around £100. If there is one thing I've learned on my woodworking journey so far (I'm a beginner), it's absolutely and utterly essential to have at least one *accurate* reference of that type. There are not many brands around which offer the accuracy necessary for all but rough furniture making. For me only Starrett, Moore and Wright and Veritas spring to mind. Starrett do a set for about £130 which has a protractor, a center finder and a combination square with a metal ruler. I use mine constantly, more than any other tool, justifying the cost. It is without doubt, my most essential purchase...

...The rest of your list sounds fine, but unless you know you have a preference, I'd avoid the wheel marking gauge and go for an Irwin/Marples mortice gauge, which allows either single or double pins...

Other comments: You can make a fence for your router yourself with a bit of profile aluminium and a couple of clamps. You'll need abrasives to go with your orbital sander, which often aren't cheap so need budgeting for. Drill bit wise, whilst not the best quality, I have found the Bosch X-Line sets to be reasonable. A block plane can be had for much less than £40, check out ebay for an old stanley 110.

Edit: Do you have dust extraction already? If not, I'd make that a priority.

At the moment I can't justify spending £100+ on a set of squares. The ones we use at college cost maybe £10-20, and they work fine for the skill level I'm at right now.
I actually much prefer the Veritas guages to the traditional style ones, I've been wanting to pick one up for a while.
For the drill bits, there's a £25 Makita kit at ScrewFix that my boss got given a few weeks ago on some promo, it's a great little set and the bits are surprisingly good for the money.
After picking up a brand new Stanley No. 5 for £20 the other day, I'll definitely be buying the block plane 2nd hand.

Keep an eye on Aldi for "F" clamps. There are offers on Irwin augers atm - about £30 a set, iirc. UK Drills do some decent sets of twist drills. You don't mention a bench? Hunt down your vice before you build your bench, ideally.

The Irwin F clamps are the ones I've priced up, they're on offer at ScrewFix if I remember right.
I'm hoping to make a bench, other than a few small cabinets that I've made at college it will be my first big project. I'm probably biting off way more than I can chew, but benches are a good £700+ online which is just out of the question.

- 3 good sized sash clamps: ~£75
- A Veritas wheel marking gauge: £25

Both of these I think you could make to save a lot of money, that you could invest in a better fence for your saw, or a better router. I made 6 wooden bar clamps from scrap wood and some threaded rod and nuts, spent less than 20 euros on them and have had lots of use for them. Youtube is filled with various designs.

Likewise there are loads of designs for marking gauges. John Heisz has a simple design made from a dowel.

And have a good look around 2nd hand stores and boot fairs and whatnot.

Good idea, I'll have a look at that!
I'd be worried about wooden clamps bending / snapping though, I can't imagine they're for more than light clamping?

I imagine a 10" or 12" used planer/thicknesser in good condition could be found for £5-600.
The things on your list you can buy later as you need them.

I agree, a planer thicknesser would top of my list. It opens a whole new world of being able to prepare your own timber in any section, as flat and straight as you require. One of the 260 elektra beckum or variants is a great starter machine

Yep, I would much rather get one too, but unfortunately I've had to scrap that plan for now. The workshop space isn't mine, a family member is lending it to me. It's been made clear that a planer thicknesser would be too noisy, and that the shop space might only be available for ~6-8 months. Clamps or tools can be boxed up and put away, but if I've got big, heavy machinery there when the shop gets taken off me then I'm going to have a hard time housing it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The best thing I ever bought (economically) is one of the boxes of HSS bits (170 iirc) in 1/2mm increments. I bought it about 15 years ago, and I think there are more bits in it now than when it was new. I pick up all the loose bits once in a while and sit with a mic. or a verynear, measure them and put them away. I did about two dozen earlier on. The only ones you'll likely replace are 3mm if you use a pop riveter or 6mm if you use hole saws.

 

[petermillard]

At the moment I can't justify spending £100+ on a set of squares. The ones we use at college cost maybe £10-20, and they work fine for the skill level I'm at right now...

I"m very fond of the Bahco 6" combi squares - they're under a tenner apiece - or you can pick up used Moore & Wright 6" engineers squares on eBay for about £20-odd.

And remember; a cheap clamp is always better than no clamp

hth Pete

 

[DennisCA]

Good idea, I'll have a look at that!
I'd be worried about wooden clamps bending / snapping though, I can't imagine they're for more than light clamping?

I used mine to laminate together a workbench top, I think that's as much as someone might need in terms of clamping strenght. I made the Heisz design here too, the bar is pretty thick and sturdy and takes a lot of pressure. Though in the future I want to try these clamps using pipes too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxZ5vtMNTCI

 

[DiscoStu]

Just one question I would pose. Is the £5-600 a one off amount of money? If it is then it might be worth considering if you want / need a big purchase item. To explain my logic you might say want a domino or a Bandsaw or whatever and if the budget is a one off amount of money that you're not likely to see again then it might be more prudent to buy your big ticket item now and then get smaller items over time? Does that make sense?

For example I got a bonus at work and needed quite a few bits but I actually bought a domino and over the last few months I've gradually bought the other bits as none were big ticket items even though I probably needed them more.


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[DiscoStu]

Also I bought an engineers square from Axminster and it seems to be spot on. Only cost around £10. I might buy another bigger one but I can't see the need in spending hundreds on a square. - not for what I do. I think the square I have is similar to what Peter Parfit uses and he seems to make very nice and very accurate work.


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[LewisM]

Just one question I would pose. Is the £5-600 a one off amount of money? If it is then it might be worth considering if you want / need a big purchase item. To explain my logic you might say want a domino or a Bandsaw or whatever and if the budget is a one off amount of money that you're not likely to see again then it might be more prudent to buy your big ticket item now and then get smaller items over time? Does that make sense?

For example I got a bonus at work and needed quite a few bits but I actually bought a domino and over the last few months I've gradually bought the other bits as none were big ticket items even though I probably needed them more.

Like I said above, because I might be kicked out of my workshop space in ~6-8 months I just can't risk buying a planer thicknesser / bandsaw. Tools and clamps can be packed up until I find new space, heavy machinery can't