Full Workshop Kit Out - Advice Greatfully received!

[Pablo_WildWood]

Hello everyone,

I have a pretty exciting shop ahead of me, I have recently started a business, and have managed to gain investment of £7.5k from the Princes Trust to pursue my goal of being a self employed wooden creator - a lot of hard work has gone into the planning side of things, and I am very nearly ready to go into production, but obviously I need to make sure I have all the right tools!

I have a few questions, and hopefully with all of your helpful advice I can choose the best tools for what I need to do. My business is called Wild Wood, and I plan to make wooden clocks from cross sections of logs, upcycled pallet furniture, and some wooden jewellery. I will be using a laser cutter to etch in digital designs onto my products. I have an extensive list of tools that I have shopped around for, but as a relatively inexperienced wood worker, I am not 100% sure that I have the right tools for the jobs (I am pretty sure I do as I have a carpenter friend who has been helping me, but I am looking for second, third, and fourth opinions).

Initially I plan to buy about two thirds of the things on my list, what I am looking for from you guys is confirmation / dispute over whether I have got A) The right tool for the job B) The best tool for the money I am spending. I tried to post links but I was not allowed so please if you can google the tools as I listed them you will see what I am looking at, thankyou

Any advice or information greatfully recieved, heres the list!

Reciprocating Saw - To break down pallets - MAKITA DJR181Z 18V LXT RECIPROCATING SAW BARE

Bosch Mitre Chopsaw - willing to potentially spend a bit more on this but a friend recommended the Bosch range which was cheaper than the makita one I originally had on the list - suggestions especially welcome about this - BOSCH GCM 8 SJL 216MM 8" 1600W PROFESSIONAL SLIDING MITRE SAW

Festool Tracksaw - Festool Circular Plunge saw TS 55 REBQ-Plus-FS GB 240V with 1 Rail

Workmate for securing workpieces - Black & Decker Workmate Dual Height Work Bench.

Makita Drill set -MAKITA DLX2007MJ 18V BRUSHLESS IMPACT DRIVER/COMBI DRILL KIT INC 2X 4AH BATTS IN MAKPAC CASE

Router - mainly for cutting in clock mechanisms but plan to use for all manner of things - MAKITA RP1801XK 1/2" PLUNGE ROUTER & FINE ADJUSTMENT GUIDE IN HEAVY DUTY CARRY CASE

ROS - I will be using this for finishing my clocks (and everything else) - very important that I get a good one so again keen for feedback on this, did i choose the best brand for the money? MAKITA BO5041 125MM RANDOM ORBIT SANDER WITH ESC & FRONT GRIP

Selection of different bit boxes (3 items here) I have included the product code so you can just search on screwfix for each item;

WOOD DRILL BIT SET 35 PC (75037)
MAKITA ACCESSORY KIT 252 PIECE SET (90001)
COMBINATION DRILL BIT KIT 160 PIECE SET (88149)

Dremell for detail -DREMEL 8200-20 10.8V 2.0AH LI-ION CORDLESS ROTARY MULTI-TOOL (6407G)

Pocket hole tool - Do I need this? Looks great and I would definitely use it but is there a cheaper / better way to achieve the same result? I was planning on getting a pillar drill so maybe I could is that to do this? (Ebay) - Kreg R3 Jig Junior Pocket Hole Wood Joinery Kit Woodwork Joint Carpentry Tools

Full selection of screws - can anyone recommend a better supplier for screws / would slightly cheaper ones suffice? I have used turbo gold regularly on site so I went with what I know but is it necessary? GOLDSCREW WOODSCREWS EXPERT TRADE CASE DOUBLE COUNTERSUNK 2800 PCS (44480)

Planer / Thicknesser - I expect to be using this ALOT, planing full wood rounds and pallet wood mainly - Record Power PT260 Planer Thicknesser

Biscuit Joiner - for furniture construction, is this a decent one? Makita BPJ180Z 18v LXT Biscuit Jointer (Body Only)

Decent wood glue - Titebond II Premium Wood Glue - 470ml

Good set of chisels - (UK Tool centre) - Stanley Dynagrip Chisel + Strike Cap 5 Piece Set + Access

Palm Sander for final finish sanding - MAKITA BO4555 HOOK & LOOP / CLAMP FINISHING PALM SANDER INC DUSTBAG

Pallet Breaker - Roughneck Demolition & Lifting Bar 94cm (37in)

Dust Extraction - SCHEPPACH HA1600 1150M³/HR DUST EXTRACTOR 230V (65112) - Screwfix

Osmo - for finishing, also considering buying danish oil and beeswax as sometimes I will want variation in the finishes, can anyone recommend me what is best for what? - Osmo Polyx Oil Raw (3044)

Dustmask and goggles - JSP FILTERSPEC PRO VALVED RESPIRATOR BLACK P3 (1785G)

Items that I am considering but won't necessarily buy straight away;

Pillar Drill - I know this will be useful, but do I need it is what I am asking myself.... Record Power DP16B Bench Drill With Cast Iron Handwheel (My Tool Shed)


Band Saw - Again same as pillar drill, I know I would use this, but how much? some information about the most regular applications for this tool are welcome, it could be that it will be in use all of the time if I get it but Im not too sure! SCHEPPACH HBS300 300MM BANDSAW 240V (9424F) - Screwfix

Thanks everyone in advance, looking forward to all your feedback,

 

[flh801978]

Just a quick reply
Why cordless tools... The recip saw and the biscuit jointer get mains powered ones I'd say
The biscuit jointer needs extraction really and mains ones easy to connect to self starting extractor
I have the mains makita and it's a great tool but the bags rubbish
Get a planer with Tersa blades you will be changing a lot using pallet wood
The Bosch mitre saw is great
I would say you need a pillar drill and a bandsaw I use a lot probably more than any other workshop tool
Ian

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I have the Bosch 8" SJL mitre saw. It is excellent. I use Freud blades with mine. If it meets your needs for capacity, it's hard to beat.

I also have a festool TS55. Again, it is superb. A single rail is fine if you know exactly what you're going to be cutting with it. The finish is superb. If you have the budget, consider an MFT to go with it, the combination is incredibly useful alongside your main bench.

 

[heimlaga]

I am missing a heavy duty held power planer from the list. One with the standard disposable knives and nothing manufacturer specific.
You want to clean up recyjkled wood with one of theese before putting it through a planer/thicknesser.

I also think your planer/thicknesser should have a Tersa head. Even if you clean up your wood first with a hand held planer all recykled wood is hard on the knives.

If you are going to use logs for your clocks you will need a petrol powered chainsaw and not a reciprocating saw. The chainsaw can also be used to cut up pallets if you avoid the nail clusters which are useless anyway.

A pocket hole jig is very useful if you intend to make production rums of products held together with pocket screws. Otherwise not. One or two pocket holes now and then can be made using a chisel and an ordinary hand held drill. Actually I have cut pocket holes with a sharp axe a couple of times in totally invicible locations.

I think Narex chisels will give you better value for the money than Stanley. Theese days Stanley isn't much more than a name used to increase profit marigins on cheap chineese stuff.

Gorilla-Roughneck crowbar is very impractical if you demolish anything with the intention to save the wood. I have one and used it at renovation sites for a while until I got fed up with it. Nowadays it resides in the tractor shed and is used mainly to coax the front loader in place on the tractor.
The largest size of Gränsfors or Hultafors "Tove" crowbar is a lot better. Totally beyond comparition. I have a big one and a medium sized one. The wide and thin claws enable you to gently pry things apart without too much destruction. Twice as expensive and ten times as good.

What are you going to use the tracksaw for?
In my world a tracksaw is a rather specialized machine for working sheet materials. Not quite what you have described.....or did I get something wrong?

I think you will need a bandsaw. Preferably a rather big one if you have space and power enough though a small one may be a good stop gap solution until your business has came up to speed.

 

[NickN]

I am about to pull the trigger on buying the Bosch GSA 1100 E Professional Sabre Saw 240V, after weeks of research, it seems to get almost all positive reviews, plus it can deal with bigger lumps of timber than many, and it is corded which, imo, is much better in a workshop with mains supply.

For a rotary multi tool, have a look at Proxxon too. Everyone assumes Dremel is best but not necessarily still true. I have a Dremel that is about 10 years old, works fine, but there are alternatives now.