Hi from South Wales

[Grandadflash]

Hi I'm just starting woodworking and would like some advise on what tools to buy. I just finish making a very simple shelving unit and enjoyed almost every minute of it, and would like to try building more. I have wanted to try woodworking before but I live in a small flat and was not sure if I have the room, but searching online has made my mind up to just do it.

So my question is what tools should I start with? I have the basics: a drill, a very basic cheap saw, level and screwdrivers but that's about it. I have about £600 to spend but a very tight space and everything will need to be packed away when I finish.

I'm looking to make all different things from boxes, a desk all the way up to a wardrobe; any advise would be appreciated.

Thank you and does anyone know any clubs or classes near Cardiff?

 

[RossJarvis]

So my question is what tools should I start with? I have the basics: a drill, a very basic cheap saw, level and screwdrivers but that's about it. I have about £600 to spend but a very tight space and everything will need to be packed away when I finish.

I'm looking to make all different things from boxes, a desk all the way up to a wardrobe; any advise would be appreciated.


Thank you and does anyone know any clubs or classes near Cardiff?

Hiya Grandadflash, welcome to the site, I hope you get lots of inspiration here.

It might be an idea to think of a project, such as a box and get the tools you needed for that. The type of project may need to be simple-ish with tools you'll use for lots of things. I posted a few weeks ago a tool box I made, and tried to do it with the fewest tools I could;

how-not-to-make-a-japanese-tool-box-t73577.html

In fact a tool -box is a good starter project as you've got somewhere to stick your tools when finished. I think I used a square (mine's a reasonable quality combination square), a marking knife, a saw, (you might want to think about a rip-cut saw) a tape measure, a couple of chisels, with a mallet and a hammer. oh and a plane (I mainly use a 5 1/2 although a No 4 is the most commonly used) oh yes a block plane too (I think the list is getting longer :shock: ). I'd say these are all good essential tools to get. I'd also suggest to get fewer good quality tools rather than lots of poorer ones.

So maybe;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-112136- ... B002LTUOI6
http://www.emagcloud.com/lineartools/Em ... html#/146/
http://www.axminster.co.uk/marples-irwi ... law-hammer

You'll find everyone has different opinions on what makes a good tool set. I have given some ideas for basic hand-tools, you can spend a fortune on individual "quality" hand-tools and there are as many opinions as there are tools. You may also think about whether you want to use power tools or hand tools. A compound-mitre saw may be a must as may be a table saw or circular saw.

Another route maybe to do some reading first and follow advice such as given in a book like;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlyn-Book-Woo ... 0600603520

Sorry if the answer's a bit vague, but it's a bit like "how long is a piece of string". Woodworking is such a vast subject that different people will have totally different tool needs, as I said, the above tools would probably be a good start.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON"T ASK ABOUT SHARPENING, WITHOUT TAKING A STIFF DRINK FIRST!!

 

[nathandavies]

never ending list.

presumably because you are in a flat, you don't want power tools, otherwise I would say a router for starters.

some of the stuff can be second hand or new, depending on your personal preference. people seem to like one or the other.

chisels, a selection of
a plane, no.4 is a common one
sandpaper
a dust sheet
a vice
a design for a fold away work bench
a square


I could go on and on and on

perhaps a good book would be a start, that will point you in the right direction. start with the easiest thing you want to do, plan well, and don't expect your first few bits to make the antiques roadshow.

nathan

 

[RossJarvis]

I've just seen that some of my links fell off the post. Axminster is a good place to get a range of tools from. They have a set of chisels, which come with a sharpening stone and guide for about 15 quid (I think they're Irwin). I wouldn't buy too many chisels to start with, but I would learn how to sharpen them. DON'T ASK ABOUT SHARPENING HERE!!!Look it up elsewhere on the internet!! 1/4 inch 1/2 inch and 1 inch are a good start. I have a set of 8 and use the largest a heck of a lot more than any of the rest. I'm sure I haven't used some of the others more than once.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/marples-irwi ... pening-set

I won't claim that they are the best chisels or the best means of sharpening, but as a starter they are a very reasonable price. If these aren't up to your skills, you'll be on a very expensive slidy slope to bankruptcy.

One thing to think about (after a tool-box) is making a workbench. I've found that a couple of bits of 2inch by 6 inch timber about 6 feet long can do a lot and be packed away again. You can secure these to a table and use them to plane things on, bash chisels into things and hold items when gluing up too. You just need to get ones which are straight and flat.

Maybe we can help more if you decide on a particular project to start work on and then ask for advice and help on that. I just know that if I were to spend £600 in one go I'd buy lot's of shiny stuff and possibly not use half of it.

also think about;

http://www.axminster.co.uk/faithfull-carpenters-mallet
http://www.axminster.co.uk/faithfull-marking-knife

 

[morfa]

There was a good thread about this a little while back:

basic-tools-for-beginners-t66614.html

A useful part from my post then:

"If you were to add a no 4 plane and a no 5 plane from ebay, you should have a good 'basic' set for a sensible price. Then you just need to buy some wood and get started. If you are in a flat, then you are going to struggle a bit I think. Woodworking is messy and noisy. Handtools are better than powertools, but still hammering away with a chisel is relatively noisey. Worth putting down some plastic sheeting to keep the place clean. Apart from the obvious, only buy tools when you need them (which is easier said than done, I always seem to buy something, thinking I need it, only to find out half way through a job, that I actually needed something else!) here's a few very useful links:

Paul Sellers has a bunch of great posts about buying old second hand tools and about building a workbench:

http://paulsellers.com/series/buying-good-tools-cheap/ and http://paulsellers.com/series/building-a-workbench/

If you want generally good hand tool stuff, then Roy Underhill's show, The Woodwrights Shop is excellent:

http://video.unctv.org/program/woodwrights-shop/ "

There's this workbench called the Milkmans Workbench, which you can clamp on to a table to make a temporary workbench.

http://www.gunpowderwoodworks.com/blog/ ... ench-build

Some extra thoughts. A good first project would be to build a simple box for putting tools in. You'll have to be clever with storage. I'd also look into building a couple of saw horses which you can stack on top of each other. This way, if you have a box with your tools, a couple of saw horses and the aforementioned workbench you can pile that lot away somewhere with out too much faff.

Also buy a really good vacuum, other wise the dust will get everywhere. I currently use my kitchen as a workshop and it's so easy to tramp dust everywhere.

I would strongly advise buying Robert Wearings, The Essential Woodworker and Chris Schwartz's The Anarchists Toolchest (has a list of all the handtools you'll ever need and why you'll need them).

Both can be bought here - http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalo ... Press.html