Newbie saying hello

[tpot]

Hello all

I have been lurking on here for a little while now and thought I would introduce myself.

I haven't done any 'woodwork' just for enjoyment for over 20 years and recently have been itching to give it a go and use it as a hobby that is completely different from the 40 hours a week that I spend at work.

Anyway I am thinking that I will start off by doing a few small 'projects', including a chopping board and a couple of boxes (using and practicing different joint methods). I have seen that the 'Collins - Complete Woodworker's Manual ' is well recommended so I will be purchasing one of these next week.

Tool wise - I will be going down the power-tool route, this is mainly for having a weak and injury prone wrist following a break and 6 months in a splint etc.. etc.. So far I only have handheld tools (ie no workshop machinery):

* Circular saw
* Jigsaw
* Router
* Drill (cordless and corded)
* Detail sander
* Sheet sander
* Grinding wheel

Hand tool wise is have (not a complete list)

* Saws (general builders saw, tenon, coping, hacksaw)
* Cheap chisels (guessing these need replacing)
* Workmate
* Combination square

I am guessing that all of the above will suffice for now until the bug really bites and then some dedicated machinery may be called for as I progress and try to improve quality and complexity. What are peoples views of buying secondhand tools (ebay etc..) do you have to be very wary of what you are purchasing, I have seen a few comments about getting better quality this way, and do the same rules apply to machinery?

BTW - I will be doing this on a very limited budget so the secondhand route definitely appeals to me and I will be keeping an eye out for a good value table saw in the 'for sale section'.

Initially I will be working out of the front of the garage but I do have a 'cabin' in the garden (4m x 4m) which only needs electricity to make it into the ideal hideyhole for me to escape to.

I will be posting many questions as I reach the limit of my knowledge (very limited) but already know that everyone here is helpful and supportive but please forgive any stupidity on my behalf. I will also post photos into the projects forum for lots of advice and criticism :lol:

Anyway, thats a big hello for me

Andy

 

[Fromey]

Welcome Andy. I'm a newbie here as well. If you've been lurking, you'll know by now how great an information resource this forum is.

If you want any further woodworking web sites, let me know and I'll pass on my bookmarks.

Lastly, make sure you have a good workbench/vice(s) of some sort (even if you'll be mainly power tools). I inherited a horrid home built bench and really couldn't do anything on it. Now I have my Sjobergs bench, the difference is night and day.

 

[johnjin]

Welcome Andy
Your choice of a first woodworking book is excellent.
As for hand tools a No 4 plane or thereabouts would be useful.

John

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum, it really is a great resource and I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it,

Re: 2nd hand tools, yeah I'd definitely buy second hand tools. That's the way I've built up my kit. The only thing that I've made sure that I've bought new are handheld powertools. As I like to buy these and know that they're not gonna give me grief, as the batteries are expensive and they are easily not looked after and knocked about on site. Though the newer ones don't suffer too badly.

The only thing that I would definitely recommend is don't impulse buy, think about what you want to make and then the relevant tools that you need to make them with. Sounds obvious I know, but I've often bought tools just because I wanted THAT tool! Also make sure you read reviews on anything you're gonna buy. There's plenty about on the 'net and there's loads on here. Also there are lists on this forum telling you what all the members have i.e. "Forum members Table-Saws", it's nice to know what people go for.

The tools that I'd recommend that have never failed me and always been perfect for the job are the "Metabo SXE 450 TurboTec" (A Random Orbital Sander) and the "Makita BHP452RFWX 18V Li-Ion" (A combi-drill). But I see you already have sanding equipment and a cordless drill so not much help to you there! Also you can NEVER have enough clamps. Bessey's are the daddies, but are tré expensive. You can't go wrong with some one-handed 'quick grips' and F-Clamps as well.

edit: Also I would highly recommend getting some sort of 'shop-vac, most decent ones have a 'power take-off' this turns the vacuum on when the sander starts up to take all the dust straight from the workpiece. This saves your lungs and cleaning up quite so much. Dust Extraction is a minefield to get done properly, but this I think is where most people start.

Hope that's of some help. Cheers _Dan.

 

[Alf]

Welcome aboard, Andy.

A coupla terribly boring things strike me. One is safety gear - trust you're donning the necessary and have a workshop vacuum at your disposal. Secondly is the trite but true advice that sharp edges are two-thirds of the battle - dozens of sharpening threads on the forum with which to confuse yourself. Thirdly, don't stint on the quality of your measuring and marking kit - everything else depends on accurate marking out and we forget that at our peril. Fourthly (so much for a couple of things...) if you're thinking to upgrade your chisels, don't go for a set. If you can upgrade them one at a time, you can generally save up to get a better tool that'll last your lifetime and never make you think "I wish...". I'm a big fan of the Collin's Complete Manual, and reading that should give you a good start (and probably lots of fresh questions ) Possibly you might find Popular Woodworking's "I Can Do That" stuff helpful too.

Cheers, Alf

 

[tpot]

Many thanks for the replies, this place is great, friendly and full of good advice (I think)

Book ordered today so will have losts of questions by next week and will have to try and hold myself back from taking on a massively complex project and take is steady.

Re - safety gear, yes I do wear overalls, eye protection and ear protection but will have to invest in a decent shop vac.

I will keep my out for decent second hand equipment, especially chisels - I see a visit to the local car boot sale in my future

Thanks again

Andy