Some advice for a new woodworker! (tools, materials etc)

[GeordieStew]

Hi all.

Random software developer from Newcastle. I've made a couple of outdoor tables and a huge (3m long) planter from fencing posts, rails, boards and decking (for the fancy bits).

I'd like to make some benches for sitting/lying on...I'll probably buy some cushions from Ikea and I'll want to store them in the bench. I have some ideas of how to make the benches but I have some novice questions.

1) What kind of timber is acceptable to use? I don't want to buy expensive hardwoods at this stage, being a novice, I'll screw it up. C16? C24? Fencing? Decking?

2) Can someone recommend decent measuring tools? Square, combination square, rules. I see a lot of cheap rubbish on some sites and I'm wary. I'd rather buy once and buy right.

3) Extraction. I'm working in a garage (3.5m x 5m ish). I've not doing a lot of sanding so far, but I'll need to for the benches. Same with routing. I have a cheap Katsu 1/4" router and it'd be nice to give stuff a good finish. Can you recommend a solution? I don't want to spend £1000+, but spending a few hundred is fine. Rather that than my health. I don't mind getting stuck in and making something.

4) Decent sander. No idea here... What type, what size, what rating, cordless, corded. Any advice would be great.

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions!!

 

[transatlantic]

2) I'd recommened a good speed square and a good combination square. I can't recommend a brand unfortunately as unless you're spending a lot, it's somewhat hit or miss. I got my speed squares from screwfix and homebase, just be sure to check it in store ( get a ruler and find a straight edge (work top works well), rest the square against the straight edge and align the ruler with the 90, flip the square over and then slide up against the ruler to check for square, it should butt up against the ruler perfectly)

3) You could either get a simple cheap shop vac for around £60, or go for something more long term like a Record RSDE/2 (with power take off). Shop vacs are so cheap, you might want to start of with one anyway and upgrade at a later date. Make sure to get one with power take off though.

4) There are a few types of sander, but a good Random Orbital sander is a nice all rounder. The shape of these is somewhat subjective, it's mostly about what feels comfortable for you. I'd recommened abranet sanding sheets (80, 120, 180, 240), they're expensive, but with good dust extraction will last a long time.

 

[MusicMan]

A shop vac is very useful even if you have a big sanding system.

Yup, start with measuring/layout tools. +1 for Transatlantic's advice. A 1 metre ruler/straight edge is very useful, and likely to be more accurate than a tape measure.

Abranet abrasives yes! Their manual sanding system is also excellent, e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirka-Abranet- ... branet+kit

It plugs into the vac and really makes sanding dust-free. Great value for asthmatics like me.

I've also had extraordinarily long service out of a cheap B&Q PI portable belt sander. Bought for one job (sanding the eaves and soffits, expecting it to be trash afterwards, but it keeps on going strongly.

 

[Roughcut]

I tend to use tantalised softwood for outdoor use.
Using power tools most things for the garden can be made with a mitre saw, sander, drill driver and router.
The Metabo sanders seem to get good reviews.
Accurate engineers square/s, a reliable tape measure and maybe a sliding bevel or protractor would be ideal.
And I prefer an oil based finish over water based on outdoor items as it seems to offer protection for longer.

 

[GeordieStew]

If I looked at the Metabo 150mm SXE450 TurboTec sander, would the Metabo ASR 25 L SC (https://www.metabo.com/uk/en/tools/vacu ... eaner.html) be any good for dust extraction? The hose looks small at 35mm, but I don't really have any major tools. Mitre saw, kreg pocket hole jig, sander (when I buy one) and a 1/4" router.

 

[ED65]

1) Pine or another similar softwood. That's been the recommended beginner's wood since before our fathers were born. But where to get it is a better question as the stuff in B&Q or similar tends to be pants.

2) You don't have to sweat rules too much. A stainless rule that costs only a quid or two can be accurate enough. Most art shops, some stationer's and Maplins if necessary will have rules that are likely close enough to bang-on for your needs. At the sorts of prices you can expect to pay for these I would get a 150, 300, 600 and 1000mm as all these sizes can prove useful; all four can cost you far less than just one 300mm rule from a premium brand based on the prices mentioned in a recent thread!

If you're after a standard carpenter's try square you must check it, never assume one is square (no matter who makes it). Ideally you want to check before you buy but obviously that's not always possible these days. If you don't mind their rather plain style engineer's squares are more reliably square (and less prone to going off if dropped) and can be picked up for next to nothing at car boots.

4) Are you sure you need a sander? There are numerous ways of smoothing wood and powered hand-held sanders are at the bottom of my list to do that (under hand planing, scraping and hand sanding, in that order).

 

[Roughcut]

If I looked at the Metabo 150mm SXE450 TurboTec sander, would the Metabo ASR 25 L SC (https://www.metabo.com/uk/en/tools/vacu ... eaner.html) be any good for dust extraction? The hose looks small at 35mm, but I don't really have any major tools. Mitre saw, kreg pocket hole jig, sander (when I buy one) and a 1/4" router.

Yes the Metabo SXE450 is the sander I've read good reviews about.
To be honest any half decent vacuum should serve ok as a power tool dust extractor, and one with a power take off socket will be a nice bonus.
I personally have a Numatic NVD 750 and a Festool CTL Midi and the Midi gets used the most.

 

[MusicMan]

Yes, never assume a square is square. But never assume a tape measure is accurate either. Check its class and get at least Class II (it's one of the symbols printed near the start of the tape). Steel rules are usually good, plastic rules not necessarily so; some of them swell and contract with humidity.

I actually calibrate all my rules against a secondhand once-calibrated height vernier (checked against slip gauges). But then I am pretty anal about it, having run a metrology lab once. For woodwork, a better solution is usually the traditional one of a marked-up story stick. If all your matching pieces are marked off from a line on a full-scale drawing or a batten ("rod") then they are all going to match. It is rare that a difference of 1 mm from absolute dimension matters.

Keith