Tool advice welcomed

[ChrisB84]

Hello All,

New to the forum and wanting to get back into woodworking (no serious woodworking since I left school 10 years ago).

I am looking to work my way up to a host of different types of woodworking. The projects in mind to begin with would be along the lines of picture frames, but I would like to work my way towards bigger items like furniture and eventually wall panelling (my partner is crazy about panelled rooms and one day when we have the right house it would get me major brownie points and perhaps ease the purse strings for more tools ).

Anyhow... I currently have a few tools which have been serving me well for the odd bits I have been doing but would like some advice on what I should be steering towards next.

Current tools
Jigsaw - Bosch PST 800 PEL
Circular Saw - Bosch GKS65GCE + Festool guide
Router - Bosch POF 1400ACE 1/4" Plunge
Along with a few other standard tools like hand saw, screwdrivers, drill and cheap belt and mouse sander.

With picture frames I am unsure where my money would be spent on achieving mitre cuts, would I be better investing in a compound mitre saw or a table saw? I guess in the future I would be good to have both but I don't have the budget at the moment. I guess I would be looking to spend up to £350/400, I don't want to waste money on things I don't need but I would like the tool to be an investment and not need to renew it in a few years because It doesn't fit my needs.

Any help/advice would be great.

Thanks

 

[marcros]

Picture frames are a bit of a strange beast- they look so simple, but it can be difficult to get a professional finish on non specialised kit. For corners, the easiest and best way is using a guillotine- the industry standard is a Morso. But that will blow your budget, and probably wont fit in with your future plans. That is not to say that they cannot be done on wither a compound mitre saw, or a table saw. Or by hand.

For the picture frames, I would go with (in order of preference and on a budget):

1. A 2nd hand morso, and sell it when you have done your framing. It will probably cost all of your budget though.
2. http://www.axminster.co.uk/axcaliber-mt ... rod858421/ ideally 2nd hand. This may be useful for cutting mouldings, but you will probably want to sell it afterwards
3. the compound mitre saw- at least you clamp the wood, rather than have to rely on moving the timber on the sliding carriage, or mitre gauge on the table saw.
4. The table saw.

Now, to complicate things, i would reverse that list for general usefulness in a workshop. At least on a table saw, you can rip cut, cross cut, cut angles etc. If you are wanting to invest your £350, I would but a decent 2nd hand table saw. Get it set up with a decent blade in and you will be able to achieve tight mitres, even if not as easily as with other tools. You can use it to make a router table which will prove useful in the future. There are many models out there, but for instance this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kity-Saw-Mach ... 7675.l2557 was a £900 saw when new in the late 80's. They are even better if you have the space and can find one with a sliding carriage on.

"Small" projects are not necessarily easier than larger ones, by the way. They do have the advantage of wasting less wood if it all goes wrong. You will probably need a router table to make your picture frame rebates, unless you buy moulding. I would start with making a decent workbench, on which you can practice, and from which you can build future projects.

 

[ChrisB84]

Marcros,

Thanks for the reply.

The Axminster mitre trimmer looks the way to go for me. The Morso ones would be my preffered choice but even second hand they are still a bit much for me. I think what I save on the mitre trimmer now would be better putting toward a table saw in the future.

I am sure I will be back when the time comes with more questions.

Thanks