What to get first?

[Neilh]

Hi everyone - new to these boards and woodworking in general so bear with me...

I want to get into woodworking - my father is a joiner and a very good one at that. I've grown up with him making stuff all the time, and now I am getting the bug to do it too. Bug has been brought on by moving to a place that for the first time I have space for a workshop. My projects will be home stuff - (first one building a workbench) - making small cabinets, shelves, stools etc. whilst I learn and build up my skills. I have got a decent combo drill / driver, sander and also jigsaw. I have a decent hand saw and various other hand tools I've collected over the years. Basically what advice I am after is what workshop tool should I get first that will be of the most use in the kind of projects I want to do. Table or mitre saw? Or something else? Like I said I am new to this!

Any advice is welcome.

 

[Harbo]

A decent handheld circular saw, a straight length of board and some clamps, will cut most things or you could splash out for a Festool Ts55 kit?
I prefer a bandsaw to a table saw if it came down to choice, as its more versatile.

Rod

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Neil - you'll get 101 opinions from 100 people. I agree with the bandsaw, but I only use a hand held circular saw in absolute desperation. I loathe the thing. I've never had a problem cutting sheets with a good jigsaw.

 

[custard]

Why ask that question here when you have a far better resource in the shape of your father?

Seriously, the internet is a dreadful place for this question, you'll get loads of people who don't actually know very much about woodworking banging on with their daft opinions...but they actually have zero investment in the real world outcome!

Your father on the other hand is a professional woodworker, you know his work and he knows you and your circumstances, furthermore he actually has a stake in your practical progress.

There are some highly competent individuals on this forum, however they're outnumbered by know nothing blowhards who are short on experience but long on opinions! Unfortunately, as a newcomer to both the forum and to woodwork, you won't be able to separate one from t'other.

So instead of listening to a load of old cabinet making wannabes and fantasists who will lead you up the garden path, just go and have a pint and chat with your dad.

 

[RobinBHM]

It can certainly be confusing deciding what machines to buy. In woodworking most machines have a core function and then may have secondary functions that may be limited in scope, only possible with jigs or possibly not very accurate or safe.

A table saw is a good example. Its core function is ripping solid timber, it can rip sheet material into strips but only a large machine will cut whole sheets. A table saw equipped with a mitre fence can cross cut solid timber but not long lengths. With a table sled and other jigs a table can become a versatile machine for forming all kinds of joints.

In a small home workshop a sliding table saw wont be able to cut large components, because it is the wotk that is moving not the tool. A 8'0 x 4'0 for example will need a space approaching 18'0 x 8'0 to be able to cut all combinations of sizes.

I suppose woodworking divides broadly into making things with sheet materials, like wardrobes, kitchen cupboards etc and solid timber items like wardobe doors, tables, stools, small wood boxes etc.

If you want to make things with sheet materials, a track saw, router and drills will allow you to make carcases etc easily.

If you want to make solid timber items then a planer thicknesser, table saw, router will be useful.

One of the things that can really inhibit beginners is the ability to quickly machine or cut components accurately to size and square.

A few ideas to think about......