how would you outfit your wood shop from scratch with ONLY $1000

Give me the $1,000 first, then I’ll tell you after I spend it! :)

This is a tough question because I am a power tool guy and there’s not much I could do with $1,000. I would have to try to find some of this used: Table Saw first, Jointer second, and planer 3rd.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

Someone else asked a similar question a while back, except it was what to buy with his bonus money.

One answer that was given, and the answer I agree with the most, was to find a few projects that you’re really interested in making and figure out what tools would be necessary for those projects. I’d start with buying those tools and I would make sure I bought the best quality tools I could afford.

If I had to pick specific tools, I’d say to start with a good contractor-style table saw and outfit it with a better blade (Ridgid has a 10” blade Popular Woodworking rated just a notch under Forrest blades for a meager $30), crosscut sled (make it), an upgraded miter gauge, and a really good dado set. That gives you a lot of versatility with just the one main tool. With a table saw and these additions, you can:

• rip and crosscut cleanly
• make dados and grooves
• make miter cuts
• make tenons

After that, I’d look for a good router with multiple bases. Wait until the next Woodcraft $5 Router Bit sale and pick up a set of 10 of them for $50. With some inginuity and some scavenged pieces, you can use a wing of your table saw to make a router table and then your TS fence does double duty. With a good router and router table, you can:

• joint board edges
• create edge profiles
• make mortises and tenons
• make dados and grooves

I’m sure I missed a lot of the uses of both – these were just off the top of my head. You might be pushing it, with the $1000 limit, but I think it could be done.

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

I’ve changed my mind. If I only had $1,000, I would purchase a band saw, a mini lathe, a few high speed chisels. I could begin turning pens and small bowls and sell them. Eventually making enough money to purchase my other equipment.

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

Table saw…without a doubt. Last year I made $10,000.00 profit on one set of cabinets.

I bought the Hitachi C10FL tablesaw for $500.00 and for the price it wasn’t a bad deal. I wish I’d have know then what i know now.

3 1/4 HP Plunge Router for $275.00

Buck Professional Chisels for $20.00
Hitachi 12 v Drill/Driver $80
Ryobi Random Orbital Sander for $40
6 (six) 1/2” pipe clamps

Hmm…. only 1 grand. I think i’d get the best tablesaw I could, can do a lot with that. I”ll make all my jigs and fixtures. If there was money left over, I’d get incidentals like clamps and so on.

Next year I’d get a lathe….

or maybe I’d wait a couple years and get an awesome lathe!

or vice versa!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

since I don’t use the table saw I can pass on that .. but the mitre saw is a must for me ( I can’t handle a handsaw effectively and I do have to cut the wood somehow!!)
I need something to put the wood together so… router, hammer, and glue.
Sander: I love my drum/spindle sander and use it A LOT .. so that goes on my list.
And now to make the box unique … hmmm not sure if I have money left for my scroll saw but there is $$ for a chip knife. and with a little practice I could get good at that and between that and experimenting with colours of wood, I think that I could feed the “addiction” ;)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (https://www.facebook.com/DebbiePribeleENJOConsultant)

Obi,

you’re pushing $1,000 without a saw blade, bits for the router, sharpening system for the chisels (even sandpaper sharpening costs bucks these day – for a whole year don’t forget!), set of sanding pads for the orbital sander, and ya didn’t put a price on the clamps. I won’t even get into basics like, you know, glue, some mineral spirits, a hammer, a fairly good measuring ruler, something to check right angles… it really starts adding up. Even Marc left off all this stuff on his list. As the saying goes, “The devil lies in the details.”

I hate to sound negative and I know the question said “tools”, but I just don’t think it can be done. I will be very interested to see some more lists but woodworking is expensive, even as a hobby.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt!

I saw (on tv) turners in Morocco making chess peices with small hand powered lathes (using a bow in their right hand) holding the tool with their left hand and guiding the tool with their foot, while using their other foot to hold the tail stock in place…

would I want to have a similar set up? no… but I can make a pole lathe, a shaving horse and all sorts of other tools and accessories… maybe I should pull back the price of my tablesaw a bit so I can get a drawknife, chisels etc (used, on ebay, or a yard sale)
we woodworkers can be an enterprising lot!

Funny how many woodworkers got into this because they couldn’t afford furniture… and end up making things that are definately not cheaper than an equivalent piece.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Chip, my sharpening system for my chisels cost me $25.00 $70 .00 for clamps and that leaves enough for a quart of Elmer’s glue.

This isn’t a custom saw shop we’re starting up, it’s a basic “I have to have the basics” thousand dollars.

Scottie,
I can build everything cheaper than I can buy the item for, and because it’s hand made and “Fine Craftsmanship” I can sell it for more. And if they can”t afford it, I’ll send them to Wal-Mart.

I hear ya Obi.

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt!

I hate seeing stuff in circulars when I know the wood costs more than the final project…. Granted my wood would be better, and I wouldn’t throw the darn thing away after a few months…

I’d never send people to Wal-mart… but actually, if they don’t want something from an artist, an artisan, or a craftsman… then they deserve to go there.

On the ride home I rethought my 1000 shop. I just want a really good lathe, with chisels, chucks etc… then I can spend the year “meditating” while I wait to get going on building the rest of the shop… plus with access to Dads, my father-in laws, and grandfathers stuff… I could easily make do until then.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

Chip this reminds me of an old blog I wrote.
I’d have to go small power tools. $100.00 table saw, router, compressor, nail gun, drill, jig saw, miter saw, skill saw and some used hand tools.

I’d buy a Skill 77 worm drive and make a cutting guide. $140
Bosch Jigsaw $160
Bosch PS20-2 Drill $120
Porter Cable 693 Pk (plunge and fixed) $190

Rockler 5 piece router bit starter kit $100 Straight bit, rabbet bit, roundover , ogee, and chamfer
Marples Set $40
Stanley low angle block plane $30
Buiscuit Joiner on Ebay $100
Total $880
Spend the rest on a sheet of melamine to build a router table, some crosscut guides and some screws. Maybe some pipe clamps.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke."

I would go strait to Craigslist.

Used Table Saw, Jointer, Planer, bench top drill press, Bandsaw if I could find a decent one.

Then I would hit the flea market for the basic handtools. Saws, hammer, drill, drill bits, block plane, jack plane, etc.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov