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How would you advise a beginner to spend his next $1000?

3K views 35 replies 26 participants last post by  OSU55 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I've just finished building my shop - it's 22' x 13' (~280sq ft), not yet insulated/heated, and I have a mitre saw along with a few basic power tools/hand tools. I've been given some money to help me get set up, so I'm looking for advice before I spend the money, so I can be wise with it and a) start myself off as best as I can, and b) show the most respect for the money I've been given.

I mostly get orders for tables right now, and do the odd bed/kitchen island/repainting job. These are mostly of the 'rustic' variety, which is popular in my area and has a low entry requirement in terms of skill. Also, I've been given access to a giant old animal barn and can disassemble it at my leisure. Most of the boards are oak, from 1 1/2" to 3 1/2" x 8" to 12". Incredible stuff, with huge 6"sq posts as well. I hope to use this to make many tables and beds, with some of it quite raw in style and others somewhat modern after having heavily planed the boards.

So - I think I need, in this order, a table saw, planer, jointer. Band saw can wait, compressor can wait, dust collection can wait. They have to, really.

How would you best spend $1000 if you were in my position? I'm looking on Craigslist (around Memphis/Jackson TN) and mostly see Craftsman 10" 'contractor' table saws, the old delta/ridgid. Should I keep looking for a cabinet saw, or settle for a contractor style base and save money in the short run? Similarly the planer, I think I'll be happy enough with a portable 12" thickness planer for now, and a small 6" jointer, but what should I be looking out for? My shop has both 120v and 240v, so there are no concerns there.

Thanks all for your help.
 
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#2 ·
First think about what tools that will best benefit, you. Then buy the best tool that you can afford in the order of your need. Why spend money on something cheap and say I will upgrade it later. Start with quality and you will not be disappointed later.
 
#3 ·
I'm kind of in the same shoes. I have money to start the business, but wanted to get enough tools to do everything right with it. I bought a new delta saw from Lowe's. Looking for a joiner on Craigslist. To get by you cold use a hand planer. And maybe get a router or a Dado set. Something to help do breadboard ends correctly if you're doing them.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Everyone is different, but in most shops (mine included), a good table saw is the center of the shop…it'd also be conducive to your build list. That's where I'd focus my budget and research. Since you have 220v, I'd definitely see if you could score a good 3hp cabinet saw….it's not an essential to do good work, but the step in that direction is significant and I can't imagine you'll ever regret having the extra mass, power, and user friendliness that an industrial cabinet saw offers. $1000 doesn't quite land a new cabinet saw, but it gets you within reach. It should cover a nice used one if the right deal comes along.

Now that my heart has spoken, getting by with a decent hybrid or full size contractor saw could mean that you can have the planer or jointer AND a table saw now. Ultimately, you'll need to choose which direction to head.

Either way, get the saw setup well and fit it with a good blade or three.

The ABCs of Table Saws

Tips for Picking Saw Blades
 
#5 ·
The table saw is, in my opinion, the first thing to buy. A nice cabinet or hybrid saw will excel at so many things other than ripping. After the table saw I would look at planer, band saw and then a jointer. The rustic furniture you are building does not require boards to be as flat as some other styles. I think the band saw would benefit you more now than the jointer would.

Just my opinion and this can surely wait but, I would look into spending some of the money on insulation for the shop. I know a lot of cold climate guys on this site tough out the cold but I can't do it. My shop is much more enjoyable to work in when the temp is about 65F.
 
#6 ·
"not yet insulated/heated" - do you need that in Memphis? If you plan on doing finishing out there in the winter and it gets cold enough, I'd insulate before you fill the place up or start putting up shelves and cabinets. A lot harder to do after and you'll kick yourself.
 
#7 ·
If you are really serious about a business you need to get that shop heated and insulated. You can't be stopping work because it is too cold to glue or finish and the Memphis area get that way at times.

You need to get a business plan together to see if it is really feasible to make money doing what you want.
 
#9 ·
In hindsight on my own recent experiences, I would get a drum sander (something to sand panels & boards flat) and a good router table, and go inexpensive on table saw, jointer & planer for now - I spend more time sanding than anything else so automating the sanding would save much more time than you'll save with higher end versions of those other tools. Plus those other tools are so much more commonly available used it's always easy to find upgrades down the road. With regard to router tables, I spend nearly as much time routing as I do sanding. I do all my joinery on it rather than on the saw so I find that accuracy, repeatability and speed of setup is a huge benefit.
 
#10 ·
A table saw is the heart of a woodshop,start there. Buy the best table saw you can afford,so many folks buy a cheap $100 used Craftsman and end up having to replace it in short order. If you can stretch your budget a bit look at a Grizzly Hybrid or if you have 220in your shop see if you can find and older Powermatic cabinet saw that will give you good service for years to come.
 
#11 ·
A table saw is the corner stone of any shop, you should be able to get a Unisaw or PM66 in excellent condition used within your budget. Patience is your friend when looking for a good deal and be ready to act and quickly with cash when excellent examples show up. If you have the chance, put your hands on a few and see what feature and fence you like, that will help ensure you'll be able to use whatever you buy for the rest of your life without regret.
 
#13 ·
If I were you with the $1000,00 I would buy the Craftsman saw, the 6" jointer and the 12" planer, with this setup you can dimension all your lumber. The band saw would be nice to be able to resaw some of those big timbers. Later on, like years down the road if you need a Tablesaw with more power or accuracy etc. you can upgrade then and not be out a lot of money. Just make sure if you get the Craftsman it is the one with the motor out the back.
Mike
 
#15 ·
Table saw even if it cost you the hole grand!!
Then a planer or air compressor
plung router
Bandsaw
Imo this what I would do, as these are my most use tools in my shop
Don't forget to get yourself some good lighting to work by.
Look around and you should be able to find it all for a grand or a bit more, cl or auctions
Good luck
 
#16 ·
Heating and insulation would be at the top of my list. Insulation is inexpensive. In only 280 sq. ft. you could probably heat with a small electric heater. Avoid non vented gas heaters, they add a lot of rust promoting moisture to the space.

Here in Gainesville I work in 194 sq. ft. I have a small workbench with shoulder and tail vices and bench dogs. It is my gluing, clamping, and assembly "tool". It's my "third hand" helper. Every project spends time on this bench. It is indispensable. A good bench would be next on my list.

You'll have only 80 sq. ft. more than I have. Frankly, as wonderful as it may be, a cabinet saw is not in my picture. It would occupy/dominate the central work space and be a 500 lb. obstacle much of the time. You are going to need smaller and portable tools that can sit in "their place", out of the way, when not being used.

Some type of dust collection is important, especially if you get a small planer, which can overwhelm you with dust and chips, I even like a ceiling mounted air cleaner. If you are going to paint and varnish in this space you need clean air.

I'm using hand tools much more than I used to. This includes chisels, dovetail and tenon saws, and hand planes. Look for good used tools that you can re-furm and sharpen yourself.
 
#17 ·
That large dimension oak you'll be getting out of the barn suggests a bandsaw for resawing. Nothing smaller than a 14", but bigger would be better. You see a lot of 14 inchers on CL. The argument for a larger one is not so much because of the height and width capacity, as it is for the ability to handle heavier blades for resawing.
 
#18 ·
Insulation! Temp and humidity fluctuations in the Memphis area can ruin the best of work.

Of all the equipt in my shop I probably use the sliding miter saw the most. Super quick to set your angles and stop blocks for repeat cuts. Planer and joiner are super time savers. and build a dedicated down draft sanding table.

Since you have a limited work space you will want to be cautious about large tools taking up all your space. Believe me a shop shrinks in size with every item going in the door, and each of them needs to be on casters in order to move them around in your 13 ft wide space. Draw up a diagram of your shop and use templates to design for the most ecconomical use of the space.

I finaly built a 30×40 shop 2 years ago and it has already shrank in size when I added the tools I needed for my projects. Now I need a building just to store wood out of the weather. It is taking up about a quarter of the shop and difficult to sort through to find the right peice for the project. Yep, I failed to take that into consideration when building.
 
#19 ·
Thanks everyone. I had suspected that I should invest in the table saw first and hold off on other purchases til later, and the consensus here has reinforced that; I'll insulate my shop and then spend as much on a table saw as the wife will allow (I'm guessing around $800, if I'm lucky).

I'm scouring Craigslist to find some good deals and I live between Jackson TN and Memphis TN. If anyone should see anything, or if you live in the area, I'll appreciate tips.

These are ones I'm looking at so far:
https://jacksontn.craigslist.org/tls/4831184392.html - Looks good but I'd probably be replacing that outfeed table with a purpose built table/cabinet. I'd need to get the price down.

http://memphis.craigslist.org/tls/4807753953.html - The table saw only. I'm enquiring about the price, but am 99% sure it'll be well out of my price range.
 
#21 ·
The Jackson saw also lacks a riving knife, and I agree with joey 502 about the fence and rail system. Basically, it sucks. My Uni didn't come with a fence, which was ok with me, as I had it in mind to build my own custom system, which I did. And $1000 is way too much. I wouldn't give more than half that for it, unless it was in outstanding condition (which it doesn't look to be).

The Memphis saw is newer and looks like a nice saw, but I don't know when Delta added a riving knife. Maybe Knottscot knows. I think the mandate came in around 2008, but can't vouch for that. (Just saw statement that it became mandatory in Jan of 2014, but I think many saws had it before then).

Have you asked what the seller wants for the Unisaw?
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
If I had a $1000 dollars in cash in my hand, the first thing I would do is to pay off my debt. If I didn't have any debt, I would either hold on to it (since the dollar is going up & more likely going higher) or to find an opportunity to buy a tool (something tangible) that will appreciate in time when dollar begins to decline. At this point $ cash is the king.
 
#23 ·
Great advise above, the only slight deviation I would recommend, is, but a dowel max doweling jig as soon as you can. I have a pretty good set up and have been doing this for fifteen ish years. I was in shock over the sticker price but at 450 after buying everything I think I'll need forever, it has revolutionized the way I do joints. Every other joinery system I have collects dust now…
 
#24 ·
As others have said the table saw is the heart and soul of a wood shop. That would be my first purchase.

One thing I have learned over the years is to buy the best quality tools you can afford …the first time. They will save you time (usually more accurate) and money as they (tend to last longer) and are generally safer to use.

Good luck with your shop set up. Keep us posted as you progress.
 
#25 ·
The more I thought about that nice lookin Delta X the more I realize it's not suitable for my shop. The sheer width of that table is too much for my shop of 13' x 22'.

The Unisaw looks good as I can fold down the outfeed rollers, although I understand that the fence is not ideal, it doesn't have a riving knife (though one photo shows the slot for one, so I can add that) and the price is 2x what it should be. If I can get the price down, I think I might go for it. What price should I aim for, and should I enquire regarding certain specs?

A third option that arose, but is 3 hours away, is this Grizzly https://nashville.craigslist.org/tls/4827883374.html
Again, the price is too high, and it doesn't even have the option of a riving knife which is putting me off. It does look like a very nice saw, though!

I think I'm starting to realize what I need from my saw, but it's very tough finding a used one that fits the bill. Craigslist is so inundated with $100 contractor saws, and I plan to be running a 5000sqft barn's worth of oak through it over the next few years.. I'm gonna need some power!
 
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