Hey everyone! I've been restoring some furniture and have saved up for a bit, so I'm excited to finally buy some tools and get into woodworking. Before I hit the buy button, I want to make sure I'm making the right choices since I don't have any woodworker friends to ask for advice. Here's what I'm considering getting first:
- Personal protective equipment (I have a 3M respirator, but need eye and ear protection)
- A combination square (6 inches)
- 1-2 machinists squares
- Pipe clamps
- A jobsite/compact table saw or a track saw
- A thin kerf 40T blade
- A dust extractor
- A Bosch plunge and fixed base router combo
My aim is to make small furniture pieces for my home (like an entry table or TV console) and gifts for friends (like tissue boxes and picture frames). I have limited space and need to be able to store my tools easily.
I'm looking for your thoughts on this list: What should I add or remove? Also, I'm really concerned about safety. If I go with a table saw, is the compact SawStop worth it or should I go big with a contractor saw?
Can I use a track saw for most of these projects, or will it limit me? What about making dados?
I've heard mixed things about the performance of small table saws with thin kerf blades; will it still be okay for dados and rabbets if I can't use a dado stack?
And lastly, has anyone had issues with the SawStop safety mechanism misfiring? I've read reviews but am unsure about their reliability.
Thanks a ton for any advice you can provide!
2 Answers
What type of wood are you planning to work with? If you're using construction lumber, you might want to invest in a hand plane to help flatten your boards.
Also, a quality chisel is crucial for joinery – better to get a single good one than a cheap set.
Don't forget about a drill; a pocket hole jig could be a game changer for your projects!
Definitely consider picking up different sizes of F-clamps. You can never have too many! I also recommend checking out Harbor Freight for their Bremen parallel clamps, they're affordable and super useful.
Thanks for the advice! I've heard that clamps are essential, so I'll definitely look into it.
I'm starting with S4S for indoor stuff and construction lumber for a workbench. For hand tools, I'm thinking of getting a 1/4" and 1/2" chisel along with a block plane around 6 1/2". What would you recommend?