I have always had a deep respect for those who build quality stuff out of wood and have always had a desire to expand my talents in this area to be able to tackle some of the home improvement ideas my wife and I conjure up (cabinets, furniture and the like) I have some experience with home projects but have been reluctant to tackle anything requiring the precision of finer woodworking with he tools I have now. (low-end Craftsman table saw, power miter saw, basic power hand tools) While I know that I will probably never have professional skills at this, I would like to be able to put together some basic built-ins, maybe a simple end table, etc...without guests snickering when they see the handiwork.

I have been doing some studying on cabinet-making and wondering where a modest investment (say $1K-1.5K) in upgraded tools would deliver the biggest bang/versatility for the buck and provide a path for scalability as skills improve. Table saw w. accessories, or a good Router and table setup or modest investment in both. (or some other approach???)

The reading I've done lately , it looks like there are a couple of different approaches to doing precision joinery. Just wondering what the thoughts are from those who dabble in this as a primary hobby, or make a living at it..

What say you?

You may want to hookup with johnlt...
http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=554888&page=1

The three basic tools required for preparing wood that is straight, square and constant thickness are the table saw, the jointer and the planer. A table saw can be used to "edge joint" and a planer can be used to "face joint" but it takes a jig to do it. You'd be much better off getting quality used tools than cheap new ones. Your low-end charftsman table saw may be ok to start with but you need to really make sure it is set up correctly with all alignments verified. Try craigs list for good used tools. I'd also recommend taking a class in cabinet making. Some of the local woodworking shops offer classes. There are techniques that can be learned that really help the final product.

A good powerful router dedicated to a table setup that you can make yourself will give a lot of bang for the bucks. Don't buy cheap bits (avoid Sears). If you can find a used ShopSmith, it will get you a good drill press and horizontal boring machine and a ten inch disk sander that can be used for jointing. The table saw set up isn't much, but it makes a good woodlathe if you either want to get fancy or just like making things from firewood. Also, their bandsaw accessory is good.

Just noticed that you're in Tenn. My mother-in-law is selling my father-in-law's ShopSmith. PM me if you're interested.



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Aside from great tool suggestions, nothing beats a large, stable and flat worktop.

I'm a vicarious woodworker. Last year I stumbled on a Rockler store in Sandy Springs, GA. They also have a store in Nashville. Pure tool porn.

+1 on the Craigslist suggestions.

Check out your local community college for some woodworking classes - perhaps listed under cabinetmaking or construction technology.

In addition to building the pieces of woodworking, you will need to know how to do quality finishing work. For that, you may find it worth your while to hire a professional for applying the final finish. Do the staining yourself, but have a pro do the finish with the tools and techniques they have.

Perhaps trying a high-end refinishing job on an older resorable piece would be satisfying in it's own right.

Buy really good blades. A good blade will make a huge difference on an average saw, same goes for router bits.

I love Rockler being refered to as "tool porn"
That's where the good stuff is found!



Don J

That would be a fine first project. This table has been very handy for me.

Tools?

I have a Ryobi 10" table saw. Avoid cheap blades; they wobble and give a crappy cut.

I have a Porter-Cable router. Bought it used, along with a home-made router table. The table is really just a platform; it clamps to the rails of the table saw for support. I added an enclosure underneath that accepts a shop-vac hose for dust control.

I have a truckload of clamps. Iron C-clamps, quick/trigger clamps, pliers-style clamps, and half a dozen pipe clamps. Short-throat pipe clamps can develop plenty of force on large items; longer-throat pipe clamps (~4" throat) will make the pipe flex a lot, but are still pretty handy. I have some of each.

A set of brad-point drill bits. Less tear-out than ordinary bits, plus easier to start at a particular location without wandering.

A cheap stand-up drill press from Harbor Freight. Get a drill-press vise to go with it; assures right angles, and makes it easier/safer to hang onto small things while drilling.

DeWalt random-orbit sander. Comes with a dust collection bag, but the self-generated flow is pretty anemic. I attached a shop-vac fitting for dust control.

If you're going to do dowel joints, get a really good quality jig. I've bought a couple of cheap ones and then thrown them away.

Finally, get a real, full-fledged respirator. A good quality respirator with an airtight seal against your face can make applying stain/varnish much more pleasant, and can also protect against all kinds of dust (sanding dust, sweeping out the garage, etc.).

Visit www.woodworker.com ; request a paper catalog, much easier to browse randomly than the website. They have lots of interesting stuff.

Looks like the Manhattan Project to me.