Calling woodworkers- ARRGH !?!?!?!? Update- WWJD? I mean he was a carpenter and all

[Hayabusa Rider]

I have never had a woodshop before, but I will sometime this year. I have heard some good things about this company but have not used their equipment before. Anyone know about them, or suggest better?

Edit- Went to Home Depot for something completely unrelated, and found a clearance display of last year's Rigid tools at 1/3 off...

17 inch drill press - $249

13" planer - $299

6-1/8" jointer/planer $299

Belt sander - $199

Not bad, but not tempting enough. Well the manager of the dept offered me 20% MORE if I bought more than one item.


So, all these would be half off.



Argghh!!

What do ya think?

 

[Pliablemoose]

They make stuff that works pretty well, personally, I like Jet & Powermatic, but honestly, if you have the skilz, Craftsman stuff is OK.

Guys on the woodworking forums have no problems with buying/using Grizzly equipment.

Amazon carries their stuff, when you're buying big ticket items Amazon's free shipping & tax free internet purchases make a big difference.

IIRC, they have Grizzly stuff on sale right now too.

I'm going to a "Router Table Basics" class tonight @ a Rockler store

 

[Jeraden]

I don't personally own any of their stuff (or even have any woodworking equipment at all), but I'm thinking of getting into it also. I've been doing some research on equipment also and see the Grizzly brand come up frequently and the recommendations are usually always positive (except by the people that instead recommend buying something that costs twice as much).

What tools are you looking at specifically? I was thinking of getting the one grizzly table saw, but think I decided on the ryobi bts3100 instead since its a lot cheaper, got good reviews, and makes more sense for me since I've never done this stuff before and I might find I don't even like it.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Sorry DP, between the filters here @ work that freak out on the ads on AT & the slow server, I can damn near carve my responses in stone by the time the screen refreshes

 

[Armitage]

AFAIK, there stuff is OK, but don't own any of it myself. Delta, Bridgewood & Porter Cable here.

Interesting to note that alot of lower end woodworking equipment is largely identical ... just rebadged/retrimmed for various companies like Delta, Jet, etc. Saw this reading a review of jointers once.

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: ergeorge
Interesting to note that alot of lower end woodworking equipment is largely identical ... just rebadged/retrimmed for various companies like Delta, Jet, etc. Saw this reading a review of jointers once.

I believe this is true. They all seem to be made on the same Chaiwanese assembly line and have different stickers put on 'em before they get on a truck.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink

Originally posted by: ergeorge
Interesting to note that alot of lower end woodworking equipment is largely identical ... just rebadged/retrimmed for various companies like Delta, Jet, etc. Saw this reading a review of jointers once.

I believe this is true. They all seem to be made on the same Chaiwanese assembly line and have different stickers put on 'em before they get on a truck.

They paint them different colors too, and the warranty may be different, but are many essentially the same product, with different paint & stickers.

Don't forget about the used market too, these tools usually last a looonnngg time, & you can save some major $.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

bump for confusion

 

[MrBond]

Grizzly makes good stuff, my Dad's got a 18" Grizzly planer that does a nice job. It's built very well but it was kind of expensive.

Is the belt sander they're advertising a tabletop model or a portable handheld version? I'd reccomend a handheld one first, just because they're a lot more versatile then a tabletop model (although both are nice to have)

 

[MaxDepth]

What confuses you?

Here is the real deal. Before shopping for tools, ask yourself, what do hope to do in your woodshop? What would like to create?

Shelves (free standing or built-ins): planar, table saw, jointer
Cradle: Planar, jointer, lathe (for turned spindles)
Bed: planar, jointer, saw, mortiser

and everything needs to be sanded, right? I rent studio space at NC State. I get to borrow their tools and pay for labspace that in the end comes to pennies a day. You might not have the same option, but you should do it as they have.

Define your workspace first. You need to make sure you have the proper power to that room(s). Next, proper lighting. Then air quality. Will you have a dust collection system or individual systems for each power tool (like the planar)? Floor mats. I cannot stress this enough. You will ache and hurt if you don't have some padding on the floor for you to stand on. It doesn't have to be everywhere, just where you stand the most.

After that, get the tools. I have non-electric tools for every electrical one used today. Planars, jointers, dovetail saws, etc. They require much more physical power, but they are quieter and create less dust.


Another thought - how about a all in one tool. The Shopsmith Mark V. I have one and it works very well. The only problem is that it is still at my grandparent's house. I don't have my own shop yet.


And as for Grizzly, check for deals. And check you newspaper gfor someone selling their stuff. Grizzly stuff has a pretty low resale value around here. Mikita seems to be the highest.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I don't like the stands/bases on the Rigid, stuff, I have a lathe & planer by them, I wouldn't buy another tool from them.

 

[Armitage]

I'm happy with my 12.5" Rigid planer ... but don't have their stand. Just put it on the work bench or saw table extension.
$299 sounds like a good price for that ... I think I paid nearly $400 for mine 3 years ago.

 

[Pliablemoose]

From what I've read (& I like this rationalle) there are a couple problems with WW tools with stamped steel bases:

1.) Harmonic vibration is significantly reduced in tools with big honking cast iron bases (read quieter)
2.) Much of WW is setup & being able to reproduce the same cut easily so you have square edges etc... With the mass of a cast iron base, there's less movement & set ups are more consistent.

Seen it suggested that using silicone sealant between the stamped steel parts during assembly helps reduce the vibration/harmonics if you're going to buy/use tools with the less expensive bases.

I'm so far from being a resource about woodworking, it's sad, but I'm learning. Just got back from a router table class, grabbed a Rockler Master Lift router lifter & a router table top, now to build Norm's Router table base

Am taking a lathe class next month.

 

[Armitage]

I want to get into a turning class, cuz I'm just not picking it up on my own. I mean I can turn stuff round, and make gentle curves etc. But can't turn a cove or bead to save my life

 

[Armitage]

And yea, on the bases ... heavier is always better. If you ever see good lathes, they are massive ... big heavy cast iron everywhere, mounted on a base filled with sand.

 

[MaxDepth]

Go get the latest issue of Wood Magazine.

It has an article about making your own shop space on a budget.

 

[pyonir]

wtf? PM alkemyst. He's a carpentry GOD.