What Represents Must Have Equipment?

[gerryv]

Hi all, I'm wondering what power equipment (stationary, portable, hand) would be considered "must have" to set up a well rounded but space limited hobby shop.

Realistically, would a single car garage provide enough space to work in or would I need a two-car size at least (that's what I'm telling my wife of course!)

Assume that I'd maximize use of my Shopbot Buddy (even where a honkin' big table saw with lots of extensions and a turbocharger might be a lot faster :-). I'm retired so throughput time and output are not issues. On the other hand, should a Foredom tool maybe be included if I don't want to spend days hand sanding?

Assume also that I'd not need to make anything bigger than what a Buddy 48" would handle. (I've got a 32" but thinking about going to a 48").

For convenience, could we also assume that I was going to buy most everything heavy at Grizzly for instance?

That's probably still way to broad but I'll give it a stab and see where this leads.

Thanks much,
Gerry

[joewino]

Everything is a "must have"....at least, that is what I tell my wife.

Your question is like asking "How long is a string?".

Or, in my profession..."How much does a sign cost?".

[erik_f]

Gerald,
I know this doesn't really answer the question, but a BT32 with 4' powerstick will work for you just like a BT48 with extra X. Saving you some money from selling and side grading. But then again if you bought your BT32 when they were $4K you might be able to sell your BT32 for a nice enough profit to almost get you to the BT48.

[gerryv]

Raymond, you're right of course so let me try to be a bit more specific. (a)110v or 220v single phase only (b) 21' x 20' shop floor less 20' x 2.5' one side for benches, 20' x 2' on the other side for closed storage and perhaps 4' off the end as well for some combination of benches, storage and small, closable waterborne paint booth??? (c)This would leave about 16.5' by 16'; likely small by N.A. standards but perhaps a dream for many in the UK and Europe I'm told. (d)The Buddy would need 5' x 6' not counting operator room. (e) Lets say my objective is a bit of musical instrument building (guitars vs. grand pianos), do some intarsia, build a few beer drinkin' chairs, and make a bunch of small format Aspire & VectorArt generated artwork for gifts and such.

Things that come to mind, which may not be practical at all, but might give you a sense of what level I'm at, or should I say, that I'm not at (chuckle):

(f) Could I get by with the Buddy and a bandsaw but no table saw maybe? (g) Could the Buddy serve as a planer if there was only room for a thickness/drum sander? (h) Can the Buddy replace a jointer (what does a jointer do exactly...) (i) could some of the equipment be bench mounted - sander(s) for instance?

Basically, where does a retired newbie start when it comes to building a little but decent hobby shop around a Shopbot Buddy?

Does that help at all?

[erik_f]

A shopbot can replace most of the power tools in your shop, but maybe a more of a pain to use for some jobs. You can use it as a planer and jointer, but you have to set it up every time. I am getting rid of my big table saw since it takes up as much room as the buddy but rarely gets used. It will be replaced with a nice contractors saw I can put up on the shelf when not in use.

[bcondon]

Eric

The shopbot "could" replace a lot of gear but then everything must be process through that single machine. I have a full shop and process work through the shaper, planer, tablesaw while the shopbot is cutting large 3D files.

If you have the room, keep the equipment because you always need to do those quick things while the shopbot is busy.

[wberminio]

I agree with Erik and Bob
I got rid of my Slider,
But kept most of my other equipment.I do other work as my "Luigi" is doing his work.
BTW- He never complains-never stops for coffee-never takes lunch
or calls in sick.

Erminio

[myxpykalix]

Here is a good example that illustrates your dilema. I bought a Shopsmith that was a lathe, drill press, table saw, band saw, ect all in one and a nice piece of equipment. However when you plan a project you would have to make sure you made all your cuts on the table saw, then convert it to the band saw, or lathe and if you forgot something you had to set up the table saw to go back and make one cut. A total waste of lots of time.

In essence you have the same problem with the shopbot replacing several tools. If you had a thickness planer take your wood over turn the switch on run stock thru 30 seconds later you're done.
To do the same thing on the bot you have to draw a toolpath set yor part up on the table and cut it the width of your bit over the whole piece. Could take 10-20 minutes or more.

Same thing with a jointer. A jointer is what the name implys. Have you ever had two pieces of wood you want to glue together and there is a crack between the pieces where they don't go together? A jointer will shave a thin edge off in a pass or two to make the boards butt up to each other flat.

I would suggest you look into smaller tabletop units for your thickness planer and jointer and drill press. You could fit all them on a medium size 3'X4' benchtop.

A majority of the projects i work on, even though i have BIG tools, could be done with the benchtop tools. I started with them.

Besides the shopbot I would get a moveable contractors table saw, band saw, thickness planer, and jointer.

[gerryv]

Hi Jack,

That makes a lot of sense to me and thanks also for explaining the logic behind it.

- Gerry

[gene]

Gerald,
Keep in mind that they make dollies for big tools. When not in use slide it to a wall. If you are not processing full sheets of wood then a smaller table saw will do fine. as for a drum sander i would hold off on that as a good random orbital sander does very good. My list of the must have tools are a table saw, Miter saw, drill press, jointer, planner,Band saw and a large air compressor for air tools. This is my OPINION only as i am sure there some that may not agree. Now keep in mind that some bench top tools do a very good job so you must size the equipment to the work that you intend to do. What i mean is that if i were going to plane 50 2x10 i would not buy a bench top planner it would be stationary. When i set up my first shop it was in a 16 x 20 building, and now i am in a 50x60 that is too small so i plan an add on of 32x30 for door processing and face frames. Grizzly has a shop planner on their site that you can size to your size and place their equipment in so you can get a feel for what you can put where. Try it and i hope this helps.

[jamesgilliam]

Gerald, As Jack points out you can go with smaller tabletop size machines, that will do an adequate job. I have four different ones set up on a 4'x4' table, drill press, jointer, scroll saw and a band saw. I would show a picture, but they are covered up with other things as I am concentrating working on our house now. My miter saw has a portable table built from electrical unistrut so I can take it to different locations and set it up on saw horses, and I have a small table saw that I can fit in the toolbox on my truck for the same reason. The planer I have is a 12" Delta and it has always done what I need, and lives under the 4x4 table most of the year. All these tools were bought when I had only half a two car garage, then added a 24'x28' shop. Now that I am in the new shop, 40'x60' I still need more room. Especially since the wife in now doing pottery. Two wheels, two kilns, clay storage and workspace. By the way, clay and wood don't mix well, so when the house is done I plan to build her a shop of her very own. Like Gene suggests, go to the Grizzly site and use their shop planner to see just what will fit your space.

[myxpykalix]

Gerald,
I forgot to mention that regardless of what size shop you have eventually you contract the same disease that Gene and others of us suffer from, i think its called "tinkerToolitis".

Some of the symptoms are an uncontrolled urge to watch woodworking shows, waiting for your monthly delivery of the Grizzly catalog only to rip it open to see the the centerfold of the newest bandsaw on the market.

A minor trembling in the fingers that manifests itself to outright withdrawl with symptoms that continue till the yearly woodworking show makes it to a town close to you.
Beware of all the "dealers" there, you may get hooked.....the first taste is free...you've been warned! lol

[khaos]

I would have to Jack. Also, I would be lost without a quality chop saw. I have a radial arm saw that I love. But I could easily live with a 10" chop saw if I had to choose. I hang mine on the wall close to the ceiling when not in use.

I am a hobby botter not a pro.

My 2¢

[bcondon]

A must have for Angus is something that will burn the house down or at least get the attention of the fire department... (plasma cutter....welder... laser...)

Looking at the house pictures, I did not think that brick burnt...

8-)

[gerryv]

This has been particularly helpful for me and is much appreciated. I suspect it may be helpful to other wannabees and newbies like me wondering about building a hobby shop around a Shopbot so please don't feel any need to consider it my thread anymore. Let it go where it will. Thanks kindly all.

[blackhawk]

Gerald - I will just throw in my list. 10" sliding compound miter saw, drill press, table saw, planer, shaper, and 6" jointer. I have all my equipment on mobile bases, except for the Shopbot of course (48x96). I guess it all depends on what you like to make. I have a big cast iron bandsaw, but since buying the Shopbot, I have only turned it on once. Unless you resaw, the Shopbot pretty much replaces the bandsaw in my opinion. I have the 1-1/2 HP Grizzly shaper and it has been great. It is cheaper than a good router table with router. Plus the shaper has the nice cast iron top and allows you to use shaper cutters and router bits. For a jointer, I have a floor model 6" and it is barely long enough for jointing 8' long boards. If you joint boards over 8' long on a regular basis, you need the longest bed that you can find. The benchtop jointers just don't have a long enough bed for lumber longer than 4 feet. Like I said, it depends on what you make. I make a lot of mouldings such as casing, baseboards, etc., so that is why I like a long jointer and use the shaper.

[knight_toolworks]

a router table is still handy. I do pretty much all my roundovers on one. it's faster and more practical then on the cnc.

[gene]

I must warn you . Woodworking is like pulling on one part of a spider web, its going to lead you to several other things. Jack is correct , once you get hooked its all over from then, One of the first symptoms is laying in bed thinking about or dreaming of new shop tools. If this happens get to a meeting of woodworkers anomious fast, there may be time to save you. If not then you will be like the rest of us always looking at the latest ,greatest ,next upgrade tool . there is no enddddd.

[myxpykalix]

This addiction does horrible things to you. Makes you age prematurely looking 20 years older than you are, just look to Gene for the terrible effects of this addiction....lol.

[gene]

I know its no hope for me , i am just trying it lessen the effects on newbees .Run Save Yourself before its too late...............