hi, jim thompson from the furniture workshop.today i'd like to talk about setting-up your first woodworking shop. now if you're thinking about getting intowoodworking but aren't sure where to start. i've got some tips on low-cost gear to getyour workshop up and running. you might think that woodworking is an expensive hobby butit really doesn't have to be. years ago,
essential woodworking shop tools, i wanted to get back into woodworking buti didn't because i thought i couldn't afford the gear. but i discovered you reallydon't need a garage full of tools to have a productive workshop. now this is a topic i've spoken about before.today i'm going to cover just the bare essentials,
so you can get rolling, even if you have limitedfunds. i've picked a dozen or so tools that�ll help you build a wide range of woodworkingprojects with a budget of five hundred dollars. in this video, i'll go over your biggestpurchase - a table saw. now this is one tool that i recommend you pick-up used. you mayonly need to buy a couple of your first tools second hand. the rest you can get new andwith some luck, stick to our five hundred dollar budget.so, here's a quick overview of my top tools for a brand new workshop.you're going to need a table saw as well as a dado blade set. a plunge router and smallset of router bits. some used pipe clamps for all your assembly work. and you'll alsowant a general purpose sander, a combination
square and good pair of safety glasses.now there are a few other small hand tools that you'll also want to have. i'll coverthose items in part two of this video series. but right now, let's get into the tablesaw details. i recommend a budget of a hundred fifty dollars for your first table saw. youshould have good luck finding a decent used table saw on craigslist. now to get a quicklook at the saws on craigslist in my area, i type-in "table saw" in quotes, set myprice range to one to two hundred dollars, then select "pic" and "gallery" andstart hunting. here are the features i recommend you lookfor when searching for your table saw. get a standard-sized, ten-inch blade saw thatincludes a rip fence and a miter gauge. i
recommend you avoid the bench top models asthey tend to get beat up moving from one jobsite to the next. plus, if you get a bench topmodel, you're going to need to find or build yourself a bench for the saw.now a cast iron table is a plus as it adds stability to the saw compared to steel oraluminum tops. and if you find a saw with cast iron top, don't be afraid of a littlesurface rust, it's easy to get that cleaned-off. bring a short length of one by eight pinestock to test the cutting action. a couple test cuts will give you a chance to see ifthe current blade is in decent shape and try out the saw's miter gauge and rip fence.i recommend you make ninety as well as forty-five degree cross cuts to insure the saw bladecan tilt properly. and when you're checking
out a saw, ask if the seller has any otheraccessories that come along. the seller may throw-in spare blades, push sticks and anyblade guards or safety gear that may have been removed when it was initially purchased.in addition to the typical eighth-inch cuts you'll make, you'll also want to cut dadojoints on your saw, so ask if the seller's willing to part with dado blades. a new setof dado blades will run you around fifty dollars, so a used set may save you a few bucks. i'llcover some more details on dado blades in a bit.as far as manufacturers are concerned, delta and craftsman are two of the most post popularbrands in this price range but you may get lucky and find a jet saw in this range. theused jet saws aren't as common as the others
but tend to have less wear and tear for yourmoney. that's what makes them one of my favorites.one final thought on table saws. as you look over the available choices, you'll realizethat the saw's may not be much to look at. but don't worry - you'll definitely be ableto get a saw that will perform well for the first couple of years.now next-up on the tool list are dado blades. now if dado blades don't come with yourtable saw, here are some tips on buying a new set.if you're not familiar with them, dado blades are a versatile accessory for your table saw.they let you quickly create dado and rabbit joints for a wide range of projects. the jointson fixed shelving units are a great example
of a common dado joint.now milbro makes a popular 8" dado set, similar to this one. it has carbide tippedblades and sells for about forty-two dollars on amazon right now. the eight inch diameterof this milbro model is a good size as you don't need the cut depth on dado bladesas you would on a regular saw blade. now you'll want to get the correct arbor size for yourtable saw. the most common size arbor is five eighth inches.and to go along with your dado blades, i recommend you get a dado insert like this one. a dadoinsert provides a safer and more stable environment to work on. decent-quality dado inserts aretypically available for fifteen to twenty-five dollars online. the only catch is you haveto shop around to find an insert to fit your
saw, so be sure to ask the seller if he orshe has one for you when you pick out your saw.so, that covers my table saw recommendations. in part two of this video, i'll go overmy tactics for low-cost clamps, routers and sanders. in the meantime, if you'd likemore woodworking tool tips, projects and plans, visit our website at homegrownfurniture.com.and to get notified for part two of this series, you can subscribe to the furniture workshopchannel right over here. and thanks for stopping by.
