What tools don't you have and why don't you have them (other than price)?

[Jamie Coffman]

I meant arted, I just arted my new shop

[Hal Hanevik]

I am not sure what a "tool that you don't want" is? How is this possable? Never enough money, never enough time! What I really want/need is a bigger stand alone shop with ac/heat, hot cold running water, toilet facilities, and maybe the Binford Tool Girl as an assistant Other than that i am sure if I don't have it yet I will before much longer!

[Mike Cutler]

All right here is my list.

1. A Shoptask Milling Machine/ Lathe Combo for metal work. I am sick and tired of buying extruded aluminium geegaws. I would like to make my own jigs and fixtures out of steel.

2. Lessons from Bruce Page on how to use Item #1.

3. Oscillating spindle sander

4. Drum Sander/Edge Sander

5. A really nice set of mortise chisels

6. A really nice set of bench chisels

7. Planes. Shoulder, Low angle block, and #6. All high quality.

8. Complete set of riffers, rasps and files.

9. A Sjosberg bench. LOML saw one and tried to get me to buy it on the spot. I just don't have room for one though.

10. Time. I just don't have enough.

I'm not really a tool collector, per se. I usually buy a tool as I need it to perform a task I either can't do, or would be too time intensive to do another way. When I buy tools I am looking to save time, or increase the quality of what I am doing.

Nice thread you started here Frank.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

All right here is my list in order or preference.

1. A Shoptask Milling Machine/ Lathe Combo for metal work. I am sick and tired of buying extruded aluminium geegaws. I would like to make my own jigs and fixtures out of steel.

2. Lessons from Bruce Page on how to use Item #1.

3. Oscillating spindle sander

4. Drum Sander/Edge Sander

5. A really nice set of mortise chisels

6. A really nice set of bench chisels

7. Planes. Shoulder, Low angle block, and #6. All high quality.

8. Complete set of riffers, rasps and files.

9. A Sjosberg bench. LOML saw one and tried to get me to buy it on the spot. I just don't have room for one though.

10. Time. I just don't have enough.

I'm not really a tool collector, per se. I usually buy a tool as I need it to perform a task I either can't do, or would be too time intensive to do another way. When I buy tools I am looking to save time, or increase the quality of what I am doing.

Nice thread you started here Frank.

#1 totally agree, would love to get my hands on one too!

#9

#10 I can help you with this one, it is a two step program

Step one: throw/give away or sell you TV

Step two: sleep less, sleep only 5 to 6 hours a day, and get a 30 minute cat nap around 3 to 4 PM.

Cheers!

[Michael Gibbons]

Lets see...


1) radial arm saw

2) hollow chisel mortiser

3) scroll saw

4) another router table

5) bigger lathe

6) HVLP sprayer



I' realized the other day that I could go to Woodcraft and spend $5000 and not buy anything over $300. I told the LOML that after the big machines are bought it will be the accessories and doo-hickeys that will kill me

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I told the LOML that after the big machines are bought it will be the accessories and doo-hickeys that will kill me

I have a feeling you're going to wish you hadn't have said that.

[Stephen Dixon]

I don't really have a need for a computer controlled robotic welder but I sure would like to have one if I could afford it. If it's a tool want it.

Steve

[Joe Jensen]

#1 for me is more space/freestanding shop. Space today is really the limiter for adding new tools. I currently have 2 bays of a 3 car garage dedicated to tools and the shop. When I have a large project ongoing, the 3rd bay is tied up as well. I currently have the following large tools
1) 10" table saw (sold PM66, Sawstop on order)
2) 3HP PM model 26 shaper (the shaper and table saw are tied together with extra cast iron tops to make a 7 foot wide solid cast iron table
3) 14" Dewalt (original saw company now) Radial arm saw. I have this set up as a dedicated 90 degree cutoff saw with a Biesmeyer fence, 8 feet on each side of the blade. I am using a 100 tooth 12" Forrest blade. Get perfect crosscuts on everything with this.
4) 14" PM bandsaw. Wish I had room to upgrade to a heavier saw for resawing.
5) Combination belt/disc floor standing sander. I use the disc a lot, but never use the belt. Wish someone made a good oscillating spindle sander / disc combo.
6) 6" stroke Rockwell Drill Press
7) 8" PM Jointer with a Terminus cutterhead
8) PM Model 100 12" planer
9) Oneida 2HP dust collector with ecogates to all machines
10) I didn't list the pile of small tools, but my single best purchase ever was a WAP drywaller 10gal vac with HEPA filter. This was ridiculously expensive, $1000, but it's amazing. better specs than the Festool and Fein for CFM, static pressure, and it's only 56 decibels compared to the Festool at 70 some. WAP was bought by Alto. Then have an new version that's only about $800. If you really want the best vac, this is it.

Wish List
1) Terminus or Byrd cutterhead for the Planer. Just need to decide, then I'm ordering
2) Oscillating Spindle sander, need to find space, I've needed one a lot lately. Looks like I'll buy the Jet unless someone comes out with a good one that includes a 12" disc.
3) Thicknessing sander, Woodcraft had a nice 24" drum sander, maybe from General?. I don't really have room for this, so...
4) Real hardwood workbench. I don't use hand planes and such, so I don't really need a true carvers bench, but I'd like one. I may be able to eliminate a rolling cart and fit one in. I'd have to build it myself. I am rebuilding the outfeed table for my new saw and I will make this one very solid to use for the same things.

When I get the 40x60 dedicated shop.
1) Widebelt sander
2) 24" planer with Termius or Byrd cutterhead
3) 12" jointer
4) 2-3 assmebly tables
5) downdraft sanding table
6) Heavy duty floor standing motiser

Dream
1) CNC Router and quiting my job to become a custom door and stair builder. Tooling cost for a 5 axis machine, about $300K new. Dream on...joe

[tim rowledge]

Mike, don't waste your money on the ShopTask. I had one (there's even pictures on my website) and sold it after too much frustration.

It's not that there is anything dreadfully wrong with them - they're a long way from being precision metalworking tools but they do the basic job ok - it's just that they take so long to set up to get anything done.

A concrete example is in order. I wanted to make some small items for my model panes, see http://www.hobby-lobby.com/freuden.htm for a picture and note the little aluminium bits that hold the propellor blades. You'd think that would be a cinch, eh? Problem is that you need to use a centre drill to establish the centre hole and they're short so the mill head has to be low. Then you need to change the head height to fit in the drill chuck and drill bit. Whoops, there goes your alignement! Get that sorted and then put in the end mill to do the end slots. Dang, the quill can't reach so lower the head and realign... and so it goes on. It took me a weekend to do what would take an hour, tops, on a 'real' mill.

I'm not against multi-purpose tools by the way, my main WW tool is a MiniMax CU300, but I like to have ones that actually do the job(s) well.

[Jesse Cloud]

Last Christmas my wife's brother got her a "woman's toolkit". It had all the usual stuff - hammer, pliers, screwdriver, etc. but they were all smaller than normal and had no heft to them. Needless to say, they couldn't drive a nail or turn a screw. She was furious, plans to get revenge this Christmas

[Corvin Alstot]

Mike, don't waste your money on the ShopTask.
. . . they're a long way from being precision metalworking tools but they do the basic job ok -
it's just that they take so long to set up to get anything done.
I'm not against multi-purpose tools by the way, my main WW tool is a MiniMax CU300,
but I like to have ones that actually do the job(s) well.

Tim/ What do you recommend instead. The curious would like to know.

[tim rowledge]

Dang, I hoped nobody would ask that tricky question!

For a mill, you really, really want something that provides repeatability of setting; imagine if every time you raised or lowered your sawblade you had to realign the fence for square and distance.

You need a mill with a proper registered way for the head or a 'knee mill' where the table goes up&down. That way everything stays in good alignment. The nicest option is a second hand Bridgeport J type or similar but we're getting into noticeable expenditure here. In fact *anything* to do with machining metal gets expensive fast. Even the damn material is expensive!

My advice is make friends with someone that has already got a good, preferably CNC, machine :-) That's what I did...

[Joe Mioux]

A hollow chisel mortiser.

I can cut a mortise, just as easily with a forstner bit chucked up in my drill press and clean up with some sharp chisels than I could with a dedicated hollow chisel mortiser.

It may take a couple minutes longer, but who cares. This is just for fun.

In addition to the above, all those jigs, that could be easily fabricated out of scrap wood.

Homemade feather boards v plastic, aluminum tapering jig v homemade, pushsticks, etc

Joe

[Mike Cutler]

Dang Tim. That's a bummer to hear that the Shoptask,or Smithy's, aren't everything I had thought.
I have access to a complete machine shop, and the machinist's at work, if they are not to busy. I just wanted something at home to do some "lite work".

I've also seen, on that internet auction sight, that a real milling machine can be had fairly cheaply (compared to their new cost). The shipping costs would be steep though.

Time to do some more research, and thanks for the feedback.

[Walt Pater]

-Drill Press. Some people can't live without them, understandably so. I've been able to survive without one. (OK, I do have one, but it has needed a belt for about 7 years and is currently used as a coat hook).

-Lie-Nielsen #9: Iron Mitre Plane. I just like the design. I would love one but probably will never be able to justify the expense. Just don't do enough handwork. If someone can justify the expense for me, please chime in.
Neat thread, Frank.