Advice on Power Tools???

[Brian Kent]

What power tools do you use?

This really is a question for neanderthals. My most fun is with hand-powered tools, but I use my table saw and drill press and a couple other corded tools when it is more accurate or convenient.

On a normal day, which corded tools to you use?

The reason I am asking is that I have an opportunity from a very fine friend to get an 8” jointer and a 16/32” Performax sander for a very affordable price. If I have those two machines, I would buy a bandsaw early next year. While I always have tool lust, I mainly have neander – tool lust and need some advice.

Should I take the plunge or not? (If I do not, then my friend would sell his used tools elsewhere at regular market prices).

[Brian Hale]

I've got a 10" cabinet saw, 6" jointer, 15" planer, 6x89 sander, 10-20 Performax, 22" drill press, floor model horizontal mortiser, router table, 42 hand planes, 13 handsaws, 27 chisels and 4 bandsaws.

When it comes to woodworking you can't get caught up in right or wrong, just follow the path that makes it enjoyable for you and gets the job done.

I say go for it!

Brian

[Brian Kent]

Hahaha! For a second there I thought you said four bandsaws!

[Randy Klein]

I've got a 10" cabinet saw, 6" jointer, 15" planer, 6x89 sander, 10-20 Performax, 22" drill press, floor model horizontal mortiser, router table, 42 hand planes, 13 handsaws, 27 chisels and 4 bandsaws.

Well, yeah, but that's just the bare necessities...

Now to the OP, I prefer hand tools for joinery and surface prep, but power tools for milling. So I use TS, BS, planer, jointer, and of course a DC for those.

I forgot I have a router as well.

[Mark Stutz]

Most of us, if we'll admit it publicly, do use tailed tools for rough stock prep. Of course you can joint one side flat with hand planes, but an 8" jointer would certainly speed things up. I only have a 6" so do wider boards by hand. I've actually found that a combination approach works well for me, especially at the beginning of the learning curve. One or two light pases on the jointer will clearly let you seee where the high spots are, and then I go after it with hand planes. Probably it's my technique with the powered jointer, but I end up with a thicker bord if I use the combination

The Performax is a good machine, but it is not a substitute for a planer. It is slow going, and DC is a must. If you will be using thin stock, such as in shop made 3/16 or less veneer, it is perfect and much safer than using a planer.

[Don C Peterson]

I have a Delta Contractor's table saw, a 16" Walker-Turner band saw, a Dewalt surface planer, a router and a cordless drill. I don't use the router very often because I prefer to do dovetails and M&T joints by hand. I find as I become more proficient with my hand saws, I use the table saw a bit less, but it is still pretty central to most things I do.

I flatten all stock with hand planes, but I use the power planer to bring the boards to the right thickness (removing that much stock by hand is too much like work). The band saw is my favorite power tool though. It's quiet and smooth and versitile.

[jonathan snyder]

I've got a TS, BS, DP, 6" jointer, lunchbox planer, router. I use the jointer most of the time when I have a lot of stock to do, but flatten by hand for wider stock or where it is just one or two small pieces. I use the planer all the time. I would rather spend time using hand tools on joinery than thicknessing stock.

I would upgrade to an 8" jointer if the opportunity arose, and it were a good deal. I don't sand unless I absolutely have to, so the performax would not interest me. Never mind that I would have no place to put it!!!

Jonathan

[Wilbur Pan]

The power tools I have are a drill press, bandsaw, jointer/planer, and lathe.

Drill press because I can't hand drill consistently.

Bandsaw for big cuts or thick stock -- almost always followed up with hand planes.

Jointer/planer for rough milling, again almost always followed up with hand planes.

Lathe, for the obvious reasons.