"All Guests Must Be Approved By The Cat". If the cat is wary of your guest you should keep a close eye.
I have been watching the news in New Zealand. I know we have a lot of readers from there and I hope all of you and everyone else in the area are safe and well. That was a powerful earthquake. The video footage looked terrifying. Take care. We are thinking about you all.
I have been watching the news in New Zealand. I know we have a lot of readers from there and I hope all of you and everyone else in the area are safe and well. That was a powerful earthquake. The video footage looked terrifying. Take care. We are thinking about you all.
I know there are a lot of scroll saw users out there who work with a limited amount of tools. That's one thing that is so appealing about the scroll saw. You can get started relatively inexpensively. A scroll saw, hand drill and some glue can get you started.
One question I get is "What tools should I buy after the scroll saw?". I want to spend a few words answering this question. I understand others will see the order of the list differently.
Here is a list of tools that I think will make your experience in the hobby more enjoyable. Listed in the order I would buy.
1. Table saw: The table saw is the center of any workshop. Being able to accurately cut boards to size can make your projects easier and more accurate. Any time I have a part of a patterns that is square or rectangular I cut that part on the table saw. It's faster and much more accurate. You do not have to spend $1000 for a table saw. We are not building furniture here. You can absolutely get by with a contractor saw like the one in the picture above. It's under $300. You can click the image to see the details of this DeWalt saw. It's not the cheapest saw out there but it is built very well and is small enough to store away when not in use. (The links are all affiliate links.)
2. Drill Press: This gets a little tougher but I think I would go with a drill press with number two. When you have a pattern that has dozens of entry holes you will appreciate not having to use a hand drill. The included link is to a bench top drill press. It's under $100 and has good reviews. A bench top is more than good enough for our needs.
3. Planer: This is the first step in being able to thickness thin boards for scroll saw projects. I get email every week about where to buy thin boards. When you get the tools to thickness your own boards you are way ahead on cost and time. I'm going to go with a DeWalt planer here. This is not the cheapest planer you can buy. I have used several planers over the years and they hard hard working tools. I just think a little better quality is worth the cost.
4. Band Saw: I use a band saw for re-sawing boards. The planer will make your boards thinner but you lose too much material. It's just too wasteful. You want to re-saw the board first so you only plane a small amount away. Unfortunately this need eliminates most low cost band saws. You need a minimum of 6" height cut capacity. More is better. The Grizzly I linked to is a minimum band saw I would buy. If you buy an band saw to help you save money milling thin boards for your scroll saw don't go cheap.
These are the basic tools to set up a full workshop. The cost minus the scroll saw for these tools is under $1200. They could be set up in half of a two car garage. Everyone who has put together a workshop will have different opinions on the brands and models I posted here. These are just a sample of a basic workshop and not intended to be the end all list.
-
