Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.....

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:44 pm

So, if you were given about $140 to $200 to spend on new tools for your boat building shop, what would you get?

Cheers,
Bryan

Snowman · Post by **Snowman** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:04 pm

A time machine!

mtpocket · Post by **mtpocket** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:07 pm

A Shinto Rasp. It's one of the handiest tools I ever purchased. I wish I hadn't waited so long to get it.

Happy Birthday. :party

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:01 pm

I still haven't decided to do with my new found wealth.

Some options I'm considering (not all are directly related to boatbuilding but are more general woodworking):

*Decent router fence - $180 from LV; my home made one is less than perfect, and something close to perfect would better for routing.
*Apron Plane - $85 from LV - I currently have a very cheap palm-sized plane and it was very handy for trimming strips, a better plane would be better right?
*Low Angle Block Plane - $139 at LV - my current Stanley block plane is not so good, and the lateral adjustment lever is broken.
*Cordless Drill - can spend a lot, can be cheap - My current cheap brand 18V drill frustrates me as either the batteries or the charger are not working properly (sometimes they seem OK but other times they're stone dead right off the charger).
*Belt sander - a variety of uses for woodworking, a model with a flat top can be used on the bench.
*Benchtop belt/disc sander - would be useful for shaping strips and other wood pieces, and have a variety of applications in the workshop.

Other things on the "wish list" include a decent dust collector and a better heating system, but both of those options are going to be a bit more than $140.

I'll have to do a cost/benefit analysis for all the various options and try to decide what I'll get the most use out of.

Cheers,
Bryan

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:39 pm

Actually the only one I see that would be a health benefit is the dust collector. If you don't take good care of your respiratory system, you won't be woodworking long enough to need the other tools. :rolling eyes

Oh yes, Happy (belated) Birthday.

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:04 pm

Glen Smith wrote:Actually the only one I see that would be a health benefit is the dust collector. If you don't take good care of your respiratory system, you won't be woodworking long enough to need the other tools. :rolling eyes

Oh yes, Happy (belated) Birthday.

Thanks Glen. Right now I am using a shop vac with HEPA filter so it's not too bad. That is combined with dust masks and a respirator as warranted. You are absolutely right though and a properly set up DC system with ducting through the shop would be a benefit. However, I think I should also improve my electrical & lighting in the shop and I think that's the priority.

I should also add another item to the wish list:

*Bandsaw fence, such as the one from Kreg.

Cheers,
Bryan

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:31 pm

Well, if you already have "basic" dust collection and masks, then electrical improvements sounds good.

Bandsaw fence, eh? I just wish I had a decent (14") bandsaw. My little 9"er is pretty well useless, money badly spent! The King Canada 14" bandsaw, which is pretty much a Delta look-alike, seems attractive to me. A technician at King Canada said their saws come off the same production line as the Delta's.

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:11 pm

Glen Smith wrote:Bandsaw fence, eh? I just wish I had a decent (14") bandsaw.

Yeah well mine's only a 10" saw (Delta). Not a great bandsaw but it does OK for what I task it with. My thoughts with the fence would be that it would be transferrable if/when I upgrade the saw.

Right now I'm thinking I should put the $$ towards light fixtures and wire.

canoeblderinmt · Post by **canoeblderinmt** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:52 pm

As a hand plane addict, I would go for the low angle jack or a low angle block plane. I own the LV LAJ and absolutely

........................................................LOVE IT!!

It is easily the smoothest cutting, truest plane I own. The only thing I lack is a Tormek or similar grinding wheel for making hollow grinds. The blade in the LAJ is substantial, hence almost no vibration, but flat grinding them on diamonds is a bummer

Of course, I am a sickie who will plane wood just for the sake of the feel and to see the shavings pile up at my feet....

I personally would not spend money on a band saw fence, as each band has a different set, which can vary with tension and wear. I just use a self made "point fence" if I am ripping or re-sawing.

Besides, I can always use another plane.... :twisted evil

Greg

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:58 am

canoeblderinmt wrote:As a hand plane addict, I would go for the low angle jack or a low angle block plane. I own the LV LAJ and absolutely ....LOVE IT!!

Hmmm, the low angle jack plane was on my list (the wish list feature on the Lee Valley web site is a dangerous thing) but I left it off because I figured the other two planes were the priority. Plus they cost less.

canoeblderinmt wrote:I personally would not spend money on a band saw fence, as each band has a different set, which can vary with tension and wear. I just use a self made "point fence" if I am ripping or re-sawing.

Now that's the kind of practical info I was looking for. But dang, they come in such a pretty blue colour!

The "Woodworking Tool and Hobby Show" is in town this weekend so I'll probably be there lusting after about $140,000 worth of new tools. However, I'll try to keep myself in check. That's why I'm thinking about this now - to decide where I want to spend my money BEFORE I get into that sort of setting.

Cheers,
Bryan

pawistik · Post by **pawistik** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:21 pm

I thought I would give an update on what I ended up getting.

I went to the woodworking & tool show on Sunday, and browsed through the various wares on offer. I almost bought a 14.4 V Makita drill, with 3 batteries for about $120. Then I looked at some of the various dust collectors on display. Steel City had a display together with Felder Machinery out of Winnipeg. They had their 1HP (1 micron bag) collector there, with the display model on sale for $252, taxes in. I was interested, but wandered off to have a look at what the other choices were. A bit later I found myself at the Lee Valley booth fondling the various planes, including the low angle jack plane that Greg mentioned. While there a LV employee came over to see if I needed help (happened to be the friend of my brother-in-law). After discussing the various plane options and the "what to get" dilemma, he recommended that I get proper dust collection set up in the shop first and leave the high end planes for another day. One of my concerns was that a 1hp dust collector was too small, but Tim convinced me that it would be OK as that's what he uses in his shop. So, I reluctantly put down the planes (oh they worked so nicely on that test board) and wandered back to the Steel City display. Half an hour had passed and the DC was gone. I asked about it, and they (wanting to make the sale) said "well I shouldn't do this, but..." and offered me a new DC, delivered from Winnipeg, for the same price of $252, including taxes & delivery. It was an offer I was unable to refuse and it pushed me off the fence. Now I'm waiting for my new DC system to arrive. :smile Also, my brother-in-law sent me a card yesterday with a cheque for another $50 in it! That means this dust collector only cost me $60!

Cheers,
Bryan

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:43 pm

Bryan, once you have that baby hooked up and humming away, could you post a performance review for us?