Woodworkers Thread
- Thread starter AgronAlum
- Start date
Thanks again fellas. Boy you guys are helping me a lot today. What I am looking at as far as a router vs a biscuit jointer? I bought a used biscuit jointer from a guy but haven't used it yet. Is that going to be sufficient for small projects like end tables, etc. or is a router going to help me out a lot more make the joint secure?
So that link you posted has it 80 bucks off. is that what you have or is that something else?
A biscuit cutter will help "splice" boards parallel to each other that will span a decent distance.
I've Kregged together end table tops before and achieved the same thing.
I have the dewalt battery hand planer. You should only use it for edges of boards. I tried using it to smooth a small table top and I was constantly getting tiny ridges that when sanded down left an uneven surface.
So I use it for things like shaving off edges of cabinet doors that are just a little too big.
So I use it for things like shaving off edges of cabinet doors that are just a little too big.
That’s what I have. Mine says hitachi but they switched to the Metabo name. It’s the same router with the same model number. It looks like it’s 150 on Amazon and 180 at Menards. Lowe’s must have stopped selling it and dropped the price to get rid of it.
I haven't made anything in a while. Looks like lumber is starting to come down in price a little. Don't like making things in the winter though, I don't have a fancy heated garage or shop and polyurethane doesn't work too well in the cold.
The biscuit jointer helps with edge gluing boards together. This can probably can be done with a router somehow but I’ve never seen anyone do it outside of tongue and groove.
The router will tackle A LOT of different types of joints among a bunch of other uses. Those two tools can’t really be substituted for each other. My router is one of the most frequently used tools in my shop.
Looking at YouTube videos now about the model you suggested. I think I’m gonna have Santa give me this for Christmas. Appreciated sir.
I don’t have any issues with it for how expensive it was. That being said you absolutely can’t go wrong with the Bosch combo.
This is a good deal with both bases and an edge guide.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-1...on-Hood-and-Adapter-1617EVSPKRA1054/307397339
I'd highly suggest watching a bunch of videos on YouTube from Steve Ramsey. (Woodworking for Mere Mortals). His videos are great for newer woodworkers. You'll learn a ton of tricks/techniques. He does everything with a pretty basic set of tools too.
Here’s a really good video on setting up a shop. Might give you guys some ideas on what to buy next.
It saddens me to say that I have only bought 1 tool in the last year and it's not for woodworking, it was a cordless 1/2" impact wrench.
If any of you have never tried a hand plane I would highly recommend them. Power tools are great but using old fashioned hand tools can be quite enjoyable.
I have the Bosch router. It's a good tool. Hitachi makes good tools too and you would be happy with them. Sharp bits are important
I have three, the bosch one that most people have mentioned, a dewalt that's permanently in my router table, and the Milwaukee cordless trim. I think bosch and porter cable are good places to start. The size really depends on what you are going to do with it. Trim routers, as the name suggests, are mostly good for detail work although you can do patterns or other normal router applications but probably taking less material at a time. When it comes down to it, the actual router itself is just a motor so unless it has cheap components they all do pretty much the same. The bases and accessories are where the main differentiation is.
Bits & Bits is a good place to go to for high quality bits. They are more expensive for sure but they last much longer. Freud and CMT are not bad but they are also mostly flute bits which can tear out more vs an upcut, down it, or compression bit. I've just started getting into buying from them. Like you most of my bits are Freud or cheap Bosch bits I got from lowes.
I bought a block plane in February, it definitely left me with an itch to get more into it. Started using chisels more too, need to get a decent set of those eventually. I've mostly just bought garage sale ones and cleaned them up and sharpened them. I am thinking about Narex because as much as I love Lie Nielsen or the other high end brands, they are not cheap.
Biscuit jointers are mostly used for aligning joints vs strengthening them. You can definitely use them to strengthen a miter joint though which is very handy. Depending on the joint, a router is probably your best bet. You can always get creative and do joinery with a table saw and sled or a miter saw even, too.
Those Narex chisels are a mixed bag. I’ve heard of lots of people having trouble with the edges crumbling. Having fought with cheap chisels for a while if I had to do it all over again I would have just bought a 1/2” and a 1/4” Lie-Nielsen and saved myself a bunch of headaches. Those two chisels do 90% of my chisel work.
I've been told the Festool Domino joiner is a game changer. It actually adds strength and also gives alignment. For anyone interested in making furniture faster while still being strong (and not using fasteners), that's supposedly the tool to get. However, it's Festool, so it's automatically 2x the price of any other tool. However, no other manufacturer has replicated it, as of yet. I wish someone would come out with a similar tool that is at a much more reasonable price point. I've never used Festool brand, but it just seems stupidly expensive for no reason.
https://www.festoolusa.com/products...o-joining-machines/574332---df-500-q-plus-usa
While everyone is on the subject of routers here’s my suggestion. Get a router plane. I use mine on almost every project with a rabbet or a dado to make sure the groove I just cut is the same depth. I don’t know what I’d do without it at this point.
www.lie-nielsen.com
Large Router Plane - Closed Throat
Large Router Planes Router Planes are essential for any work that requires precise depth cuts, such as mortises, tenons, hinge gains, inlay, door locks, and the like. Loosely based on the Stanley No. 71, our Large Router Planes feature an improved Brass depth stop and Stainless Steel blade...
www.lie-nielsen.com
