Got the Shop, now need tools! ????'s

[Boweevil]

I haven't been on here for a while because I've been busy moving. The good Lord has blessed us and we found about the perfect home for us. Have done a bunch of remodeling and now we're in there. Has a big 28'x36' attached garage, PLUS another heated and air conditioned workshop almost that size in the basement!!! Now I finally have room to work, so the pirogue project should start this summer.

I've already got sawzalls, jigsaws, skillsaws, handsaws, and an el cheapo chop saw. Wife thinks I need a new table saw. She gets into this because it means that I can make parts to repair and rebuild her antique furniture and do lots of other honey-do's.

My questions are these: What major power tools do y'all use in your boat building projects? What works best to do those long, smooth, curved cuts required for some plans? What tools do you use the most?

 

[Kayak Jack]

You're going to get a lot of answers here. The only power tool that you NEED is a power sander. I use a hand-crank drill (eggbeater style) and a Japanese hand saw. A power shop vac is very handy too.

Others will advise about many tools, and they're nice. But you asked about what you need. Different question than "What would be fun to play with?"

Work space, clamps (I have only 10, but others like 30-50), a work bench at a comfortable level for working, good ventilation, GOOD LIGHTING, a coffee pot/tea pot/beer cooler, and a radio to play Big Band music on. (When someone tops Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller, let me know.)

 

[Boweevil]

Thanks KJ.

I do need the sander. Got an old raggedy electric vibratory sander already. Got two nice shop vacs. Got plenty of lighting. Got work benches around two walls, the Japanese handsaw (love it), beer fridge, good shop sound system, good ventilation, coffee pot, plenty of shelves and cabinets, shop stools, chairs, and a couple of dawgs for moral support and to eat any riff-raff that drifts in. Oh, and a pond 75' away for maiden voyages.

Definitely need more clamps. Ok, what is really nice to have?

 

[oldsparkey]

Like Jack........

All my tools are hand powered except for the sander , cordless drill and band saw.
The band saw was used to make the slats/strips from the 3/4 by 4 inch wood for the Red Wood Pirogue. Which were 1/4 by 3/4 inch.

Don't tell your wife that ... Tell her you need a good band saw , Planer , sander , preferably a desk one , not hand held.
OK .. a hand held sander for touch up work. A good mite box would not hurt anything , some top notch drills and all there accessories , Dremel Tool and hot glue gun included.

Now make sure you say ... 80 "C" Clamps and lots of epoxy for repairs. The glass is your headache for the boats. 8)

You already have the real necessities , a frig and lots of beer....... with those two you can build anything.

Chuck.
PS... Rubber Gloves , lots of them.

 

[a Bald Cypress]

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You can't go wrong with a table saw. It is the most used tool I have.

If I had the space, I would get a band saw. One with the biggest throat you can get.

A planer would be another tool I wish I could aquire.


A door big enough to allow everything you build to be take out. :wink:

 

[coogzilla]

Air compressor to run air tools. You'll never look back.
A DA sander makes all those plug in ones seem like useless.
Belt sander, must have. Couple Baily planes, old. safety glasses,
air filter for you. pencil sharpener. plastic cups, coffee stirring sticks,
clamps, clamps and more clamps. More clamps. A decent router is
good tool. A good table saw will rip stock quick and nice. The wife
said ok!

Coogs

 

[BEARS BUDDY]

I like to use blocks an screws to assemble panels instead of ties. (Google " Hannu's boatyard" to see the method.) I use a bunch of drywall screws with my Milwalkee screwshooter power driver.

You can make lots of clamps from a section of pvc pipe. The clamps are shown in many construction photos on the forum. Wiith epoxy you want the prssure to be just enough to hold the parts together without squeezing all the glue from the joint.

A bandsaw is dandy for cutting large panels.

Like Jack said there are not many required tools, but lots of fun toys out there.

 

[nobucks]

--

With a shop that big you need a milling machine and a lathe. :twisted:

 

[Kayak Jack]

I think he needs a shop assistant. Whereabouts are you, Boweevil? I'm packed and heading out right after breakfast.

 

[Jimmy W]

A table saw is very usefull. Mine is probably over 50 years old, but it has a good cast iron table and a good fence. It gets much more use than the bandsaw.

 

[Boweevil]

Hmmm... Think I might need more clamps.

But, I've also got a couple of air compressors (one 3 hp w/20gal tank and a portable for running a nail gun or stapler), got a brad gun, narrow crown stapler, got all kindsa drills, both cordless and otherwise, got a router and some carbide bits, got large and small hand planes, rasps, got scads of drywall screws and other fasteners. Got a lotta good bits, three Dremel tools and lots of accessories for 'em. Also got an industrial grade, bench top drill press. Couple of sets of saw horses. Buncha levels of all sizes.

Need more clamps. Need sander(s) (& I like the idea of the D/A). More clamps. I like the idea of the table saw, and then go for some more clamps and the band saw and planer next. And maybe some more clamps.

nobucks: You are right, I'd LOVE to have a milling machine and lathe.

KJ: Come on down! The beer fridge is well stocked. Got a few bottles of Crown Royal and some Wild Turkey stuck back. Just come to Kirksville, Missouri and ask where that transplanted Alabama redneck is hangin' out. And bring some clamps with you.....

Thanks to all who have replied. If anyone else has anything to add, I'd be grateful to hear it.

 

[jimsong]

As almost everyone has said, there is not a whole lot that you "need" in wood work, it's just what you want. The sander is absolutely needed, it's effeciant and time saving. I must confess, I don't know what a DA sander is. I am a proponent of the random orbit sander. It removes a lot of material, but is not inordenently aggressive.
The next boat I will build will be within reach of an air compresser. A brad gun, and an blow gun would have really come in handy with the build that is going on right now.
In my opinion, the table saw is the most useful, stationary,single tool in the shop. But one limitation of it, is accurate cross cutting, but if you have a miter saw, that's no problem. If you have a slider, you have the cross cutting problem licked. A sliding miter saw will just about replace a radial arm, in most instances.
A thickness planer is great. I love mine, but it's not nesissary. An electric hand planer is not as handy as one might think. You can screw up more parts than you can cut with a hand planer.
A router with a lot of muscle is very handy. Particularly if you are repeating pattern cuts. a top bearing, or a bottom bearing half inch flush cutting bit. will give you exact copies of what ever you wish.
The belt sander is another tool that is over rated. I use them a lot, and they are effective, but see planer above.
To me, bandsaws are almost a toy. I like mine and use it some, and in some instances, almost nothing else will do. But a saber saw will do 90% of what a band saw will do.
A lathe IS a toy! I don't have one because I don't have room, but if I did have room, I would have one. They are so much fun, but virtually worthless in the real world.
The only solution to your dilema, is to bring me one of your shops, and I will fit it, and we can share it.
When I moved to Texas, I moved from where I had a reasonably decent shop to no shop at all. I have tools stashed everywhere. Some I haven't seen in years.
(And bring your pond too. I live a half mile from the lake.)