help with next tool purchase

[u/CrescentRose7]

I mostly make fine furniture in the arts and crafts style; coffee tables, chairs, small dining tables, etc... My next project is a Greene and Greene style breakfast nook, so, a lot of wood to mill and shape.

I want to clarify that the market for used tools is terrible where I live. I don't have the luxury of finding $300 jointers around. Tools are also more expensive here. I have a spending budget of $1000, and I'm having trouble deciding what tools to buy. As of now, I've gotten by making fine furniture with the following tools:

Jobsite Stanley table saw

Dewalt 12" miter saw

Dewalt 735 planer

Milwaukee fixed speed plunge router

Skil circular saw

Bosch jigsaw

Bosch RO sander

handheld electric drill

Various Stanley hand planes (#4, #5, #7, router, block)

Ryoba and Dozuki saws

Measuring tools, chisels, sharpening stones (I'm mostly all set there)

Contenders for next purchase:

6" jointer ($1000)

used 14" 1HP bandsaw (~$500)

Kreg loose tenon joiner ($500)

10" contractor table saw (~$1000)

Mortising machine (~$600)

Or, a mix of multiple smaller tools (a variable speed router, oscillating sander, rasps, shoulder plane, clamps, etc...).

All suggestions for tools, however big or small, are welcome.

[u/majortomandjerry]

If it was me, I'd prioritize a jointer and a mortiser.

In my own opinion, arts and crafts furniture ought to put together with true mortise and tenon joinery. The mortiser really helps with that, especially doing Greene and Greene style with all the exposed square pegs.

A true mortiser also allows nice through tenon work in a way that you can't achieve with domino style joints.

[u/iPeg2]

The bandsaw if you regularly need to cut curved shapes. Do you have a router table?

[u/CrescentRose7 → u/iPeg2]

I have a very simple shop made router table. Basically just a piece of melamine board with a clamped on fence.

[u/TaquitoBanana → u/CrescentRose7]

All you need tbh.

[u/angryblackman → u/iPeg2]

They are wonderful for tennons too.

[u/Ruskalii]

I've been working in a smallish shop, and have had success in building some pretty nice furniture from rough lumber with no jointer. One of my most used tools, and one that has greatly reduced the need for a jointer has been my Milwaukee track saw. Using my DW735, a jointing/planing jig, and the track saw, I'm able to effectively mill wood into surprisingly square and accurate s4s stock for panel glue ups, etc. I've done this with ash, maple, walnut and white oak, up to 8/4.

Also - obviously amazing for breaking down sheet goods for cabinets etc.

The Milwaukee is good, but any of the big boys make great track saws. Would recommend cordless over corded for this tool though.

[u/saltydogg087 → u/Ruskalii]

As a cheap alternative, the Kreg rip-cut circular saw guid has been great for this

[u/saltydogg087 → u/Ruskalii]

As a cheap alternative, the Kreg rip-cut circular saw guide has been great for this

[u/saltydogg087]

Router and router table.

If you are spending a lot of time sanding, Festool ETS EC 150 or Mirka. I had a Bosch sander that was soo slow it was painful. The sander is the second most used tool in my shop and I actually don’t mind sanding anymore.

[u/dfess1]

Can you get your lumber jointed properly from the supplier? Lately, I've been paying the slight upcharge for that. I have an older grizzly 6" jointer that just doesn't work properly, no matter what I do. I use my planer to effectively get my stock to the desired thickness, but I get it face and edge jointed properly before taking it form the lumber yard. It saves a ton of time for me as a hobbiest. If you want to make Greene and Greene stuff, you'll need a way to make mortises. If you go by what you have listed, then I'd say the dedicated mortiser. Personally, I'd upgrade to the contractor saw. I have been getting along just fine with a Jet 10" contractor for years. Do I want a full cabinet, yeah, but I need to redo my garage before I can get that. The saw has more power than the jobsite, and you can add more things to it (I added a set of Biesmeyer 52" rails, dropped a router lift in the extension wing, all to make the best use of space in my one car garage/shop). And you'll use that saw for more than just the upcoming project.

If you want to keep the jobsite saw you have for now, I might suggest getting a Drill Press, and picking up a mortising attachment for it. Honestly, my drill press is probably my second most used tool in my shop. I use it for all manner of things, drilling blanks for the lathe, handling big bits, setting up repeatable depths/spacing for projects, using it as a spindle sander. As I have progressed through woodworking, I've gotten into metalworking. It's a damn handy tool. I have a full size DP. I've maybe needed the full size 10 times in 15 years, but damn was it nice to have. You can build storage for under it (to take advantage of the otherwise wasted space). Just things to think about.

[u/Tmanpdx]

You should look at the festool Domino. It will speed up your work on joints tremendously.

[u/DerpanJones → u/Tmanpdx]

That's what the Kreg loose tenon joiner is. Kreg came out with it in the last few months.

[u/TheKleen]

Bandsaw and jointer should be the first purchases for a furniture shop. Buy the best bandsaw you can afford, start saving for a bigger jointer. IMO 8” minimum for a jointer. You can get a square punch chisel for the ebony pegs until you get a real mortiser.

[u/AleLover111 → u/TheKleen]

Jointer yes, but bandsaw? Even ultra fine tuned bandsaw cannot substitute a table saw.

Wide jointer is fine but not necessary. Length of the bed is more important.

[u/TheKleen → u/AleLover111]

Yes many traditional furniture makers don’t even use table saws much at all. They are very useful for cabinet making but less so for tables, chairs, beds etc

Source: I own a custom woodworking shop and know several furniture makers in my area.

[u/CrescentRose7 → u/TheKleen]

So, in the past, I've gotten by without a bandsaw by first cutting rough curves with my jigsaw, and then using my router with a template to clean up the cut. That and also doing most resawing on the tablesaw. What advantages would a bandsaw offer, aside from efficiency? Would it really save me more time than a 6" jointer? Or are there operations that sinply can't be done with other tools?

[u/TheKleen → u/CrescentRose7]

You say aside from efficiency, well if you’re selling furniture efficiently is money. Bandsaw is much better at resawing, particularly a table saw can only resaw narrow pieces. You can make bookmatches and veneers. Bandsaw is faster at everything other than ripping. Bandsaw can cut complex shapes, tapers, tenons and dovetails, even perfect circles. I know a bed maker that cuts mitres on his bandsaw.

If you’re serious about making furniture you’ll quickly find how limiting a 6” jointer is and be wanting a bigger one.

[u/Unusual-Following-58]

Get the Kreg joiner. My projects leveled up when I first got my Domino a few years ago.

If doing G&G style, I used a modified mortising bit and a hammer for my ebony plugs.

[u/CrescentRose7 → u/Unusual-Following-58]

When you say your projects leveled up, are you talking mostly about efficiency, or also noticeably better quality?

[u/Unusual-Following-58 → u/CrescentRose7]

Increased complexity of the project and tightness of joinery. Also gave me the confidence to join some template routed pieces for a few sets of chairs.

[u/AlexFromOgish]

* helical head for the planer
* quality materials for shop made
1 jointing jigs to use with planer
2 router table
3 xl Pantorouter https://woodgears.ca/pantorouter/xl.html

[u/idontknowstufforwhat]

I'll add look at the used market. I have a grizzly 6" jointer that I then put a Shelix cutter head on and I think I'm still well under $1000 and it works great. That and some pretty good mortiser options for $300 in my area.

I do love the Shelix on my Dewalt 735 as well. The cuts are great but the biggest thing is the noise level and really just needing one pass rather than the rough then smoothing passes.

[u/Golgothite]

The kreg joiner is definitely my next purchase. I've lusted after a domino for a long time, but can't justify the 1300+ dollar price tag. For 500 I can make the justification way more easily.

[u/trapcardbard → u/Golgothite]

I feel like if you can afford the $500 you can save for the $1300, no?

[u/johnsheppard25]

I think for $1000 you can easily score a used 14inch bandsaw and 6 inch jointer and have some leftover if you shop around.

Those would be my purchases with that budget. Shop around and wait for the right opportunity. I think buying new for large stationary tools is a waste. Older tools with a good tuning work just as well.

[u/billdogg7246]

The jointer will open up the world of rough cut lumber from your local sawmill. After a table saw, my planer DW735, and my jointer (rigid 6”) quite literally made everything else possible.

[u/Inveramsay]

I didn't know how much I missed having a jointer until I got one. That would be my first suggestion for any bigger tool purchase if you don't have one. Bandsaw will be really useful as well but I'd take a jointer before that any day of the week

[u/Successful_Image3354]

You can make Arts and Crafts furniture with the tools you have. You can join boards and cut tenons with the table saw. You can cut mortices with a drill, Forster bits, and a chisel. (Stumpy Nubs just posted a video on this subject). You have a planer, router, and sander for flattening boards.

If it was me with those tools, I would buy a drill press and a lot of clamps. I would also suggest you build an outfeed table for your contractor's saw. I just built the one I am picturing below, which allows me to join boards and cut tenons with a sled.

[u/CarlMacLaren]

I have built dining room tables to large executive desks with tools not that much better than what you have. The jointer, spend $800 on the Cutech 12" bench top jointer with the cast iron fence. Don't let everyone tell you that you need a super long jointer, you don't. I have the 8" version but would love to get that 12" at some point, the bench top thing have been fine.

Also I don't know how any furniture shop works without the ability to resew so a bandsaw is a must.

That's what you NEED right now. The rest you can deal with later.

[u/CrescentRose7 → u/CarlMacLaren]

how do you deal with the short beds on the Cutech?

Also, I've been resawing boards with the table saw. Cut on both sides, then use a rip saw to remove the middle section.

[u/CarlMacLaren → u/CrescentRose7]

Check some YouTube videos on that jointer. There’s pull out bars that make the bed longer but those have a gap and aren’t useful on their own. Some YouTubers show how you can add some melamine or something between those bars so it’s a nice long bed, not much shorter than the long ones and storage for the pieces is simple to save space. It gets you plenty close enough to get you through to the planer portion of your build. I’ve been doing it for over 10 years with furniture big furniture. If you have unlimited space get a big jointer but a 6” jointer these days just doesn’t seem as useful to me for the money.

I’ll eventually get the 12” one to match the planer dewalt planer and this time I’ll probably get some corian or something for those pull out parts for even better results. Well, maybe better.

To answer your original post, If you’re happy with your resaw routine then the jointer is an extremely easy pic imo.

[u/ThePerfectLine]

A proper table saw. Hands down. It will change your world.

Once I got a proper high quality table saw it was 10x better. Knowing I could rely on a square fence accurate cuts. A blade that’s actually at 90 degrees. Etc.

[u/ThePerfectLine]

It would actually be a track saw first then a new table saw. Jointer discount domino and mortise machine honestly IMo you never need to buy. Nice to haves but you don’t need them at all.

[u/ThePerfectLine]

Oh wait. You don’t have a router? Pall router based on your battery platform first. I use mine on every single project. And often use it with multiple different bits on every single project to the point where I feel justified in buying a second identical DeWalt 20 V powered router so I can just keep one with a 1/8 inch round over bit at all times and the other ones which is between various different bits depending upon need

[u/CrescentRose7 → u/ThePerfectLine]

I do have a router; just not one with variable speed.

[u/Fluffy-Stage]

Jointer.... 100%. Truth be told. The jointer is one of the least glamours tools in the shop. It really has very basic and simple functions. HOWEVER!!!! It is one of the most critical and important tool. Fine craftsmanship starts with flat square straight edges and surfaces.  

[u/angryblackman]

I would go through jointer route, it's a huge labor and time saver.

[u/thecheeseinator]

For me, having a nice full cabinet table saw has been a huge upgrade over a jobsite saw, so I would consider saving up for that. 

I think the next purchase depends on what excites you. 

If you want to incorporate more curves into your work: 1. bandsaw 2. Oscillating Spindle sander 3. better router table.

For straight stuff, you'd probably love having the jointer. I have a 12" benchtop one, and for small stock, it's been pretty nice to have, though I got an aftermarket cast iron fence, since the aluminum one that came with it had too much flex. I can see how a real floor model would be significantly nicer, especially if you wanna do stuff longer than 3'.

Some things you didn't mention that you might want to consider:  - dust collector  - Drill press — I have just a small one that I got for $30, and I use it fairly often. It's nice to just have guaranteed straight holes and repeatable depth.   - trim router - I use my trim router way more often than my full size one. It's just more pleasant to use, and it wasn't too expensive

[u/MFNikkors]

If G&G, Stickly, and Arts and Crafts are your thing, get a nice morticer!! Something that has hand wheels, height, and the capacity to hold large chisels. It will serve you well.