Thread: Getting ready to invest in tools

Guys,
I am getting ready to go all out and pick up some tools for restoration. I want a scroll saw/band saw, bench grinder and belt sander. I am looking at harbor freight as they seem to have good prices. The only problem is harbor freight isn't really close to me so I will have to drive. Is there a comparable alternative at a larger chain for any of these that comes recommended? (home depot, lowes, ect? ) Any input would be appreciated.


Thanks
Luke

Harbor Freight is usually the lowest. That is because the tools that the have are not usually name brand tools. I have heard good things, i have heard bad things. If you want to do it on the cheep and do it now, then Harbor Freight is the place for you. You will get better quality from, say Sears Craftsman or Dewalt, but i have heard that the tools from Harbor do a pretty good job. Home Depot next to me has Ryobi scroll saws, drill presses and sanders for like $119. I use a Ryobi screw gun every day. I also have their flashlight that is 18 v like my drill. I dropped that sucker from the roof of a 2 story building and only had to change the bulb.

You can get something done fast, right or cheap. Pick two.
I use old tools from craigslist or the such. I can usually get quality at a good price, but not everything is available all of the time. I'd check there first.

I have wasted a lot of $ on going "cheap", only later to wish that I had ponied up an extra $20 for a better brand. Like Prosneek said, some are good and some aren't. If you have a major chain store like Lowes, Home Depot, Sears close to home, you should at least consider them when you add the cost of fuel or shipping into the mix.

A sander and grinder a pretty generic and universal. They spin a stone or spin a belt. The stone and belts are what make the big difference. The saw however, is another story. I have looked at HF before and picked up my dust collector there but things like drill presses, bandsaws, etc.... are pretty much junk. Small motors, rough build, hard to work on and set up properly. Some are just outright silly like a drill press with a 2 inch throw.

You could hit the big box shops like Lowes but again, it is not the best quality but better than HF and if all you are going to do is cut little stuff they will work. If you want to resaw blocks of wood to make your own slabs for scales, cut bone, horn etc or possibly work into larger projects, spend the money up front and get good gear that will last a life. Craig's list is a good place to look, find a local Rockler or WoodCraft and take a look at what they have.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

You can get something done fast, right or cheap. Pick two.
I use old tools from craigslist or the such. I can usually get quality at a good price, but not everything is available all of the time. I'd check there

first.

If you are patient you can get good quality very cheap from craigslist.

Harbor Freight tools are cheap because they are, well, cheap. I went through two cheap (~$90) 4x36" sanders in a year (the motors blew up) before I gave up and bought a quality machine (a KMG). The motors and bearings in cheap machinery simply aren't designed to last very long at all.

If I were you, and I had a tight budget, I'd go with the method of "right and cheap", you don't need "fast" yet. There are only a couple pieces of equipment that will really improve the quality of work over using just hand tools. The first thing that comes to mind is a solid drill press. Shaping and sanding can be done by very accurately hand, poking holes in something is another matter. Get a good benchtop drill press and spend the rest on sandpaper and files/rasps.

The equipment I use most for my handle/blade work is a tablesaw, a drill press, a 2x72 grinder, and a spindle sander. The rest of the work is done by hand. I could do without the tablesaw by hand sawing or buying pre-cut scales. I could do without the 2x72 (with the exception of hollow grinding) by hand sanding/filing. I could do without the spindle sander by using a coping saw, rasp and sandpaper. I couldn't do my work without a drill press. Think carefully about how you're actually going to use your equipment. For example, I can't think of any use for a bench grinder aside from buffing (which is scary and can be done by hand).

Phillip

p.s. Harbor Freight is great for little things like cheapo clamps, beater drill bits, and scribes.

I had a cheap scrollsaw from HF, the part of the table around the blade was made of cheap plastic and would flex when working on small pieces, making scale work virtually impossible. The blade holder on it broke and had to be replaced. I finally broke down and bought a new one. For about $15 more than the HF one I got a much better quality saw at Home Depot. It's a Ryobi, not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination, but still far better than the one I had from Harbor Freight.

I am SO confused. I cant even figure out where to invest. I have roughly 250. I want to do blade restoration, and make scales. I had a harbor freight setup (bench grinder, scroll saw, belt sander) all for 240.00 but now after reading several threads im not so sure. I dont know if I should start with a basic hand coping saw and invest in the other 2. Totally lost. Each thread seems to contradict. Somebody tell me what to buy...LOL. Harbor freight? Ryobi? I know this thread has been done but there is usually no definitive answer

Okay... this probably isn't what you want to hear, but in the end it will help you a ton...


You cannot adequately tool yourself to do full restorations with $250. My advice would be:

Buy a the nicest edge sander $200 can buy, whether it is a belt or spindle is your preference.... something with a flat face, and at least one wheel you can use for inside curves.

Use the remaining $50 to buy a nice medium-cut rasp ("carpenter's file") and a coping saw. Buy your wood pre-thicknessed, use the coping saw to cut it in to blanks and rough shape, then use the belt sander to shape (and make wedges) and do all the profiling of the blade with your rasp.

Although I have a whole, huge woodshop at my disposal the only difference between this and what I do is I have a 14" bandsaw instead of a coping saw. The difference? The amount of time.