New to this site, "The poor mans wood shop"

Messages
9
Location
Avon, IN.
Hi All,
I am new to this website. I was refer here by one of your members. I have been looking at this website for some time and really enjoy reading the treads and your advice that everyone gives. I would like to give you some info on me. I have been into wood working for over 5 yrs now. I do not have all the expensive tools that is needed. In fact I have what you call a "Poor mans work wood shop". I take the cheap stuff and make it better. Let me show you what I have done....

Here are some pics of my saw/router table I made from scrap wood. I don't have the money for the big stuff, so I do what I can do.

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I also have a home made 12" sandpaper planer and a 3 tool station I have made.

Through the years I have saved money from b-days & xmas to buy a tool here and there. I have made some entertainment centers, but my next project will be my hardest. I am going to make a baby crib out of solid oak which will have several curves in it. This will be for my new baby girl coming this November. I will keep you posted with pics and I complete this project.

Let me know what you think? I hope I attached the pics right. If not. You can view my blog at woodmagazine.com under Danny Land.

It's good to be a part of this group and I know I will learn a lot from all of you....
 
Hi Daniel! :wave: Welcome.

No apologies needed, your work station looks really nice - good work, though it is a bit hard to see in those itty bitty pictures:D

Looking forward to seeing the construction pix for the crib. Sounds like a challenging project.
 
Welcome, Danny. You have to make no apologies for your tools or work. Even though your photos are small, the work is lookin' just fine.
I may be the most.....uh....frugal guy here. :rolleyes: I well understand how difficult equipping a shop can be. Many here are professional or professional level workers. We can learn a lot from them. They have been there and done that. For others, a small learning experience can be a great discovery.
BTW, I recently bought an old jointer for $50.00 and bragged mightily on it. I'm sure you do the same. Chime in anytime with questions or suggestions.
 
Mr stankovich:

it doesnt matter what you have in your tool box or how much you own.
what matters is that you get pleasure using your tools,. your skill and learning more skills.
I made my first mortise and tenon joint, I felt like I got a 98 on my first chemistry test in high school.
Im pretty new here, but hope to see more of your posts and work.
ask these guys/gals questions, its like hundreds of years experience combined into one board and helps one more than most think it does.
 
Welcome to the Family Dan. :wave:

Glad you made it here. You started out great, we love pics here and you have 3 in your first post!
 
Welcome Dan,
we're all pinching pennies these days, and to borrow a term from drag racing:
Run what you brung!

Make sawdust, or just make wood dust (as someone's sig line says, if it is Saw dust you're doing something wrong), doesn't have to be on the latest and greatest machinery, so long as it is yours and you can do so safely, right?
 
Welcome to the group.
That's a really nice work station. Like everyone else says - don't apologize for your tools - it's the process of using them and the work that comes out of the shop that matters.
Wasn't too long ago i was working in the basement of our apartment building with a single bulb hanging from 6' ceiling - me, a worn out old, cheap table saw, a work bench i threw together, and some "substantial" cock roaches.
Nicer tools don't make better projects - they just make it easier to get them done. There isn't much you can't do with a basic saw, a drill, a couple of hand planes, a good tape measure, a couple of decent chisels, some sand paper, and a work bench.
I say that, but now have been able to cobble together a pretty "complete" shop by dragging home old machinery and giving it a good once over. More than one machine in my shop came out of a dumpster, including my Inca joiner / planer combo, a small 1890's wood lathe, my dust collector, and a fair amount of the wood i've used.
Learning to refurbish older machines has been fun as well. I've learned a bunch of information and methods and met a host of great people. With very modest means, i've gotten together a really nice set up.
Whatever you do, have fun with it.
good luck - this is a good group here. Hope you enjoy it.
Paul Hubbman
 
Welcome Dan.

A lot of the folks here started out with very little in the way of equipment and tools. My first "table saw" was a handheld circular saw attached beneath a sheet of plywood resting on a couple saw horses. I think that worked better than my second one which was an 8 inch Black and Decker table top (I won't even glorify it by calling it a bench top saw). You can do more than you imagine with a bare minimum of tools by using your imagination and working around their limitations.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress posts on the crib.:thumb: If you don't push your limits, they will always limit you.
 
Thank you...

Thanks All for the compliments and encouragement towards my new hobby. As time goes by I will definitely keep everyone up to date on my projects and the on going additions to "The poor mans wood shop". :thumb:
 
Welcome to the family Daniel. :thumb:
The best tools will not make the best woodworker, so do not apologize for not having them. Besides you have achieved a lot with the ones you have:thumb:
 
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