I use my Ridgid oscillating sander quite often Definitely invest in a coarser compressor not cordless less money and more air! Belt sanders can destroy s project in a hurry I have 2 they mostly sit
I was going to say this too. Craftsman has this deal too and it goes on sale during the holidays. I’ve gotten so much use out of just the compressor and Brad nailer
Yeah, exactly what I have in my basement workshop. I think I paid a similar price for the PC w/nailers. I also got a stand-alone PC compressor for my garage, much more convenient for topping off tire pressure.
I can’t upvote this enough. I got the compressor and 16g combo which was around $100 at the time but I always wished I had gotten the three nailer combo instead of having to get them separately later. Would definitely recommend replacing the hose with a Flexzilla as it’s way more flexible and easier to roll up. A year ago I got all three Ryobi cordless nailers and I don’t have any complaints so far. The 16 and 18 were 2 for $120 without batteries during Black Friday deals which is well worth it. It’s nice not having to drag out the compressor/hose and wait for to get up ton pressure just for a couple nails.
Pro tip: never buy short sections of pipe. It costs many times more per linear foot as buying a 10' section and cutting it down, which they'll do for you right in the store, most times, and even thread them for you if you want threaded ends for later coupling them together. You can also very easily cut them down yourself with an angle grinder if you need to. Current example: a 3' section of 3/4" galvanized is $25 or a 10' is $33.
Agree on all except the belt sander. You can remove a lot more material quickly than with any palm sander. Of course, finishing requires using a palm sander or the like. But for quickly bringing a surface within the limits of a palm sander, you need a belt sander.
I think his point was that a sander can dig holes quickly, so in the hands of a beginner, they should be avoided. Also, no sanding should ever be pressed down (a beginner mistake). Belt, orbital, block, hand…. Let the sandpaper remove the surface, and let the dust get removed from the sandpaper. Pressure retains the dust and makes heat.
Random orbit sander and belt sander have completely different purpose. Former is for finish and latter is for (aggressive) material removal. If you are actually interested in woodworking as a beginner then invest in a hand planes / rasps or a cheap thickness planer depending on what you are trying to achieve. Would never recommend a handheld belt sander to anyone interested in fine woodworking, whatever the experience. You can get a benchtop belt/disk sander combo for cheap.
I am a retired cabinet maker. Spent many hours with all types of sanders. They all have their purpose. And they all require learning how and when to use.
@@sdkee - I guess you’ve never used a scraping card, but that would be the one sander I would never be without. More than the most bang for the buck, it’s a must have in my shop.
Completely agree. To suggest that a random orbital sander can be a replacement for a belt sander is ridiculous. They are for completely different purposes. Just learn how to properly use the belt sander. It’s really not that difficult.
Finish Carpenter here, I love my Milwaukee cordless brad nailer! It has the bump option too. I do agree that it is heavy but that has never been a problem for me. You are right though not a beginner tool that is needed.
I have never worked with wood and I don’t think I’ll ever woodwork but I’ve seen almost every video you’ve posted in the past year purely because I enjoy watching your videos
This is an old video so just want to make a recommendation to anyone needing a planer, harbor freights Hercules planer kicks ass! Just ran 8 white oak boards that were 12ft long long through it without a single tool problem!
I have been woodworking for 3 years. I finally broke down and bought the Rigid spindle/belt sander. It is a game changer for me. I build toys and furniture with curves so it gets used a lot. Amazing tool.
Yeah the guy is using the belt sander for the wrong project then complains about it.... I can put my belt sander upside down and use it for small pieces can't do that with the random orbit sanders.
I agree. I'm not a beginner, but, I use my Ridgid spindle sander often and haven't ever had any problems or complaints. When I purchased mine the cost was only $199.
While I'm at it, I have a handheld belt sander also. I used it to completely remove the finish off a butcher-block style countertop. That would have taken forever with a ROS. For $45, refurbished, it was worth the purchase for that project alone. But I agree that it is too expensive at full price, and too tricky to use, for a beginner tool.
I use that exact model he has, it's aight. I also use homemade table and sanding discs and drums on my lathe. The oscillating belt sander from rigid is great when it's useful but it gets used less than some homemade sketchy shit.
I got my spindle sander as a xmas gift years ago and i use it all the time. She spent 199 on it as well. I also just got the ridged version of that bench top planer dirt cheep when i got most of a shop from a person retiring and moving into an apartment.
Love how brutally honest this is. So many TH-camrs out there going soft so they can get the brand endorsement. I feel like I can actually trust this. Thank you!
Some added points for nailers if you're considering buying! - For those who plan to nail a lot during projects, cordless nailers are considerably heavier than the corded versions (a couple more pounds adds up over a project while using an extended arm) - Getting the compressor gives you shop air for future tools, vehicle tires, blowing dust off clothes and projects (very handy) - Compressors can extend into pneumatic tools like automotive sanders, grinders, drills and hammers The only upside I can give to a power nailer is that it's quieter in general compared to a charging compressor, and a bit more portable depending on your compressor hose
you won't be able to use this little compressor for anything other than pumping tyres and shooting small nails. would be better of buying a cordless one or purchasing wired big compressor.
@@E_Proxy it means that the air hose constant tension of being dragged around is worse than the weight of a large battery that would run a cordless nailer all week. Which means you could use a smaller battery for day to day, be lighter, less hassle, and no loud compressor.
I definitely think the Kreg saw guide is worth is if you don’t have the money for a track saw or a table saw. I used mine for years. It was great and it broke once after 6 years and Kreg sent me another one without any questions. It was worth the 30 dollars it cost.
After years and years of struggling to evenly cut plywood sheets using clamps and a 48" drywall T-square, I finally got the Kreg saw guide. I'm kicking myself for waiting this long. I always thought, "eh.. I don't really do that much woodworking, and I only have a few sheet cuts." Now I see the light! I agreed with John on all his other advice tips, but for me the Kreg guide is excellent. (Although, if I was promoting a TikTok video to make a track saw guide, I'd probably say differently. Ha ha)
I got the festool Ts-75 track saw and tracks. Nothing I've ever used cuts this good. Not even our Bosch table saw can cut as fine with a brand new blade on it. The edges of the wood are so sharp they look dangerous. I don't know the kreg setup, but I've used various skill saws on various straight edges with equally inferior results. All of which have provided inferior results to our Bosch table saw as far as the cut itself is concerned. I do hope the kreg system works good. I like kreg. If it was out when I got my track saw it would have been in contention for sure. Nowadays everybody's saws run on tracks! The festool rotex sanders are awesome too. You can switch that baby to turbo mode and remove material almost as fast as a belt sander but with much finer results. Again I know other companies now make sanders like these. I don't know if they're as powerful, but I do know their cheaper. But I've used this festool to sand concrete patch. It's that robust!
I have the Ridgid oscillating sander and I use it all the time. Ironically one of the reasons I like it most is a one-stop-shop sanding station and I like it BECAUSE I don't have to have Several different sanding tool.
I purchased the ridgid sander way back when it was $99 and use it a lot, but now mainly as a spindle sander, because I have a bench top belt sander now as well. Good suggestions, because I have experience almost all of the same as you
I also use mine a lot. I had the drill adaptors and hated them. also have to be careful with the drill drum bits. The bearings are not designed for lateral loads and can get tweaked.
Parallel clamps are meant more for cabinetry and boxes. Pipe clamps can start to bow over long runs so they have their limits too.I would still recommend parallel clamps for casework though.
I've found the jaws of the pipe clamps to be too short. My dad and I used to do a lot of 3 1/2" benchtops. If you put all of the pipe clamps on one side, the benchtop boards tend to fan. You have to put half of the bar clamps on the bottom of the benchtop and half on the top, which means at least half of your bar clamps need to be very similar so it's all even on the bottom, or things get wonky. The parallel clamps worked well because the jaws were the right length.
For nail guns for a beginner I'd suggest one of the 3 gun and compressor kits. Their all Identical but sell under porter cable, craftsman, bostitch and many others brands for around $200.
I got the Ridgid set the hose is trash but everything else is great. And I do mean the hose is trash it's in a dumpster right now damn thing burst Friday
years ago I got the porter cable combo with the compressor, brad nailer, finish nailer (i don't remember the gauge and don't use it much), and stapler. The stapler is basically useless, but having the two nailers and a compressor that can run all day is worth every penny
I have that very DeWalt Orbital Sander. I use it literally all the time because I have to work outside a lot, and because I use rough, dirty wood (old discarded pallets) it's great for just throwing some low-grit pads on and running over everything to get off dirt, mold, rough edges and other stuff to make the wood nicer to handle, or prep for painting. I also use it for quail cages so they dont have a ton of rough surfaces to hurt themselves on or for their mess to work into. And without a cord, it makes it especially wieldly and handy to have at the ready. Admittedly it wasn't something I originally wanted, since I only got it with a package deal for something else and thought I could give it away as a gift. And granted I'm not some experienced master woodworker, as I've only started doing anything significant the past few months, but so far I am very glad I kept it, because honestly I use it more than any other tool so far besides my drills for wood stuff, and while it takes a bit more time, the finished project is that much nicer. It helps that it's also rather cathartic and soothing to use. That doesn't mean I'm advocating a beginner get one, but it certainly still has it's uses.
Hi John, just wanted to let you know I don't even really do woodworking but I watch all your videos because you and your team produce such entertaining content. Thank you!
The first big tool purchase I made was a Bostitch air compressor combo kit that came with a 16 gauge finish nailer, 18 gauge brad nailer and stapler. I've had it for at least 15 years now and everything still works perfectly. I have the 12" Dewalt planer also and I never have issues with it.
The cordless 18g brad nailer though, is a great tool for installing and doing touchups at clients houses without having to carry a loud compressor. The ONLY downside I have with them, is the weight. Trying to get into smaller spaces, or on different angles, the weight can really be a burden on your wrists.
Wouldn't disagree, but I use a small air tank with my pneumatic brad nailer (that I bought long before cordless ones existed) and it works great for small jobs. You can run a *lot* of small nails off of that tank. It has a lot of other uses as well, so that's an added bonus. Multi-use tools are always nice.
I am a full-time remodel contractor and I 100% agree with all of your comments. Everyone around me is using cordless nailers but I still prefer my pneumatic Makita 23, 18, 16 and framing guns. Faster, lighter and as you said, there are many other uses for the compressor on site (inflating my truck tires too!). I use the 2 gal Makita quiet unit @ 60 db that I can run with my clients on a zoom call in the next room! 100% agree with your sander advice too - - - Great tips!
I was a full time remodeler and hated corded nailers. Cordless makes it way faster and safer since you don't need to chase cords around or worry about tripping over them when the wrap around your foot like they always seam to do.
By the time you buy the pipe clamp, and the pipe, you have spent the same money as a parallel clamps from Harbor Freight which are outstanding, or the Jorgensons when they are on sale. The price of black pipe has gotten completelt out of hand
Yeah if you can get scrap pipe you're better off. All the pipe i have came from who knows where. I know I didn't buy any of it though. I even have a pipe die to thread pipe with. So even if I find lengths of pipe with no thread on it I can make that work. I don't have a power threader but for how often I thread pipe what I got is OK.
I've been using pipe clamps for about three decades. I agree the Jorgensons are good -- you can get pretty decent tension on them, but I always forget I have them. I'm always using pipe clamps!
I definitely agree with John's point about air-nailer > battery-nailer. It may be even more simple than that... I think for most folks with a shop or garage, air power is the go-to style for all the reasons he listed (weight, power, functionality, etc). So if you've already got that air-nailer-hose setup, then JUST purchasing the battery-powered air compressor INSTANTLY gives you mobility. Plus, you get the added benefits of air power for a blow gun for cleaning, a tire inflator, air hammer chisel, impact wrench, die grinder, etc, etc. And if you come equipped with enough charged batteries for the compressor, you won't even need access to electricity on the job site. Great tip, John! Thanks.
A drill press imo is a perfect beginner tool. It allows you to make perfect repeatable holes, you can add sander pits, forsner bits, etc. Wen's cheap drill press has worked for me for a couple years and other than occasionally not having enough power, it's been great and I've used it for so many things.
The problem is that a good drill press (here in the US anyways) is $600 and up. I ended up just making a homemade version (good learning process for new users as well) with a corded hammer drill. Now, I'm not restricted by size, strength, or cost (with drill, it cost me $150, but I went big.) The low cost drill presses (WEN, HF, etc) are all really poor quality, and easily outgrown.
@@carterscustomrods I'd disagree, 99% of people will never need anything above a 10" drill press. The benchtop presses may take more time to drill, but they can still do it. I've drilled 2" deep holes with a 2" forsner bit into hard maple with my cheap drill press.
To be fair, I found the Kreg circular saw guide you showed very handy. For anyone reading this and not knowing what it is, it's actually a parallel guide, so you can set the width of the cut, and run the outer guide along the reference edge of the wood you are cutting. This allows for accurate repeatable cuts (in lieu of having stable saw) which I found very handy when building some ornament display shelves for our house.
I'm on my second Kreg Rip-Cut and have no regrets. It's definitely one of those tools that I don't use very often but, when use it, I'm so glad I bought it. Definitely worth the money for me.
Definitely not one I don't use often but when I use it makes life akot easier. Like if you have to rip shelves or sides for cabinets or bookcases set it rip and just roll.
I use mine to break down panels all the time and it's really nice to have around. Plus... They're like $35. I see it as a tool for a different use case than an actual track saw.
In my experience I neve bought one, I just have a large flat piece of wood that I attach with clamps in any position and angle I want and I get excelent results.
My 40 year old, bought new, 24" Makita belt sander is still working strong... sanding 10's of thousands of board feet.... without one repair.... best sander I've ever owned... that includes others that I still have... an older Porter Cable 6x4" orbital, 5" Milwaukee orbital, 4" Makita palm, 18" Bosch belt and a few others... another excellent sander is any 10" sanding disk on a 10" calibration blade for the table saw.... love it..
I have had the old 12" Dewalt planner (2-blade) for at least 15 years. The overload has never tripped. I would like a bigger one with helical head, but the sucker won't die, and I'm too cheap to upgrade. 😊 Same thing with my Dewalt single bevel non sliding miter saw.
Yeah I have an old model DeWalt thickness planer and it's never popped the overload. I think once you pop it once it'll keep popping easier then. You have to be careful with running them on extension cords too. Too thin a cord and it'll make the tool bog down.
I've popped the overload when going too deep on heavy boards; especially when the opposite face is warped in a certain way. When the boards are long and heavy, using roller stands on each end while ensuring there's nothing causing additional friction on the infeed/outfeed helps tremendously. If it does pop, successive pops in a short span are much easier. If you have a bunch of planing to do, you might be better off with unplugging it and waiting 15-20 minutes, and then trying again.
One of the first power tools I bought was a Makita 100mm belt sander. It's worked faultlessly for 38 years, and has great dust extraction. I use it every time I do woodworking.
I don’t use power tools often, but I do own that DeWalt planer - I don’t think I’ve ever tripped the fuse and I’ve used it on several table builds, a cabinet, multiple boxes, a mantle, and my Roubo bench. It IS stupidly heavy, but I also haven’t tipped it over. I usually start my projects from rough 8/4 so I appreciate a planer. Having a jointer from the 60s that someone gave me also helps the process. I certainly wouldn’t mind the better version, but even though I am much further along in my woodworking, I haven’t considered it worthwhile to upgrade. I will say that I am primarily a hand tool woodworker and mostly use power tools for dimensioning lumber, so I am planing the surfaces with a hand plane afterwards so minor surface issues aren’t going to matter to me.
After buying my first Black and Decker corded power drill 25 years ago, the very next tool I bought was a Rigid belt sander. I used that thing once and then stored it for two decades. I only recently got it back out, freed up a seized pully and used it again, but you're 100% correct on the orbital sander being more robust. If I made a list of things beginners shouldn't buy (or at least wait to buy), it would be a 1/2" router. Even after years of projects, I find myself using my little 18V Makita router far more than the far bigger and heavier Bosch that I bought first.
Harbor freight has some air nailers/staplers for well under 30 bucks that are workable. However I bought that Ryobi cordless brad nailer before I even had a house and it’s one of my favorite purchases and most used tools. Super convenient, and doesn’t require extra storage space (which was at a premium in my apt rentals).
We have had a HF compresser for over 20 years that has been abused in every way known to man. - Had to replace the pressure sqitch a couple years ago but other then that it is running like new. - We do not use them like a carpenter would but we have every HF nailer they make,,,,If you use Bostich nails, NO problems in over 5 years,,,,,and we are Industrial Contractors.
K-bodies aren't great if you're a BEGINNER. But I regret waiting so long to get some. I can use them for TONS of things other than panel glue-ups. They are GREAT.
I agree. I also agree that pipe clamps are plenty for beginners. As a semi pro, I think I must have 100 clamps that are for 12" and bigger, and another 50 for smaller clamps. One just can't have too many clamps.
Picked up a Rigid set at home depot a couple months ago. Got a compressor, 18ga nailer, 18ga stapler, and a 16ga nailer with hose all in the package for I think around 350-400...Not an insanely expensive package, HUGE edition to the shop!
If you are already on Ryobi cordless, the 18 ga nailer can be had for ~$90 online battery only, it has bump feature and is a worthwhile addition in my opinion. I also have an air nailer but also grab the cordless unless I need full angled framing size
I have the Ryobi nailer, also, and loved it until it stopped shooting nails. Found a video on how to take it apart and lube it. It started working again for that project. A couple of months later when I got it out again, it wouldn't shoot nails again.
I have made a lot of furniture. Nice to know I made the right choices for a lot of my tool purchases. I use the Pipe clamps for panels. an attachment on the drill press for spindle sanding, a corded orbital sander, and the bigger DeWalt planer. I do, however love my 18 ga brad nailer. It has limited uses, but the places where I do use it *chef's kiss*
Killer info. I've been woodworking for 30 years and gotta admit clamps was one thing I bought that all the cool kids had(bessey) and spent thousands on them. I never even considered HF pipe clamps. I'm going out to get some right now. I do have some pipe clamps and they are leaps and bounds easier to clean glue off of than K clamps as well. Thanks man!
Spot on with the comments about the nail guns. The air compressor is by default extremely versatile and there are a hundred different air powered tools you can buy that can be useful. Several years ago I bought a 6 gallon craftsman compressor that came with 3 different tools in the kit. All three were great and I've added 2 or 3 other items over the years. (They aren't cordless but I don't have to move the compressor often).
Great video. As someone who started out as a mechanic I can’t imagine not having a compressor but even now as I predominantly focus on woodworking the compressor is very useful around the house. The cordless nailers are way overpriced and completely unnecessary if you work in a shop. Also I never understood the cordless sander since it is hooked up to a vacuum anyway. I appreciate the honesty John and I am very glad to hear my glue ups are just as good with my pipe clamps.
I started out as a mechanic too, but 95% of the tools I use at home now are cordless. My air compressor, which is about as big as you can get on 120v, primarily exists for inflating tires at this point. Really only my air hammer and large impact are the only things that use air any more. At least on that end.
When I first got an air compressor I thought every house should just be plumbed with air. When you're first starting out cheap air tools are cheap. I have air everything. Air drills, air sanders. air die grinders. You name it I have an air tool for it. But as I went along I replaced most of my air tools with electric ones.
I have that Dewalt 734 planer you were saying not to buy and I'm happy with it. I don't have tip over problems because its on a mobile base ( I do all of my thickness planing and sanding right outside the shop, so less shop dust and I don't worry about dust collection on those tools that way), I've never had it bog down but I don't do thick cuts ( but i'm a hobbyist, not doing production)
I have the 734 and did a whole kitchen's worth of cabinet face frames and door rail/stiles with it. Soft maple over 40 board foot. I also planed red oak for a 30" by 10 foot bar top. I have done a lot of other miscellaneous planing of maple and pine. I never tripped the 20 amp breaker or the on board overload. I also have not had to even reverse the blades. From time to time i have to wax the bed. I have been very happy with it. Mine is also attached to a rolling cart - was not aware it can be tippy. Using a small roll around dust collector with a thien separator kept clogging at the dust intake so I just run it without collection and sweep - pretty sure my frankenstein dust collection is just not powerful enough.
Old woodworker here (45 yrs exp). I agree with everything you said except for the belt sander. Get an OLD Porter Cable 363 or Delta 4"'x24" or 3"x21" belt sander and learn how to use it. You can probably pick up an old used one for $50 and all you'll ever replace are belts and maybe a set of brushes. Once you master it you'll use it quite a bit. You can do some damage so make sure to practice with it, keep it flat and keep it moving.
Excellent list. I'm more of a hobbyist and DIYer than actual woodworker, but I agree with most of this list. I have a belt sander I picked up for $5 at a garage sale 5 years ago, and I've only used it 3x, all for retrofitting doors. But I disagree on the nailgun. While air-powered tools are indeed cheaper and more versatile in the long run, I physically cannot handle the pitch/sound of an air compressor, especially indoors. The Ryobi battery-powered nailgun is an excellent introductory gun, and can get into places where a nailgun/compressor combo is too bulky or annoying to work around.
I second this. In fact, the video talks about how heavy the cordless version is and specifically mentions how hard it would be to deal with on a ladder. Well, I've tried both, and running an air compressor hose up a ladder is much more trouble and even dangerous than a cordless tool that is unlikely to snag on something and pull you off balance.
I had the dewalt planer and experienced all the issues you mentioned. I now have the Metabo which costs less than the dewalt but is so much better. Wider feed too for 13” boards
I agree with everything except for the Ridgid oscillating sander... I use mine daily! I really wouldn't want to be without it! ... When I first got it, I made a little cubby hole to store it in, but lifting it out daily got old fast and I quickly realized that I needed to build a cart for it and give it a dedicated spot in my shop.
I use my Ridgid oscillating spindle/belt sander a lot, too. I’m not a beginner by a long shot, but it has given huge value for money. I mostly use it in belt mode for adjusting small items.
I love my DeWalt 735 thickness planer. In 4 years of use, I have NEVER popped a breaker, and I don't baby it. ALso the second speed does cut down on sanding!
as a beginner woodworker, the quick clamps and pipe clamps is pretty much all you need. Parallel ones are really nice when some of your material isn't perfect - usually to due to my error. For example if something cups or moves on you then that larger grip face of the parallel clamp is a lifesaver -- but I would only buy Bessey on a big sale, and that was more of a treat
Great list man. The only reason I have a belt sander is I got it from my dad. old Porter Cable, solid, works well, I used it twice I think. I prefer to use either a planer for larger projects or my trusty Scrub plane for fast wood removal. Compressor is definitely the way to go. Even if you have a battery system set up, pneumatic tools are universal. They all work with the same connector. And you can pump up your own tires, blow leaves, etc. seriously, 2 best tools for any garage are an air compressor and a power washer. best investments I've ever made. Yeah I know, power washer isn't a woodworking tool, but once you have one at the house, you don't know how you lived without it for so long, just like the air compressor.
Another great video, John! The reason I look forward to Sunday mornings is to watch your latest video! You were spot on with your tips and from my personal experience, I've realized that portable, battery-powered tools aren't always the best option. I do 95% of my work in a shop that has plenty of outlets so it's really not a big deal to run a cord to a tool - more power, no waiting for batteries to charge, etc. I honestly think as a beginning woodworker, some of the only cordless tools to invest in would be a cordless drill & impact driver combo kit. I was recently looking at the cordless nailers after seeing all of the TH-camrs with them and thought, wow, that's a tool I need; then I looked at the price, sat back and thought about how much I'd really use it (and would actually need cordless), and decided it wasn't worth the investment... especially when I already have an assortment of air nailers and air compressors. When you plopped the Dewalt planer on the table is when I really perked up because I thought I was going to have to disagree with you BUT you again were spot on and now I might need to sell that exact planer and invest in the upgrade that you recommended. I struggled planing a batch of maple boards thru one of those planers having to take off MAYBE 1/64"/pass - I got the job done, but I think I spent an entire day on the planer. I will say that my DW734 is on the Dewalt stand, so it's not really unstable but that doesn't do anything to help with it being underpowered. Looking forward to future videos! Thanks, John!!
Not to mention longevity. Corded tools will still be working 10 years from now. Due to do batteries along, cordless tools will have a much shorter lifespan. This is fine for a pro that uses tools all day every day and wears them out. For hobby and occasional use corded is a much better value in most case. Except for the most used tools, like drill/driver.
Plus, there is a reason the name "Pipe Clamp" doe not have the word "Parallel" in them. How many time do you really glue up boards that are wider than 36 inches anyway?
Used the heck out of my Rigid spindle/belt sander. Loved it. Also had the same dewalt planer and used it constantly for everything I did. I put it on a dedicated rolling home made cart and loved it. Couldn't afford the 13" at the time.
Excellent video! I will say that a cheap Warrior harbor freight belt sander ($30-$40) plus a hyper tough 2 amp 1/4 sheet palm sander ($20) is an excellent combo, as I really enjoy the ability to flip the belt sander over and sand small pieces that couldn't be done on any type of palm sander. The belt sander is also great at sharpening tools and a few other applications, as i do not have any kind of bench sander. Ace hardware carries belts even the 3x18 that the warrior belt sander uses and you can get 5(!) bi-directional belts for under $10.
Thanks, John. I personally like my belt sander as it removes lots of material, way faster than the random orbital sander, but you're right, if you are not careful, you can destroy your project. With practice, this becomes a great tool. Thanks for the advice on the spindle sander, I was looking at that same one... I love my pipe clamps. So easy to change the length by just buying the right pipes (which are pretty cheap). As a rule, I do not buy tools if I do not have an immediate need. I always look at doing stuff with what I have, first... Great video!
I've had a belt sander since HF was bright orange and it's definitely a rarely used tool. A plane of similar cost would honestly be more valuable for most uses.
Learn how to use a scrub plane. When you learn how to use hand planes your belt sander will get a lot less use woodworking. Shavings > dust! That and spend the time to learn how to sharpen and use a card scraper. I know getting that to work ain't easy. But once you do it's amazing. I still use sandpaper but I use a lot less sandpaper today than I used to. Now I use sandpaper to rough a surface up so it'll accept a finish. Burnished wood stains funny.
As a diy woodworker I'd say the biggest trap are cheap hand tools. Made that mistake several times. Especially chisels. Ended up with a set of Stanley short blade chisels that have lasted me 15 years now and were under £50. Always sharpen up nice.
I find cheap chisels aren’t much of a problem as long as you take good care of them. An MDF wheel on a bench grinder with a little buffing compound makes short work of sharpening and brings it up to a near mirror finish. I do a lot of destruction for materials, so having chisels that I’m not too concerned about damaging is pretty invaluable for me
@@snaile2876cheap chisels definitely have their place. I was telling some former colleagues that my most effective workbench was actually just a pallet cut in half and then plopped on a scrap 2x4 and 4x4 frame. I literally don't care about it because it was practically free, so I'm not precious about what I do to it.
Cheap chisels are the best! You put them out where people can find them, and keep your 100+ year old Buck Brothers chisels out of sight. When someone comes along to borrow a chisel to chip the grout off their bathroom tile, you can tell 'em just to keep it.
Some cheap chisels can be OK. Chisels are a crap shoot. Before they got a name Narex chisels were cheap. They're the best chisels made. So price is not always an indicator of quality.
Love the belt sander. I had a lot of irregular planks to sand down and and two large timber benchtops that had epoxy paint on them. Blew up my orbital sander in short order and decided a belt sander was the way to go. It did the planks quickly. The recycled benchtops still had residual epoxy on them even after spending two days with some extremely vile stripper to remove it. The belt sander finished the job in no time after working through some finer grade belts I had a surface ready for a final finish with my replacement orbital sander. The result was two really nice solid timber benches with a beautiful polyurethane finish. For a nailer i had a lot of cabinets and shelves to assemble so I brought a very cheap ($30) mains powered nail gun. Its been a case of not being able to afford high quality tools when I was getting started so I went for the cheap and dirty option. The plan has always been that as I get experience and see what I really need I'll gradually replace them with better tools.
Yep I bought one for detail work when refinishing a floor. Now I use it as a shaper or almost a power plane. Not needed for a beginner but very useful.
I have that planer and the spindle sander. I rarely use the planer because I mainly work with plywood but the spindle sander has been a huge help when fine shaping templates.
I can agree with most of what you said but after woodworking for 50 years, I have found the belt sander to be enormously helpful. I use in in a vice for sharping tools, with 60 grit paper for rough finishing raw wood, and removing old finishes. As to price I have a couple of $40-$60 sanders from Amazon which have been working beautifully for 6 years! If you get gouges with it, you are using it wrong and forcing the tool. Let the tool do the work.
I don't know what the overlap is between people who watch woodworking TH-camrs and people who know enough philosophy to catch your Jeremy Bentham reference, but in case it's small, know that I see you, Mr. Malecki.
Yeah, I'm one of them and was trying to see anyone else had commented on it before leaving my own. Him not acknowledging this comment makes me a bit sad.
100% agree with all of these. I think anyone that argues otherwise is more into tools for the sake of tools. I'd add - the only cordless/battery tools that make sense to buy first are a 1/4" drill and an impact driver, and that's just because those are small and light, and they don't make corded versions much anymore. For saws and everything else, go corded. For nailers, go air powered unless you're a framing pro and prefer fuel or cordless. For a benchtop planer, the HF is better and cheaper than the DW. I'd also get a jointer, floor model, before a planer.
Dude you just crushed me 😂 i own 4 out of 5 tools you mentioned and I planned to buy 3 honourable mentions 😂😂😂 you really got me thinking with my choices and for that, thank you 💪
Buy what you want and don't let any TH-camr dissuade you. Get multiple opinions of course, but in the end, everyone has their own needs/budgets or fall into deals that make a certain tool worth it. For example I use my Ridgid Oscillating Belt/Spindle sander A LOT even though he doesn't. I also love my Kreg Rip Cut that I just bought. It isn't junk. It works for me.
@@stevenlarson6125 sure but it all comes down to what are you actually doing. I did buy some stuff from that list and it's just collecting dust so I can relate to that surprisingly accurate list for me. As for the sander I can't see myself not using it. It's first on my shopping list to sand things shaped on the band saw that I can't do on a belt sander because of the angles. Right now I'm sanding it with a sandpaper on a broom stick so the need sander shape checks out 😂
I repair furniture and do small projects as well. I agree with the bench top planer. My first was an older Delta, and it worked well for what it was. I paid $85 for it and used it for 2 years, sold it for $150 after adding the dust collection port. I now have an older Makita 2030. It is a 6" jointer over a 12" planer. It is a beast and I love it. As far as the pin nail/brad guns go, I went to Harbor Freight. I already had a compressor and couldn't justify the pricey M12 pin nailer. I also didn't want to delve into a new battery platform with the M18 brad nailer. Harbor has some good options that perform well and won't break the bank. So I saved the best for last. After helping my brother in Florida complete a 14' White Oak, live edge conference table, I will be purchasing a Festool sander. I used his 6" and 3..5" sander and fell in love. The dust collection is off the charts, and they work incredibly well. I look forward to my next table refinish with this sander in my shop.
My thoughts on your suggestions regarding a beginning wood worker. Number one is buy once cry once. Buy the best or close to the best. When is the last time you regretted buying a quality item? I bought an oscillationg spindle sander specifically to be able to "sand to a line". I made some wooden templates and sanded them to the outline drawn with a pen. It is very difficult to cut right on a line and have the cut smooth. If you have a curvy template you cannot use a table saw and a jig saw or band saw will nut produce a really smooth edge like you need with a template. Bessey clamps are pricey but they are good and more convenient than the iron pipe clamps and lighter in weight too. You don't need a "ton" of clamping pressure even on panel glue ups. That glue coming out when clamped is glue that is no longer in the joint. You don't need more pressure than the Bessey type clamps provide. Belt sanders are seldom needed to never needed in fine woodworking but if you have a lot of material to hog out, they are irreplaceable. I vote for air tools even though I don't have any but not that air compressor. You need to get a quiet type air compressor. Battery sanders are only good if you have next to nothing to sand. As you mentioned, no power batteries drain no dust collection.
Yeah. I'd go so far as to say that on the planer front, just buy the DeWalt 13 incher and put the Shelix head in before you even turn it on. Sure, it nearly doubles the price, but being able to eliminate blades as a variable when you're just figuring things out is amazing.
Sir, you saved me 300€. I was going to buy a couple of these parallel clamps for my table project (2,5m long and 1,2m wide) and the clamps for that would cost 350 - 400€. Now I'm buying the pipe clamps for a fraction of the price. Best thanks 😊
I am getting into some bigger projects and was actually looking at parallel clamps, but I will definitely be getting some pipe clamps from Habor Freight. Thanks for saving me some money.
I have just started into woodworking and I agree with most of your suggestion. As a homeowner and a DIY, I went down the Ryobi line for drills, nailer and sanders, all battery powered. I am constantly having to stop and change batteries when I use the orbital sander, nail gun is heavy and clunky to use. Panel clamps are expensive so I went with pipe clamps and found them to be very adaptive. I thought about getting the spindle sander, but noticed the table was support on just one side,NG. I spent the extra money on a good planer (Grizzly) that came with the Heliclal head, very happy with it. All in all a very good video. Thank you for my affirmation.
Wow! The DeWalt compressor, without battery, is £350 here in the UK (about US$430). Then you'd need to add a charger and battery(s), as well as the air nailer. With the Ryobi cordless nailer being about £180, it changes the maths quite a lot!
Why should you by cordless compressor in your shop, I bought a silent Hyundai compressor 25 liter for 175 euro and a 3 nail guns for 60 euro. Use it almost daily for 2 years and still happy whit it.
I got my handheld belt sander at a garage sale for $5 and it works great. Yes, if you don't know how to control it, it will take off on you and gouge your project. You definitely have to keep you hands on it. Mine is an old Craftsman from the 1970's. I also have one from the 50's or 60's that is mostly for show, but it works great too. My biggest recommendation for ANY new woodworker is to not waste your money on NEW tools (until you get more experience and know what you really 'need' vs want). Garage/estate sales, flea markets and pawn shops have plenty of tools. Most of the time you can at least power it on before you buy it. In every pawn shop I've ever purchased a tool from, I've always negotiated a 30 day return agreement with the pawn shop guy. I can also say that I've never had to return a tool either. For those that are worried about purchasing 'stolen' goods from a pawn shop, reputable shops are required to register certain items (i.e. tools, bicycles, yard equipment, etc.) with the police so they can run serial numbers to see if the item was stolen or not. They are not allowed to sell stolen items.
When I was first getting into woodworking, Biscuit jointers were the #1 must have. I might have 3 of them somewhere in the shop, but I haven't used one in nearly a decade. Great video, and I like that you touched on the idea of buying some of these used, or an upgraded counterpart, which is great. Too many deals out there waiting to be had.
Only festool I own is the domino xl. They really are fantastic. Biscuit joiners seem useless to me anymore, just became a surface for dust to settle lol
My fiance and her daughter got me a handheld belt sander for Christmas. Was from harbor freight off of their damaged box table for about 20$ I can use it by hand or clamp it to my work bench and use it as a stationary belt sander. All in all for the price and use I have gotten out-of it im glad I have it
When I first started, I thought Kreg was a high end God-send of woodworking tools, for all of thier jigs and gimmicky stuff. I bought their pocket hole jig, and then their universal track to attach to my existing circular saw. The trac kit absolutely sucks! I do use the pocket hole jig quiet a bit, but I've determined that the rest of their stuff is gimmicky junk.
@@jasonvandergriff7809: Yeah, I bought the Kreg Rip-Cut circular saw guide. I was able to get the job done fairly accurately, but it was pretty awkward to use and not the easiest to make accurate rips.
Pipe Clamps are the way to go! Make your money back in no time. Fortunately I inherited about a dozen various sizes. My first project many years ago, was building a wall/ entertainment unit. The pipe clamps worked perfectly.
No offense, and I certainly realize you're far more experienced with woodworking than I'll ever hope to be, but it seems a bit silly to claim an orbital sander would replace a belt sander. It's like trying to replace a pickup truck with a SUV. Yes, you can carry lumber in both, but you're going to carry a whole lot more lumber in a lot fewer trips with the pickup truck. Use the truck to do the heavy lifting, and the SUV to take the family out to dinner. In other words, you're using a belt sander to remove a lot of material rather quickly, and the orbital sander to smooth it all out and do the finishing work. Again, I'm no expert when it comes to woodworking, as I did automotive pain and body work for a lot of years, but I've sure as heck done a whole lot of sanding over the years, but given what I have to say on the subject, I'd love to know your thoughts. On a side note, my Ridgid benchtop Spindle/Belt Sander Combo does in fact collect A LOT of dust. I mean A WHOLE LOT of saw dust. That's because there's been very few projects I've done over the years where this thing hasn't been incredibly useful. It easily makes the Top Ten list of best tool investments I've made. Sure, most times I use it are just for little 30 seconds at a time tasks like rounding off an edge, or smoothing an inside circle, or to knock off some burs, or any number of other quick and easy little tasks like that. However, I couldn't begin to count the number of hours to which those little 30 second uses have added up. I can't imagine being without this thing now.
As a retired custom cabinetmaker: Pony brand pipe clamps all day. Versatile and last forever. A decent belt sander is quite versatile and doesn’t have to be expensive, and often have dust collection bags. A good DA orbital sander is pretty much indispensable. Air nailer is The Way. Cordless nailer is just silly in my opinion, and as you said: a compressor is very much more useful. Saw guide/tracks: just grow the skill to run a circular saw straight. A contractor tablesaw is far better in my experience. A bench sander: just flop your belt sander on its side and build a quick jig to hold it: done deal! That mortising machine is crazy. Just get skilled with a sharp chisel. Honestly, in forty years of building high end carpentry I never needed one. Sharp pocket knife and chisel did everything I needed. Pretty solid advice. I’ve used an old Sears contractor saw up to a Rockwell Unisaw, Powermatic cabinet saw and even a 20k dollar Laguna sliding tablesaw and a Streibig panel saw…definitely worth spending a little more on good tools, but don’t get crazy: the same skills will give pretty similar results with a decent contractor grade saw as a high end cabinet saw. Sharp blades, square fence, wax the table to cut friction and skill in handling the stock through the machine. Enjoy!!
The belt sander can be helpful for pallet wood. I have used it quite a bit when I want the sanding grooves to go with the grain of the board but also a little rough and rustic at the end.
Also it’s one of my favourite tools. I have two of them. Large and small. It has zero downsides such as vacuum dust collection is a breeze, gouging doesn’t happen when you use it properly, belts don’t stretch if you de-tension them after use, and last a long time. I even use the big one for initial flattening of end grain cutting boards.
I agree. I bought a cordless rotary sander the other day -I'm taking it back because, as he said here, it had no power. It stopped with just about any pressure I put on it when trying to sand off paint from my window.. taking it back tomorrow.
Well, I definitely couldn't afford bessey parallel clamps starting out, they are amazing. I got mine by waiting for sales on the multipacks but they really are the best clamps. I still use my k clamps a lot but haven't touched a pipe clamp since.
Totally agree, I have some really long pipe clamps that I use because they are 7’ long- besides that I never reach for pipe clamps over the bessey clamps.
I agree with everything you said except the dewalt planer dw 734. I love mine. Mine has never tripped the built in circuit breaker since I've owned it. I do agree its top heavy so I've got it mounted to a platform I built with infeed/outfeed. Works great IMO. My only complaint is minor snipe. But you get that with the dw735 too from what I've seen on other YT vids.
Great video. I wanted the K clamps like everyone else, but I now have a wall full of the pipe clamps. I have the Porter Cable brad nailer you mentioned--love it; and my compressor. I did a lot of research before buying a benchtop planer and went with the 13" Dewalt model you mentioned and am very satisfied. And for sanders, plug the damn thing in! Keep 'em coming!
I can't speak to much of what you said but a woodworker definitely needs a corded sander. We'd destroy a battery powered one before very long. A cordless one might be handy for quick jobs if it came in a bundle that you got cheap but it ain't gonna be great for your main one.
I have the same 18 gauge nailed and the DeWalt planer and love them both. I always buy during the holidays when deep discounts are offered. I never pay full price for expensive tools. I get batteries if they come with the tool or are free with purchase or vise versa. Patience pays. ✌🏽🙏🏽
I actually use that rigid oscillating sander all the time. But a lot of what I make in my shop is small items for an Etsy store so this tool makes very fast and efficient edge sanding on small items. I almost never use the spindles though. Basically just the belt sander portion.
They also go on sale for substantial discounts at Direct Tools Outlet on occasion. I picked up mine for just over $100. It was definitely worth it and I use it all the time with my CNC side of the business.
It's used very often in guitar building too. It's an extremely good tool for some things but I agree with John that it shouldn't really be something a general woodworker should look to get unless they know for sure they are making things that make good use of it.
You just blew my mind. Never thought of using a cordless compressor. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever really thought such a thing existed. I have the 18ga Ryobi One+ brad nailer as well as a number of air powered tools including nailers and staplers. The cordless brad nailer is convenient for low volume quick jobs, but the air powered tools are so much nicer to use. They're lighter, faster and more reliable, so long as the compressor can keep up. A cordless compressor seems like something to think about adding to my list at some point.
Love the clamp advice. I was genuinely shocked with the planer. I've looked at it quite a few times and have it in my wishlist. I appreciate the heads up.
Dewalt 13" for sure on the benchtop planer. I've been eying it latley. It outperforms higher priced options on durability and lifespan while being upgradeable to the same level over time.
I went with a corded 26 gallon quiet compressor that has wheels. Has 2 quick connects that I have 3/8” hose connecting two 25ft 3/8” hose reels Gives me air anywhere in the shop or outside, and it’s able to run my paint shaker, 18 gauge nailer, die grinders, among other pneumatics I would have loved having the option of portability that the battery powered ones have, but in the 3 years I’ve had this one I’ve only moved it twice. Once for a new drain valve install and another time when I got a bigger workbench
You're focusing on specific brands and then you generalise it on the hole type of tool. Take a makita belt sander or another quality brand and you'll have a dust collection connection on the machine. The belt sander is also a lot better to achieve plane surfaces than a rotary sander. These are more for finishing. The pipe clamps do not have the depth as the parallel ones, which can be important when gluing cabinets or thick stuff. Overall I got the impression you're still not that experienced and now you think spreading your smattering is a good idea. Stopped the video and got a thumb down.
I am not a woodworker as much as I am a general DIYer in a 40 year old house. I have had to rebuild a set of cabinets after a bad inlet valve in a dishwasher ruined the MDF sides on them. The cabinets had synthetic stone countertop on them so nobody would touch it without me accepting full responsibility if the countertop broke. Oh yeah - back to general DIY. Now I am doing a lot of drywall fixes, and the cordless palm sander is front and center. Cords drag and tend to make palm sanders gouge the soft wall surface, and palm sanders are perfect for flattening a skim coat that is closely surrounded by existing texture. I'll be removing a telephone wallplate today, putting in a patch, and using the good old HF cordless palm sander to prepare it for texture. Life is good. BTW - for drywall, I have to give a shoutout to my mentor, That Kilted Guy. I'm reading a couple of his ebooks, but most of my inspiration and skills have come from his videos. I can't believe I waited 70 years to develop such a useful skill.
LOVE THIS! Thank you. So for some additional perspective: 1) SANDER - Bauer Random Orbit sander from Harbor Freight. It's loaded with the same options as the Dewalt and it's normal sales price is about 60% less than the Dewalt and even lower (the price NOT the percentage) when it's on sale. AND it's received GREAT reviews online. Also they have a Bauer orbital plate sander for like $20 normal (not on sale) price!! 2) COMPRESSOR & NAILER - Completely agree to go with compressor over battery op gun. BUT the compressor you're talking about is $219 at Home Depot WITHOUT the gun. Also The one you suggested is only 2.5 gallon and requires batteries. Also check the prices between the Dewalt and the Ridgid because they're constantly moving and going on sale. Ridgid has a combo of the corded compressor + 3 nail guns (3 different sizes) for regular price of $299 but it's recently been on sale. Both Ridgid and Dewalt have the 6 gal, 1 gun option. Dewalt's is $239 and Ridgid's is $219 and those are normal sale prices. Anyways thanks again - great vid!!
As a 50+ year pro, I'm both grateful for all the tool opportunities that are now available and saddened by how much you have to spend to take advantage of them. Hats off for this video. I can't agree more about the K-Body clamps- they are very good for specific things, but I've seen youtubes where the shop has 20 or more hanging there, used for all glueups, and can't imagine having the spare change to justify buying them all when pipe or bar clamps do it better, cheaper (BTW, Hargraves are my favorite, though quite pricey. Though they hold or increase value with age). Belt sanders, on the other hand: The first tool I mastered, and my go-to for stock removal or first pass sanding. Try sanding out chipouts with a RO or vibrator, you will be there all day. That said, most brands don't track or balance well. Some are so poorly balanced that the sander tips over just sitting on a table, practically guaranteeing gouges and digins. It's been ages since I bought one, but the old Rockwell "locomotive" A3 was a wonderful workhorse, as well as the Black and Decker pro model- both were $300+ several decades ago. Well used, they are amazing. Nowadays I'm more precise, and don't have to sand face frames down as much at the joints, but can't imagine using just my Festool 150FEQ RO, it would be laughable. The belt sander, well used, makes a flatter surface faster. Learning curve, sure, but try flattening a glued up tabletop with any RO and you will see what I mean.
Pipe clamps are NOT better than Bessey's. There is much research available to prove this. If budget conscious, buy them one at a time and you have them for a lifetime. Guys across this country every weekend are having garage sales selling off the cheap crappy tools they bought trying to save a dollar. Buy the best you can afford, you will value them, care for them, use them and have them for a lifetime. Buy cheap crap, you're going to get frustrated, misuse the tool trying to compensate for it's shortcomings, produce crappy work and end up buying something better in the end, costing more time and money in the long run.
@@davidcole333 I have to emphasize that everyone's experience, product line, and physical capabilities are different. This video is specifically about what a beginner should buy, and I commented on that basis. I use K clamps for some things- I like them for assembling boxes, and for small, no problem panel glueups. As @John Malecki said, they are expensive without giving the return they deserve in many cases. For the same money, the best clamps I've used for panel glueups are Hargraves. They have a heavy bar, rachet stop, long and powerful screw, and are a pleasure to use (except they are heavy, but then, I don't have time to go to a gym). My second choice for a moderately difficult panel, and, despite great equipment and mucho experience many of my glueups are moderately difficult, is a pipe clamp similar to a Jorgensen. My last choice is tied between an F clamp, a K body clamp, and a pipe clamp that uses a pawl instead of a clutch. Hargraves don't deflect much and are extremely powerful, pipe clamps are maybe 2/3 as strong but deflect, pawl style pipe clamps are hard to reset and dent the pipe, F clamps don't help flatten the panel (not that it's permanent, but panels can spring apart if bowed too much) and K body clamps don't deliver the power, don't have an unlimited life and are just not the most efficient. I've been a pro woodworker for over 50 years, this has been my living and my life. I've used them all, and others besides, and am speaking from my experience. YMMV.
I watch a lot of woodworking videos and am a keen hobby furniture maker. I'm also a qualified carpenter, which translates reasonably well, at least on the tool front. I live in New Zealand, and the thing that always blows me away, apart from the amazing woodworkers that are on you tube, is how cheap everything is in the USA!! That DeWalt compressor/pin nailer combo in NZ would be anywhere between $700 and $1000 NZD. The DeWalt 13 inch planer is $1900 NZD compared to the $600 USD. Exchange rates etc I know, but still a crazy difference! Love the videos!
So I bought the Ridged sander you showed. Love it, and use it all the time. I also bought the Ridged planner like the Dewalt you showed. Never ever have I had issues with the breaker. It has awesome power. I run walnut and maple , and other 10 to 12 inch slab cuts all the time. I do have mine fixed to s stand from Harbor fright... but yeah its awesome too.
As a journeyman carpenter/ fine woodworker, your right on the clamps, palm sanders are nice I use the air powered ones, get a Porter Cable, half sheet sander, if you’re doing finish carpentry in houses, check your building codes before buying a common finish nailer, a Senco shoots a actual finish nail, hate to see you pulling doors out because you’re nails are not nails. If you’re doing a lot of glue ups, make or buy yourself a good hardwood European work bench and a good solid table saw and go from there. I see a lot of expensive tools on the wall behind you, you can do alot with a rafter square and a speed square. And learn to hand cut mortise and tenon joints, it’s really not that hard
I've had a wood shop doing custom aquarium cabinets and canopies for 25 years and my approach for beginners is a little different. First, tool selection depends somewhat on the type of things you want to build but for me i recommend those getting started buy the best tools they can afford which are required for their project and then only buy new tools when a project specifically calls for it. What I've found is that really good tools can help make a beginner make some awesome things which helps motivate them to continue and improve. For example, i suspect i can do things with inexpensive tools that a beginner could not simply because I've been building for 30 years. Take something as simple as a chisel. If you buy a cheap HF version you're going to struggle to make really precision cuts to get perfect fits which as if you buy a more expensive one they are much easier to use. Having said all that i agree things like belt sanders seem like a good idea but are really difficult to use. Investing in a small pancake compressor early on it a really smart idea since you can use so many different tools. Except for a hand drill, cordless tools are an unnecessary extra expense in a small shop, they shine for on-site applications. My #1 suggestion for those getting into wood working is to invest in the best table saw you can afford. It is the centerpiece of every professional shop and you can do almost anything with it once you learn how to make a few jigs. Also, if Consumner protection Agency passé the new policy they are looking at which will mandate that ALL new table saws are required to have the 'flesh protection" tech built into them the small hobby saw market will collapse since they will become unaffordable ...
Love watching you and need all help can get, I'm old disabled coalminer trying keep mind occupied making things not expert for sure. Tools are so expensive and trying make smart buys by watching you because lost everything I owned from house fire. Big problem with getting shop organized from lack of room so thanks for the info you give much appreciated 🙏 👍
I've had the DW734 planer you show for years. Approx 8000 bd ft of unplaned hardwood through it. I've purchased one set of blades, so I'm on my third blade side. It's 12 1/2". It's bolted to it's own stand so it doesn't tip over. I've never seen snipe. It only bogs down or trips the circuit protection switch if you're using it wrong, (to thick bites) or you try to use it with dull blades. The thing can't be killed. If you have a dust collector it makes no sawdust that isn't collected. Best and most used tool in my shop. Can't live without it. Can't start a project without it. The 735 is a great planer though but the 734 is too.
For rapid spot material removal, I love me a flap wheel on angle grinder. More precise and versatile than belt sander in tight spots, but each has its applications.
Great advice! Thank you for educating folk! As a 34yr building trades veteran, whenever people 'ooh & ahh' over some of the fancy tools... i point them to the hand tools on the wall and tell them that if they don't have the knowledge to build a deck or a cabinet with basic tools & elbow grease, the cool tools aren't going to help them. btw, while you and i do different types of woodworking i can proudly say that i don't have a single tool that you highlighted! Still, enjoy your vids!
You can get a porter cable pancake compressor, 25ft of hose and a 16,18 & 23 gauge nailers for $199. It’s the best deal.
I use my Ridgid oscillating sander quite often
Definitely invest in a coarser compressor not cordless less money and more air!
Belt sanders can destroy s project in a hurry I have 2 they mostly sit
I was going to say this too. Craftsman has this deal too and it goes on sale during the holidays. I’ve gotten so much use out of just the compressor and Brad nailer
Yeah, exactly what I have in my basement workshop. I think I paid a similar price for the PC w/nailers. I also got a stand-alone PC compressor for my garage, much more convenient for topping off tire pressure.
Ridgid has a great combo like this too.
I can’t upvote this enough. I got the compressor and 16g combo which was around $100 at the time but I always wished I had gotten the three nailer combo instead of having to get them separately later. Would definitely recommend replacing the hose with a Flexzilla as it’s way more flexible and easier to roll up.
A year ago I got all three Ryobi cordless nailers and I don’t have any complaints so far. The 16 and 18 were 2 for $120 without batteries during Black Friday deals which is well worth it. It’s nice not having to drag out the compressor/hose and wait for to get up ton pressure just for a couple nails.
Pro tip: never buy short sections of pipe. It costs many times more per linear foot as buying a 10' section and cutting it down, which they'll do for you right in the store, most times, and even thread them for you if you want threaded ends for later coupling them together. You can also very easily cut them down yourself with an angle grinder if you need to. Current example: a 3' section of 3/4" galvanized is $25 or a 10' is $33.
Thx for the tip!
Great advise! Also, one 10’ bar can make either two 5’ clamps, or a 4’ plus a 6’.
Good advice I didn't think of. Thanks. That's a given for wood orders but just slips my mind with the rare purchase of pipes lol
@@Fun4GA Thanks for explaining how we can add to 10
@@LuckyPineTrees-xs4ki- Yes, Captain Obvious. That’s me! 😂
Agree on all except the belt sander. You can remove a lot more material quickly than with any palm sander. Of course, finishing requires using a palm sander or the like. But for quickly bringing a surface within the limits of a palm sander, you need a belt sander.
I think his point was that a sander can dig holes quickly, so in the hands of a beginner, they should be avoided. Also, no sanding should ever be pressed down (a beginner mistake). Belt, orbital, block, hand…. Let the sandpaper remove the surface, and let the dust get removed from the sandpaper. Pressure retains the dust and makes heat.
Random orbit sander and belt sander have completely different purpose. Former is for finish and latter is for (aggressive) material removal. If you are actually interested in woodworking as a beginner then invest in a hand planes / rasps or a cheap thickness planer depending on what you are trying to achieve. Would never recommend a handheld belt sander to anyone interested in fine woodworking, whatever the experience. You can get a benchtop belt/disk sander combo for cheap.
I am a retired cabinet maker. Spent many hours with all types of sanders. They all have their purpose. And they all require learning how and when to use.
@@sdkee - I guess you’ve never used a scraping card, but that would be the one sander I would never be without. More than the most bang for the buck, it’s a must have in my shop.
Completely agree. To suggest that a random orbital sander can be a replacement for a belt sander is ridiculous. They are for completely different purposes. Just learn how to properly use the belt sander. It’s really not that difficult.
Finish Carpenter here, I love my Milwaukee cordless brad nailer! It has the bump option too. I do agree that it is heavy but that has never been a problem for me. You are right though not a beginner tool that is needed.
I have never worked with wood and I don’t think I’ll ever woodwork but I’ve seen almost every video you’ve posted in the past year purely because I enjoy watching your videos
This is an old video so just want to make a recommendation to anyone needing a planer, harbor freights Hercules planer kicks ass! Just ran 8 white oak boards that were 12ft long long through it without a single tool problem!
I have been woodworking for 3 years. I finally broke down and bought the Rigid spindle/belt sander. It is a game changer for me. I build toys and furniture with curves so it gets used a lot. Amazing tool.
Yeah the guy is using the belt sander for the wrong project then complains about it.... I can put my belt sander upside down and use it for small pieces can't do that with the random orbit sanders.
I agree. I'm not a beginner, but, I use my Ridgid spindle sander often and haven't ever had any problems or complaints. When I purchased mine the cost was only $199.
While I'm at it, I have a handheld belt sander also. I used it to completely remove the finish off a butcher-block style countertop. That would have taken forever with a ROS. For $45, refurbished, it was worth the purchase for that project alone. But I agree that it is too expensive at full price, and too tricky to use, for a beginner tool.
I use that exact model he has, it's aight. I also use homemade table and sanding discs and drums on my lathe. The oscillating belt sander from rigid is great when it's useful but it gets used less than some homemade sketchy shit.
I got my spindle sander as a xmas gift years ago and i use it all the time. She spent 199 on it as well. I also just got the ridged version of that bench top planer dirt cheep when i got most of a shop from a person retiring and moving into an apartment.
Love how brutally honest this is. So many TH-camrs out there going soft so they can get the brand endorsement. I feel like I can actually trust this. Thank you!
Some added points for nailers if you're considering buying!
- For those who plan to nail a lot during projects, cordless nailers are considerably heavier than the corded versions (a couple more pounds adds up over a project while using an extended arm)
- Getting the compressor gives you shop air for future tools, vehicle tires, blowing dust off clothes and projects (very handy)
- Compressors can extend into pneumatic tools like automotive sanders, grinders, drills and hammers
The only upside I can give to a power nailer is that it's quieter in general compared to a charging compressor, and a bit more portable depending on your compressor hose
you won't be able to use this little compressor for anything other than pumping tyres and shooting small nails. would be better of buying a cordless one or purchasing wired big compressor.
Hose resistance is worse than an 8 ah battery which is massive
@@traviswescott253what does it mean? Not a native speaker
@@E_Proxy it means that the air hose constant tension of being dragged around is worse than the weight of a large battery that would run a cordless nailer all week. Which means you could use a smaller battery for day to day, be lighter, less hassle, and no loud compressor.
@@traviswescott253 clear, thank you (it was more of inexperience with compressore than language barriere)
I definitely think the Kreg saw guide is worth is if you don’t have the money for a track saw or a table saw. I used mine for years. It was great and it broke once after 6 years and Kreg sent me another one without any questions. It was worth the 30 dollars it cost.
After years and years of struggling to evenly cut plywood sheets using clamps and a 48" drywall T-square, I finally got the Kreg saw guide. I'm kicking myself for waiting this long. I always thought, "eh.. I don't really do that much woodworking, and I only have a few sheet cuts." Now I see the light! I agreed with John on all his other advice tips, but for me the Kreg guide is excellent. (Although, if I was promoting a TikTok video to make a track saw guide, I'd probably say differently. Ha ha)
I got the festool Ts-75 track saw and tracks. Nothing I've ever used cuts this good. Not even our Bosch table saw can cut as fine with a brand new blade on it. The edges of the wood are so sharp they look dangerous.
I don't know the kreg setup, but I've used various skill saws on various straight edges with equally inferior results. All of which have provided inferior results to our Bosch table saw as far as the cut itself is concerned.
I do hope the kreg system works good. I like kreg. If it was out when I got my track saw it would have been in contention for sure.
Nowadays everybody's saws run on tracks!
The festool rotex sanders are awesome too. You can switch that baby to turbo mode and remove material almost as fast as a belt sander but with much finer results. Again I know other companies now make sanders like these. I don't know if they're as powerful, but I do know their cheaper. But I've used this festool to sand concrete patch. It's that robust!
I have the Ridgid oscillating sander and I use it all the time. Ironically one of the reasons I like it most is a one-stop-shop sanding station and I like it BECAUSE I don't have to have Several different sanding tool.
I purchased the ridgid sander way back when it was $99 and use it a lot, but now mainly as a spindle sander, because I have a bench top belt sander now as well. Good suggestions, because I have experience almost all of the same as you
I also use mine a lot. I had the drill adaptors and hated them. also have to be careful with the drill drum bits. The bearings are not designed for lateral loads and can get tweaked.
So I’m on the verge of buying the Ridgid sander next week…So I take it y’all recommend it? Any issues? Thanks for any info…
@@juanmendoza7487 not really. I've had mine for years. Never had a problem with it.
@@dpoarch Thanks
Parallel clamps are meant more for cabinetry and boxes. Pipe clamps can start to bow over long runs so they have their limits too.I would still recommend parallel clamps for casework though.
I've found the jaws of the pipe clamps to be too short. My dad and I used to do a lot of 3 1/2" benchtops. If you put all of the pipe clamps on one side, the benchtop boards tend to fan. You have to put half of the bar clamps on the bottom of the benchtop and half on the top, which means at least half of your bar clamps need to be very similar so it's all even on the bottom, or things get wonky. The parallel clamps worked well because the jaws were the right length.
For nail guns for a beginner I'd suggest one of the 3 gun and compressor kits. Their all Identical but sell under porter cable, craftsman, bostitch and many others brands for around $200.
Porter cable pancake compressor with a harbor freight nailer/stapler is another cheap yet very effective option.
I got the Ridgid set the hose is trash but everything else is great. And I do mean the hose is trash it's in a dumpster right now damn thing burst Friday
I bought the Craftsman pancake compressor with the 16, 18, and 23 nailer for around $150 a few years ago.
Also, a hammer. Dirt cheap.
years ago I got the porter cable combo with the compressor, brad nailer, finish nailer (i don't remember the gauge and don't use it much), and stapler. The stapler is basically useless, but having the two nailers and a compressor that can run all day is worth every penny
Those Parallel clamps were honestly my single absolutely best buy for me, they make my life a lot easier... Getting them on sale helped though.
I was gonna say... I've used pipe clamps for years but these parallel clamps are such a huge upgrade for certain things.
Just got a HUGE deal at Lowe’s. 36” were less than 24”!
They always go on sale around Thanksgiving too. Pick a few up every year
Same. Parallel clamps are a lot better than the pipe clamps. The trick is to buy the better quality ones. Some of them will slide loose.
As a guitar builder, that Ridgid spindle/belt sander was a game changer for me. Outstanding tool
For its small footprint its a great option
I have that very DeWalt Orbital Sander. I use it literally all the time because I have to work outside a lot, and because I use rough, dirty wood (old discarded pallets) it's great for just throwing some low-grit pads on and running over everything to get off dirt, mold, rough edges and other stuff to make the wood nicer to handle, or prep for painting. I also use it for quail cages so they dont have a ton of rough surfaces to hurt themselves on or for their mess to work into. And without a cord, it makes it especially wieldly and handy to have at the ready.
Admittedly it wasn't something I originally wanted, since I only got it with a package deal for something else and thought I could give it away as a gift. And granted I'm not some experienced master woodworker, as I've only started doing anything significant the past few months, but so far I am very glad I kept it, because honestly I use it more than any other tool so far besides my drills for wood stuff, and while it takes a bit more time, the finished project is that much nicer. It helps that it's also rather cathartic and soothing to use.
That doesn't mean I'm advocating a beginner get one, but it certainly still has it's uses.
Hi John, just wanted to let you know I don't even really do woodworking but I watch all your videos because you and your team produce such entertaining content. Thank you!
The first big tool purchase I made was a Bostitch air compressor combo kit that came with a 16 gauge finish nailer, 18 gauge brad nailer and stapler. I've had it for at least 15 years now and everything still works perfectly. I have the 12" Dewalt planer also and I never have issues with it.
The cordless 18g brad nailer though, is a great tool for installing and doing touchups at clients houses without having to carry a loud compressor. The ONLY downside I have with them, is the weight. Trying to get into smaller spaces, or on different angles, the weight can really be a burden on your wrists.
Oh theyre heavier than my fattest uncle. But handy³.
I agree. Larger projects need the air compressor with hose and nailer. But for small touchups, I love the battery operated brad nailer.
Wouldn't disagree, but I use a small air tank with my pneumatic brad nailer (that I bought long before cordless ones existed) and it works great for small jobs. You can run a *lot* of small nails off of that tank. It has a lot of other uses as well, so that's an added bonus. Multi-use tools are always nice.
Why are they so damn heavy? Plus you need a large battery cause they use up so much juice.
I am a full-time remodel contractor and I 100% agree with all of your comments. Everyone around me is using cordless nailers but I still prefer my pneumatic Makita 23, 18, 16 and framing guns. Faster, lighter and as you said, there are many other uses for the compressor on site (inflating my truck tires too!). I use the 2 gal Makita quiet unit @ 60 db that I can run with my clients on a zoom call in the next room! 100% agree with your sander advice too - - - Great tips!
I was a full time remodeler and hated corded nailers. Cordless makes it way faster and safer since you don't need to chase cords around or worry about tripping over them when the wrap around your foot like they always seam to do.
By the time you buy the pipe clamp, and the pipe, you have spent the same money as a parallel clamps from Harbor Freight which are outstanding, or the Jorgensons when they are on sale. The price of black pipe has gotten completelt out of hand
He must have been referring to when he bought these many years ago.
Yeah if you can get scrap pipe you're better off. All the pipe i have came from who knows where. I know I didn't buy any of it though. I even have a pipe die to thread pipe with. So even if I find lengths of pipe with no thread on it I can make that work. I don't have a power threader but for how often I thread pipe what I got is OK.
I got 12 inch clamps from Harbor freight for less than $5 each.
I knelt and wept at the prices for clamps
I've been using pipe clamps for about three decades. I agree the Jorgensons are good -- you can get pretty decent tension on them, but I always forget I have them. I'm always using pipe clamps!
Could u just use pvc pipe instead?
I definitely agree with John's point about air-nailer > battery-nailer. It may be even more simple than that... I think for most folks with a shop or garage, air power is the go-to style for all the reasons he listed (weight, power, functionality, etc). So if you've already got that air-nailer-hose setup, then JUST purchasing the battery-powered air compressor INSTANTLY gives you mobility. Plus, you get the added benefits of air power for a blow gun for cleaning, a tire inflator, air hammer chisel, impact wrench, die grinder, etc, etc. And if you come equipped with enough charged batteries for the compressor, you won't even need access to electricity on the job site. Great tip, John! Thanks.
A drill press imo is a perfect beginner tool. It allows you to make perfect repeatable holes, you can add sander pits, forsner bits, etc. Wen's cheap drill press has worked for me for a couple years and other than occasionally not having enough power, it's been great and I've used it for so many things.
The problem is that a good drill press (here in the US anyways) is $600 and up.
I ended up just making a homemade version (good learning process for new users as well) with a corded hammer drill. Now, I'm not restricted by size, strength, or cost (with drill, it cost me $150, but I went big.)
The low cost drill presses (WEN, HF, etc) are all really poor quality, and easily outgrown.
@@carterscustomrods I'd disagree, 99% of people will never need anything above a 10" drill press. The benchtop presses may take more time to drill, but they can still do it. I've drilled 2" deep holes with a 2" forsner bit into hard maple with my cheap drill press.
I picked up an old craftsman from a friend for $40! Great for beginner projects. Will I out grow it, yes, but it was only $40!
The 18g brad nailer was the best thing I have added to my home reno kit. Best thing ever.
Same. I love that thing. It’s expensive but it convenient and a freakin tank.
To be fair, I found the Kreg circular saw guide you showed very handy. For anyone reading this and not knowing what it is, it's actually a parallel guide, so you can set the width of the cut, and run the outer guide along the reference edge of the wood you are cutting. This allows for accurate repeatable cuts (in lieu of having stable saw) which I found very handy when building some ornament display shelves for our house.
I'm on my second Kreg Rip-Cut and have no regrets. It's definitely one of those tools that I don't use very often but, when use it, I'm so glad I bought it. Definitely worth the money for me.
100% it's a great tool once you get familiar with it. making quick, repeatable rip cuts with the kreg is faster and easier than using a saw guide.
Definitely not one I don't use often but when I use it makes life akot easier. Like if you have to rip shelves or sides for cabinets or bookcases set it rip and just roll.
I use mine to break down panels all the time and it's really nice to have around. Plus... They're like $35.
I see it as a tool for a different use case than an actual track saw.
In my experience I neve bought one, I just have a large flat piece of wood that I attach with clamps in any position and angle I want and I get excelent results.
My 40 year old, bought new, 24" Makita belt sander is still working strong... sanding 10's of thousands of board feet.... without one repair.... best sander I've ever owned... that includes others that I still have... an older Porter Cable 6x4" orbital, 5" Milwaukee orbital, 4" Makita palm, 18" Bosch belt and a few others... another excellent sander is any 10" sanding disk on a 10" calibration blade for the table saw.... love it..
I have had the old 12" Dewalt planner (2-blade) for at least 15 years. The overload has never tripped. I would like a bigger one with helical head, but the sucker won't die, and I'm too cheap to upgrade. 😊 Same thing with my Dewalt single bevel non sliding miter saw.
@@Zzrdemon6633 where did you find that planer? Never heard of it,
Yeah I have an old model DeWalt thickness planer and it's never popped the overload. I think once you pop it once it'll keep popping easier then. You have to be careful with running them on extension cords too. Too thin a cord and it'll make the tool bog down.
I've popped the overload when going too deep on heavy boards; especially when the opposite face is warped in a certain way. When the boards are long and heavy, using roller stands on each end while ensuring there's nothing causing additional friction on the infeed/outfeed helps tremendously.
If it does pop, successive pops in a short span are much easier. If you have a bunch of planing to do, you might be better off with unplugging it and waiting 15-20 minutes, and then trying again.
One of the first power tools I bought was a Makita 100mm belt sander. It's worked faultlessly for 38 years, and has great dust extraction. I use it every time I do woodworking.
I don’t use power tools often, but I do own that DeWalt planer - I don’t think I’ve ever tripped the fuse and I’ve used it on several table builds, a cabinet, multiple boxes, a mantle, and my Roubo bench. It IS stupidly heavy, but I also haven’t tipped it over. I usually start my projects from rough 8/4 so I appreciate a planer. Having a jointer from the 60s that someone gave me also helps the process. I certainly wouldn’t mind the better version, but even though I am much further along in my woodworking, I haven’t considered it worthwhile to upgrade. I will say that I am primarily a hand tool woodworker and mostly use power tools for dimensioning lumber, so I am planing the surfaces with a hand plane afterwards so minor surface issues aren’t going to matter to me.
After buying my first Black and Decker corded power drill 25 years ago, the very next tool I bought was a Rigid belt sander. I used that thing once and then stored it for two decades. I only recently got it back out, freed up a seized pully and used it again, but you're 100% correct on the orbital sander being more robust. If I made a list of things beginners shouldn't buy (or at least wait to buy), it would be a 1/2" router. Even after years of projects, I find myself using my little 18V Makita router far more than the far bigger and heavier Bosch that I bought first.
Harbor freight has some air nailers/staplers for well under 30 bucks that are workable. However I bought that Ryobi cordless brad nailer before I even had a house and it’s one of my favorite purchases and most used tools. Super convenient, and doesn’t require extra storage space (which was at a premium in my apt rentals).
We have had a HF compresser for over 20 years that has been abused in every way known to man. - Had to replace the pressure sqitch a couple years ago but other then that it is running like new. - We do not use them like a carpenter would but we have every HF nailer they make,,,,If you use Bostich nails, NO problems in over 5 years,,,,,and we are Industrial Contractors.
The rigid belt sander does not get used every day but when I get it out, there is nothing else that will do what it does better and faster.
K-bodies aren't great if you're a BEGINNER. But I regret waiting so long to get some. I can use them for TONS of things other than panel glue-ups. They are GREAT.
I agree. I also agree that pipe clamps are plenty for beginners. As a semi pro, I think I must have 100 clamps that are for 12" and bigger, and another 50 for smaller clamps. One just can't have too many clamps.
I use pipe clamps on a lot of things too. The thing is you can't buy pipes new. You have to just find some from somewhere.
K bodies are the best clamps out there. I started off with 3/4” pipe clamps, but soon went to K Bodies and wouldn’t go back.
Picked up a Rigid set at home depot a couple months ago. Got a compressor, 18ga nailer, 18ga stapler, and a 16ga nailer with hose all in the package for I think around 350-400...Not an insanely expensive package, HUGE edition to the shop!
If you are already on Ryobi cordless, the 18 ga nailer can be had for ~$90 online battery only, it has bump feature and is a worthwhile addition in my opinion. I also have an air nailer but also grab the cordless unless I need full angled framing size
I have the 18ga ryobi nailer too. Love it.
I have the Ryobi nailer, also, and loved it until it stopped shooting nails. Found a video on how to take it apart and lube it. It started working again for that project. A couple of months later when I got it out again, it wouldn't shoot nails again.
I have made a lot of furniture. Nice to know I made the right choices for a lot of my tool purchases. I use the Pipe clamps for panels. an attachment on the drill press for spindle sanding, a corded orbital sander, and the bigger DeWalt planer. I do, however love my 18 ga brad nailer. It has limited uses, but the places where I do use it *chef's kiss*
Killer info. I've been woodworking for 30 years and gotta admit clamps was one thing I bought that all the cool kids had(bessey) and spent thousands on them. I never even considered HF pipe clamps. I'm going out to get some right now. I do have some pipe clamps and they are leaps and bounds easier to clean glue off of than K clamps as well. Thanks man!
Spot on with the comments about the nail guns. The air compressor is by default extremely versatile and there are a hundred different air powered tools you can buy that can be useful. Several years ago I bought a 6 gallon craftsman compressor that came with 3 different tools in the kit. All three were great and I've added 2 or 3 other items over the years. (They aren't cordless but I don't have to move the compressor often).
Great video. As someone who started out as a mechanic I can’t imagine not having a compressor but even now as I predominantly focus on woodworking the compressor is very useful around the house. The cordless nailers are way overpriced and completely unnecessary if you work in a shop. Also I never understood the cordless sander since it is hooked up to a vacuum anyway. I appreciate the honesty John and I am very glad to hear my glue ups are just as good with my pipe clamps.
I started out as a mechanic too, but 95% of the tools I use at home now are cordless. My air compressor, which is about as big as you can get on 120v, primarily exists for inflating tires at this point. Really only my air hammer and large impact are the only things that use air any more. At least on that end.
When I first got an air compressor I thought every house should just be plumbed with air. When you're first starting out cheap air tools are cheap. I have air everything. Air drills, air sanders. air die grinders. You name it I have an air tool for it. But as I went along I replaced most of my air tools with electric ones.
Love my parallel clamps. Have not touched my pipe clamps in years.
I have that Dewalt 734 planer you were saying not to buy and I'm happy with it. I don't have tip over problems because its on a mobile base ( I do all of my thickness planing and sanding right outside the shop, so less shop dust and I don't worry about dust collection on those tools that way), I've never had it bog down but I don't do thick cuts ( but i'm a hobbyist, not doing production)
Agreed, sure the 735 is a bit more but once you add the end tables, that's another 100$
And you can buy the helical head for the 734
Pf
I have the 734 and did a whole kitchen's worth of cabinet face frames and door rail/stiles with it. Soft maple over 40 board foot. I also planed red oak for a 30" by 10 foot bar top. I have done a lot of other miscellaneous planing of maple and pine. I never tripped the 20 amp breaker or the on board overload. I also have not had to even reverse the blades. From time to time i have to wax the bed. I have been very happy with it. Mine is also attached to a rolling cart - was not aware it can be tippy. Using a small roll around dust collector with a thien separator kept clogging at the dust intake so I just run it without collection and sweep - pretty sure my frankenstein dust collection is just not powerful enough.
In Canada the 735 is nearly double the price of the 734. IMO it’s not worth the jump in price for a little extra capacity and 2 speeds.
Old woodworker here (45 yrs exp). I agree with everything you said except for the belt sander. Get an OLD Porter Cable 363 or Delta 4"'x24" or 3"x21" belt sander and learn how to use it. You can probably pick up an old used one for $50 and all you'll ever replace are belts and maybe a set of brushes. Once you master it you'll use it quite a bit. You can do some damage so make sure to practice with it, keep it flat and keep it moving.
Excellent list. I'm more of a hobbyist and DIYer than actual woodworker, but I agree with most of this list. I have a belt sander I picked up for $5 at a garage sale 5 years ago, and I've only used it 3x, all for retrofitting doors. But I disagree on the nailgun. While air-powered tools are indeed cheaper and more versatile in the long run, I physically cannot handle the pitch/sound of an air compressor, especially indoors. The Ryobi battery-powered nailgun is an excellent introductory gun, and can get into places where a nailgun/compressor combo is too bulky or annoying to work around.
I second this. In fact, the video talks about how heavy the cordless version is and specifically mentions how hard it would be to deal with on a ladder. Well, I've tried both, and running an air compressor hose up a ladder is much more trouble and even dangerous than a cordless tool that is unlikely to snag on something and pull you off balance.
I had the dewalt planer and experienced all the issues you mentioned. I now have the Metabo which costs less than the dewalt but is so much better. Wider feed too for 13” boards
I also have the Dewalt planer, never once popped the breaker. But I go only 1/4 turn at the time each pass.
I agree with everything except for the Ridgid oscillating sander... I use mine daily! I really wouldn't want to be without it! ... When I first got it, I made a little cubby hole to store it in, but lifting it out daily got old fast and I quickly realized that I needed to build a cart for it and give it a dedicated spot in my shop.
I use my Ridgid oscillating spindle/belt sander a lot, too. I’m not a beginner by a long shot, but it has given huge value for money. I mostly use it in belt mode for adjusting small items.
I love my DeWalt 735 thickness planer. In 4 years of use, I have NEVER popped a breaker, and I don't baby it. ALso the second speed does cut down on sanding!
as a beginner woodworker, the quick clamps and pipe clamps is pretty much all you need. Parallel ones are really nice when some of your material isn't perfect - usually to due to my error. For example if something cups or moves on you then that larger grip face of the parallel clamp is a lifesaver -- but I would only buy Bessey on a big sale, and that was more of a treat
Great list man.
The only reason I have a belt sander is I got it from my dad. old Porter Cable, solid, works well, I used it twice I think.
I prefer to use either a planer for larger projects or my trusty Scrub plane for fast wood removal.
Compressor is definitely the way to go. Even if you have a battery system set up, pneumatic tools are universal. They all work with the same connector. And you can pump up your own tires, blow leaves, etc. seriously, 2 best tools for any garage are an air compressor and a power washer. best investments I've ever made. Yeah I know, power washer isn't a woodworking tool, but once you have one at the house, you don't know how you lived without it for so long, just like the air compressor.
Another great video, John! The reason I look forward to Sunday mornings is to watch your latest video!
You were spot on with your tips and from my personal experience, I've realized that portable, battery-powered tools aren't always the best option. I do 95% of my work in a shop that has plenty of outlets so it's really not a big deal to run a cord to a tool - more power, no waiting for batteries to charge, etc. I honestly think as a beginning woodworker, some of the only cordless tools to invest in would be a cordless drill & impact driver combo kit.
I was recently looking at the cordless nailers after seeing all of the TH-camrs with them and thought, wow, that's a tool I need; then I looked at the price, sat back and thought about how much I'd really use it (and would actually need cordless), and decided it wasn't worth the investment... especially when I already have an assortment of air nailers and air compressors.
When you plopped the Dewalt planer on the table is when I really perked up because I thought I was going to have to disagree with you BUT you again were spot on and now I might need to sell that exact planer and invest in the upgrade that you recommended. I struggled planing a batch of maple boards thru one of those planers having to take off MAYBE 1/64"/pass - I got the job done, but I think I spent an entire day on the planer. I will say that my DW734 is on the Dewalt stand, so it's not really unstable but that doesn't do anything to help with it being underpowered.
Looking forward to future videos! Thanks, John!!
Not to mention longevity. Corded tools will still be working 10 years from now.
Due to do batteries along, cordless tools will have a much shorter lifespan.
This is fine for a pro that uses tools all day every day and wears them out.
For hobby and occasional use corded is a much better value in most case.
Except for the most used tools, like drill/driver.
A set of professional grade clamps are very nice to have. Pipe clamps are useful for long lengths because they are less expensive.
Plus, there is a reason the name "Pipe Clamp" doe not have the word "Parallel" in them. How many time do you really glue up boards that are wider than 36 inches anyway?
Used the heck out of my Rigid spindle/belt sander. Loved it. Also had the same dewalt planer and used it constantly for everything I did. I put it on a dedicated rolling home made cart and loved it. Couldn't afford the 13" at the time.
Excellent video! I will say that a cheap Warrior harbor freight belt sander ($30-$40) plus a hyper tough 2 amp 1/4 sheet palm sander ($20) is an excellent combo, as I really enjoy the ability to flip the belt sander over and sand small pieces that couldn't be done on any type of palm sander. The belt sander is also great at sharpening tools and a few other applications, as i do not have any kind of bench sander.
Ace hardware carries belts even the 3x18 that the warrior belt sander uses and you can get 5(!) bi-directional belts for under $10.
Thanks, John.
I personally like my belt sander as it removes lots of material, way faster than the random orbital sander, but you're right, if you are not careful, you can destroy your project. With practice, this becomes a great tool.
Thanks for the advice on the spindle sander, I was looking at that same one...
I love my pipe clamps. So easy to change the length by just buying the right pipes (which are pretty cheap).
As a rule, I do not buy tools if I do not have an immediate need. I always look at doing stuff with what I have, first...
Great video!
I've had a belt sander since HF was bright orange and it's definitely a rarely used tool. A plane of similar cost would honestly be more valuable for most uses.
Learn how to use a scrub plane. When you learn how to use hand planes your belt sander will get a lot less use woodworking. Shavings > dust! That and spend the time to learn how to sharpen and use a card scraper. I know getting that to work ain't easy. But once you do it's amazing. I still use sandpaper but I use a lot less sandpaper today than I used to. Now I use sandpaper to rough a surface up so it'll accept a finish. Burnished wood stains funny.
`I bought a decent belt sander for 30 bucks and i love it.
As a diy woodworker I'd say the biggest trap are cheap hand tools. Made that mistake several times. Especially chisels. Ended up with a set of Stanley short blade chisels that have lasted me 15 years now and were under £50. Always sharpen up nice.
I find cheap chisels aren’t much of a problem as long as you take good care of them. An MDF wheel on a bench grinder with a little buffing compound makes short work of sharpening and brings it up to a near mirror finish.
I do a lot of destruction for materials, so having chisels that I’m not too concerned about damaging is pretty invaluable for me
@@snaile2876cheap chisels definitely have their place. I was telling some former colleagues that my most effective workbench was actually just a pallet cut in half and then plopped on a scrap 2x4 and 4x4 frame. I literally don't care about it because it was practically free, so I'm not precious about what I do to it.
Cheap chisels are the best! You put them out where people can find them, and keep your 100+ year old Buck Brothers chisels out of sight. When someone comes along to borrow a chisel to chip the grout off their bathroom tile, you can tell 'em just to keep it.
@@jeffspaulding9834 You're not wrong!!!!
Some cheap chisels can be OK. Chisels are a crap shoot. Before they got a name Narex chisels were cheap. They're the best chisels made. So price is not always an indicator of quality.
Love the belt sander. I had a lot of irregular planks to sand down and and two large timber benchtops that had epoxy paint on them. Blew up my orbital sander in short order and decided a belt sander was the way to go. It did the planks quickly. The recycled benchtops still had residual epoxy on them even after spending two days with some extremely vile stripper to remove it. The belt sander finished the job in no time after working through some finer grade belts I had a surface ready for a final finish with my replacement orbital sander. The result was two really nice solid timber benches with a beautiful polyurethane finish. For a nailer i had a lot of cabinets and shelves to assemble so I brought a very cheap ($30) mains powered nail gun. Its been a case of not being able to afford high quality tools when I was getting started so I went for the cheap and dirty option. The plan has always been that as I get experience and see what I really need I'll gradually replace them with better tools.
Yep I bought one for detail work when refinishing a floor. Now I use it as a shaper or almost a power plane. Not needed for a beginner but very useful.
I have that planer and the spindle sander. I rarely use the planer because I mainly work with plywood but the spindle sander has been a huge help when fine shaping templates.
I can agree with most of what you said but after woodworking for 50 years, I have found the belt sander to be enormously helpful. I use in in a vice for sharping tools, with 60 grit paper for rough finishing raw wood, and removing old finishes. As to price I have a couple of $40-$60 sanders from Amazon which have been working beautifully for 6 years! If you get gouges with it, you are using it wrong and forcing the tool. Let the tool do the work.
I don't know what the overlap is between people who watch woodworking TH-camrs and people who know enough philosophy to catch your Jeremy Bentham reference, but in case it's small, know that I see you, Mr. Malecki.
Yeah, I'm one of them and was trying to see anyone else had commented on it before leaving my own. Him not acknowledging this comment makes me a bit sad.
100% agree with all of these. I think anyone that argues otherwise is more into tools for the sake of tools. I'd add - the only cordless/battery tools that make sense to buy first are a 1/4" drill and an impact driver, and that's just because those are small and light, and they don't make corded versions much anymore. For saws and everything else, go corded. For nailers, go air powered unless you're a framing pro and prefer fuel or cordless. For a benchtop planer, the HF is better and cheaper than the DW. I'd also get a jointer, floor model, before a planer.
Dude you just crushed me 😂 i own 4 out of 5 tools you mentioned and I planned to buy 3 honourable mentions 😂😂😂 you really got me thinking with my choices and for that, thank you 💪
hahahah im glad i caught you before the honorable mentions!
Buy what you want and don't let any TH-camr dissuade you. Get multiple opinions of course, but in the end, everyone has their own needs/budgets or fall into deals that make a certain tool worth it. For example I use my Ridgid Oscillating Belt/Spindle sander A LOT even though he doesn't. I also love my Kreg Rip Cut that I just bought. It isn't junk. It works for me.
@@stevenlarson6125 sure but it all comes down to what are you actually doing. I did buy some stuff from that list and it's just collecting dust so I can relate to that surprisingly accurate list for me. As for the sander I can't see myself not using it. It's first on my shopping list to sand things shaped on the band saw that I can't do on a belt sander because of the angles. Right now I'm sanding it with a sandpaper on a broom stick so the need sander shape checks out 😂
I repair furniture and do small projects as well. I agree with the bench top planer. My first was an older Delta, and it worked well for what it was. I paid $85 for it and used it for 2 years, sold it for $150 after adding the dust collection port. I now have an older Makita 2030. It is a 6" jointer over a 12" planer. It is a beast and I love it.
As far as the pin nail/brad guns go, I went to Harbor Freight. I already had a compressor and couldn't justify the pricey M12 pin nailer. I also didn't want to delve into a new battery platform with the M18 brad nailer. Harbor has some good options that perform well and won't break the bank.
So I saved the best for last. After helping my brother in Florida complete a 14' White Oak, live edge conference table, I will be purchasing a Festool sander. I used his 6" and 3..5" sander and fell in love. The dust collection is off the charts, and they work incredibly well. I look forward to my next table refinish with this sander in my shop.
My thoughts on your suggestions regarding a beginning wood worker. Number one is buy once cry once. Buy the best or close to the best. When is the last time you regretted buying a quality item? I bought an oscillationg spindle sander specifically to be able to "sand to a line". I made some wooden templates and sanded them to the outline drawn with a pen. It is very difficult to cut right on a line and have the cut smooth. If you have a curvy template you cannot use a table saw and a jig saw or band saw will nut produce a really smooth edge like you need with a template. Bessey clamps are pricey but they are good and more convenient than the iron pipe clamps and lighter in weight too. You don't need a "ton" of clamping pressure even on panel glue ups. That glue coming out when clamped is glue that is no longer in the joint. You don't need more pressure than the Bessey type clamps provide. Belt sanders are seldom needed to never needed in fine woodworking but if you have a lot of material to hog out, they are irreplaceable. I vote for air tools even though I don't have any but not that air compressor. You need to get a quiet type air compressor. Battery sanders are only good if you have next to nothing to sand. As you mentioned, no power batteries drain no dust collection.
Yeah. I'd go so far as to say that on the planer front, just buy the DeWalt 13 incher and put the Shelix head in before you even turn it on. Sure, it nearly doubles the price, but being able to eliminate blades as a variable when you're just figuring things out is amazing.
Sir, you saved me 300€. I was going to buy a couple of these parallel clamps for my table project (2,5m long and 1,2m wide) and the clamps for that would cost 350 - 400€.
Now I'm buying the pipe clamps for a fraction of the price.
Best thanks 😊
I am getting into some bigger projects and was actually looking at parallel clamps, but I will definitely be getting some pipe clamps from Habor Freight. Thanks for saving me some money.
I have just started into woodworking and I agree with most of your suggestion. As a homeowner and a DIY, I went down the Ryobi line for drills, nailer and sanders, all battery powered. I am constantly having to stop and change batteries when I use the orbital sander, nail gun is heavy and clunky to use. Panel clamps are expensive so I went with pipe clamps and found them to be very adaptive. I thought about getting the spindle sander, but noticed the table was support on just one side,NG. I spent the extra money on a good planer (Grizzly) that came with the Heliclal head, very happy with it.
All in all a very good video. Thank you for my affirmation.
Nobody asked
Wow! The DeWalt compressor, without battery, is £350 here in the UK (about US$430). Then you'd need to add a charger and battery(s), as well as the air nailer. With the Ryobi cordless nailer being about £180, it changes the maths quite a lot!
Why should you by cordless compressor in your shop, I bought a silent Hyundai compressor 25 liter for 175 euro and a 3 nail guns for 60 euro. Use it almost daily for 2 years and still happy whit it.
We’re still getting our tax money back, just using American owned brands to do it.
I got my handheld belt sander at a garage sale for $5 and it works great. Yes, if you don't know how to control it, it will take off on you and gouge your project. You definitely have to keep you hands on it. Mine is an old Craftsman from the 1970's. I also have one from the 50's or 60's that is mostly for show, but it works great too.
My biggest recommendation for ANY new woodworker is to not waste your money on NEW tools (until you get more experience and know what you really 'need' vs want). Garage/estate sales, flea markets and pawn shops have plenty of tools. Most of the time you can at least power it on before you buy it. In every pawn shop I've ever purchased a tool from, I've always negotiated a 30 day return agreement with the pawn shop guy. I can also say that I've never had to return a tool either.
For those that are worried about purchasing 'stolen' goods from a pawn shop, reputable shops are required to register certain items (i.e. tools, bicycles, yard equipment, etc.) with the police so they can run serial numbers to see if the item was stolen or not. They are not allowed to sell stolen items.
When I was first getting into woodworking, Biscuit jointers were the #1 must have. I might have 3 of them somewhere in the shop, but I haven't used one in nearly a decade.
Great video, and I like that you touched on the idea of buying some of these used, or an upgraded counterpart, which is great. Too many deals out there waiting to be had.
I use mine all the time 😊
Had one for nearly twenty years.
Never used it
Only festool I own is the domino xl. They really are fantastic. Biscuit joiners seem useless to me anymore, just became a surface for dust to settle lol
My fiance and her daughter got me a handheld belt sander for Christmas. Was from harbor freight off of their damaged box table for about 20$ I can use it by hand or clamp it to my work bench and use it as a stationary belt sander. All in all for the price and use I have gotten out-of it im glad I have it
Great video my FOMO was a track saw. Took me a while to get one, and I love it. I tried all the Kreg tool add ons. No comparison.
When I first started, I thought Kreg was a high end God-send of woodworking tools, for all of thier jigs and gimmicky stuff. I bought their pocket hole jig, and then their universal track to attach to my existing circular saw. The trac kit absolutely sucks! I do use the pocket hole jig quiet a bit, but I've determined that the rest of their stuff is gimmicky junk.
Which one?
@@jasonvandergriff7809: Yeah, I bought the Kreg Rip-Cut circular saw guide. I was able to get the job done fairly accurately, but it was pretty awkward to use and not the easiest to make accurate rips.
@@brianeatock4383 Makita Cordless 36volt.
It's awesome
Pipe Clamps are the way to go! Make your money back in no time. Fortunately I inherited about a dozen various sizes. My first project many years ago, was building a wall/ entertainment unit. The pipe clamps worked perfectly.
No offense, and I certainly realize you're far more experienced with woodworking than I'll ever hope to be, but it seems a bit silly to claim an orbital sander would replace a belt sander. It's like trying to replace a pickup truck with a SUV. Yes, you can carry lumber in both, but you're going to carry a whole lot more lumber in a lot fewer trips with the pickup truck. Use the truck to do the heavy lifting, and the SUV to take the family out to dinner. In other words, you're using a belt sander to remove a lot of material rather quickly, and the orbital sander to smooth it all out and do the finishing work. Again, I'm no expert when it comes to woodworking, as I did automotive pain and body work for a lot of years, but I've sure as heck done a whole lot of sanding over the years, but given what I have to say on the subject, I'd love to know your thoughts.
On a side note, my Ridgid benchtop Spindle/Belt Sander Combo does in fact collect A LOT of dust. I mean A WHOLE LOT of saw dust. That's because there's been very few projects I've done over the years where this thing hasn't been incredibly useful. It easily makes the Top Ten list of best tool investments I've made. Sure, most times I use it are just for little 30 seconds at a time tasks like rounding off an edge, or smoothing an inside circle, or to knock off some burs, or any number of other quick and easy little tasks like that. However, I couldn't begin to count the number of hours to which those little 30 second uses have added up. I can't imagine being without this thing now.
As a retired custom cabinetmaker: Pony brand pipe clamps all day. Versatile and last forever.
A decent belt sander is quite versatile and doesn’t have to be expensive, and often have dust collection bags. A good DA orbital sander is pretty much indispensable.
Air nailer is The Way. Cordless nailer is just silly in my opinion, and as you said: a compressor is very much more useful.
Saw guide/tracks: just grow the skill to run a circular saw straight. A contractor tablesaw is far better in my experience.
A bench sander: just flop your belt sander on its side and build a quick jig to hold it: done deal!
That mortising machine is crazy. Just get skilled with a sharp chisel. Honestly, in forty years of building high end carpentry I never needed one. Sharp pocket knife and chisel did everything I needed.
Pretty solid advice. I’ve used an old Sears contractor saw up to a Rockwell Unisaw, Powermatic cabinet saw and even a 20k dollar Laguna sliding tablesaw and a Streibig panel saw…definitely worth spending a little more on good tools, but don’t get crazy: the same skills will give pretty similar results with a decent contractor grade saw as a high end cabinet saw. Sharp blades, square fence, wax the table to cut friction and skill in handling the stock through the machine. Enjoy!!
The belt sander can be helpful for pallet wood. I have used it quite a bit when I want the sanding grooves to go with the grain of the board but also a little rough and rustic at the end.
Also good for cleaning up reclaimed wood to remove grit, before you pass it through a planer👍
Also it’s one of my favourite tools. I have two of them. Large and small. It has zero downsides such as vacuum dust collection is a breeze, gouging doesn’t happen when you use it properly, belts don’t stretch if you de-tension them after use, and last a long time. I even use the big one for initial flattening of end grain cutting boards.
I agree. I bought a cordless rotary sander the other day -I'm taking it back because, as he said here, it had no power.
It stopped with just about any pressure I put on it when trying to sand off paint from my window..
taking it back tomorrow.
Well, I definitely couldn't afford bessey parallel clamps starting out, they are amazing.
I got mine by waiting for sales on the multipacks but they really are the best clamps. I still use my k clamps a lot but haven't touched a pipe clamp since.
Totally agree, I have some really long pipe clamps that I use because they are 7’ long- besides that I never reach for pipe clamps over the bessey clamps.
I agree with everything you said except the dewalt planer dw 734. I love mine. Mine has never tripped the built in circuit breaker since I've owned it. I do agree its top heavy so I've got it mounted to a platform I built with infeed/outfeed. Works great IMO. My only complaint is minor snipe. But you get that with the dw735 too from what I've seen on other YT vids.
Great video. I wanted the K clamps like everyone else, but I now have a wall full of the pipe clamps. I have the Porter Cable brad nailer you mentioned--love it; and my compressor. I did a lot of research before buying a benchtop planer and went with the 13" Dewalt model you mentioned and am very satisfied. And for sanders, plug the damn thing in! Keep 'em coming!
I can't speak to much of what you said but a woodworker definitely needs a corded sander. We'd destroy a battery powered one before very long. A cordless one might be handy for quick jobs if it came in a bundle that you got cheap but it ain't gonna be great for your main one.
I have the same 18 gauge nailed and the DeWalt planer and love them both. I always buy during the holidays when deep discounts are offered. I never pay full price for expensive tools. I get batteries if they come with the tool or are free with purchase or vise versa. Patience pays. ✌🏽🙏🏽
I actually use that rigid oscillating sander all the time. But a lot of what I make in my shop is small items for an Etsy store so this tool makes very fast and efficient edge sanding on small items. I almost never use the spindles though. Basically just the belt sander portion.
They also go on sale for substantial discounts at Direct Tools Outlet on occasion. I picked up mine for just over $100. It was definitely worth it and I use it all the time with my CNC side of the business.
It's used very often in guitar building too. It's an extremely good tool for some things but I agree with John that it shouldn't really be something a general woodworker should look to get unless they know for sure they are making things that make good use of it.
You just blew my mind. Never thought of using a cordless compressor. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever really thought such a thing existed. I have the 18ga Ryobi One+ brad nailer as well as a number of air powered tools including nailers and staplers. The cordless brad nailer is convenient for low volume quick jobs, but the air powered tools are so much nicer to use. They're lighter, faster and more reliable, so long as the compressor can keep up. A cordless compressor seems like something to think about adding to my list at some point.
Love the clamp advice. I was genuinely shocked with the planer. I've looked at it quite a few times and have it in my wishlist. I appreciate the heads up.
Dewalt 13" for sure on the benchtop planer.
I've been eying it latley. It outperforms higher priced options on durability and lifespan while being upgradeable to the same level over time.
Grizzly makes a similar model with a helix head. I sold my DeWalt and love my Grizzly
@@markmonson6118 which Dewalt model did you have? The DW734?
I went with a corded 26 gallon quiet compressor that has wheels. Has 2 quick connects that I have 3/8” hose connecting two 25ft 3/8” hose reels
Gives me air anywhere in the shop or outside, and it’s able to run my paint shaker, 18 gauge nailer, die grinders, among other pneumatics
I would have loved having the option of portability that the battery powered ones have, but in the 3 years I’ve had this one I’ve only moved it twice. Once for a new drain valve install and another time when I got a bigger workbench
You're focusing on specific brands and then you generalise it on the hole type of tool. Take a makita belt sander or another quality brand and you'll have a dust collection connection on the machine. The belt sander is also a lot better to achieve plane surfaces than a rotary sander. These are more for finishing. The pipe clamps do not have the depth as the parallel ones, which can be important when gluing cabinets or thick stuff. Overall I got the impression you're still not that experienced and now you think spreading your smattering is a good idea. Stopped the video and got a thumb down.
I am not a woodworker as much as I am a general DIYer in a 40 year old house. I have had to rebuild a set of cabinets after a bad inlet valve in a dishwasher ruined the MDF sides on them. The cabinets had synthetic stone countertop on them so nobody would touch it without me accepting full responsibility if the countertop broke.
Oh yeah - back to general DIY. Now I am doing a lot of drywall fixes, and the cordless palm sander is front and center. Cords drag and tend to make palm sanders gouge the soft wall surface, and palm sanders are perfect for flattening a skim coat that is closely surrounded by existing texture. I'll be removing a telephone wallplate today, putting in a patch, and using the good old HF cordless palm sander to prepare it for texture. Life is good.
BTW - for drywall, I have to give a shoutout to my mentor, That Kilted Guy. I'm reading a couple of his ebooks, but most of my inspiration and skills have come from his videos. I can't believe I waited 70 years to develop such a useful skill.
parallel clamps -> pipe clamps, belt sander -> random orbital sander, cordless nailer -> air nailer, track saw guide -> watch another video to diy track saw guide, hollow chisel mortiser -> other means, cordless palm sander -> anything else, rigid benchtop spindle/belt sander -> anything else, also dewalt 12" benchtop planer
LOVE THIS! Thank you.
So for some additional perspective:
1) SANDER - Bauer Random Orbit sander from Harbor Freight. It's loaded with the same options as the Dewalt and it's normal sales price is about 60% less than the Dewalt and even lower (the price NOT the percentage) when it's on sale. AND it's received GREAT reviews online. Also they have a Bauer orbital plate sander for like $20 normal (not on sale) price!!
2) COMPRESSOR & NAILER - Completely agree to go with compressor over battery op gun. BUT the compressor you're talking about is $219 at Home Depot WITHOUT the gun. Also The one you suggested is only 2.5 gallon and requires batteries. Also check the prices between the Dewalt and the Ridgid because they're constantly moving and going on sale. Ridgid has a combo of the corded compressor + 3 nail guns (3 different sizes) for regular price of $299 but it's recently been on sale. Both Ridgid and Dewalt have the 6 gal, 1 gun option. Dewalt's is $239 and Ridgid's is $219 and those are normal sale prices.
Anyways thanks again - great vid!!
7:10 and don't forget that air is not a specific platform, therefore any air tool brand goes with any brand compressor.
As a 50+ year pro, I'm both grateful for all the tool opportunities that are now available and saddened by how much you have to spend to take advantage of them. Hats off for this video.
I can't agree more about the K-Body clamps- they are very good for specific things, but I've seen youtubes where the shop has 20 or more hanging there, used for all glueups, and can't imagine having the spare change to justify buying them all when pipe or bar clamps do it better, cheaper (BTW, Hargraves are my favorite, though quite pricey. Though they hold or increase value with age).
Belt sanders, on the other hand: The first tool I mastered, and my go-to for stock removal or first pass sanding. Try sanding out chipouts with a RO or vibrator, you will be there all day. That said, most brands don't track or balance well. Some are so poorly balanced that the sander tips over just sitting on a table, practically guaranteeing gouges and digins. It's been ages since I bought one, but the old Rockwell "locomotive" A3 was a wonderful workhorse, as well as the Black and Decker pro model- both were $300+ several decades ago. Well used, they are amazing. Nowadays I'm more precise, and don't have to sand face frames down as much at the joints, but can't imagine using just my Festool 150FEQ RO, it would be laughable. The belt sander, well used, makes a flatter surface faster. Learning curve, sure, but try flattening a glued up tabletop with any RO and you will see what I mean.
Pipe clamps are NOT better than Bessey's. There is much research available to prove this. If budget conscious, buy them one at a time and you have them for a lifetime. Guys across this country every weekend are having garage sales selling off the cheap crappy tools they bought trying to save a dollar. Buy the best you can afford, you will value them, care for them, use them and have them for a lifetime. Buy cheap crap, you're going to get frustrated, misuse the tool trying to compensate for it's shortcomings, produce crappy work and end up buying something better in the end, costing more time and money in the long run.
@@davidcole333 I have to emphasize that everyone's experience, product line, and physical capabilities are different. This video is specifically about what a beginner should buy, and I commented on that basis.
I use K clamps for some things- I like them for assembling boxes, and for small, no problem panel glueups. As @John Malecki said, they are expensive without giving the return they deserve in many cases. For the same money, the best clamps I've used for panel glueups are Hargraves. They have a heavy bar, rachet stop, long and powerful screw, and are a pleasure to use (except they are heavy, but then, I don't have time to go to a gym). My second choice for a moderately difficult panel, and, despite great equipment and mucho experience many of my glueups are moderately difficult, is a pipe clamp similar to a Jorgensen. My last choice is tied between an F clamp, a K body clamp, and a pipe clamp that uses a pawl instead of a clutch. Hargraves don't deflect much and are extremely powerful, pipe clamps are maybe 2/3 as strong but deflect, pawl style pipe clamps are hard to reset and dent the pipe, F clamps don't help flatten the panel (not that it's permanent, but panels can spring apart if bowed too much) and K body clamps don't deliver the power, don't have an unlimited life and are just not the most efficient.
I've been a pro woodworker for over 50 years, this has been my living and my life. I've used them all, and others besides, and am speaking from my experience. YMMV.
I watch a lot of woodworking videos and am a keen hobby furniture maker. I'm also a qualified carpenter, which translates reasonably well, at least on the tool front.
I live in New Zealand, and the thing that always blows me away, apart from the amazing woodworkers that are on you tube, is how cheap everything is in the USA!!
That DeWalt compressor/pin nailer combo in NZ would be anywhere between $700 and $1000 NZD.
The DeWalt 13 inch planer is $1900 NZD compared to the $600 USD. Exchange rates etc I know, but still a crazy difference!
Love the videos!
The bench top sander from Ridgid is the bomb. Had one for 15 years, still use it every time in the shop. Saves massive time and has not broken once.
So I bought the Ridged sander you showed. Love it, and use it all the time. I also bought the Ridged planner like the Dewalt you showed. Never ever have I had issues with the breaker. It has awesome power. I run walnut and maple , and other 10 to 12 inch slab cuts all the time. I do have mine fixed to s stand from Harbor fright... but yeah its awesome too.
Bosch 18v and 12v cordless sanders are amazing, quiet and have crazy good dist collection even with just the bag. Try em out.
As a journeyman carpenter/ fine woodworker, your right on the clamps, palm sanders are nice I use the air powered ones, get a Porter Cable, half sheet sander, if you’re doing finish carpentry in houses, check your building codes before buying a common finish nailer, a Senco shoots a actual finish nail, hate to see you pulling doors out because you’re nails are not nails. If you’re doing a lot of glue ups, make or buy yourself a good hardwood European work bench and a good solid table saw and go from there. I see a lot of expensive tools on the wall behind you, you can do alot with a rafter square and a speed square. And learn to hand cut mortise and tenon joints, it’s really not that hard
I've had a wood shop doing custom aquarium cabinets and canopies for 25 years and my approach for beginners is a little different. First, tool selection depends somewhat on the type of things you want to build but for me i recommend those getting started buy the best tools they can afford which are required for their project and then only buy new tools when a project specifically calls for it. What I've found is that really good tools can help make a beginner make some awesome things which helps motivate them to continue and improve. For example, i suspect i can do things with inexpensive tools that a beginner could not simply because I've been building for 30 years. Take something as simple as a chisel. If you buy a cheap HF version you're going to struggle to make really precision cuts to get perfect fits which as if you buy a more expensive one they are much easier to use. Having said all that i agree things like belt sanders seem like a good idea but are really difficult to use. Investing in a small pancake compressor early on it a really smart idea since you can use so many different tools. Except for a hand drill, cordless tools are an unnecessary extra expense in a small shop, they shine for on-site applications. My #1 suggestion for those getting into wood working is to invest in the best table saw you can afford. It is the centerpiece of every professional shop and you can do almost anything with it once you learn how to make a few jigs. Also, if Consumner protection Agency passé the new policy they are looking at which will mandate that ALL new table saws are required to have the 'flesh protection" tech built into them the small hobby saw market will collapse since they will become unaffordable ...
Love watching you and need all help can get, I'm old disabled coalminer trying keep mind occupied making things not expert for sure. Tools are so expensive and trying make smart buys by watching you because lost everything I owned from house fire. Big problem with getting shop organized from lack of room so thanks for the info you give much appreciated 🙏 👍
I've had the DW734 planer you show for years. Approx 8000 bd ft of unplaned hardwood through it. I've purchased one set of blades, so I'm on my third blade side. It's 12 1/2". It's bolted to it's own stand so it doesn't tip over. I've never seen snipe. It only bogs down or trips the circuit protection switch if you're using it wrong, (to thick bites) or you try to use it with dull blades. The thing can't be killed. If you have a dust collector it makes no sawdust that isn't collected. Best and most used tool in my shop. Can't live without it. Can't start a project without it. The 735 is a great planer though but the 734 is too.
For rapid spot material removal, I love me a flap wheel on angle grinder. More precise and versatile than belt sander in tight spots, but each has its applications.
This was my thoughts. INSANELY cheap and works great.
Great advice! Thank you for educating folk! As a 34yr building trades veteran, whenever people 'ooh & ahh' over some of the fancy tools... i point them to the hand tools on the wall and tell them that if they don't have the knowledge to build a deck or a cabinet with basic tools & elbow grease, the cool tools aren't going to help them. btw, while you and i do different types of woodworking i can proudly say that i don't have a single tool that you highlighted! Still, enjoy your vids!