Wood working Weekly Discussion Thread: What do you think is the best tool buying progression for those those starting woodworking?

Weekly Discussion Thread: What do you think is the best tool buying progression for those those starting woodworking?
Throughout high school, I’ve been constantly in an independent study course for Wood Shop. My most recent project is this Adirondack chair that took me about 2 weeks to whip up. Hope you guys like it!
I made some walnut side tables.
Finished this big cedar planter just in time for planting my spring veggies
I made very small display table on request. Design very much stolen from a photo sent to me. Maple and walnut. The original table is at ‘nicholls_design’.
A squiggly wine rack I just finished. Solid ash with a walnut oil finish.
I built a Custom Curved Maple Range Hood (build album in comments)
Honeycomb shelf made for my living room
Someone got me this tool as a wedding gift over 10 years ago. Never knew what it is used for until tonight!
Made some d20 dice out of walnut, for holding more dice?
Table 270: “Round Coffee table built from solid Tasmanian Blackwood, using kerf bending construction techniques” More photos linked
All about that woodgrain. Entirely constructed from pine and I used a jigsaw and scroll saw to make all the cuts. Learning new techniques feel free to share any recommendations or feedback. Happy creating everyone!:)
My brother is a big Mario fan so I made him this. Laser cut/etched the Super Mario Map with an oak frame.
My “Covid-19 working from home” desk. Fast build.
Took your advice, finished the coffee table. 2 day corona virus project. Thank you!
Finally done with this rainbow trout wood carving and base.
Built my first coffee table.
Floating shelves I recently did for our nursery
First project I'm actually proud of!
Being a cabinet maker, my days consist mostly of partial board, and veneers. But finally got to build something from solid wood. Walnut fireplace mantel. Very satisfying when the mitres come out mint.
First completed project
Working on my first workbench
Crib Anyone?
Here my current work in progress. 5 watch box, curly maple, Purple Heart, and wenge. Still need to cut splines, separate the top, and finish it... I was just too excited to wait to post!
Worktable on the wheels I made today. Not finished yet, I need to make better saw support. Anyway, it sits very well, as the worktop holding it still as been cutted perfectly! I'm just happy with this project so I want to share it with you all! Have a nice weekend!

Weekly Discussion Thread: What do you think is the best tool buying progression for those those starting woodworking?

Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:30 AM PDT

I was lucky to have started woodworking in a full stocked shop, so I had the opportunity to try a number of tools and get a feel for my woodworking groove by the time I left there. I then had to put together an entire shop on my own since I'd been bitten by the bug and there was no turning back.

I started with a Dewalt jobsite table saw, a few corded drills, a Rigid 6" jointer, and various odds & ends of basic carpentry tools such as some Irwin chisels and squares. I worked like that for a few years, building very basic stuff, until I moved into a house with enough space for a shop. Now, like a goldfish, I've grown into my environment.

One of my first upgrades to my shop was trading in the jobsite saw for a used 3hp Powermatic 66 cabinet saw, which is still the workhorse of my shop. The next big addition was a Dewalt 735 thickness planer. What I didn't realize early on was that I should have purchased that first, then the jointer. The reason being that there are plenty of ways to flatten or joint a board without a jointer (planer sled and shims, circular saw and a straight edge, jointer plane, etc.) but you quite often need to follow up your jointed boards at the planer.

It was somewhere in that time that I bought my first block plane, a Veritas Low Angle block. Note that in all that time before, I had not one piece of sharpening equipment. The dark voodoo of sharpening had intimidated me since I began woodworking and it kept me reliant on power tools alone for a long time. What I began learning as I tried to progress in my woodworking skills was that hand tools weren't some niche of hipsters that just wanted to do things the old way and that power tools weren't necessarily cutting edge, (pun intended) precision technology. Power tools are usually for bulk removal, hand tools allow you to finesse the piece. (that's not an absolute statement, folks. So put away the pitchforks and torches) At first I picked up a Veritas honing guide, a granite plate (broken off piece of someone's counter) and tons of sandpaper. That was enough to show me how important sharpness was and I now use a combination of sandpaper for course sharpening work (re-grinding a bevel) and waterstones for final honing. I still use a honing guide as I've yet to master free hand sharpening. Handtools have become a big part of my projects but the fact that I use hand tools and power tools equally just shows that all are important if you expect to progress. So that's my other suggestion that I learned along the way. learn handtools and sharpening earlier.

My last suggestion for early tool acquisitions might seem odd but trust me, you need a good solid workbench. I built a split-top roubo bench because I desperately needed a workbench and because I think they're beautiful. You don't have to go that far. Do your research about what kinds of benches are out there (Chris Schwarz has basically written bibles on the subject) and as long as it holds your work piece solidly in the orientation you need, run with that. I screwed around on wobbly scrap pieces on saw horses for way, way too long. My workbench now holds a piece of wood like I bolted it to the earth in almost any orientation I can imagine. It completely changes your work flow, your pieces often come out better for their stability, and you are a lot safer.

So what are your suggestions and questions for tool buying progression?

Edit: yeah, I screwed up the title a bit. Even mods can't change that.

submitted by /u/Squeazle
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Throughout high school, I’ve been constantly in an independent study course for Wood Shop. My most recent project is this Adirondack chair that took me about 2 weeks to whip up. Hope you guys like it!

Posted: 13 Mar 2020 02:26 PM PDT