Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/12/2003

Question
Jamie, I'm very eager to start my own furniture building business and want to ask you what piece of equipment will get the majority of use in my shop, and maybe if you can provide me with a short list of necessary machinery to get started. Also, what would this all cost? in Canadian $'s?
Keep in mind, this will be a small furniture shop.
Hopefully I'm not imposing with this request.
Regards,
Dean  

Answer
Hi Dean,

The answer to your question is rather broad. I'm not sure what kind of furniture making you have in mind, and there is a lot of specialization out there. I know woodworkers who make nothing but desks, and others who specialize in chairs...so the tools you need depend on what you want to build.  I'm also assuming that you have some basic skills, but no tools, so I am going to suggest a few starting points.

I don't think any woodworker could be without a good 10" tablesaw as a start for the woodshop. You can do so many things on a tablesaw besides just cutting wood, that it's indispensable.  Like what? Cutting joinery, straightening edges on boards, inlaying, and so on are just the start. So you need a good tablesaw.  A decent one here in the USA is about $1000, so that would be closer to $1500 Canadian. You want versatility, so buy one with a large table top and a high capacity fence system. I recommend a Delta 10" with a Beismeyer fence.

Next, I think the one tool that adds some dimension to your work is a good router. And a router table so that you can mount the router in it. I recommend the Porter Cable 690 router setup.  With this setup, you can rout boards, cut joints, straighten edges, do some surfacing...you name it.  In some cases, you can mount your router right under the Tablesaw table, and use the fence as a router fence. That's a good setup for a beginner.  The PC 690 will cost you about $250 in Canadian dollars.

Next, you need a variety of smaller tools, such as a good drill, a sander, and so on. Don't forget you're going to need a nice workbench or at least some sort of table to do your glue-ups, your sanding, your detail work and so on. And that's just the power stuff you need. Remember that you need clamps, chisels, drill and router bits and so on.  It's a veritable money pit.

Try finding this book: THE COMPLETE MANUAL OF WOODWORKING by Albert Jackson, David Day and Simon Jennings. It's a really nice starter, with detailed information and great photos and illustrations. I recommend it to everyone wanting to know what to buy.

I would also look at Rockler.com, which is a woodworking company that not only sells plans, but a complete line of supplies like drawer glides, hinges, knobs and pulls, screws, etc. It's a retail site best known for it's "one stop" shopping. They are a national chain, so there could be a Rocker near you. They have weekend seminars that show proper usage for the tools they sell, as well as specialty classes like lathe work, pen making and so on. Rockler is rather expensive, but if you can visit a store, you'll learn a lot about how furniture goes together.

Another fine woodworking store is Woodcraft. They are really a one stop shop; they will carry everything you need to complete your project, although they are somewhat expensive too. You could shop there, then perhaps try to locate the stuff you see at a discount store, like Lowes or Home Depot.

Honestly, all this information in not to scare you away, but getting started is a big undertaking.  Does your community offer any adult ed woodworking classes? I teach those classes for my local college and for roughly $200, you have access to a complete woodshop, all the help and support you need, and it sure beats shelling out $5000 for tools. You might look into taking some classes just to be able to use their facility.

OK, I hope this at least gives you an idea of what you need. Feel free to write back if you have any other questions.


Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Akron, Ohio