Popular Woodworking 2004-10 № 143, страница 70
Our goal here is to help readers who are on a budget but are still quality-conscious. This list is filled with tools we've tested during the last 10 years that are capable of precise work and, together, make a "complete" shop. We know almost everyone out there will disagree with at least one of our selections. And by virtue of trying to spend a little to get a lot, we've included a fair number of machines from Grizzly Industrial. That's the nature of the market, and these choices are offered without apology. Each of the machines we recommended here is a good value. When crunching the numbers we kept getting close to $1,500 - that seemed like a reasonable amount of money to set up a working woodshop. To be honest, that amount doesn't include some things every shop needs, including a good selection ofhand tools, supplies, storage and, of course, clamps. But we feel this is a good place to start. And we also have a strong suspicion that many of you already have a reasonable selection of hand tools for household chores (if not enough clamps). The three most important machines on the list are the table saw, jointer and planer. Add to those three machines a decent jigsaw, router, cordless drill and random-orbit sander, and you can build almost anything. We left a band saw and drill press off the $1,500 list, rationalizing that a jigsaw and drill can fill in for these more expensive machines until your checkbook can bear the extra expense. We also thought it was important to include dust collection on the list. It's as important to your health as ear and eye protection is. While a traditional dust collector is an option (and in the same price range), we're fond of the efficiency and convenience of cyclone collectors. So we opted for a good shop vacuum and cyclone lid. In the charts at left you'll also see that we've given you two different brand options in four of the categories. Either choice will work, but some features will appeal more to different woodworkers. One other item that's critical to a fully functioning shop is a good workbench. We haven't included that in our calculations because a bench is a terrific first project to break in your new machinery. Complete plans for an affordable, sturdy and functional workbench are available at our web site. Go to popwood.com and click on "Magazine Extras" to find it. And for those of you who think $1,500 isn't spending enough, we've included a shopping list of tools and machines for a $3,100 workshop. This list (see page 70) includes some nice upgrades and adds a couple of machines. One other comment: Depending on where in the country you're ordering from, you should check into shipping charges for all companies and add them into your price calculations. At worst, consider this article a fantasy shopping trip to the tool store. We hope you'll at least find some valuable advice on setting up a quality woodworking shop in an economical way. PW 10" Table Saw This incredibly important piece of machinery is what almost every shop should be built around. Choosing the right table saw is critical. Saving money and buying less machine than you think you need now (and will need later) is a common mistake. It's our opinion that a benchtop saw isn't a good choice for woodworking. As a minimum, you need a contractor saw with a lV2-horsepower motor, two solid cast-iron wings (for weight and stability) and a good rip fence. We've given you two very good choices here that cost within $25 of each other. The Grizzly and Bridgewood machines offer solid cast-iron wings and T-style copies of the well-respected Biesemeyer rip fence system. Either will provide accurate and reliable performance for many years. The Grizzly G0444Z offers a powerful 2-hp motor set for 220-volt usage at the factory (switchable to 110V), while the Bridgewood is rated at 1V2 hp and set as 110V, but is switch-able to 220V. Beyond the motor, the essential difference between the two machines is that the Bridgewood has a left-tilting arbor, while the Grizzly is right-tilting. Many woodworkers prefer a left-tilt machine, but we wanted to give you the choice between a left-tilt saw BRIDGEWOOD TSC10CL CONTRACTOR SAW MOTOR: 11/2 hp FENCE: Align-a-Rip, 30" capacity CONTACT: Wilke Machinery, 800-235-2100 orwilkemach.com and one with a beefier motor. Also, the Grizzly comes standard with two cast-iron wings, while the second cast wing on the Bridgewood is an upgrade. To sweeten the deal, though, Bridgewood tossed in a Powertwist LinkBelt that will reduce vibration during operation. GRIZZLY G0444Z CONTRACTOR SAW MOTOR: 2 hp FENCE: Shop Fox Aluma-Classic, 30" capacity CONTACT: Grizzly Industrial, 800-523-4777 or grizzly.com popwood.com 67 |
