Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
Man that's great info to consider, thank you yet again. Feel free to share any and all knowledge when it comes to shop building  Bandsaws, dust extraction, drill press etc haha |
Bandsaw: totally depends on what you're building. I have a passable 18" one (made by a company that no longer exists, but basically the same as a Rikon), but it's always been a bit annoying to keep adjusted and aligned properly. If you don't see much wide resawing (6+ inches) in your future, a good quality 14" one might be all you'll ever need. Sometimes they pop up used for a good price.
Dust extraction: Cyclones are great (I have a Clearvue one), but they're hideously expensive. But anything is better than nothing, so get whatever you can afford or even just use a good vacuum if that's all you can justify. Too much dust (or pretty any MDF dust) is awful for your health and super annoying to work with.
And if you see yourself doing cabinetry or doing finish carpentry type stuff, consider a track saw. I have a Makita one and it's great. I get cleaner and more accurate cuts in plywood with it than I do on my cabinet saw. It's not crucial if you're mainly doing solid wood furniture though.
Also probably the most important thing for anyone doing woodworking:
USE THE GUARDS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT COMES WITH YOUR TOOLS!
A lot of guards (particularly table saw ones) can be a little annoying and most people just throw them away, but that's an awful idea. Even seasoned pros make mistakes and end up maiming themselves. My advice is either get used to using the stock ones or replace them with something better. Since riving knives have mandated, the guards on new saws are a lot better, but if you have an older saw it's probably pretty clunky. But don't throw it away, there's usually an easy way to modify it to you can pop it on and off as needed for non-through cuts or dados.