Power tools for a "hobby" garage shop on a budget?

[Renorattler]

What all should i be accumulating? I am looking to work on and modify production knives, make custom scales using micarta, g10, and wood, and make some simple fixed blades for myself. I currently have a bench grinder and a dremel. Top priorities on my list now are a belt grinder and a drill press. Looking at harbor freight, craigslist, and thrift stores. Thinking a 1x30, and plain press for budget.

What would be a good option for cutting? Band saw? I am mostly looking at cutting scale material now, but would like to cut blanks eventually.

Anything else essential i am overlooking?


I would like to thank everyone for all of the info availabe here. Such a great resource for crazy knife people!

 

[Jason Fry]

Take a look at the Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder. Usually around $150 or so. LOTS of us started with that. Google it using "Craftsman grinder site:www.bladeforums.com" and there will be lots of threads.

Drill press is a good idea. Craigslist or Harbor Freight are both decent options.

 

[PaMtnBkr]

A Porta-Band Saw sure made my life easier. I got a HF special for $82.00 and made a stand and small table for it and I can't believe how much I use it! Cutting blanks, scales, pins, sanding handles, other tools, etc.

 

[Renorattler]

Take a look at the Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder. Usually around $150 or so. LOTS of us started with that. Google it using "Craftsman grinder site:www.bladeforums.com" and there will be lots of threads.

Drill press is a good idea. Craigslist or Harbor Freight are both decent options.

I have my eye on a couple older Craftsman grinders on CL. Couple weeks old, hopefully I can get one down in my budget.

A Porta-Band Saw sure made my life easier. I got a HF special for $82.00 and made a stand and small table for it and I can't believe how much I use it! Cutting blanks, scales, pins, sanding handles, other tools, etc.

I think I want a bench saw for now. Mostly planning on working small stuff right now.

 

[beaster456]

You can't beat a Craftsman 2x42 and a harbor freight portoband. Those 2 items right there and you can do a whole lot for under $300. Another option is a drillpress instead of a portoband

 

[jtwodogs]

Gota say as a nob, a drill press is indispensible if you want to drill a straight hole. I don't care how good you think you are you are eventually going to needlessly ruin some handle material without it.
Just a word of expeience, if you plan on doing larger hidden tangs, to drill the tang hole you will need a larger then an 8" bench top press. But for starters just drilling pin or bolt holes for handles a good bench top press will work, and a good set of twist bits to me are worth their weight in gold.

 

[zhyla]

I started with a 1x30 but now use a 4x36 more than anything else. Should have started with 2x42. The 4x36 works but not ideal and if you're doing knives with plunge lines it's not much use.

 

[logem]

Regarding the bench saw. At this point you may perceive that a small wood saw will be invaluable (I did). Yet, a metal saw which can run at much lower speeds is much more versatile since will be easily capable of cutting handle materials too. Very soon, you will likely desire the ability to cut through metal stock easily versus using a hack saw. Hard woods, micarta, and G-10 all cut quite well on a slower cutting speed than what is generally used for typical woods . . . so I would recommend a metal saw as your first saw purchase.

I cut blade stock with a hack saw for over three years, so it can be done. But I almost stopped using my 14" Rockwell wood saw after I purchased a Milwaukee hand held band saw and mounted onto a Swag 4.0 Band Saw Table. This may be out of your price range at the moment, but a lot of people have had good luck with the Harbor Freight "Porta Band" metal saw and then rigging it to work with a cutting surface.

Good luck,

Mike L.

 

[Renorattler]

Gota say as a nob, a drill press is indispensible if you want to drill a straight hole. I don't care how good you think you are you are eventually going to needlessly ruin some handle material without it.
Just a word of expeience, if you plan on doing larger hidden tangs, to drill the tang hole you will need a larger then an 8" bench top press. But for starters just drilling pin or bolt holes for handles a good bench top press will work, and a good set of twist bits to me are worth their weight in gold.

Noted! I dont know if ill get to larger hidden tangs. I enjoy full tangs.

I started with a 1x30 but now use a 4x36 more than anything else. Should have started with 2x42. The 4x36 works but not ideal and if you're doing knives with plunge lines it's not much use.

Trying to stay away from 4x36s.

Regarding the bench saw. At this point you may perceive that a small wood saw will be invaluable (I did). Yet, a metal saw which can run at much lower speeds is much more versatile since will be easily capable of cutting handle materials too. Very soon, you will likely desire the ability to cut through metal stock easily versus using a hack saw. Hard woods, micarta, and G-10 all cut quite well on a slower cutting speed than what is generally used for typical woods . . . so I would recommend a metal saw as your first saw purchase.

I cut blade stock with a hack saw for over three years, so it can be done. But I almost stopped using my 14" Rockwell wood saw after I purchased a Milwaukee hand held band saw and mounted onto a Swag 4.0 Band Saw Table. This may be out of your price range at the moment, but a lot of people have had good luck with the Harbor Freight "Porta Band" metal saw and then rigging it to work with a cutting surface.

Good luck,

Mike L.

Noted! I guess i just assumed the stability of a bench saw would be better to start off with than the porta. I will look into mounting a porta, and look at metal cutting saws. What should i look for in metal cutting saws?

 

[jtwodogs]

Noted! I dont know if ill get to larger hidden tangs. I enjoy full tangs.

Trying to stay away from 4x36s.


Noted! I guess i just assumed the stability of a bench saw would be better to start off with than the porta. I will look into mounting a porta, and look at metal cutting saws. What should i look for in metal cutting saws?

Just thought about it. Someone else with more years in this then me may want to chime in, about tangs and a press, you may have a problem with regular size tangs as well as large. I just know once you chuck up a regular size bit there is not much room even for a block laying horizontal with a bench top press, let alone a block standing on its end with a long tang bit.

 

[Renorattler]

Just thought about it. Someone else with more years in this then me may want to chime in, about tangs and a press, you may have a problem with regular size tangs as well as large. I just know once you chuck up a regular size bit there is not much room even for a block laying horizontal with a bench top press, let alone a block standing on its end with a long tang bit.

Most of the designs in my head right now are more along the lines of an Izula than a large bowie. I've been watching some larger presses on craigslist as well. See what I can get!

Also, I think scales for my folders are going to be done more often and more immediately than any stock cutting or drilling. And in that case, adding a second larger press might work for me later on. Budget and availability determine a lot.



And by the way, I've been looking at the portaband setups, and I love them! That is probably going to the front of my list for a saw.

 

[Renorattler]

So over the course of this week i picked up and old chicago 3/4" press with a 1hp motor on a table, a miter saw on a table, a bench top tile saw, a hf portaband, and a 1x30. Currently in the process of cleaning up the used items and building a big workbench. Then making a stand for the portaband!

Depending on how much work i actually do, ill upgrade to a 2x42 or one of the eerf builds for a 2x72. Cant wait to get everything all set up and start making something! Thanks for all of the advice, as the things i would have bought, and the things i ended buying are very different.

 

[trentu]

A Porta-Band Saw sure made my life easier. I got a HF special for $82.00 and made a stand and small table for it and I can't believe how much I use it! Cutting blanks, scales, pins, sanding handles, other tools, etc.

I can't agree more with you. This has been the most handiest of my tools outside of a Dremel. I mounted mine to the wall about chest high for mostly cutting blade blank profiles. Love it for pins.

 

[Uhurungus]

a little late but there is also a 20% off sale through 2/16 at harborfrieght for 20% off usable online OR in store.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

The portaband is a no brainer, if you are a hands on kind of guy you'll use it for everything, not just knifemaking. And the time it will save you over cutting by hand more than ofsets the small investment. Mine is also mounted chest high with a homemade table. They are all metal cutting saw so the only choice you have to make is HF or higher priced models like the Dewalt (that's what I have) or the likes. Get some good bi-metal blades for it.

 

[Renorattler]

a little late but there is also a 20% off sale through 2/16 at harborfrieght for 20% off usable online OR in store.

Thats where the portaband and the 1x30 came from!

The portaband is a no brainer, if you are a hands on kind of guy you'll use it for everything, not just knifemaking. And the time it will save you over cutting by hand more than ofsets the small investment. Mine is also mounted chest high with a homemade table. They are all metal cutting saw so the only choice you have to make is HF or higher priced models like the Dewalt (that's what I have) or the likes. Get some good bi-metal blades for it.

Glad to have more confirmation! From the research ive done, gonna get sone Lenox blades.

 

[Justin.Mercier]

The best advice that I can give is an old proverb...

"Only a rich man can afford cheap tools"

Buy the absolute best that you can, even if you have to make due with fewer tools for the time being. It's much better to spend the money once for a good tool than it is to buy a cheap tool several times over and spend more in the long run.

 

[Renorattler]

Whipped up a little stand from some scrap wood for the portaband. Used it for the first time, glad i made the purchase! Sliced up a little micarta super easy. Thanks again for the advice!