Sometimes luck happens

[K. L. McReynolds]

Friend is slowly getting into working wood. Oddly and hesitantly at first, then more bold. The boldness is tempered by his frugalness---he does not like spending money(loves Harbor Freight
).

He decided he wanted to buy a table saw. Spent months researching and perusing Craig's List/etc. Picked my brain about portable models---remember, low cost is the first priority.

He called me last week asking about a saw he saw on some web site---sent a picture. Craftsman zip code saw, cast top/wings with LOTs of rust. No miter gauge, but after market fence. I asked if he had looked in person---he said he bought it. Talked the guy down to $50.

I go look. What he has is basically the same saw as the Rigid TS2424 I have with a pretty good add on fence and a different motor(1&3/4 hp). He spends a day sanding off the rust and waxing the top, added a new blade and found the switch key(the yellow one) is missing. So, either new switch or find/buy a key. New blade was $30, I gave him the miter gauge off my TS2424, switch remains to be seen. Probably worth $200+ now and a really good long term machine.

Now he wants a mobile base(

) and asked if a 10" band saw was any good. I told him to go buy a HF model and not waste time looking.

[Mike 55]

Friend is slowly getting into working wood. Oddly and hesitantly at first, then more bold. The boldness is tempered by his frugalness---he does not like spending money(loves Harbor Freight
).

He decided he wanted to buy a table saw. Spent months researching and perusing Craig's List/etc. Picked my brain about portable models---remember, low cost is the first priority.

He called me last week asking about a saw he saw on some web site---sent a picture. Craftsman zip code saw, cast top/wings with LOTs of rust. No miter gauge, but after market fence. I asked if he had looked in person---he said he bought it. Talked the guy down to $50.

I go look. What he has is basically the same saw as the Rigid TS2424 I have with a pretty good add on fence and a different motor(1&3/4 hp). He spends a day sanding off the rust and waxing the top, added a new blade and found the switch key(the yellow one) is missing. So, either new switch or find/buy a key. New blade was $30, I gave him the miter gauge off my TS2424, switch remains to be seen. Probably worth $200+ now and a really good long term machine.

Now he wants a mobile base(

) and asked if a 10" band saw was any good. I told him to go buy a HF model and not waste time looking.

Well, in my opinion woodworking is not a frugal sport for the most part. When I got into woodworking in the mid 80's I had hundreds of dollars in gift certificates from Sears that I won in contests as a tech. So, I bought a contractor saw, a 6" jointer and a chop saw. I later bought a 12" Delta planer. When I got serious I bought a Delta cabinet saw and 8" jointer along with a 20" Powermatic planer, 12" Dewalt compound saw, Gorilla dust collector and so on and so on. I guess your friend is dipping his toe into the water to see the temperature. Be patient, it should pass in a few years. 

[jteneyck]

Well, in my opinion woodworking is not a frugal sport for the most part. When I got into woodworking in the mid 80's I had hundreds of dollars in gift certificates from Sears that I won in contests as a tech. So, I bought a contractor saw, a 6" jointer and a chop saw. I later bought a 12" Delta planer. When I got serious I bought a Delta cabinet saw and 8" jointer along with a 20" Powermatic planer, 12" Dewalt compound saw, Gorilla dust collector and so on and so on. I guess your friend is dipping his toe into the water to see the temperature. Be patient, it should pass in a few years. 

You can have pretty nice equipment without being spendy if you buy used and are patient until a good deal comes along.  Unisaw:  $150.  14" Delta Wood/Metal BS:  $50.  Dewalt GWI RAS:  $175.  Delta Homecraft lathe with turning tools:  $50  I bought those machines over a 10 year period more than 20 years ago and still have and use them.  Pretty great ROI in my opinion.  I bought a Foley/Belsaw planer/moulder for $250 and sold it for $400 after using it for 3 or 4 years.  More recently I bought a W&H moulder with $3K worth of custom knives for $1200.  

I agree that woodworking is not a cheap endeavor overall, but used machines help keep it reasonable.   

John

[daddo]

It's a hobby- not manufacturing.
It's fun- not a job.
It's not priority- it's expendable.
When it's all over, it, and you, go back in the box.

Frankly, I can't tell if a piece was made using a Delta or a Sawstop or a Ryobi.  It just boils down to how good you feel about yourself owning each and how much you spent.  Frankly I'd feel pretty good about spending 50 bucks, investing a few more $$ and having a good saw worth much more. But then I like building/ rebuilding tools and machines.

 I paid 50 bucks for two old 6"x48"sanders with good motors and stands. 60's Craftsman and 80's Cleveland AM Industrial.
 Got one done. Working on the next one.




 This one needs much more work. But it will be good as new when I'm done.

[fredhargis]

Mac, tell your friend that HF has those plastic keys and they probably have one that fits his saw. I bought a set just to have some spares around in case I misplaced one. Also, tell him he sucks!

[stav]

I have too many dependencies on my money outside of my hobby to go buy new on larger tools. Most of my stuff was bargains I was able to find because now one wanted to deal with the maintenance needed, the size/weight of the item or whatever. My wife says if it is big old and rusty it’s a tool I’ll bring home. $50 for zip code saw in working condition is a great find. Also, I have an old Delta 10” band saw that works great and rarely is too small for my needs. If it’s a good band saw, I’d tell him to go for it. Learning how to maintain and set up the machine is an important part of this hobby.

[Bob Vaughan]

The yellow oval key has two prongs that stick down into the switch.  A couple of pieces of plastic stuck in the holes should make it work for testing.
Those switches were popular years ago.  I've probably got several of those things stuck down in rat holes somewhere around here.  I've found that having an extra one when needed is really nice.

[brianwelch]

The yellow oval key has two prongs that stick down into the switch.  A couple of pieces of plastic stuck in the holes should make it work for testing.
Those switches were popular years ago.  I've probably got several of those things stuck down in rat holes somewhere around here.  I've found that having an extra one when needed is really nice.

I have seen where someone used one of the plastic childproof electric outlet protector plugs as a makeshift "key". haven't tried it myself, yet...

[daddo]

A good deterrent - set one of these on the saw.

[TGW]

The modern urbanized or suburbanized lifestyle all over the western world and particularly in America is heavily based on consumerism where everything is supposed to be new and shiny and costly and disposable.
The rural lifestyle in Österbotten in Finland where I live alsao contains a sizeable streak of consumerism yet to a lesser degree.

Anyway lack of money shoiuld not prewent anyone with some spare time from having a fullfilling hobby or to tool up for a carreer as a craftsman. When it does there is something wrong in society. You only need a knife and a spoon knife and a grindstone and some scraps of birch to whittle hundreds of spoons.
You only need a simple fan and a piece of railway rail and a hammer and a pair of tongs and access to a scrap yard and acess to some scrap timber which can be turned to coal and then you can pretty much forge all the tools you need for blacksmithing and then everything you need for handtool woodworking.

Myself I have had to go the frugal route due to a very limited supply of money. I now have a pretty much a fully eqipped professional workshop geared towards custom doors and windows and built in cabinetry at less than the cost of a typical suburban hobby workshop in the consumerist culture. Worn out or outdated industrial machines rebuilt and modernized to high standards using mostly scrap yard materials. Secondhand hand tools found at flea markets and repaired.
A little money can go far in you have time and determination. One just needs to think outside the consumerist box.