Most wanted tools for shop

[TwangThwack]

Hey all I've been lurking this site for about a year and absolutely love this community and finally have a question or three.  

I want to get set up for making some nice bows and would like opinions on best bang for the buck tools that help with both the speed of the process and the precision of the end product.  I now have an extensive collection of home depot red oak shavings in the garage and want to expand it out into more expensive saw dust and maybe a nice shooter.

What I have now is standard hand tools, belt sander that needs to be upgraded(suggestions?), knife grinding belt sander.  All suggestions appreciated from diy to high end toys I will never afford    

[macbow]

A good 14 inch or better band saw.
I've been dreaming of a thickness sander.

[mwosborn]

X2 on the bandsaw - a good sander would be nice too.

[rmorris]

I dont know how you all make them all wood bows. But the most used tool in my shop is a 10" table saw. I was at sears tonight and they had 10", thick non sharp blades that you attach sand paper to and make a disk sander out of a table saw... could kill 2 birds with one arrow.

[BrushWolf]

I x2 the bandsaw.I use a saw with a rip fence and a 1/2 blade for resawing. A belt or disc sander would come in handy also.

[kennym]

for glass and or allwood lam bows:

dust collection system
10" table saw
14" bandsaw
belt/disc sander
thickness sander
good bench

Best affordable on all...

[TwangThwack]

Sounds like a bandsaw is the way to go

Looking at the Grizzly G0555, 14 inch, 1hp. Read some good reviews so far.  Anyone have a take on this particular saw or others around that price range?  The 555 and the 555P look like the exact saw with a different paint job to me also...

[kennym]

I have this one, I've cut miles of lams and lumber without a hitch except guide bearings.

Stock ones were open bearings,I think hardwood sawdust is rough on em.

I buy sealed ones at local machine shop for about 3.00 apiece


 http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-Extreme-Series-Bandsaw/G0555X

[jsweka]

A tool I use a lot is a Grizzly oscilating spindle sander.  It's great for shaping riser fade outs and I use it to rough shape limb profiles.  With a coarse grit, it takes material off in a hurry.

[RRock]

how is that Grizzly band saw for resawing? will it resaw 4" material at a good pace?

[kennym]

It will saw plenty fast if you have a good blade in it, I never push it when I saw thick stuff. Just figure it will last a lot longer that way.

Most of my sawing lams is 1.5"-2" stuff tho. It does well in it.  Sharp blade is key on any sawin job!  

[PEL]

I am in exactly your place too - although my shavings are mostly hickory and hophornbeam - I am buying a Grizzly 14 inch bandsaw TODAY in fact.  the Porter Cable (available at Lowe's) looks good too.  It is amayzing what you can do with a bandsaw.

[Buemaker]

Dynamite, for splitting twisted Osage logs larger that 14" diameter.      

[TwangThwack]

California wont let us have nothin fun...like dynamite.

[inksoup]

yourself and talent and lots of patience  

[psychmonky]

As for the guide bearings, there is a company on the big auction site that sells nothing but bearings. (They have bearings that range in price up to $35000. Ouch)

They sell the exact ones used on several models of bandsaw. I just bought a pack of 10, which is enough to do upper and lower guides on most saws, for $14 shipped

I have to fabricate the guides for my old walker- turner saw rather than pay $200+ to replace a broken one.