Based upon the username/post combo…I’m betting this is sage advice.
with large power tools (table saw, band saw, miter saw) used ones can be OK provided. if you can do some tool maintenance like change motor brushes; clean, adjust and repair adjusting mechanisms, open and clean then you could be OK. if you are an alert and focused person then you might be OK; older tools may lack safety devices (guards and interlocks) either because they never had them in the old days or they were removed and lost. used tools may also lack parts and accessories.
if you can live with the limits of an older tool and learn how to be safe, then old tools can do lots of tasks and give you a starter setup or handle less complex projects.
Some table saw thoughts…
[ul][li]If I were starting fresh, I’d buy as good a contractor table saw as I could afford. Cabinet saws are out of my league.[/li][li]The saw should be in the center of the shop, so consider the available room and how easily a table saw can fit in the middle. Remember, you push long pieces through it and they come out the other end, so if you need to be able to rip plywood sheets, make sure you have eight feet in front and in back of the saw.[/li]
I don’t have the luxury of much room in my basement, so I address this in a few ways:
Put casters on the base of the saw, so you can easily move it about. I used a kit like this.
Have the guys at Home Depot make large rip and crosscuts in plywood or other large stock when you buy it. It fits in the car/truck easier that way too.
Lumber mills will also do this for you.
[li]Make sure you can see the saw in person. Check out the miter gauge and the fence and see if they are fiddly or annoying in any way. Make sure the miter gauge fits in a T-shaped slot (far end of gauge is captive in slot).[/li]See how annoying it will be to change blades.
[li]Get a belt drive saw. Those universal motors on direct drive saws are screamers.[/li]Put it on its own circuit, and if possible have it wired for 220: it will run smoother and quieter. Mine is on a 120 circuit and runs fine, but it is a dedicated circuit.
[li]Don’t even bother with a bench saw. I had one and it was fine for making small wooden boxes, but it wasn’t accurate at all.[/li][*]Useful accessories include featherboards, outfeed rollers, and high quality blades (I like 80-tooth Freud blades)[/ul]
Good point that I forgot to mention yesterday. Back in 2008 or so, there were some significant changes made to the safety equipment required on table saws. Essentially, the old-style “splitters” are no longer allowed and have been replaced with something called a riving knife that hugs the back side of the blade and moves up and down with the blade. They’re a lot less obtrusive and as a result, it’s much more likely that you’ll actually keep them in use, unlike the old splitters and anti-kickback things that often did need to be removed to make certain cuts.
Something else to consider, safety-wise is SawStop. This is a brand of table saws that electronically senses skin contact and almost explosively stops the blade, turning what probably would have been a three-finger amputation into a minor nick. Nothing actually explodes, but the mechanism is dramatic. Even without the blade brake system, they’re well-regarded tools with good accuracy and power. Starting price for these is not insignificant, but it is cheaper than hand reconstruction surgery - the contractor style SawStop saws start at around $1600.
Excellent advice
The first thing he should get is a good table saw. Ideally a cabinet saw, if you have room and the budget for it. However, if you’re just starting and may or may not keep on with it, you can do pretty well with an inexpensive Craftsman from Sears. (And if anyone has a cabinet saw they’re all done with, I’ll give you my address - I’m long ready for an upgrade!) For making shelves he’ll probably find a dado blade set really handy. Given what he’s already got on hand and a decent table saw, the projects mentioned in the OP shouldn’t be too hard to get started on. The first project, of course, should be his workbench.
From there, a compound miter saw is extremely useful. A plunge router with a few good bits can help put nice touches onto the pieces he starts with. And when you get into making really nice furniture or things, tools like jointers and planers become vital. There are a lot of little specialty tools and “accessories” to collect too, but most of them aren’t absolutely necessary. The two exceptions are: a) clamps (you can never have too many or too many kinds); and b) a good try-square. A speed-square or combination square is also good (I personally get a lot of use out of my rafter square).
A final comment on budget and tool-purchasing: there is a wide range of prices in the world of tools and accessories. When it comes to these things, you really get what you pay for. Stay away from the cheapest items if you can - you’ll lose more in ruined wood than the difference between the price of a mid-range tool, not to mention all the frustration that goes with seeing that nice piece of cherry get chewed up by a cheap saw blade. I wouldn’t suggest getting the most awesome top-of-the-line stuff either, unless this is going to become a new career; good solid mid-range tools and equipment will serve a hobbyist pretty well.
There are some good woodworking programs on TV too. The New Yankee Workshop is one of my favorites (sadly at the end of its run now), and * The Woodsmith Workshop* is pretty good for a beginner - they often show how to get the most out of a basic collection of tools. Both are on PBS. I don’t know if it’s still being aired, but the DIY network on cable ran a show called Woodworks, hosted by an amazing woodworking artist named David Marks - that show is what really got me started in woodworking. And I can recommend a video podcast called The Wood Whisperer as another great resource for someone just starting out.
Actually, they are marked Z87 not 287 (ANSI Z87 is the standard for protective eyewear), and they are good for most types of industrial work - not just carpentry.
Indeed… I wonder what percentage of table saws in this world look like mine: totally flat with exception of the blade and fence/miter gauge.
That said, when I do rip cuts, I use feather boards and stand to the side. My wife’s uncle still bears the scar from a piece of lumber that slugged him in the gut and put him out of commission for several months.
Look around to see if there are any woodworking schools in your area. That’s what I did and I learned a great deal. They start you off slow with simple projects to learn foundations and build upon that knowledge to more and more complex projects. As a bonus, after I “graduated” I gained access to their HUGE shop space and expensive jointers, planers, etc. to use on my own projects.
If you are in the Chicago area, it was the Chicago School of Woodworking.
Semi related, I am looking to sell a used 10" Delta table saw with a Biesemeyer fence in case you are in the area and interested in collecting power tools.
I second Mooch. Years ago, before he retired, my dad got laid off by his employer, then rehired as part of a settlement, and another part of the settlement included an education allowance. Dad decided to spend his on a woodworking class at a nearby community college. Specifically, “Spanish Colonial Furniture Making”. Not only did he learn a lot about tools and techniques (he’d been a carpenter, but not a decorative woodworker), but he got to meet a lot of folks involved in woodworking, creating a good social network for himself.
He’s turned out some amazing stuff since then. Most recently, he made a headboard for our bed; it’s made of black walnut, which he got from one of his contacts, and the top crosspiece is a beautiful solid 2x12, a size that’s right about impossible to buy. Weighs a ton, too.