First tools

[RxFunk]

Hey guys, I'm getting really interested in luthiere, and I think I may actually have found a place to apprentice at. Anyway, I would like to start collecting my own tools now, so what do you guys thing should be the first tools I get(besides sandpaper)?

[Konquest]

I come from a furniture/cabinetry background so this might be overkill:

Machinery is the biggest investment and here is what your shop should have: table saw, planer, jointer, a bench top drill press and a bench top oscillating spindle sander. You can use a jigsaw in lieu of a bandsaw for a while but you'll eventually want one of those as well. Drum sander is an awesome luxury to have, and you'll be jonesing for one of those after a few builds.

Power tools are next: you'll want a random orbit sander, probably a belt sander, and at least one router, because you'll want one mounted in a table, and one to use with your hands...the kits that have fixed and plunge bases are nice. Also a drill or two.

Then you've got hand tools: saws, block plane, files and rasps, that sort of thing...

Last but not least is dust collection, a nice sturdy work surface, a good quality rule and square, and a shitton of clamps, clamps, clamps.

If you acquire all this, you'll have a shop that can build literally anything out of wood, not limited to luthierie.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by Konquest

I come from a furniture/cabinetry background so this might be overkill:

Machinery is the biggest investment and here is what your shop should have: table saw, planer, jointer, a bench top drill press and a bench top oscillating spindle sander. You can use a jigsaw in lieu of a bandsaw for a while but you'll eventually want one of those as well. Drum sander is an awesome luxury to have, and you'll be jonesing for one of those after a few builds.

Power tools are next: you'll want a random orbit sander, probably a belt sander, and at least one router, because you'll want one mounted in a table, and one to use with your hands...the kits that have fixed and plunge bases are nice. Also a drill or two.

Then you've got hand tools: saws, block plane, files and rasps, that sort of thing...

Last but not least is dust collection, a nice sturdy work surface, a good quality rule and square, and a shitton of clamps, clamps, clamps.

If you acquire all this, you'll have a shop that can build literally anything out of wood, not limited to luthierie.

This would be ideal, however, I probably should have stated this in my op, I'm 17, so I don't have room for big machinery, just smaller power tools and hand tools. Thanks for listing those as well, I actually think my dad has quite a few of these already, which is awesome, because I don't have a ton to spend right now. Should I also consider some of the tool kits from StewMac, they seem pretty helpful?

[Hopkins]

First thing first get a good router. Then a band saw and drill press. Those should be your first investment.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

First thing first get a good router. Then a band saw and drill press. Those should be your first investment.

The drill press may be the only one not possible right now. What all would I need it for, tuning peg holes?

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by RxFunk

The drill press may be the only one not possible right now. What all would I need it for, tuning peg holes?

I use it to drill just about every hole. Cant drill straight with a hand drill.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

I use it to drill just about every hole. Cant drill straight with a hand drill.

How much space does one take up? I may be able to fit one in my dad's garage, if he would be willing to move some cycling gear out that is.

[Clydesauce]

Matters on how big of one you buy. I have two, a floor and a bench model. A bench model is how its name describes it, it fits perfect on a bench or table. Only thing I would have to say I do not like about the Bench Drill Press is that it is sometimes hard to drill due to the lack of space but it is easy to live with.

I would say though, a router is one of the most important tools you could get from the get go. Also look into wood shop at your school, as they normally have all these tools and will let you use them before or after school, or like I did, and was working on guitars in class.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by Clydesauce

Matters on how big of one you buy. I have two, a floor and a bench model. A bench model is how its name describes it, it fits perfect on a bench or table. Only thing I would have to say I do not like about the Bench Drill Press is that it is sometimes hard to drill due to the lack of space but it is easy to live with.

I would say though, a router is one of the most important tools you could get from the get go. Also look into wood shop at your school, as they normally have all these tools and will let you use them before or after school, or like I did, and was working on guitars in class.

I actually know the woodshop teacher really well, as I took his electronics course a couple years ago, and I go talk to him a lot, so he'd probably willing to help me out. Plus he has a heap of extra wood I can test on. I found a bench drill press at harbor freight, it was a 12 speed made by central machinery, if you guys know anything about that. I also just remembered l, the guy who loaned me the first guitar, amp, and bass amp I ever used is a carpenter, and he would probably let me use some tools as well.

[RxFunk]

Update: just talked to my father and he actually has everything mentioned here except for the random orbital sander and the drum sander! He also said he has a coworker who could give him some nice woods, so it looks like I'm gonna be good to go...at least until it comes to building it