What to buy with my birthday money?

[reverendrally]

Right, so for my 40th instead of pressies, I asked for guitar building $$$. I have lots of awesome friends and after counting I have about $2.5k to spend. What do I need? Well the following I think...

Decent band saw (to resaw tops as well as other basic stuff)
Jointer
Saw table (for ripping and scarf joints)
Dust extractor
Router table (maybe)

I'm only building electric basses (and the odd guitar) really, so I don't need a thickness sander. Any thoughts on specs and models would be good. I also have a mate who works for Hare & Forbes (local machine retailers), so hopefully I can get better than retail prices. Thoughts?

Obviously, Aust prices are a little more than US and shipping things out here wouldn't be very smart due to crazy shipping prices.

P.s. the next thing I build is gonna have to be pretty special...

[reverendrally]

What! no one wants to talk machinery p@rn?

[ctmullins]

Not sure about Aussie dollars versus Yank dollars. But I built my own router table platform that fits into my Black & Decker WorkMate. So I wouldn't spend money there. Definitely a good table saw, but only if you have space for it. I got the Bosch Contractor's saw, and it does well for the price point. And there are times when I wish I had a thickness sander...

[Alexander Eddy]

Originally Posted by ctmullins

Not sure about Aussie dollars versus Yank dollars

Ours are better

[devo_stevo]

That's a tough one. Definately the band saw if you haven't got a good one...other than that, I'm not sure. The table saw would be nice if, like Todd said, you have the space for it.

Beyond that, I'd look at things that you would like to improve on your builds, whether they could be better or if you could do them more effectively, and buy tools that will make those things better/more efficient. I have found that I don't need a table saw, but others wouldn't want to be without one. Different strokes for different folks and all that stuff.

Either way, you're right, the next one had best be a good one. You've got some great friends and family there. Hang on to them.

[SaintMez]

That's cool of your friends to pitch in like that! I'm gonna have to try that Birthday wish on my 40th. I think the machinery you listed so far will be great assets to your future builds. My $.02 would be (in Yank currency) buy a good table saw. Use it to build your own router table. And add a planer to your list. Then you have every tool at your disposal to square your stock. I've found my planer useful to do things like thinning a piece of top wood down to veneer thickness so I can use it for a matching headstock. I reckon a thickness sander would accomplish the same task. If you do get the table saw go for one of the thin kerf blades from stewmac or lmii used for cutting fret slots. It will save you massive amounts of time.

[suraj]

Personally, I would look into one of those combination jointer and thickness planer machines for squaring up your stock. It uses the same cutter as the jointer on top and a thickness planer on the bottom. It would save space and cost.

Apart from that -

A band saw for resawing and definitely the dust extractor.

I don't see much use of a table saw other than making jigs, but you could manage without one too.

[gbarcus]

14" bandsaw with 6" riser block, drumsander and dust collector 650+cfm.
Grizzly has great prices, but not sure about shipping to Australia.