Woodworking
 

I've got a 'decent' woodworking shop (not really expensive 'stuff', but, 'nice') in my basement, and I was looking at my equipment last night.

It 'struck me' that I haven't used my radial arm saw in over 5 years, and contemplated selling it/getting rid of it.
(It's now taking up space, and the table has become a sort-of 'work table' or 'catch-all'.)

Granted, I haven't done anything elaborate in several years (time and other obligations).

Who else does woodworking (anything from 'hobby' to 'professional') and what equipment do you have that you rarely use???????

What do you use, most often???

What project(s) have you worked on???

My tablesaw is the most used (stationary) piece in my shop, along with drillpress(es), router(s), jointer and bandsaw.

I bought a used radial arm saw many years ago and sold it a year later and bought a table saw. My dado blades work just fine with the table as they do in the radial saw.

I also bought a used scroll saw, didn't like it and sold it too.

My favorite saw is my dads old cast iron Delta power miter saw. It's heavy as an anchor but cuts true. I've replaced and added a ton of crown molding in my house with that simple saw.

I acquired a radial arm saw when I bought a guys shop for the delta unisaw, along with many other tools. It sat on the floor for years in the basement, and when I started to build the cabinets for our new kitchen two years ago, I moved it along with most of my woodworking tools out of the basement to extra space I have next to my office. It sat on the floor up there for awhile as well until I needed to make some cuts. Not wanting to go load more equipment up from the house (lazy) I decided to give it a try. Since space isn't at a premium yet in the new space, I will keep it and probably use it for rough cuts etc. but its not something I would ever go out an purchase individually. The way I see it, I could sell it and get a couple of bucks for it, but in two months, the money will be gone and I will find that one project that I wish I had it for.


I have recently returned to making sawdust after several years hiatus due to life. I made flooring for an inlaid wood floor I installed and have now moved to building kitchen cabinets. I acquired the shop just before I got to busy to use any of it, but knew then that I now had two and three of things such as routers and planers.


I considered selling off the excess, but wanted to use the newly acquired stuff before I decided which one to sell, which never happened. When I started back, and needed to set up a router to reproduce the tongue and groove for the flooring, I was glad I had two nice sized routers so I could have dedicated ones set up and left alone. The same thing for the planers as I took rough cut 4/4 cherry down to size. So I don't think I will be selling off any tools in the near future.


Without a doubt, my tablesaw is the most used tool, next to my dewalt 18v cordless drill that I own. I have two of those now too, but haven't moved the old one up to the office yet, the comparison between using the old craftsman and the unisaw doesn't make me miss it. I'm sure though that once I get all these cabinets out of the shop, I will bring it up there and outfit it with a blade that I can use when I don't want to run my good blade through some wood. (kinda a companion to that radial arm saw)

With the new high capacity miter/chopsaws available these days, there is almost no need for an actual radial arm saw.

The most used saw will be a tablesaw and having a good large bandsaw will also be useful.

My next project I will start after work tomorrow will be a playhouse for my Grand daughter. It will be about 5x5 and I will build

it on an old trailer. I will use the trailer to move it around the yard and when it is time to sell it, the new owner can tow the whole

house away.

Iʻll take pictures and post them in my "Whatʻs on your honey do list?" thread.

Darren, I know exactly what you're saying, about the electric miter saw/chop saw!!!

When I got (re)started in woodworking, like a fool, I listened to one of my co-workers, about buying the radial arm saw.

I found out 'too late' that he didn't know 'squat' about woodworking.
I could kick myself in the rear-end for not buying a 'chop saw', instead.

My radial arm saw is very accurate, and with a Freud thin-kerf cross-cut blade (96 teeth!) on it, the cuts are smooth as silk.


My wife contracted a custom furniture builder (a local Amish man) to build a "modified pie safe", for the bedroom (for her 'nighties' and such).
It turned out to be GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! Red oak, stained to match the bedroom furniture, and has maple shelves. Stunning piece of furniture!

He and I were discussing woodworking and that's what has 'bitten me', again.