Top 5 waste of money woodworking tools not to buy.
Top 5 waste of money woodworking tools not to buy.
This video covers my biggest waste of money early in my woodworking career. I explain what not to buy and give examples of cost saving alternatives. You can use these alternatives to make your woodworking projects much faster and easier. These can be very useful in building woodworking projects to sell, both indoor woodworking projects and outdoor woodworking projects.
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Website: https://www.cornercreekwoodworking.com/
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3x3Custom Dewalt Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22oqr6o5z-w
Tools Suggested in Video:
Dewalt Saw: https://amzn.to/3SzNiYr
Delta Saw: https://amzn.to/3JIQAVe
Set Up Gauges, 5 Piece Set https://amzn.to/3tySFLB
Ridged Trim Router https://amzn.to/3CpAGeD
Clamps https://amzn.to/3IZGH40
Large Clamp https://amzn.to/35zABZU
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#makemoneywoodworking #woodworking #woodworkingbusiness #Ryobi #ryobirouter #ryobiroutertable
First time I’ve watched one of your videos. It will be the last as well. If you can’t figure out how to use f-style clamps you don’t have much to offer me.
I hope you used the money you saved on shop AC.
F style clamp: put a rubber band around the Jaws for one handed. Put hockey tape around the handle for grip. I much prefer the quick style clamps you showed, but on occasion (3% of time?) F style is my preferred.
You are right on about the f style clamps. Never ever enjoyed using them. Palm Sander: I’ve used that DeWalt and agree the battery placement makes it uncomfortable to use. If you’re in a shop, stick with corded. Out in the field, I LOVE my Makita cordless sander. It works well and I never have to switch plugs when I have my table saw, chop saw and compressor plugged into my three prong ext cord. Give the Makita a try if you have any of that battery platform.
It’s funny, I have the exact reverse impression of Squeeze Clamps vs. F-Clamps. F-Clamps are far more versatile for a lot of woodworking applications. Their thin geometry allow the user to clamp with a lot more flexibility than a squeeze style clamps. I think every woodworker needs a combination of both cheap and sturdy F-clamps in variety of lengths. I use the cheap ones when working on projects outside, messy jobs, or jobs that require a lot of simultaneously clamping. They are much easier to transport as well. Your other suggestions are spot on. I have an inexpensive benchtop table saw, but I’ve tweaked it to work "good enough" for my uses. With proper wood-handling techniques and an accurate miter you can overcome most of the accuracy limitations of a benchtop tablesaw. I am very limited on space so a nice cabinet saw is out of the question.
I use a one handed type clamping tool like an Irwin, etc. Just to get things in position. Then I use my big "F" clamps to fully secure my project. It works everytime. I agree with everything you said essentially. But, there’s the BUT. I have a biscuit cutter. If you glue two pieces of long wood together and you utilize biscuits and not just a glue joint. It has to be stronger than just glue holding things together. As well when putting the two lengthy pieces of wood together using biscuits. The insertion of the biscuits helps to align the work pieces. And they aren’t sliding around, like they tend to do when you are clamping the wood parts together. The biscuits hold everything in place.
Sorry but F clamps work great for me on smaller projects as they have more clamping power than squeeze clamps . Have used a biscuit jointer for 30+ years and love it
Agree with everything except the cordless sander. I use mine all the time, and like it way more than my old corded version.
Obviously you haven’t been working wood for very long if you have never needed an F style clamp.
His English is horrible!!!
Blah blah blah, way to to much BD.
Very passionate. I was so pleased to buy a range of squeeze clamps, until they started quickly breaking on me. Now i only use squeeze clamps to hold the pieces and I use F clamps to do the proper work. F clamps can be awkward, but they keep going and don’t let me down. My squeeze clamps were taken apart and i replicated oak parts to keep them going. I also make my own clamps entirely out of wood for luthery.
In my shop, I use a variety of clamps. For long reach, it’s bar clamps or pipe clamps. For ultra heavy duty force, it’s C-clamps. For quick grab on awkward jobs, it’s what you call ‘squeeze clamps’, IF, and it’s a very big ‘if’, you can find good ones. Original Quick Grip, the black ones, are best. The current blue ones just don’t seem as good. Even the orignals don’t have the grip power of C- or F-clamps. For one-handed clamping when you don’t need to regulate the force, just need something quick, it’s spring clamps. For their particular jobs, it’s hand screws and even clothes pins. Finally, and the clamp I use the most, it’s F-clamps. I prefer the Harbor Freight variety. They are better than any of the much more expensive red-handled F-clamps I have. I particularly like the rubberized grip that makes it easy to tighten them.
I second your job site table saw assessment. I bought a Rigid job site saw that worked ok with framing lumber but replaced it with the same Delta you have for the more creative work. The Delta sets up great and holds the setup. Even the steel wings work fine. However I have other tools you don’t recommend that I get some use out of but I tend to rely on the same tools and the ones I don’t like stay on the nice wall hangers I’ve made.
Squeeze clamps are terrible, IMO. Bought 2 when I first started woodworking and I *never* use them.
Never had a problem with accuracy for the depth gauge, but do agree the legs need to span a wider area.
Biscuit joiner aren’t for structural improvements, it’s for help in lining up longer panels.
I’m with you on 4 out of 5, but I love my biscuit joiner.
First they are F clamps not f-stop clamps F stop is nomenclature for photography. The problem with squeeze clamps is they tend to pull your pieces out of square or out of parallel……… after gluing if you slide the pieces back-and-forth a couple times a Hydro lock situation takes place and the pieces will sit there while you apply the clamps.
Regarding F clamps: All clamps need to be based upon the intended usage. While spring lever bar clamps are more convenient, they cannot produce the full clamping power of an F clamp or a full pipe or bar clamp. Additionally, F clamps come with throat depths far beyond that of spring lever clamps. Biscuit Joiner: there is one specific use where a biscuit joint is most appropriate. To attach a solid wood face frame to a plywood box. It. No only aligns the pieces, but because the biscuits swell with glue application, creates a very tight bond between the frame and the box without needing to use pocket screws which could be seen. This is more advanced cabinet joinery so most woodworkers will not see the benefit until they have reached the cabinet/ furniture making stage where they want the joinery perfect along with speed.
If you don’t like the biscuit joiner it’s because you haven’t worked in a situation to where it’s advantageous. Those who need them know how valuable they are.
Thanks
When I saw the title, I thought I’d probably score 5/5, but I only scored 2/3, not bad!
1) I restored a 1952 vintage Delta Unisaw, and upgraded it with an Incra fence system and Shark Guard.
2) I’ve got too many F-style clamps to turn back now!
3) I have that depth gauge, it sits in a drawer unused, next to the setup blocks I use all the time.
4) Never been tempted to buy one, a Domino though…
5) Used a friend’s cordless sander once, it was kinda terrible.
F clamps work far better than those silly one-handed things. For a start, they can apply ten times the clamping pressure. If you are going to have one handed clamps, then jiffy clamps…..(C shaped, with the same mechansim as a caulking gun)……are far better than those plasticky bits of nonsense shown in the video. "Plenty of clamping force……" Just no. Get yourself some proper clamps and do a comparison. Also, depth of jaws. It’s a huge issue, and again, F clamps win hands-down.
Many years ago when I first bought my house, I bought a Ryobi table saw for $79.99 from HD and it came with a table. I have done a lot of work with that piece of crap over the years but for my needs, it worked well enough for my home projects. Of course I’d like a better table saw but it hasn’t been worth the costs to me. Now there have been times that my wife has asked me to make her this or that and I always tell her "sure, when I get a better table saw" so your point is well taken. I’m just saying that there are places for cheap table saws.
As far as the F-clamps, I have those and the same squeeze clamps that you use in this video. The F-clamps have a MUCH stronger hold than the squeeze clamps so I will usually use the squeeze clamps since they are easier to use and then put the f-clamps on for a tight squeeze.
Funny stuff you saying there bud, I built a lot of things over the years and the biscuit jointer saved my ass way before all these fancy tools came along, lol; at one time I was a master staircase builder among other things and built my own treads, especially the ones on the curved staircases, I used the buiscuit jointer to join all those boards togheter, it is not for lining up things but more for making sure over the time it doesnt allow for the glued board to shift and come apart.
You have a great point on a cheap table saw, I owned one in my young years, but now I do own, not 1 but 2 sawstop saws among other crazy tools I have in my shop and love the stability and strenght of the motor when you run any thickness board thru them, one is dado station, the other ripsaw station.
Clemps…..I own 100’s of what you just shown, F-clamp, paid a lot of money for them but imagine gluing a hand rail in a jig on a curved staircase and use those "squeeze" type of clamps, lol, you would be out of business before you know it as those clamps do jack for holding things in place, you need some power clamps like F-clamps to do that job, so I will stick with my F-clamps, even that I own a few squeeze clamps too but I use those just for simple jobs.
Other than that….keep it up.
Dan
As someone who has been looking to “upgrade” from a corded to a cordless random orbital sander, I appreciate your assessment. I hadn’t even thought of how the dust hose would tether me just as much as a cord. Thanks!
I would agree on the wixey depth gauge! I bought one for eeze of reading then one day turned it on the letter L came up on the screen and didn’t work well e-mailed them and there response was never had the problem before! But i totally disagree on the biscuit joiner great tools!
Your old table saw had the riving knife removed. What did you expect?
When clamping the boards, you used different board dimensions for each clamp.
A biscuit jointer is used a lot to make furniture. Obviously you’re not a furniture maker or you realize its proper functional use.
Both styles of clamps are useful in their unique engineering.
Glad to hear one I totally agree with from my own experience! Some tools should not be cordless, and the orbital sander is at the top of that list.
No tool in my shop gets even close in terms of continuous runtime, and I can’t imagine the frustration of having a battery die in the middle of sanding, knowing I have to either hope my remaining batteries have enough juice, or I have to go drop a big chunk of cash just to get another battery and save a little time in the future.
So far in my whole tool collection, I only have a cordless drill and reciprocating saw, and I regret nothing, especially with only the frustration of having those batteries die.
I have a ton of F style clamps because twice a year i can get 12" ones for $5 CDN haha then i just cut the down shorter.
My first table saw was a Ryobi. It was cheap, dangerous and the cuts were bad. Now I’ve got that same Delta and I love that saw.
You have to get the Bessey F-clamps with the rubber handle. Those work much better than the slick handled ones. I also use the quick clamps a lot as well but the better Bessey’s have way more force when needed.
I’ve got that depth gauge. Never use it for the exact reasons pointed out in this video.
Biscuits are good for a alignment. Much easier to use than my trim router for that purpose.
I’ve got an outdoor workbench that I do a lot of sanding on. I’ve got the cordless Makita ROS and don’t use a vac hose, just the bag. It’s great not being tethered to a hose and a cord. FREEDOM! When it’s raining or just too dang cold outside I’ll sand in the shop and then I use my Milwaukee corded ROS with the hose.
I use mostly F-style clamps. Bigger throat depth, far more clamping force, and easier to finely adjust the clamping force. Higher-quality brands will last longer than I will, and check out Rob Cosman’s handle wrapping tip to fix the issue of the small/slick handles (and it works well on a host of other tool handles). I do keep some trigger clamps around, especially if I don’t need heavy clamping force, but too often I find they just aren’t enough.
The Delta saw was also purchased at Lowe’s. I use mine all the time. The only problem is that I’ve never been able to get the wings level. That’s only a minor inconvenience. I use the digital depth guide all the time. Works great. I also have 2 different styles of setup blocks. I use squeeze clamps when I need to, but usually add an F-clamp afterward. The squeeze clamps can’t generate enough grip when you really need it. All-in-all waste of time watching this video.
I’ve built some table tops for desks out of 8/4 white oak and maple in strips kind of like a cutting board. They are too wide for cauls to really work. And sanding is really not much of an option because I don’t have a wide belt sander, and using a hand sander is difficult because the walnut sands faster than the oak. In this case, my Makita biscuit joiner helped make sure that the top is dead even across the joints.
I’m with ya on everything but the F clamps. I’ll give you that they’re awkward to get set up, but they’ve got tremendous pressure on a focused point. They’re not cheap plastic (which is all you’d need for most glue-ups, to be sure) and they’re too cheap to ignore. The squeeze clamps get in the damned way more often than not if I’m doing a butcher block and they’re expensive as hell given the number of them I use.
Those depth guages. I actually made one out of a block of wood and a threaded rod. Cut a large U out of the block of wood and stick threaded rod in the top. If the rod is the same size as the block of wood then the part sticking above is the same size as the gap on the bottom.
Don’t buy a camera to start another horrible YouTube channel about how little woodworking experience you have.
Do agree with a lot of what you said. Except the F clamps also get a better quality biscuit jointer. I tried the one you have and yes it’s junk. Give the Mello brand a try for larger wood tops it’s the way to go.
I love my cordless sander. I’d buy a replacement if wore out.
Many of the items you have issues with I use with little problems maybe you should take up another hobby.
I bought "The biggest p.o.s tablesaw" there is – the reviews are awful. The reputation is terrible – "It cuts bad!" "Nothing is square!" "This is a cheap P.O.S!!" … yeah.. anyway. I know why it has those reviews – it leaves the factory as an Ikea job – 1000 pieces to assemble, crap instructions, bad fasteners so it shakes apart, nothing is set square from the off & it’s waay easy to get the assembly wrong.
I got the assembly right, used loctite on every fastener, squared everything (and you can, because they put adjusters on every aspect – if you know how, you can adjust every facet). Over the years I’ve had lots of tablesaws, Posh ones, crapo ones, inbetweeners – well this "P.O.S" is just dandy. It cuts straight, fast, has power – the fence is correct to the mm (because I adjusted it right, plenty rigid, it has a great brake, the stock blade cuts hardwood good & I love it to bits. It’s also a total bargain as it’s cheap as chips. We’ll agree to differ. 🙂
Right on. Thanks for your honesty. Completely agree with your comments (facts) about the Biscuit joiner & cordless sander. You could buy a fancy something tool with what you save getting a reliable doweling jig & a sander w/ a cord. Thanks too for suggesting alternatives.
F-Style clamps with more force and are for 2 or 3 specific jobs.
1: Clamping wood to desk so it doesn’t move, at all, when using power tools. Especially a circular saw which can kick.
2: Fighting against twisting forces. The sort which would turn the average squeeze clamp simply doesn’t work for.
3: during long but not wide glue ups with several pieces. This one is hit or miss but sometimes the squeeze clamps don’t cut it and tones of pipe clamps would be silly.
The way clamps angles work, to make a table you’d combine groups of 4 planks with F-Clamps, plain them, then use pipe clamps to join the, now wider, planks together.
Not surprised that you don’t like biscuit joiners if you made the mistake of purchasing the Ryobi. You should have bought the Porter Cable 557 or the Dewalt DW682 not to mention various Lamellos. Anyway, you do mention, but really gloss over, the primary function of biscuits: accurate and rapid parts alignment. I’ve assembled hundreds of cabinet boxes with biscuits and screws between and outside the biscuits. Yet to have a callback for a cabinet falling apart. So yeah, I wouldn’t assemble an edge-to-edge joint with biscuits because I doubt that the biscuit adds strength in that application. But to tell novices that a biscuit joiner has little real use in woodworking is just flat out wrong.
I bought a biscuit joiner, used it once, wondered why it seemed like more fuss than it was worth, and never used it again. Now I know it is indeed more fuss than it’s worth.
squeeze clamps vibrate loose if used to hold something for sanding or sawing, unlike the screw clamps
all good except that biscuit joiner ! i make good use on my laminates with it !
No
I use my new Harbor Freight F Style clamps much more often than my Irwin squeeze clamps which I had for years. For my old hands, I can get more pressure with the F Style clamps than squeezing the grip clamps. Not only do I have to consider the best tool for the job, but also the best tool for my age. I agreed with your other points.
I had a cheap tablesaw like that. It was a Ryobi, cost about $100 and was terrifying. It was before US saws got riving knifes and the guard was completely useless. I eventually replaced it with a Ridgid gravity stand saw with a riving knife.
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