Posts Tagged ‘workshops’

So if you have been woodworking as a business or you are seriously involved in the hobby, you might want to think about purchasing a spray booth somewhere down the line.  A spray booth is a huge step up in a woodworking system and can improve your build times and increase your margin.  They do however require some knowledge before using them.  You will need to pre plan your ventilation before installing the unit.

When we operated our small furniture business we found that we always in some part of the finishing process.  Each part had to be primed, painted, artwork and then sealed.  Spraying is just about the only way that you can increase this timely process.  When you have a spray booth you will find a way to automate more of your finishing processes since you will have taken the steps to improve your assembly.  Not only will spraying your product finishes save you time, but the look is a nice improvement over traditional brush finishes.  About the only drawback is if you are marketing the hand painted look.

Spraying takes some practice, so you will need to work on your skills and purchase a decent sprayer as well.  Having a stockpile of primer and various color paints as well as stains and finishes will make your job go much faster.

You can effectively paint wood finished products that include:

• toys
• bedroom furniture
• conference tables
• Pianos
• dining room tables
• office furniture
• Children’s furniture

Spray finishing booths are not costly and should be seen as a investment. They give the right finish to your wood working products. If you want high quality finishes to your wood working products then it’s a must.

You might want to weigh the cost of purchasing your own equipment verses outsourcing as well.  Outsourcing will take some management since you will have to oversee the movement of parts back and forth from the vendor.  A lot of time this may take a person that is hired to specifically do this job for you.

Part 2 of Buying Routers for Woodworking

Collet size

Most routers today are sold with two different sized collets. The collets is the device that holds the bit in the motor. The two most common sizes are ½” and ¼”. These two sizes match the two sizes of router bits sold. So why do you need both? ½” bits are more robust than ¼” bits. If your doing larger jobs like raised panel, you want a little more strength in your bit size which mostly relates to safety. ¼” sized bits are more widely available in a larger variety of styles. If your looking for some smaller bits for smaller details (like a small cove bit) they most likely come with a ¼ “ diameter. Most routers accept both. If they don’t, it is somewhat limiting, so I recommend buying a router that has both collets.

Power

Bigger is better right? I could go on and on about this subject and most likely argue with a lot of people. Think of this way. Most men think they need the most HP that is available. Its kind of like a car, if it has a bigger motor we generally think its better. Is it? Not always and here is why. Bigger does not mean you can take more off in one pass. You can but is it smart. Every wood species is different. If you take big chunks off of certain species you can burn it or gouge it or endanger yourself. Why do this? Taking smaller bites and several passes is the sure way to quality and safety. If your in production and need speed and efficiency, buy a shaper and a power feeder. For most of us woodworkers a 1 ½ HP will do all that you could ever ask for in a router. The goal is to work in your shop with all of your fingers and both sets of eyeballs in tack. Don’t jepordize that with the thinking that you need 3 ½ HP to spin that big ole router bit. I have a 3 ½ HP pig of a router that is collecting dust because its so big and heavy that It’s a pain to use. Again, preference is the prevailing factor. Bigger is not always better.

Amps verses HP

Most manufactures measure their router motors with a HP rating. This we men understand. The new norm is Amps. Amps are part of the power formula and help determine horsepower. The larger the HP the more amps it is rated for. So what does that mean to you. Well in short, if you have a 15 Amp router and you plug it into your 10 amp wall plug and you decide to run a dust collector at the same time, guess what happens. Yes it’s frustrating to stop and rewire your shop.

EVS

Electronic Variable Speed lets you control the speed of the motor. You want to do this if you plan on turning bigger profile bits. You cannot put a large router bit in your router and spin it at full speed. Some are too big and become very very dangereous. If the router you are thinking about buying does not have EVS you can always buy a router speed control. These are small units that you plug your router into and you can control the speed externally. This feature is becoming standard on most routers offered today.

Combos

Buying a combo pack can be like getting two routers for the price of one. Spending the extra cash is worth it to some people, only you can be the judge.

Price

Do your homework. Price them out. The internet is a great place to price routers than from just buying from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Look around. If your on a budget, try Ebay, but stick to a name brand.

If you missed part 1, you can find it here Buying Routers For woodworking, part 1

Wood Magazine has some killer workshop reviews.  You have all seen them I am sure.  The great part about them is that you can get so many good ideas to bring home to your shop.    You can download or subscribe to wood magazines Best Workshops here.

Here is a great sample photo of what is available in the issue.

Killer workshop