Essential Hobby Workshop items and sources

W

WillyCornbread

Break and One
Silver Member
Hi all,

I've order a repair lathe with bed from Midamerica and I'm starting to think about how to setup a small hobby workshop while it's being made and delivered.

What do you view as essential items and do you have any good sources for some of the consumables?

My list so far:

  • Cleaner and sealer (Hightower)
  • Blank shafts, ferrules, collets, dowels, tips etc. for practicing
  • Small hardware bins - cheap source for these?
  • Various sandpapers - cheap source for these?
  • Good lighting for above my workbench
  • Stone to sharpen cutting bit blades?

What might an idiot like me overlook, or what would you say are the must haves to get a hobby like this going from nothing?

Thanks for any help or guidance you can provide -

b
 
WillyCornbread said:
Hi all,

I've order a repair lathe with bed from Midamerica and I'm starting to think about how to setup a small hobby workshop while it's being made and delivered.

What do you view as essential items and do you have any good sources for some of the consumables?

My list so far:

  • Cleaner and sealer (Hightower)
  • Blank shafts, ferrules, collets, dowels, tips etc. for practicing
  • Small hardware bins - cheap source for these?
  • Various sandpapers - cheap source for these?
  • Good lighting for above my workbench
  • Stone to sharpen cutting bit blades?

What might an idiot like me overlook, or what would you say are the must haves to get a hobby like this going from nothing?

Thanks for any help or guidance you can provide -

b
Click to expand...


If you want to plan for the future, I have a lot of blanks for sale in the supply forum.
 
Dust collector...not a shop vac (as the dust goes right through the filter).
Safety glasses. Protect eyes & ears.

Buy oak or maple dowels from Home Depot to practice tenon/tips. Buy the cheapest ferrules& tips.
The best sandpapers are from Kingspor Woodworking. The cheapest would have to be Horror Freight...I mean Harbor Freight.
A few $10 2 piece cues and the least expensive 1 piece to practice on. You'll need adhesives. CA for the tips, Epoxy and or Tightbond.

Get started and go from there. Which lathe did you get. What are your goals. Mine are strictly for tenon, tips, clean/refinish and I'd like to make joint protectors for myself and friends. Have fun. I only use mine once in while but really enjoy working with it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Gold Crown, very helpful...

I bought a MidAmerica basic lathe with the 4 foot bed, good steady rests and a radius turner. I really just want to goof around and learn what I can while doing repairs and maintenance on my cues and perhaps 1-2 close friends.

Not really sure where it will or won't go from there, should be interesting to get involved in though :)
 
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