I'd like some help in buying some wood cutting tools and thought that I'd ask around here.
It seems like I have a good time building speakers and I'd like to up my game a little.
Does anyone know about table saws and things like that? Maybe a router for cutting nice holes?
What is a good brand that cuts well and holds close tolerances?
I've spent the last 40 years cutting metal and I'd like to bring that kind of precision into my woodwork.
What does a guy need to make straight cuts in MDF?

Donnie,
Delta Tools are often times, used to outfit a professional woodworker's shop, at least in New England anyway, where I have built houses for the last, thirty, odd years.
Their products are well built, sturdy and are available with many options and in many configurations.
Cutting all of the 4 by 8 material that you will most likely need will require a rather large table saw, but specifically a large table and support system for said table.  The entire setup must be well anchored so as not to move as you are making your extremely, precise cuts with that difficult to maneuver 3/4" or even larger stock.
Are you going to need a dust management system? Delta makes them.
I believe that one of the most important tools that you will also need will be a powerful router. Makita makes plunge routers that allow you to literally plunge them into the material (supported by the router's own table).  They are incredibly well built and maintain their accuracy. Be careful during startup, as it is like holding a very powerful gyroscope that can dismember you.
You will probably need a hand planer at the least, or perhaps a table planer at the most to reduce stock to the appropriate dimensions.
One compressor with the appropriate nail guns...look at Porter Cable Products for your guns.
Open up a commercial account at your local Lumber Company as opposed to one the
the Big Box Stores...the benefits are too numerous to mention.
Yes of course you can find all of the above used, just inspect the motors on the larger pieces of machinery.
Purchase the best blades that you can afford, as all circular blades can be re-sharpened up to a point.  Look for blades with cuts (kerfs) in the blade sides to dissipate the heat of cutting that God forsaken MDF!
Do you have a nice space in which to locate all of this lovely stuff, as you will not want to be setting up and tearing down when the fancy strikes you?
This was just a quick outline, if I can be of any other help just PM or call me.
Mark

Donnie,
There are a lot of good tools out there but they are not cheap and don't go cheap on them. If you stick with the name brands you will be fine.
One main thing you have to think about is how much room you have. It would be great to get a full size table saw to cut sheets of plywood but if you can fit it. I could not, I have a small garage plus it is a pain to try to cut a full size sheet by yourself. I have two tools to help me with this. I bought a Sawstop table saw that lets me cut up to 30" I think using the fence. I love this saw, very well made, accurate and has the safety not to cut your fingers off. I highly recommend this saw. They have 3 levels of saws you can get. The second tool is the Festool track saw. This is a circular saw that uses an extruded aluminum fence to cut straight lines. I have a 4' rail and a 9' rail. I have used this saw for many more things than just cutting plywood. What is nice, you are not fighting the plywood to get a straight cut. Not cheap but very good saw and has paid itself off many times. For routers I like Bosch and I use Freud for my saw blades and router bits.

owe yea, tuning your tools is probably more important than the brand.  For instance, I use link belts in my table saw.  It runs so much more smooth.  I spent hours drilling and taping the head of my drill press to insert nylon screws to take all the wobble out of the quill.  Get a very precise small square and ensure you blades are 90* to the table.

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That's what I do, usually with my Stabila levels as straight edges and quick clamps.  I'm lucky in that my 25 year old Delta Contractor saw with a Biesemeyer fence is pretty spot on with essentially zero runout.  I exclusively run full kerf Freud blades.  The heavy plates don't wander in the cuts and Freuds are a consistently high quality blade with superior damping.  Of course, I have a 12 inch Northfield jointer (look it up and drool   ) to clean up the cuts.  Also key is having blades for each speciality.  I use rip blades for rip cuts, high tooth count, triple chip grind blades, for plywood and ultra fine cutoff blades for important crosscuts.  I have a small Dewalt bench saw as my portable job saw and with the same high quality blades, it gives great results -- but it's really too small for shop work.

I firmly believe in getting precision tools right off the batt.  If they need all kinds of fine tuning then they likely aren't worth the effort in the first place.

I would add, to what Raven said, that I find a table saw and a jointer as an indispensable pairing.  Being able to straighten a board and clean up a saw cut is impossible for me to live without anymore.

I used to work with a cabinet shop that didn't join boards but they must have had amazing blades since their cuts were so clean.  He also had a huge sliding table like you describe.  Lots of ways to skin a cat.  I have a 6 inch Grizzly jointer that is pretty accurate and portable.  I rarely use that one anymore unless I bring it on a job.  I have these types of tools on wheels so I can move them out of the way.  Stereos, guns and tools!  

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IMHO, MDF is the BANE of woodworking!  

I just saw this....I hope Donnie has already building more speakers with his tools, what say you Donnie?

I wasn't aware we had so many woodworkers on this forum.....Good to see actually. It seems to be a dying art.

I see a lot of YouTube videos on woodworking, that are just plain laughable. Some have no idea of what they are doing, but make a living publishing videos of which they know nothing about. Sad to think all the people that are watching said videos and and are learning things that they just shouldn't be learning.  But if it gets more people interested in woodworking, all the better.

There are a few good guys out there, and while in it for profit, really do know what they are doing, and show it well.

I don't agree with some of what I've read in this thread, but I am very opinionated with what I do. That said, like someone did mention, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and trust me there is. About every machine is replaceable with another way of doing the same thing. However, for the most part not as good, and definitely not as fast.

I once was very fast at figuring out how to do something with what machinery/tools I had at hand. I don't know if my thinker is slowing, or my jigs are becoming more sophisticated, but I don't have ideas come to mind as I once did. getting old I guess, has a lot to do with it.

If I were to start over again, my first and best purchase would be a good table saw. Hands down the most versatile tool in the shop. A good set of saw blades for the saw. Good starting point would be Forest blades, which I no longer use.

Second a router and a router table, even if the is shop built. But it must be flat.  The Triton router with its built in lift mechanism is a fine router. I have dewalts and Porter Cable routers but right now the Triton is my favorite.

I guess I could go on forever, but I'll stop here....

Zygi

"I guess I could go on forever, but I'll stop here...."

Don't stop, I think most of us would love to learn from your experience.

I agree with all you guys. Each tool is specific to the job that needs to be done and should be the best tool you could afford. My parents always had a saying, "we are not rich enough to buy cheap stuff".
For me the 3 main tools I use are the table saw, the router and the planer. I just put on a new head on the planer. I got one of those Shelix heads, a bunch of smaller carbide bits in a spiral configuration. This thing is awesome. A lot quieter and the cut it leaves behind is good enough you don't need to sand the wood. A planer should come with this head as a standard. The down side is that this head was almost as much as the planer itself, but its worth it.  
I think if you have a good table saw, a router and a planner you can get 95% of your basic projects done with great results.

Donnie...I hope it all works out. Who knows maybe they will dig deep into their pockets and double your salary.

You  might be able to spend more time at Decfest if you do move. We all enjoy your company.

John...First off, how are those speakers coming you are building? Are they done yet

I do have a lot of tricks, so to speak, but they have come from the necessity of what I was doing at the time. Right now I'm finishing up all that is needed to produce the DNA-2's. Spent all day yesterday tuning, cleaning and lubing everything up.

Zygi

Duece,

  I have found a way to make more time in a day. I use the metric system. It's really easy too. EACH day has 100 hours, period. Placement of the sun and all the other annoying things can now be put aside. You would be surprised how much you can actually get done by noon! It goes without saying that you will be plenty hungry at lunch time too, seeing how it's been about 50 hours since breakfast.

Thread hijacking

For OB speakers what timber is recommended? Mdf?