How to set up big woodworking machines

Synopsis: We’ve all read the tales of craftspeople who create intricate furniture on a small bench with just a few hand tools, and that’s amazing. But in the lives of most woodworkers, the day eventually comes when they purchase a piece of big machinery. Whether you are acquiring a new table saw, a jointer, a lathe, or some other machine, it helps to use best practices from the moment it arrives in your shop. Here are some tips we gathered when setting up Fine Woodworking’s new shop.

Whether it’s taking delivery of your first cabinet saw, upgrading to a bigger planer, or splurging for that floor-standing drill press—or all three—many of us can identify with the joy of getting a big power tool. There’s just one huge, heavy, potentially hernia-inducing hill to climb before you get to enjoy your new acquisition: actually moving the thing into place. Because with bigger tools…