Top 10 Tools Every Woodworker Should Have…
Whether you’re just starting out and are wondering what essential woodworking tools a beginner needs or you’re an experienced carpenter who needs to replace a saw that ran out of juice, these are the essential tools every woodworker must have in their workshop.
For those looking to get into woodworking and have enough experience to justify opening a workshop, there are 10 essential tools which create the foundation of a working shop.
Here is a list of these 10 tools, in no particular order. Perhaps number 10, safety, is the most important because woodworking can be a dangerous and hazardous hobby/profession if the proper precautions are not made. Always read your owner’s manual and take all the recommended safety precautions seriously.
01. Chisel: Chisel, cutting tool with a sharpened edge at the end of a metal blade, used — often by driving with a mallet or hammer — in dressing, shaping, or working a solid material such as wood, stone, or metal. Flint ancestors of the present-day chisel existed as far back as 8000 BC; the Egyptians used copper and later bronze chisels to work both wood and soft stone. Chisels today are made of steel, in various sizes and degrees of hardness, depending on use. Click here to buy.
02. Japanese Saw: The Japanese saw or nokogiri (鋸) is a type of saw used in woodworking and Japanese carpentry that cuts on the pull stroke, unlike most European saws that cut on the push stroke. Japanese saws are the best known pull saws, but they are also used in China, Iran, Iraq, Korea, Nepal and Turkey. Click here to buy.
03. Circular Saw: Saw, tool for cutting solid materials to prescribed lengths or shapes. Most saws take the form of a thin metal strip with teeth on one edge or a thin metal disk with teeth on the periphery. Usually the teeth are “set” (bent) to alternate sides so that the kerf (groove) cut by the saw is wider than the thickness of the saw. This prevents binding between the cut surfaces and the sides of the saw. The thin-strip saws are used in a variety of arrangements for both hand and machine operation, while circular, or disk, saws are invariably machine powered. Click here to buy.
04. Power Drill: A drill is a tool primarily used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driver, depending on application, secured by a chuck. Some powered drills also include a hammer function. Drills vary widely in speed, power, and size. Click here to buy.
05. Jig Saw Tool: A jigsaw is a saw which uses a reciprocating blade to cut irregular curves, such as stenciled designs, in wood, metal, or other materials. Jigsaws with sole plates that have a beveling function can cut angles typically up to 45 degrees relative to the normal vertical stroke to make miter joints. Click to buy.
06. Random Orbital Sander: A random orbital sander (also known as a palm sander) is a hand-held power tool which sands in a random-orbit action. That is, in constant irregular overlapping circles. Random orbital sanders combine the speed and aggressiveness of a belt sander with the ability to produce a finer finish than that available from a standard, slow speed orbital finishing sander. Random orbital sanders generally come in three different types: electric powered, air powered, and orbital floor sanders. The electric and air powered orbital sanders are handheld, while the floor orbital sanders are large machines that roll. Click here to buy:
07. Table Saw: A table saw is a sturdy and portable cutting tool. The circular saw bench comes with a fixed blade jutting out of the top of a table and a supporting rail to make it easier to work with various materials. Saw bench models offer a ranging of cutting depth capacity. Bench saws are perfect for portability as they don’t have a stand so must be placed on a table or bench for support, these tend to be lighter and smaller making them easy to move. Click here to buy.
08. Compound Miter Saw: A miter saw or mitre saw is a saw used to make accurate crosscuts and miters in a workpiece by positioning a mounted blade onto a board. A miter saw in its earliest form was composed of a back saw in a miter box, but in modern implementation consists of a powered circular saw that can be positioned at a variety of angles and lowered onto a board positioned against a backstop called the fence. Powered miter saws also cut bevels into a work piece by adjusting the vertical tilt axis of upper portion of the machine while the table lays flat horizontally. A miter saw for which the axis can be tilted in a single direction is known as a single compound miter saw. Click here to buy.
09. Router Tool: The router is a power tool with a flat base and a rotating blade extending past the base. The spindle may be driven by an electric motor or by a pneumatic motor. It routs (hollows out) an area in hard material, such as wood or plastic. Routers are used most often in woodworking, especially cabinetry. They may be handheld or affixed to router tables. Some woodworkers consider the router one of the most versatile power tools.
There is also a traditional hand tool known as a router plane, a form of hand plane with a broad base and a narrow blade projecting well beyond the base plate.
CNC wood routers add the advantages of computer numerical control (CNC).
The laminate trimmer is a smaller, lighter version of the router. Although it is designed for trimming laminates, it can also be used for smaller general routing work. Click here to buy.
10. Safety Goggles: Goggles are forms of protective eyewear that enclose the eye area in order to prevent particulates, infectious fluids, or chemicals from striking the eyes. Goggles come in two styles, eyecup goggles, and cover goggles. Eyecup goggles completely cover the eye socket to give all-round protection. They have adjustable or elasticized headbands and often are equipped with ventilation ports to allow air in and prevent fogging. For example, swimming goggles to protect the eyes from salt or chlorine. Cover goggles are designed to be worn over eye wear. Like eyecup goggles, they have adjustable or elasticized headbands and are equipped with direct or indirect ventilation ports to allow air in and prevent fogging. While both models keep out large particles, indirect-vented goggles are better at keeping out liquids and dusts. Click here to buy.
Summary: These tools are designed in such a way that every wood worker must have for their impeccable art work. But keep in mind faulty tools should not be bought for better work. In addition, these are all electric motor-driven tool so that every must be careful during their work.