My Top 5 Tools

       

  When I started my woodworking business in 2016 I had some very basic tools. In fact everything I had was a hammy down from either my dad or my grandpa. I had literally never bought a tool of my own until I started the business. I was comfortable with most tools as my dad and I use to use my grandpa’s old shop whenever we needed to build something, but all of his tools were from the 1960’s and weren’t practical for my small garage I was working out of. Looking back on it, I wish I would have said yes to some of the tools when we were cleaning it all out after my grandma passed, because then I’d have a nice radial arm saw, scroll saw, and a heavy-duty table saw. Despite my lack of foresight, I did end up with my grandpa’s table saw thanks to my dad.

         When starting the business I knew I needed to invest in some tools, and for those of you reading this that are further down the path of woodworking or construction you know that new tools tend to get purchased as needed. There is almost always a tool to make that job you’re working on a little easier, so that’s when you go get it. In this article I’m going to give you the top 5 things I think you need to get first and a bonus that will help make your woodworking journey a little easier. 

#1 Table Saw

The table saw is often referred to as the “work horse” of the shop. It’s a powerful tool that for most woodworkers is used all the time. The able saw is used to rip long boards and plywood. I personally use the table saw to break down plywood, create a 2nd straight edge on my hardwoods, and square up pieces such as cabinet doors. A quality table saw will go a long way in speeding up the production of your project, but you don’t have to get the super fancy one right out of the gate. I used my grandpa’s old table saw for some time, which is a well built cabinet saw from the 60’s. The fence leaves something to be desired compared to the more modern fences, because if you didn’t check the front and back edges to make sure they are both the same distance from the blade you may end up with an angled cut. The other issue was it was wired for 220v, which I do not have in my new shop. When I started working on site more I bought the cheap Ryobi table saw. It did the job for some time, but the stand eventually fell apart and the plastic piece used to crank the blade up and down failed as well. I currently use a Dewalt jobsite table saw and have for the last 5 years, and apart from replacing one of the wheels, and the dysfunction of the riving knife it has held up well. I mention this to let you know that there are many options when it comes to the table saw and whatever you can get ahold of will work. Once you’ve established your business then maybe you’ll want to upgrade from there, or maybe like me you will stick with what’s working for now. I do have plans to upgrade my table saw soon, but want to make sure I get the right one. 

#2 Miter Saw

       The next tool that I believe you really need when starting as a  woodworker is a miter saw. The miter saw is something that I use all the time. It gives me the ability to cut from 0 to 50 degrees. I have a duel bevel sliding miter saw which I really like. The sliding feature, which is becoming more common in miter saws, gives you the ability to cut wider boards in one pass. Miter saw is most often used for trim, but I also use the miter saw in cutting rough sawn lumber to size, cutting pieces for board and batten, and just trimming pieces down or cutting framing lumber. I also will use the bevel feature on the saw to cut miters when doing my mantles. A miter saw is a great tool to have and you will use it more than you realize. You’ve probably seen many woodworkers show off their miter saw stations that they built for their shops, the reason that they do this is that the miter saw is a main feature of the shop. It’s a necessary tool to speed up production and be efficient in your work. One example of this is the ability to make repeatable cuts at the same size by simply adding a stop block. The miter saw is versatile and is one of my top 5 tools you need in your shop. 

#3 Clamps

      If you’re starting out as a woodworker I believe you will absolutely benefit from having clamps. I use clamps for every project and typically I use several for each project. Clamps come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The most common use for clamps is in glue ups, when you’re gluing table tops, cabinet doors, and other occasions you need to hold pieces together while the glue dries. The other way that I use clamps is to act as another set of hands. As someone that works by myself I frequently use clamps to hold things in place while I add screws or nails to solidify the joint. I also like to use clamps to hold pieces in places while sanding. There are a few different types of clamps that you can choose from when purchasing clamps, I have some of just about every kind except the bar clamps. I like the squeeze clamps for times when I need an extra set of hands as I can apply them with one hand while holding the piece in place. The “F” clamps are great for forcing pieces flush or bring a piece that may have a slight warp back into it’s proper location. The spring clamps are used often to just hold something real quick and usually have about a 2” thickness limit depending on the size. The ones that I like to use a lot, and have slowly accumulated many of them, are the parallel clamps. These are great for larger glue ups for countertops, cabinet doors, and cutting boards. Clamps are a must if you’re a woodworker. 

#4 Track Saw

         The track saw is one of the tools that is truly worth the money. It may not be a necessary tool to start off as a woodworker, but it is truly worth the money. The track saw allows for straight cuts along the entire length of the track. I use this frequently in breaking down plywood and long straight cuts on boards or trimming pieces like tables or countertops. The track saw has really gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. I was one of those people who thought it was not worth the money, the thought of “I can just set up a straight edge when I need it” was always my excuse. Over time I finally broke down and purchased Kreg’s version of the track saw. I can honestly say it was worth every penny. The ability to just make two marks on the piece, lay the track on those marks and put some quick clamps on it and cut is just fantastic. I am about to use this all the time and for most occasions I take this with me to the job site over the table saw. When I do installations for things like shiplap, having the track saw there to make long straight cuts is much more convenient then loading up the table saw every time. I wouldn’t put the track saw on the list of must haves when starting as a woodworker, but definitely on the short list of things to get when you really establish yourself. 

#5 Screw Gun

      The screw gun is one of the most used tools I have. I use this not just for my work, but I use it at the house for odds and ends projects as well. I would say a drill would go along with the screw gun, but definitely are two different tools. I like the quick and easy ability of the screw gun to switch bits, smaller profile, and power really are the separators versus your typical drill. I use pocket holes in many cabinet projects, for the nailers and the face frames. I like the ability to clamp the pieces in place, grab the screw gun and get those pieces secured. The screw gun is a must have and if you’re getting a screw gun, definitely get the belt hook to be able to hang it from your belt while working. 

Bonus: Nail Gun

      The nail gun is a tool that I use all the time. There are different gauges of nails that can be shot, and they require different guns for each gauge. I typically use 23 gauge pin nails for small nails to hold something temporarily while glue dries, and I have a 18 gauge brad nailer that I use for baseboards and crown molding. Nail guns are a great tool to have for woodworking. I prefer the battery powered guns  because I take them with me to the jobsite to install trim. The thought of bringing an air compressor with me for a nail gun is just not appealing so I opted for the battery powered option. If you are strictly working from a shop you could go with the air assisted nail guns, but I’m a fan of the battery powered version. 

       Woodworking tools can be overwhelming and are rarely on the cheaper side of the spectrum. You can easily put many thousands of dollars into becoming a woodworker before you really make any money off of it. This list is definitely not a comprehensive list of all the tools you need, but these are tools that I use for every project and I believe would help you in your journey to becoming a woodworker. 

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