Basic Woodworking Must-Have Tools

Basic Must Have Tools (Part 1):

When it comes to woodworking there are a few tools that you must have. Now having said that, the list can change somewhat depending on what you are building. Certain tools can do a task in a pinch but another tool would be more appropriate. For example; cutting a 2×4 is much easier and more accurate with a circular saw than with a jig saw. Try cutting out a circle with a circular saw though! Hand tools worked for hundreds of years and will work fine for you too; but power tools sure make things easier. Sometimes the store where you buy your lumber will also do some minor cutting of wood if you ask. And don't be afraid to ask someone whom you know that has tools. People don't mind cutting a couple boards for you, especially if you help. So here is my list of the most basic tools you must have before you even decide what to build with wood.

Pencil- Alright, stop laughing. This may be more important than you think. If you are going to be building with wood, you need a good reliable pencil. Actually, you need several. I like to leave one by each station that I work at: one by the saw, at least one at my work bench, etc. A classic #2 is just fine but I recommend trying out a mechanical pencil. They make a nice precise line that can make the difference between a tight fitting joint and a loose one.

Tape Measure- To me there is nothing more important in woodworking than a good working tape measure. For most woodworking you won't need anything more than a 25 foot tape measure; in fact I use a 12 foot tape for most things that I build. Some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a tape measure are: can you read the numbers easily, does the tape extend and retract easily and is it comfortable to hold? Don't get caught up with a gimmicky tape measure that promises to do all kinds of things; you'll never use it.

Saw (to cut boards to length)- Now this one can get a little tricky. You will need some sort of saw that you can cut a board to length with; i.e. cut 10 inches off of the length of a 2×4, preferably in a straight line. This can be your standard cross-cut (for cutting across the grain ) hand saw all the way up to a powered compound miter saw. A hand saw will work pretty well but it takes some practice and elbow grease to cut a clean, plumb and square (see "square" below) line. There is quite a variety of tools that will cut a board this way so I will mention the most basic here and in other articles I will get into the more advanced tools.

There is a device called a miter box that I have used many times that allows you to cut straight cut through a board or even some angled cuts like 30 degrees or 45 degrees. It is just a small box with an open top with slots in the sides to guide a saw. These can be real handy, pretty accurate and pretty affordable too. These can be found either online or usually at any hardware store or building center. One power tool that I will mention here that I think is worth considering if you don't already own one is a circular saw. A circular saw is a handheld saw that you can use for many purposes; the most basic of which is cutting a board to length. You can also use it to cut a board or plywood the long way; known as "ripping". For woodworking purposes, next in line to a cordless drill, I think a circular saw should be high on the list of power tools to buy.

A "square"- A square of some sort is one of the most important tools that a beginning or experienced woodworker can own in my opinion. The name square is a bit misleading because the tool is almost never shaped anything like a square. What a square does is allow you to cut 90 degree cuts through wood. 90 degrees is the most common angle in woodworking. To give a visual; two boards with perfectly cut 90 degree ends, laid end to end, will lay in a perfectly straight line. A square is usually a triangular shaped metal or plastic device that will hook on one edge of board and allow you have a guaranteed 90 degree line to mark and/or cut across the board. These can be a carpenter's square, a speed square, a combination square or many others. The point is you need something that you can reference to make a square cut. The ancient Egyptians laid out the pyramids using a version of the square and a few other basic tools.

A Fastener- This is a weird category but a necessary one if you plan to attach any pieces of wood together to form an actual object. I am going to mention a few different tools that are used commonly for woodworking projects starting with the most basic. The hammer and nail I think are the most time tested and basic tools that one can use to attach two pieces of wood together. You could argue that glue is very old too, but in the "tool" sense, I would say hammer and nail. With a couple of boards, some nails and a hammer you can build any number of things; just ask any 8 year old ( once they put down their Ipad). You can build a shelf, a sign and post, a bicycle jump, a bench, a bean bag toss game, etc. Often times projects held together with nails rely heavily on the shear strength and holding power of the nail for the overall strength of the piece. If there is a lot of wiggle and stress on the piece this could eventually lead to stability problems. In contrast, two pieces of wood properly glued together will oftentimes hold together indefinitely. Nails can also be fired from a pneumatic gun hooked to a compressor. A common variety is the brad nailer. Which brings me to wood glue.

Wood glue is a large topic unto itself that I will get into in another article but suffice it to say that a bottle of quality wood glue is an important addition to any woodworking arsenal. From gluing mortise and tenon joints together (see my joints article) to gluing boards together to form a table top, glue is a often a necessary part of woodworking. There are many different types of glue so be sure to use the appropriate glue for what you are building. For indoor projects I like Titebond 3. Exterior projects in particular require a glue made specifically for that purpose, I like Gorilla Glue.

Screws are always a good choice for wood projects. I use them frequently on pieces that I build when I need to join two pieces of wood together quickly and securely but glue alone might not do the trick. Screws are commonly used to attach tops of tables to their bases. In production furniture the idea is hide screws if there are any, but with some of our projects I think it's perfectly acceptable. A few different lengths of basic sheetrock or wood screws will often do the trick; maybe some 1.5? and some 2? to start. Now here is the tricky part. You can turn screws in by hand but boy does that get old real quick. If you plan on tightening more than 1 screw at a time you are going to want a power drill. Even a basic drill will serve two important functions. 1. Using drill bits you can drill a hole into wood. 2. You can tighten screws. Often times when screwing two pieces of wood together you want to pre-drill a pilot hole through the boards that is slightly smaller in diameter than the screw you plan to use to prevent the wood from splitting. A power drill will do this nicely. You don't need some 36 volt jackhammer of a drill. I would recommend at least the best 12 volt cordless model you can afford. And some decent drill bits too.

So those are a few things that I think can get you started learning some basic woodworking skills. Remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get started but tools are an investment and getting the best quality tools that you can afford will go a long way towards making your projects run smoothly.