If you have a creative mind, you should not think twice about engaging in woodworking. The reason is that woodworking will provide you with an excellent avenue to actualize your creative ideas. Remember that a creative idea is not yet creative if you don’t follow it through with action. So, if you got the urge to be creative with wood, you should not hesitate to dabble in woodworking.
To get started with woodworking, you must have the essential woodworking tools for beginners. You don’t need to purchase the most advanced woodworking power tools, for you will soon learn they are costly. Besides, buying them will bleed you dry. It will be best to focus on and buy only the essential tools that a beginner can’t do without.
Best Woodworking Tools for Beginners
The list of woodworking tools seems never-ending simply because different manufacturers always roll out new tools. Thus, it will be best to stick to the following essential tools that would enable you to accomplish your beginner woodworking tasks.
Tape Measure
One of the general rules of woodworking is: “Measure twice, cut once!” This maxim tells anyone who wants to become an expert woodworker to equip himself with the best measuring tools. The primary measuring tool of woodworkers, of course, is the tape measure.
As a beginner, you can go for the 12-footer tape measure. Don’t overshoot yourself by going for the 25-foot tape measure. The 12-footer would suffice for most of your woodworking tasks.
Furthermore, it will be best if you go for a tape measure that is auto-locking. The autolocking tape measure stays in position after pulling it out unless you press its retract button. With a reliable tape measure, you can accurately measure the dimensions of your materials.
Handsaw
Another must-have tool for beginners is the handsaw. This tool is always handy when making a quick and precise cut. Handsaws come in different types. You can opt for a universal handsaw to let you do crosscuts and rip cuts.
For centuries, humans have been using handsaws to cut different materials. Over time, handsaws have also significantly evolved. Although many cutting tasks are no longer done using handsaws, as a beginner, you will still find the handsaw handy when crosscutting, rip cutting, cleaning out dovetails, and flush trimming pegs and cutting dowels.
It pays to learn how to cut using a handsaw as a beginner. Besides, you will only become an accomplished woodworker if you have developed the fundamental skill of using the handsaw.
Planes
When engaged in woodworking, you must ensure that the materials you use are flat and smooth. In many cases, you need to reduce the wood’s thickness. You can do this by using a plane. A plane is pretty much a straightforward tool. It has a blade that you push over the surface of the wood.
Planes, however, come in different types. Starting with the No. 5-1/2 jack plane will be best for a beginner. You need to master the use of this plane, and by constant practice, you can use this plane as a jointer and smoothing plane.
As you become proficient with this jack plane, you can further buy other types of hand planes like the No. 4-1/2 plane and the Nos. 7 or 8 planes.
Power Drill
Another must-have tool is the power drill. You can start with a corded drill because it is powerful and versatile. Of course, you can also go for a cordless drill, but the corded would be a better way to start. The cordless drill, however, is more portable. But the corded one is less expensive and powerful.
Power drills come in different varieties and brands. There are those with 1/2-inch chuck or 3/8-inch chuck. There are also those with keyless or keyed chuck.
Moreover, you will find hammer drills or straight drills. Learning about your options when shopping around for a power drill will be best.
Circular Saw
Aside from the handsaw, it will be best to equip yourself with a circular saw. The circular saw will come in handy when you want to make long and straight cuts. It is easy to carry around compared to other power saws. It is also versatile, allowing you to make excellent finish cuts, plunge cuts, crosscuts, and even bevel cuts.
The circular saw is relatively simple, yet it can handle various materials, depending on the blade type you are using. It can even take metal and masonry.
As a beginner, it will be best to familiarize yourself with this power saw because it will surely come in handy in many of your cutting tasks.
Jigsaw
As a beginner, it will help if you invest in an excellent jigsaw. Jigsaws are reciprocating saw and is also referred to as saber saws. Jigsaws will help you make irregular and intricate cuts. It will also allow you to make serpentine, curved, and straight cuts, and for this reason, it is called a jigsaw.
Jigsaws differ from circular saws because they have reciprocating blades, while circular saws have revolving circular blades. Besides, the jigsaw blade moves up and down as it cuts through materials.
The TPIs of jigsaw blades differ. Moreover, the composition of blades also varies. Some jigsaw blades can also cut metal and plastic.
Orbital Sander
Another necessary tool you should have as a beginner is the orbital sander. It is the one electric-finishing tool you should have. It is a fast-action machine that can facilitate the sanding process. The orbital sander is different from belt sanders. This sander uses sandpaper pads that revolve in orbital or circular pattern.
Orbital sanders are equipped with abrasive sandpaper disks that spin. They may remove materials quickly. Nevertheless, they may leave swirl marks that might be challenging to remove.
So, it will be best to go for a random orbital sander because it oscillates randomly, leaving behind a smooth and mark-free surface.
Mallet
You should also have a mallet which is like a hammer. However, it got a wooden head to absorb impact. You will use the mallet to knock wood sans deforming them.
You can also use it to drive chisels, allowing you better control of the chisel. You can also cushion the impact by adding leather straps to the edges of the mallet’s head.
Clamps
When working on material or workpiece, you need to keep the material stationary and immobile. So, you will need clamps to keep the material stationary. Just imagine if your material is moving while you cut. The cut will surely end crooked in such a case.
You will also need clamps when gluing materials or driving screws. Besides, when joining pieces, you will need clamps.
Clamps come in different types. So, it gets confusing for a newbie when selecting the necessary clamps to have as a beginner. Hence, when buying clamps, ensure you get the clamp types that are appropriate for your needs.
Chisel Set
As a beginner, you will sometimes engage in shaping, carving, joinery, paring, and many other tasks. Hence, it will help if you have a set consisting of six chisels. When selecting a chisel set, always go for quality because the market is awash with junk chisels.
As a beginner, you can opt for bevel chisels to get the hang of the use of chisels. Besides, you should learn how to sharpen your chisels.
Sharpening Tools
As mentioned above, one skill you should learn is how to sharpen your tools. Knowing how to sharpen tools is necessary for a beginner. Remember that all your cutting tools will someday become dull, losing their sharp edges over time. So, you need to sharpen them using sharpening tools to bring them back to their optimum efficiency.
The popular sharpening tools are diamond plates and water stones. You can go for water stones if you don’t want to spend much. Sharpening tools, however, are designed to last long. So, you will not need to buy new ones more often.
Sanding Block
The power sander can never get to all the crevices and surfaces you need to sand. So, you will need a sanding block to access and smooth out the difficult-to-reach parts of your project.
You can use the sanding block to engage in quick sanding of the surface or if your power sander isn’t available. The sanding block should have a Velcro face.
Marking Knife
Your primary tool for marking is the pencil. Yet, sometimes, you must make precise marks at specific points. A marking knife can do the trick for you. It can leave a small scratch on the wood surface, aligned with the graduations of a reliable ruler.
The marking knife is not expensive, and it could give you excellent marking on your material for a very long time.
Conclusion
Power tools are expensive; nevertheless, if you have all the money, you can buy any power tool that could make woodworking easy. Yet, there will be instances when you can’t rely on your power tools, like in the case of a power outage or when you fail to charge the batteries of your power tools. In such a case, your knowledge of using simple woodworking tools will save the day for you.
As a beginner, it will be best to learn how to use simple woodworking tools before you transition to overwrought power tools. Besides, if you don’t have enough money to spare for expensive power tools, having simple woodworking tools like a handsaw, hand plane, and sanding block can help you engage in DIY projects for beginners.