While it is true that the tools do not create the craftsman, they certainly make a significant impact. Starting with the correct set of beginner woodworking tools can not only improve your experience if you are a DIYer but will also save you a lot of money in the long run.
Woodworking is a tough pastime or job, but it does not have to be expensive, to begin with. As a DIYer, you can get started with a few hundred dollars worth of high-quality instruments that will last for years.
Below is a list of the 12 basic woodworking tools for beginners, including layout tools, hand tools, and small power tools.
Essential woodworking tools for beginners
- Marking gauge
- Combination square
- Clamps
- Hand saw
- Smoothing plane
- Mallet
- Chisel set
- Sharpening stones
- Circular saw
- Router
- Power drill
- Random orbital sander
1. Marking Gauge
Why do you need one?
What’s fantastic about marking gauges is that they’re not only excellent for both basic and intermediate DIYs, but they’re also simple to use.
For mortise and tenon joints, dovetails, rabbets, thickness, and a variety of other chores, you’ll need one. It’s a must-have woodworking tool for DIYers learning the fundamentals of joinery, and it should be one of your first purchases. They’re also quite inexpensive.
No products found.2. Combination Square
Why do you need one?
A decent combination square, like a marking gauge, is a must-have tool for woodworking DIYers. It lets you mark and cut at the most crucial angles in woodworking, 90 and 45 degrees.
Perfect 90-degree angles are required for everything from cutting a board to length to connecting edges to producing mortise and tenon joints, while 45-degree angles are as crucial for corner joints and many other cuts. Even if you want to use power tools, a decent combination square is essential.
No products found.3. Clamps
Why do you need them?
Clamps are required for everything when you first begin woodworking which includes holding your work in place, bonding panels together, final assembly, and so on. However, before you buy a set of 24 or more clamps from your local store, keep in mind that as a DIYer, you can get by with around 8 specific clamps.
Pipe clamps, which are provided in sets of fixtures, will be your major workhorses. These fittings are available in conventional diameters that may be purchased at any home appliance store. This also implies that you may replace the pipes with longer or shorter lengths, making them suitable in almost any woodworking circumstance.
No products found.4. Hand Saw
Why do you need one?
From rip cuts along the length of a board to delicate carpentry, these basic tools were previously used for everything.
Many hand tool purists propose purchasing two to five hand saws, but doing everything with hand tools is simply too time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive for DIYers.
But there is one exception and they pull saws from Japan. These are amazing instruments that are inexpensive to purchase and produce outstanding results. They’re also adaptable and straightforward to operate for newcomers, and the blades are simple and inexpensive to repair.
No products found.5. Smoothing Plane
Why do you need one?
When it comes to the basic woodworking equipment for DIY works, a single high-quality smoothing plane can handle all of your smoothings.
Learning to use a smoothing plane well would significantly save sanding time, which is the most time-consuming aspect of woodworking.
No products found.6. Mallet
A good mallet is incredibly enjoyable to wield, whether striking joinery into its final place during assembly or hammering chisels into hardwood. After the first usage, both the tactile feedback and the sound will get you addicted. While not all woodworkers agree with the usage of nylon head mallets for chisels, they’re an excellent choice for people who want to try DIYs.
No products found.7. Chisels
Why do you need them?
Chisels are one of the few woodworking tools worth thinking about before purchasing as a DIYer. There are simply too many bad chisels on the market to make your first woodworking experience a complete misery.
Investing in a decent set of six chisels and knowing how to use and sharpen them will increase the quality of your work significantly. Joinery, shaping, paring, carving, and more may all be done with them.
No products found.8. Sharpening Stones
Why do you need them?
No matter how properly you treat your cutting tools, they will lose their edge over time. Fortunately, with the correct sharpening stones instruments are simple to sharpen.
Water stones or whetstones and diamond plates are the two primary varieties to consider for woodworking as a do-it-yourself project.
Water stones come in a range of grits and sharpen your tools using just water. However, as you use them, the center of the stone will naturally become concave, so you’ll need to flatten it.
A diamond plate is an ideal tool for flattening water stones. These are more costly, but they can also be used on your tools and can endure for decades without needing to be serviced.
No products found.9. Circular Saw
Why do you need one?
When compared to other types of saws, circular saws are less expensive. A high-quality circular saw can set you back several hundred dollars.
A good circular saw with a track is the finest purchase you can make as a DIYer. No matter how long the workpiece is, the tracks assure flawless crosscuts and rip cuts.
No products found.10. Router
Why do you need one?
One of the most versatile pieces of woodworking equipment you’ll ever possess is a power router. Forget about rabbet planes, dado blades, hand-cut circles, and other regular forms. All of this and more can be accomplished with simplicity with a router.
With the use of jigs, a router can accomplish even more as your abilities grow with every Do It Yourself project you accomplish. However, jig creation is an art form in and of itself, so don’t sweat it if you’re a newbie.
No products found.11. Power Drill
Why do you need one?
A power drill is a piece of must-have equipment for everyone who conducts DIY or home repairs on a regular basis, not just woodworkers.
With a basic power drill, assembling IKEA furniture, drilling holes to hang picture frames, mixing paint, and even sanding circular surfaces is a breeze.
The first important factor to consider is whether you want a corded or cordless model. Although corded devices are often less expensive and more powerful, cordless models are just handier.
No products found.12. Random Orbital Sander
Why do you need one?
Sanding is one of the most time-consuming aspects of woodworking as a DIYer, and you’ll need to do some sanding before applying a finish, no matter how clean your work is.
The last phase of each project will be considerably faster and more pleasurable if you use a decent random orbital sander. Random orbital sanders are a little more expensive than belt sanders or other sanders, but the extra cost is well worth it. They provide a better-looking end product without the whirling patterns left by other varieties.
No products found.Conclusion
If you are a DIYer then these are a must-have for your workshop and as a beginner, it is a well-known problem to get confused and not know where to start, so it is always better to take your time and search the market or talk to experts before choosing a product, as the right product can make your experience much better and take you a long way into your craft.
Editors Choice – Power Tools Combo Kit
DEWALT DCK300P1 20V MAX* XR® Brushless 3-Tool Woodworking Kit
No products found.
DeWALT DCKTS781D2M1 20V MAX Cordless Li-Ion 7 Tool Combo Kit w/Tough System
No products found.
VIDEO CREDITS: Tools Electro DIY YouTube Channel
