Which Woodworking Tools You Need To Buy First.

Everyone should own a table saw, no matter how small the shop. The table saw is the heart and soul of every woodworking shop—the centerpiece around which all of the other tools are used and organized. The table saw's strength is its ability to cut sheet goods with perfectly straight edges, but it can also make just about any cut you want, including miters, bevels, and even dado grooves.

While some people consider the circular saw to be more of a carpentry tool than a fine woodworking tool, others would disagree. There is may be no more versatile basic handheld power tool than a circular saw. This tool allows you to efficiently cut your materials quickly and precisely and can be just about as accurate as a table saw which comes handy if you don’t have enough space in you workshop for a table saw. A circular saw is the fastest and easiest way to cut wood boards down. It can cut straight or angled boards and is the tool you’ll need if you want to take on a simple building project or any other standard pieces of lumber.

Don’t you dare skip to the next tool. I know, dust collection is boring. We want tools that make sawdust, not pick it up. But bite the bullet early and get yourself some real dust collection. Health is the obvious priority. But don’t forget about the increased productivity that happens in a clean shop. Not to mention increased sanity.

Put simply, a nail gun is the tool that takes on the job of a hammer. Rather than having to pound each nail in individually, a nail gun allows you to insert nails with just the pull of a trigger. This tool is absolutely invaluable when you’re doing something like installing a plank wall or adding shiplap to a room.

Power drills can be a beginning woodworker’s best friend. Only a few old-time craftspeople still use a brace and bit or a hand drill. Electric powered drills are used so often in the workshop and for so many reasons. They’re not only for drilling holes. You can buy all sorts of attachments to turn your electric drill into other tools, too.

A good set of chisels are really a necessity for any woodworking shop. Wood Chisels are important for any joinery project and consist of a blade and a handle to accurately cut and shape wood, cleaning up edges of tenons, glue lines, etc with ease. 

Have you ever tried to sand down a piece of furniture by hand? It’s not fun. Don’t even do it. A random orbital sander will be your new best friend! This fast-action machine take all the strain out of hand sanding and do it a lot quicker. The random orbit version uses hook-and-loop fastened sanding disks. The random orbit motion will not leave patterned scratches in the workpiece, as do other types of sanders.

They say measure twice and cut once. That old woodworker advice is the best there is. Some other advice is to buy good quality measuring equipment that’s accurate and easy to read.