6 Tools Every Woodworker Should Have

6 Tools Every Woodworker Should Have



What are the tools that every woodworker should have?

  1. Circular Saw – Tool to use to cut straight lines.
  2. Power Drill – Tool to use to drill holes.
  3. Jigsaw – Tool to use to cut curved lines.
  4. Finishing Sander – Tool to use to sand wood to be smooth.
  5. Chisels and Mallet – Tools to use to cut precisely.
  6. Wood Planer – Tool to use to make flat tops.

 

Woodworking is a very satisfying career. Being to create furniture and other wooden products out of a few raw pieces of wood will make you feel bigger than yourself; almost godlike. But of course, to achieve this feeling, you need the right skills and tools. The latter of which you should invest in first. How else will you practice if you don’t make a few investments, right? But don’t go all out and buy the biggest woodworking tools right away. That’s something you’ll have to build up to. Instead, you have to start with the very basic hand tools, carpentry tools, and power tools.

Here are some of them now to help you assemble your own set of tools:

 

Circular Saw

Circular Saw

The circular saw is a power tool that helps woodworkers make straight cuts. It is such a versatile equipment that others argue that it should be actually classified as a carpentry tool.

When you pair this up with a clamped-on straight edge, then it can even be just as accurate as a table saw. That will definitely save you the trouble of buying extra tools, especially if you master this technique. This is what makes the circular saw one of the most useful tools a beginner can invest in. But whether you are a beginner or a veteran, this handheld power tool will be your go-to friend that will be useful for any project.

This tool is particularly good at cutting sheet woods, such as plywood and fiberboards.

 

Power Drill

Power Drill

All woodworkers need a drill to be able to place the necessary holes you need for a project. There are many types of drills you can choose from; the most basic of which is a power drill. But even this has its own classifications: whether it is corded or cordless. Both have their own pros and cons.

The corded drills – such as the hammer drill – are generally less expensive yet more versatile. Additionally, more power flows into it because of the cord. Meanwhile, cordless drills have more flexibility.

 

Jigsaw

Jigsaw

While the circular saw is very useful for straight cuts, the jigsaw is useful for curved and circular cuts. It may not be as accurate as a band saw, but it’s a great tool for beginners to use and practice their skills. When they have mastered using this tool, then they can graduate to the big boy band saw. In fact, when people get really good with this power tool, they may be so effective with it that they wouldn’t need to upgrade.

Pro tip: When choosing a jigsaw, be sure to choose one that is corded and comfortable in your hand.

 

Finishing Sander

Finishing Sander

A finishing sander is a useful sanding tool that has a reduced chance of leaving sanding marks as compared to other sanders. This tool does this by using sanding plates or disks rather than sandpaper in a random sanding motion. With this random motion, no sand patterns will be created in the stock if you know how to use the grits well.

A good rule of thumb for this is to use finer grits as you sand. This will ensure that no marks will be left on the stock. Thus, you must also invest in different grits for your sanding plates or disks.

 

Chisels and Mallet

Chisels and Mallet

A chisel is a long carpentry tool that has a cutting edge or blade on the opposite end to the handle. This is used for carving or cutting hard materials; usually wood but it can also be used for stone or metal. But this cannot be done on its own. It’s usually paired up with a mallet, which is what woodworkers use to add the needed force to allow chisels to carve and cut.

For woodworking, this is useful for making accurate small cuts that cannot be done with the previously mentioned saws.

 

Wood Planer

Wood Planer

A wood planer can come in many forms; either as a hand tool, carpentry tool, or power tool. Such tools are useful for flattening wood pieces. This is especially useful for resawing – cutting thinner wood pieces. For such an act, jigsaws or circular saws would be pretty inefficient so a band saw would be the best way to cut these. However, the accuracy of said saws is very limiting because of blade drift. So, you need to use a planer afterwards to create a flat surface from the cutout.

 

Key Takeaway

With these tools, it only takes a matter of practice and safety for any beginner to turn into a wood master. If you want to start your woodworking career or hobby, then invest in these set of tools today.

Watch out for our future blog posts about how to use each of this tools safely and the effective methods on how to use them.

Copyright © 1998 - 2025 kyk tools. SEO by SEO-Hacker. Optimized and maintained by Sean Si