Originally Posted by Jacob s white
I, too, asked the question
What tools should a beginner start with in the woodworking shop?
The answer is ¨It Depends................
I made some notes to share:
First there are basically three categories of tools
There are hand tools only (no electrical power),
There are floor model power tools, and there are bench top power tools.
It seems to me that the list of tools for beginners should focus on the unpowered hand tools.
In fact with those tools you can do practically anything you could with the power tools. Furthermore, the skill set that you learn in using them will always be useful.
In fact some people (actually a large subgroup of woodworkers) use no power tools whatsoever.
There are other books but to me this book is necessary: The New Traditional Woodworker, subtitle: from tool set to skillset to mindset, by Jim Tolpin.
Sixteen fully described projects take you from the simplest to the slightly more ambitious and in the process you get to use the tools one by one. The projects are all about making shop tools and accessories.
You won't be a master but you will know how it should be done.
A summary of the tools Jim recommends follows with the understanding that his focus is on furniture making.
Woodworking offers many specialties and not every one is going to need all the tools on the list and some folks will need a few that are not on the list. Also this list focuses on Western style tools, not meaning to diminish in any way Japanese or other styles.
STARTING LIST
In this book Jim describes each of the various tools that he considers to be essential and how to care for and use them and he helps you learn to use them.
Sixteen fully described projects take you from the simplest to the slightly more ambitious and in the process you get to use the tools one by one.
You won't be a master but you will know what should be done.
A summary of the tools Jim recommends follows with the understanding that his focus is on furniture making.
Woodworking offers many specialties and not every one is going to need all the tools on the list and some folks will need a few that are not on the list. Also this list focuses on Western style tools, not meaning to diminish in any way Japanese or other styles.
STARTING LIST
Marking gauges:
You need just one at first with one cutter pin on it. Two pins is better and knives instead of pins make better lines for your chisel.
Layout tools:
You will need a 6 inch compass. A 12-inch combination square and a 6 inch bevel gauge.
Marking tools:
you need a good sharp knife for marking lines and he says that in the beginning you could make do with a common utility knife.
A pair of dividers: 6 inch dividers.
He recommends a carpenter's axe, a tool that I don't actually use.
Hand saws: two 26-30 inch hand saws, a 5 teeth per inch rip saw and an 8 TPI crosscut saw. Notice the use of TPI not PPI.
Planes: a jack plane number 5, a smoothing plane number 4, a try plane number 8, and a low-angle jack plane like a number 62.
The discussion of planes is a bit longer than that. I shortened it a lot here. You can start with a small 5 or 6 inch single-handed block plane and the smoothing plane, the others as required.
Chisels:
a big issue for woodworkers and you will own many before you are done.
There are many, many kinds of chisels but for the beginner the most useful set is called bevel edge bench chisels. Cheap chisels are pretty useless and really good chisels are very expensive. You need a set of chisels covering the range from about 1/8 to 1 inch. My recommendation for cost/functionality would be that the Narex chisels at about $10 each are keepers and a very good bargain. Some kind of wooden mallet is also required because one never strikes a wood chisel with a hammer. Add a mortising chisel when and as required.
Be aware that the Narex can be had in metric or imperial (inch). Lee Valley and ToolsForWorkingWood currently have imperial sizes for sale.
Back saws:
One or two are needed for joinery. For general use a 14 to 16 TPI but for dovetails on smaller boxes finer backsaws go up to as much as 22 TPI.
A coping saw with 15 TPI.
There are many specialty joinery planes, rabbit plane, router plane, fillister plane, plow plane, shoulder plane, all of which can wait until the need arises.
Smoothing plane:
about a number 4 bench plane . #3 is similar but lighter, your choice.
Scrapers:
A scraper with a handle and an assortment of blades is very useful.
Files:
You might start with just a triangular file, a rat tail or round file, and one very coarse perhaps bastard cut file and one finer perhaps a mill cut file, and one half round file. You will no doubt get more files later.
Brace and bits:
definitely at least one brace for now, one of the large ones, and perhaps another small one later. A set of auger bits from 1/8 to 1 inch. Irwin style is most useful especially for shallower holes.
In addition to the aforementioned wooden mallet you also need a ball peen hammer, a claw hammer, and possibly a cross peen hammer.
Clamps for glue ups and fixturing:
You will need an assortment of clamps running from the wooden hand clamps to pipe clamps to other styles of clamps but probably best bought as the need arises.
Tolpin admits that he finds a 3/8 inch battery powereddrill motor to be extremely useful with of course the set of bits to go with it: one set of fractional size machinist bits and one shot set of Brad Point wood bits.
I have another book titled Choosing and using hand tools by Andy Rae. This book has more detail on the tools and their uses but does not have a section on projects.
For the hardcore user of hand tools without power I must recommend the following book:
The Unplugged Workshop by Tom Fidgen. Subtitle, handcrafted projects for the home and workshop. The projects in this book are much more advanced than those in the above book.
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For other viewpoints go to youtube and search -
Basic Tools For a Hand Tool Woodworking Shop
- Starter Tool Set for the workshop
.
James Wright does an excellent video. He would actually start with sharpening with sandpaper, then four tools, a rip saw, a #5 plane, a 1/2 inch chisel and a mallet. The mallet could have been made with the first three. Then the order in which you would add the rest of the tools: a #4 plane, a try square. 1/4, 3/4. and 1 inch chisels, a marking knife with double bevel, a marking gauge, a two foot flat folding rule (like Stanley #68). He goes further to tools which are less basic.
ONLINE:Joshua Farnsworth has an excellent website with great detail on the subject, includes guides to read and videos,, see Joshua Farnsworth
https://woodandshop.com/which-hand-t...l-woodworking/
There are, naturally, many schools teaching how to use hand tools. however if you aren't able to spend the time away from home consider the six semester on-line school at $125/semesterwith Shannon Rogers here: https://www.handtoolschool.net/ .
Shannon Rogers has extensive advice online:
browse his minimal tool list: https://www.renaissancewoodworker.co...tting-started/
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