For many people, woodwork is a hobby, especially men in households
indulge in this activity. They try to fix everyday furniture at home. It saves
the cost of going to a professional and also gives them something to do in
their free time.
Woodworking, as a profession, could be a bit rigorous. As they have to
turnover multiple furniture items in a day, the job requires swiftness and
finesse at the same time.
So, as a professional, he needs to invest a lot in instruments to
achieve that swiftness and finesse.
But if you are a beginner or just taking it up as a hobby, don’t be
worried. It requires some very basic tools to take care of home furniture. As
you have a lot of time on your hands, you don’t have to worry about timely
turnover either, just the finesse.
So, what type of tools do you need to begin with? Let’s have a look-
Scraper
Scrapers are a must-have tool if you are refurbishing furniture.
Scrapers are used to pull off the stripping gel of the surface of furniture.
It’s also used to smooth out uneven surfaces by scraping some wood.
Be careful with this tool, as it comes with a sharp edge. Not only you
could get a nasty cut from it, but it could also damage your furniture by
scraping out parts you don’t want to. Try to gently press the scraper on the
surface and carve out the exact part you need.
Scrappers can be used to decorate furniture too. Their sharp edges can
carve out any shape you want. Using them, you can make some basic shapes on the
furniture surface.
Bench vise
Bench vises are an important tool in any workshop, not just woodwork.
Bench vises are used for holding stuff together.
Vibrations could displace the wood from the intended position we want.
It holds the wood in place when we give it shape.
Saws
Every time you think of woodworking, the first tool that comes to mind
is the saw. The saws are a very important part of woodworking. It is a basic
wood cutting tool that is used to give rough shapes to woods.
There are various types of saws out there that can be used. Let’s
explore some of them-
Circular saw
Circular saws are a type of automatic saw. It has a round blade at one
end of it. The blade rotates when the trigger is pushed inward.
This fast-rotating blade can be used to carve out chunks of wood. It’s
very efficient, as it can do the work faster than any hand-held saw. In terms
of giving shape, it has advantages too.
Handheld saw
Now let’s explore the most common type of saw, the hand-held saw. The
most basic type of hand-held saw has a handle in one end, holding the jagged
blade.
The biggest advantage of a hand-held saw is- it’s cheap and widely
available. It’s also convenient to carry. It can do the job of wood cutting;
however, it takes more time than circular ones.
For a beginner, starting with the hand-held saws could be an important
learning opportunity. You give the shapes you want, using your own hand, with
these saws.
Jigsaw
It is another powerful tool that’s fully automatic. It is used to give
wood various shapes.
A jigsaw is a machine with multiple types of detachable blades. These
blades are jagged in various shapes. It helps cut the wood in different shapes
and produce fine-edged timber.
Power drill
Power drills are used to drill holes into pieces of wood. Drills are
very important for woodworking.
If you are doing renovation work, you may have to attach external
pieces of wood on the furniture. If you are making new furniture, then you will
have to attach pieces of wood, and one of the best ways is to use screws. For
that purpose, you will need to use drills.
The main drill machines are the same for woodwork and all other works.
The difference is in the bits. There are special
drill bits for woodwork.
Smooth works
Surface smoothers are contraptions that are used to smooth out the
surface of furniture. There are various types-
Paper sander
Paper sanders are the most common type of smoothers. It has a flat
side. The other side of it is sharp and can smooth out a wooden surface by
taking out the uneven wooden parts in forms of grain.
Automatic sander
Just like hand-held saw’s substitute circular saw, this is a
mechanical substitute of paper sanders. Automatic sanders are very efficient.
You can adjust the speed of the sander to get the perfect amount of sanding.
Steel wool
Steel wools are another sanding material. Of all the sanding materials
we have mentioned here, steel wool is the most inefficient. But we would still
recommend it for places like edges and critical angles.
Miscellaneous
There are various other tools you will need for your wood workshop.
These tools are small but very handy, such as-
Screwdriver
Screwdrivers are a very important tool for woodworks. They are used to
put screws into place.
If you are pulling apart furniture, it could come in handy to unscrew
the joints. Screwdrivers can work as chisels too, in narrow places, where a
regular chisel may not enter.
Hammer
Hammers are essential for any woodwork. To hammer that pin down or
smooth out uneven edges by beating them some or to put hinges in, hammers are
used everywhere in a wooden workshop.
Measuring tapes
To make furniture or to even repair it, measurements are very
important. After you pull apart old furniture, if you didn’t know the original
measurements, it would be very tough to put it together again.
A measuring tape could come in handy in this type of situation. There
are both automatic and non-automatic kinds out there. You can buy whichever is
convenient for you.
Working Table
A working table is a central component in a wood workshop. This is the
table you put your wood on, give shape, and draw designs on. The table needs to
be sturdy enough to withhold pressures and cuts.
Woodworking as a hobby or as a profession, requires a lot of passion.
To guide your passion, you would require the tools that come in handy for
woodwork. So,before you start woodworking, make a list of the tools you will
need and gather them first. Our list here, will certainly be of benefit to you
in this regard.
