Wood Working

Before you start a wood working project, apart from your wood working plans you need a basic tool set to get you started. Wood working as a hobby is something you can enjoy starting with something fairly basic such as a simple coffee table and then progressing over time as you develop your skills to more complex projects. Wood working plans can range from simple to complex most of which can be built with a basic set of hand tools as long as you have somewhere to work, a bench to work on or even just a couple of saw horses.

You can build your tool set over time but to start with the minimum you will need will include saws, chisels, a mallet, hammer, various screwdrivers, a drill, drill bits, a good measuring tape, rulers, carpenters square, various clamps, pencils, a good hand plane, selection of sandpaper and a good wood glue. There is a wide variety of tools that you can use but you certainly dont need all of them to begin with.

So lets talk a little about saws - what type of saw do you need?

When it comes to saws, keep it simple, there are so many different types of saw but a general-purpose handsaw and a good tenon saw in most cases will be enough to get you going. An electric circular saw is handy for many projects and come in a variety of diameters, in corded and cordless versions. The thicker the wood you have to cut, the bigger the diameter saw you need and of course, the weight of the saw increases with the diameter making them more difficult to handle. 7 1/4 inch diameter is a common size for a corded circular saw. Most are adjustable for depth of cut; some also allow an angled cut.

There are also many different blades that can be fitted to circular saws, dependent on the material you are cutting and how fine you need the cut. Circular saws in particular can be extremely dangerous and are the cause of many accidents so if you are contemplating using one Id recommend you get one with a built in clutch so that if the blade jams the clutch stops the saw throwing itself out of the work piece. And NEVER EVER use one if the blade guard isnt working properly.

Electric jigsaws are another common accessory for your tool kit, jigsaws also have a range of blades for different purposes. If you are planning on using electric tools especially saws then you need to have appropriate safety gear such as ear mufflers and safety glasses or goggles to protect your ears and eyes. Safety is paramount when using wood working tools as the majority of the tools you will use have a cutting purpose and unfortunately, accidents do happen. If you are using power tools make sure you are plugged into a socket with earth leakage protection. Power saws have sliced through many cables.

Most important, make sure you have a good first aid kit in your work area, better to be safe than sorry. If youre a beginner you are better off buying your wood working plans as the designs will already be proven and will give you a much higher chance of a good result. As you develop your skills you can either draw your own wood working plans or modify others to suit your project. Keep your wood working tools clean and sharp.