So woodworking crafts have brought you to the point of creating your own wood shop? Great! A wood shop is a safe haven for many, offering a peaceful space for creating many things. There’s nothing like working with your hands. However, there is something to be said for working with power tools, too! When you’re ready to stock your wood shop with tools of the trade, take a look at this list to make sure that you’ve got everything that you may need.
You’ll want to start by buying or building a workbench. Most people prefer a workbench or table that is up high enough to work at while standing or sitting on a stool. This will give you storage room underneath, too. You can install a shop vacuum above your workbench if you’d like. It may come in handy for cleaning up sawdust. You’ll also need some shelves and cabinets for storing your tools. Covers for saws and drills are great to have so that your equipment can stay clean while you work on other projects.
There are many cutting tools to choose from. Most can be classified as hand saws or power saws. The ones that you need depend on what you plan on doing. For instance, you will need a chain saw if you plan to fall your own trees. Backsaws are hand saws that have a stiff ridge opposite the cutting side (e.g. dovetail saw, tenon saw, sash saw, and the gent’s saw. These are used for hand cutting precise lines. Power saws are good for cutting large pieces and rough cuts. There are circular saws, radial arm saws, table saws, band saws, and miter saws.
You will need tools to hold your work. Most woodworkers use horses, a vice, and a bench hook regularly. You can mount your vice to your workbench so that it’s always easy to access and is securely fastened. A bench hook can be easily built. It’s basically a place where you can press boards up against a straight edge while using hand saws. It has a lip underneath to “hook” it to the workbench so that you can put pressure on the wood that you’re working on.
There are many other tools that help to shape or hold wood. There are many clamps that work well with different types of saws. Hammers, mallets, drills and screwdrivers are commonly used. Chisels, planers, a lathe, and many types of sanders are used in shaping and finishing.
Once you have your work surfaces, support items, and tools, you can begin stocking your woodshop with wood. A cedar wood cabinet is useful for storing wood that is easily affected by the humidity. Remember that you can store large pieces overhead on ceiling racks to save space in your woodshop. Stock up on other wood parts and hardware that you may need. You may need long nails down to finishing nails, screws, bolts, nuts, and washers. Cabinet handles and drawer pulls are also nice to have. Different species of wood in varying sizes and shapes can be useful in many projects. Keep a “scrap” pile of pieces that you may be able to use again. A wood dowel, especially a hardwood dowel, can be used to fashion joint pegs and many other useful items. Keep some around for future projects.
About the Author: Dave Murphy is the founder and president of Good Wood, Inc., which makes a high quality wood dowel and the best hardwood dowel on the market. They also create wooden balls, wood knobs, wooden toy parts, custom wood parts, and more. They offer safe wood finishing, wood turning and can import from off-shore when necessary. Visit http://www.goodwoodinc.com for all of your wood product needs.