Thread: Essential tools: have your say!

Pencil?

Originally Posted by jpdv

Bit of time on my hands, so I thought I’d start something that will either run and run, or descend into flaming rage within 2 posts(!)

If you were advising a newcomer who wanted to get started, what would you describe as essential tools?

........

I’ll stop there; That’s possibly my absolute minimum, and the major expense is the jointer/thicknesser/table saw, but I just think they’re realistically essential for fast and accurate work initially. Thoughts?

small bandsaw, a hand saw, a vice, possibly vernier caliper, a stable work bench, set of quality drill bits, small linisher/sander. a small tig welder, health and safety gear.

Originally Posted by Potts

Pencil?

I reckon we’ll take that as available in our newbie’s life😀

Sheesh - workbench! (Slaps head...) But oh lord, what choices and costs that opens up...

I'd add some common sense and a awareness of your surroundings

So that would make me an essential tool

Originally Posted by bryn23

I'd add some common sense and a awareness of your surroundings

So that would make me an essential tool

That would make me unable to pursue this hobby!! (Or so my wife would say...)

Originally Posted by jpdv

1. layout tools:
5m tape measure
marking knife
combination square
600mm spirit level (doubles as straight edge)

2. Clamps:
1 set of Irwin clamps or equivalent.
4 bar clamps at least 1m long.
4 or more cheap spring clamps

3. Rough Stock preparation:
lunchbox thicknesser
jointer
basic tablesaw
chopsaw

4. Final dimensioning and joints;
no 5 plane
block plane
shoulder plane
japanese combination saw, replaceable blade.
mid range router
basic chisel set

5. Shaping/finishing;
sandpaper and blocks
ROS
rasps (Shinto for value for ease of use)

6. Other:
claw hammer
mallets (rubber and wood)
Battery power drill and driver.

With the concept of someone starting out, wanting to build stuff and a book case is often a starter type project though getting rarer with ebooks.

You can do a lot with the basics. So with my own experiences in mind

Number one is something flat and relatively stable to work on, that could be a basic bench, saw horse with a sheet of MDF or the first project is to build the bench for more work.
Number two is really some form of dust extraction.
After that we have...

1. Layout Tools
Tape Measure - 5M is a good starting size
600mm or 1000mm steel rule doubles as a straight edge
Pencil, they are cheap and accurate enough
Not a combo square as the cheap/midrange is rarely square, rather get a engineer style square, a actual true square is essential.
Spirit level - these days a digital one ordered from that big country to the north will work fine.

2. Clamps:
Small ones, medium ones, big ones
The general advice will be you never have enough when you start glue ups

3. Rough Stock prep
Yep agreed but you could get away without a jointer.
However in the real world of someone starting out on Oz, they are more likely to source and use DAR bought from their local big box store so...

3.1 Cutting to size
Mitre Saw
Cordless/corded Circular saw and a track setup
Hand Saw

4. Dimension and Joints
This will upset the hand tool guys (and despite me building one) planes are not essential unless you are going down the hand tool road.
Trim router
Mid size router
Various chisels
Japanese style saw
Mallet/Dead blow hammer

5. Sand/Finish
Sandpaper and blocks
Variable speed ROS
Cabinet Scrapers
Finishers of your preference

6.Other
Cordless Drill and Driver
Hammers
Selection of screws
Pencils ... well a box or two as they always go walk about
Ear protection
EYE PROTECTION
Lab coat - i write that half in jest but i miss throwing the overalls on to protect clothes.
Some common sense.

One message should be buy what you can afford not what is the latest utube hot item.
if the $50 trim router does the job for now then buy and use it, same as clamps from the $2 shop, sure the handles may fall off in time but you get more to use upfront.
Spend wisely

LHS : James Krenov's Basic Tool set, RHS Robert Van Norman set (Director, Inside Passage School of Woodworking, Roberts Creek DC) basic Kit.

Jkrenovset.jpg

One of my early, (real early Mid 70's) projects was a model railway table. Size was about 900 x 1700, and about 500mm high. The legs were removable and the layout was essentially two sheets of MDF separated by about 150mm. In this space of 150mm I had the transformers, speed controls and all the point switches.
The legs and sheets were cut to size by (a now deceased) cabinet maker. I did the assembly using a handsaw (a 5 in 1 job), hand drill (is that a cordless?) set of drill bits and screwdrivers. I did borrow a bigger hand drill to drill the holes for the casters and a chuck to drill holes where my hand drill would not reach. What else did I use? A set of saw horses (still being used) a measuring tool and a marker.

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

With the concept of someone starting out, wanting to build stuff and a book case is often a starter type project though getting rarer with ebooks.

You can do a lot with the basics. So with my own experiences in mind

Number one is something flat and relatively stable to work on, that could be a basic bench, saw horse with a sheet of MDF or the first project is to build the bench for more work.
Number two is really some form of dust extraction.
After that we have...

1. Layout Tools
Tape Measure - 5M is a good starting size
600mm or 1000mm steel rule doubles as a straight edge
Pencil, they are cheap and accurate enough
Not a combo square as the cheap/midrange is rarely square, rather get a engineer style square, a actual true square is essential.
Spirit level - these days a digital one ordered from that big country to the north will work fine.

2. Clamps:
Small ones, medium ones, big ones
The general advice will be you never have enough when you start glue ups

3. Rough Stock prep
Yep agreed but you could get away without a jointer.
However in the real world of someone starting out on Oz, they are more likely to source and use DAR bought from their local big box store so...

3.1 Cutting to size
Mitre Saw
Cordless/corded Circular saw and a track setup
Hand Saw

4. Dimension and Joints
This will upset the hand tool guys (and despite me building one) planes are not essential unless you are going down the hand tool road.
Trim router
Mid size router
Various chisels
Japanese style saw
Mallet/Dead blow hammer

5. Sand/Finish
Sandpaper and blocks
Variable speed ROS
Cabinet Scrapers
Finishers of your preference

6.Other
Cordless Drill and Driver
Hammers
Selection of screws
Pencils ... well a box or two as they always go walk about
Ear protection
EYE PROTECTION
Lab coat - i write that half in jest but i miss throwing the overalls on to protect clothes.
Some common sense.

One message should be buy what you can afford not what is the latest utube hot item.
if the $50 trim router does the job for now then buy and use it, same as clamps from the $2 shop, sure the handles may fall off in time but you get more to use upfront.
Spend wisely

Looking at the above list (if jointer excluded) , a SuperVac with a 50mm hose and some adapters would be all the dust extractor you would need IMO.

I come at this from a different perspective,
If I started my wood work hobby again,and was coaching my self,

A vice on a good bench or stand,and a good Backsaw rip cut.
Cut 257 cuts 50 mm down.

Next a few basic but good sharping stones, and some crappy chisels,and learn how to use them.

A number 4 Stanley plane, that needs doing up, do it up then use it 257 times.

A good brand square and marking knife,an scribe 257 lines.

My point is get one tool and learn how too use confidently, then move on.

I know that can be kind of boring,but in the long run it helps so much.

Cheers Matt.

A good mentor. The handiest tool you will ever have.

A paying job, with cash flow to fund the hobby.

Some interesting/good points. I'm slapping my face again for forgetting sharpening kit - Thanks Matt!

The Krenov/Van Norman sets are thought provoking to me. They kind of refer back to my initial point about 'realistic for a hobbyist', and the great point above about 'spend wisely', I'm not sure they are beginner's sets. We all love the look of them, and after a few years could make good use of them, but you need at least 'some' good tuition, or a lot of practice, not to get frustrated and give up to use 'just' them. (IMHO...). For a hobbyist who needs a paying job, time is not infinite: he/she won't necessarily enjoy the 'zen' learning to hand craft each joint etc etc, if he just wants to get a table made for the kitchen...

This line of thought may force me to acknowledge that Phil is right: if you ditched the thicknesser and jointer, you could go DAR. Maybe ditch the table saw as well initially, and use some of the saved cash on a tracksaw?