Woodworking On The Cheap

Each project you undertake will likely demand some new tool you don’t have. Here’s a list of some of the most basic hand tools you’ll find yourself using time and time again. In the interest of doing things cheaply, I highly recommend delaying the purchase of most tools until you know you really do need them. In the case of these tools my experience has been that it’s probably worth biting the bullet up front or finding a friend with one you can borrow until you get your own.

The idea here is to get a decent idea of the basic tools you’ll want. You should be able to slowly acquire these as you need them without breaking the bank. Look for sales, clearance items, and don’t forget to use those coupons — many of these items can be had at 40-50% off the retail cost if you time your purchase right. Be patient.

• Sand paper: I keep an assortment around of varying types, grits, and sizes. When I started out I normally kept 60, 120, and 240 on hand. I now have ranges from 60 to 320, in sheets, discs, sponges, etc. My sanding collection seems to expand with every wood species or project I work on.
• Saws: My hand-saw collection at this point consists of a back-saw, and a coping saw. Since I started off with an inexpensive table saw, I’ve not had a need for a hand-held rip saw. If you’re going the non-power-tool route, you’ll want a good rip saw too. My back-saw mounts in my cross-cut miter saw base, which I used all the time before I had an electric miter saw.
• Chisels: Get a good set of chisels. Varying widths. You’ll use these for paring, mortises, and a million other things. Keep them sharp, and you’ll find yourself reaching for that chisel all too frequently.
• Planes: There’s nothing quite like a good hand-plane. Learning to use it may be a chore, honing the blade and setting the depth may be tricky, but once you get the hand of using the plane you’ll be reaching for it more than the sand-paper. My shop is outfit with a nice, relatively inexpensive Groz block-plane. I’ve found that to be quite adequate for my needs.
• Cabinet Scraper: I have yet to find a more simple, more effective, and more functional way to smooth glued up panels. A solid scraper will go a long way. I’ve avoided the fancy sets with curved scrapers so far (but have wished I had one from time to time) and only have a single rectangular scraper. Once you learn to sharpen one of these things, you’ll find yourself using it to plumb up joints that are out of alignment, correct minor thickness variations, and find real joy in making paper-thin curls of wood on your floor. A scraper does the same job as a plane, on a smaller, more precise scale.
• Pencil: Where would any woodworker be without a marking tool? Weather you prefer an exact-o knife, or a pencil, you’ll always want it with you.
• Measuring Instruments: It’s not so important that your measuring devices are precise, as it is that they’re consistent. I have two steel carpentry squares, a 36″ aluminum rule, and a small (cheap-o) combination square. I avoid using measuring tapes for anything that requires precision. Don’t go out of your way for expensive measurement tools, unless you really need them. Believe me, if you need them, you’ll realize it. The best purchases I’ve made in this category have been the small 12″ carpentry square and the 36″ aluminum rule.