What tools do you need? What tools do you want? What tools do the influencers want you to buy?.
You can buy all the nice shiny tools you want. The one thing all shiny tools have in common is, they all need sharpening. Without the skill of sharpening, it doesn’t matter how many, how shiny or how expensive your tools are. Those edges will go blunt, guaranteed.
What’s the difference between the beginner’s tool kit above and a pro one? “Not that much really”.
The adage to use the right tool for the right job applies to woodworking like any other trade. But it also brings along the question.
To Maintain or make?
Let’s take a quick look at the 50 or more hand tools the shops recommend you should have
- Block plane
- Smoothing plane
- Jack plane
- Jointer plane
- Scrub plane
- Compass plane
- Rebate plane
- Bullnose plane
- Plough plane
- Router plane
- Scraper plane
- Shoulder planes
- Set of 3 Dovetail chisels
- Set of 8 bevel edged bench chisels
- Set of 3 butt chisels
- Set of 3 pairing chisels
- Set of 16 gouges
- Set of 3 mortice chisels
- Try square 6”
- Try square 12”
- Combination square
- Set square
- Sliding T bevel
- Marking gauge
- Mortice gauge
- Panel gauge
- Marking knife
- Ink line
- Rip saw
- Cross cut saw
- Tennon saw
- Dovetail saw
- Coping saw
- Wooden mallet
- Hammer
- Spoke shave flat base
- Spoke shave round base
- Spoke shave hollow base
- Spoke shave oval base
- Cabinet scraper
- Brace
- Cabinet makers rasps
- Straight edges
- Set of 3 sharpening stones
- Honing guide
- Lapping plate
- Tool rest
- Bench grinder.
- An army of Power tools
- floor standing machinery
50 in all, but if you were to add up all the power tools and floor machinery, and any I’ve forgotten that number would be well over 100
People ask is woodworking expensive to get into “Can be”
let’s go over each item in the beginner’s tool kit and see what each one does
The Workbench
Without a good workbench and vice woodworking is going to be difficult. Yes it can be done. But its awkward, frustrating and completely inefficient. The workbench, toolchest & shooting boards above are all beginners projects that were made with this basic tool kit. There’s a link to each project at the bottom of this page.
jackplane
As in the name it’s a jack of all woodworking trades and a favourite among many makers. It will plane rough stock down to size, smooth it out and depending on the length of your timber can even be used as a jointer.
Another great use for the jack plane is on the shooting board; it’s just the right size for shooting end grain. As a beginner start with the three basic planes, jack plane, smoothing plane and a low angle block plane (low angle is very important). If you just want one plane to get going with then the jack would be a good starter plane. It doesn’t really matter what make.
Smoothing Plane
The most used and sold plane in the world. When somebody mentions woodworking plane it’s the Stanley no4 smoothing plane that comes to mind. Once you’ve finished with the jack plane pick up your smoother to create that silky smooth surface.
Low angle block plane
The third must have plane for the beginner is the low angle block plane. Such a great little tool fits in the palm of your hand. Used for trimming end grain, smoothing small components, and chamfering. The jack plane and the smoother will plane end grain but the block plane with its low angle of attack is made for the job.
Chisels
There’s lots of different types of chisels available. Bevel edge chisels, dovetail chisels, mortice chisels, firmer chisels, Japanese chisels, paring chisels, carving chisels. And a whole array of specialist ones. A good starter is a set of bench chisels. These come in sets of 3, 5 all they up to 10 or 12 for the budding beginner a starter set of 6 is perfect.
These are 6, 9, 12, 18, 25 and 32mm the most common sizes and your everyday go to chisels. Start with them. Buy more as and when you need them. If you’re thinking of going down the Japanese chisel route. I would start with a set of western chisels learn to sharpen and use them first. Or my preferred method buy vintage and restore them.
Saws
Western saws are set on the push stroke while the Japanese is on the pull stroke. It’s not the saw it’s the person using it, both types will cut wood to a line. As a beginner it’s good to buy both, there not that expensive try both western and Japanese style. See which type you prefer.
Mallets
Any one of these will work
layout tools
Pencil, 300mm (12”) stainless steel ruler & a tape measure. The marking Knife is a good investment and a good tool to get used to using. The knife gives you a finer line than a pencil. Having these four items on your bench is good practice. If you’re struggling to see the knife mark, go over it with a really sharp pencil.
Square
Buy one and make it a good one. This is one of the most important and used tools you will ever own when woodworking. A little 150mm is fine if you are planning on doing small projects or 300mm for bigger. For bench work the 150mm is a good starter. The set square will square all your timber; it’s this little tool that’s going to tell you how good you are at planning 90 degrees. Use it, read it and rely on it.
Other tools in the list you can buy cheap, like saws. Save your money there, buy second hand vintage planes and chisels restore them. You’ll learn a lot by restoring old tools, I enjoy bringing vintage tools back to life. But the set square buy new and get the best you can. (Christmas present!)
Rebating tools
To plane rebates and grooves. A little plough plane like this Marples one here is fine for small boxes and drawers. The little palm router will give you the most freedom. I don’t use mine often as like hand tools, but I do use it and I’m glad to own one.
Marking tools
Example your marking out some dovetails, you’ve used the shooting board to plane the edge square. Now you’ll set the marking gauge to scribe a line on each component, all your lines will be the same. Some people like me, prefer a more traditional marking gauge. like the wooden one in the picture, it has a blade instead of a pin or wheal. best to try both, I picked up the wooden one a carboot sale £3.00.
Sharpening
Choosing a sharpening system well that’s a subject in itself and is covered in more detail Sharpening chisel & plane blades
Upgrading your essential woodworking kit to a pro one
A pro tool kit doesn’t mean spending thousands of pounds on high end shiny tools. A pro kit is a more focused tool kit with accessories.
- Focused = the tools you like to use the most
- Accessories= the items that make life easier in the workshop
Chisels
The beginners set of 6 bench chisels has been replaced with Japanese ones. Not because they are better than western chisels. Because they are designed to be sharpened with a single flat bevel. My preferred sharpening method.
Planes
In the image on the left, it looks like lots of planes but the only one added over the three main planes is a Stanley no7 jointer. Remember I was saying a pro kit is more personal preference than anything else. Well, the image on the right is my preference. Less planes, less sharpening & more making.
Block plane remains the same. ” my bad I forgot to put it in photo”
Plough plane
Planing 6mm grooves for drawer bases and boxes is the main use I have for the router. I don’t like it, its loud, dusty horrible little tool. It is quick, & for that reason I have to stick with it. If I want quiet, then I use the plough plane.
Router Plane
Its main use is in planning the bottom of dados. I’m using it in this photo to clean the bottom of a sliding dovetail joint in the Japanese workbench that I incorporated into my new bench more on that here: Japanese workbench project & plans
Saws
Nothing has changed when it comes to saws. I still use a combination of everyday builder’s saws and finer Japanese ones. Which one I use depends on the wood, the joinery and what stage I’m at in the project.
Accessories
Winding Sticks. I use aluminium ones rather than wood. My workshop is in an unheated garage. I need these winding sticks along with my straight edge to remain flat & true.
Sliding bevel, adjustable angle gauge and a dovetail marker. When it comes to angles, they are covered with these three little tools.
A set of verniers, a Dowling jig & another marking gauge. It’s always better to have two gauges of different colours. Set them to the required depths and leave them set until you’ve finished that part of the build.
Sharpening gear
In the beginner’s kit we had four ceramic sharpening stones. 120, 320, 800 and 8000 grit.
A 5000 mid way stone, a super fine 16000 are now added to the line-up. No machines are used in sharpening it’s all done using stones.
Is the 16000-grit necessary? No, not really. But this is a preferred tool kit and I like it.
Thanks for reading
Best Matt North
Talking of restoring tools. You can view how I restored a vintage 1950’s Marples X4 smoothing plane, Marples X4 plane restoration
