Top 10 Woodworking Tools for the Beginner

Last week a friend reached out for help with her husbands birthday gift. He wants to get into woodworking and she needed help picking some gifts. I remember having the same questions when I started. There is so much information out there, it can be overwhelming deciding what you really need. I started woodworking to save some money and tools can be expensive.

Here is my top ten tool guide list for the beginning woodworker. I slowly built up my shop with each project. Fortunately my husband already had some tools on hand too. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I am getting this guide out just in time for those last minute Fathers day gifts! I have included affiliate links in this post to make life easier, but most of them can also be found at your local home improvement store. You may also find some similar items on your local sale sites. For example, I found my current miter saw at a garage sale for $50.

Before you get started using any tool be sure you do your research on how to operate them safely. There are a ton of tutorials out on YouTube, as well as the manufacturers instructions, and website.

 

1. Drill

This is by far the top used tool in my arsenal. If you plan on building furniture or honestly doing any DIY projects around the house you’ll need a drill. Even on smaller projects a drill will make a huge difference in efficiency. I started with the older version of this drill we already had. I have done majority of my builds with this one, and have loved it! Last Christmas my husband surprised me with this woodworking kit that includes a drill and separate driver attachment.Being a chick with no guns, I appreciate how light weight it is. I plan to use both to save on efficiency by leaving my drill bit in one and my screw bit in the other. I use a bit set similar to this, mine is the same brand just didn’t come in this nice compact case. I have an extra battery for both my drills so I never run out of juice. In the beginning I encourage you to turn the torque down. This is the mechanism that will stop the drill instead of stripping the screw or hurting your wrist.

2. Kreg Jig

When I decided to start woodworking this was the first tool I purchased. I will never forget the excitement when I put this baby in the cart and skipped out of the store! It was kind of a splurge for me, but I have used it on every furniture piece I have built. It has paid for itself ten times over in the money I have saved making my own furniture. I went with the K4 after watching a ton of youtube videos and reading reviews. I strongly recommend this system.

There are gauges for both the drill bit and hole length. It makes it easier than clamping and unclamping with each hole on the smaller systems. I also use their screws with the system. I know you can use other screws, but honestly that huge screw isle is a little overwhelming. The kreg booklet, that comes with this system, has a guide for exactly what length and type of kreg screw you need for the job. You will pick your screw length by material thickness and the threading by firmness of the wood. Majority of my projects are out of 2″ builder grade pine so I use a ton of these. If I am splurging on a nicer piece or want a different look I may use 1″ thick boards or plywood, then I use these screws.

3. Nail Gun and Compressor

We put some trim up in our old house so we already had this kit on hand when I started. It took me a few months to be brave using it. The whole compressor thing was a bit intimidating. I kept flashing back to some horror movie and thinking I would accidentally shoot myself.  I started using things on wood signs and trimming out my projects. Oh my word, it is now one of my favorite tools. I know a lot of woodworking bloggers use this cordless option. Either way if you can snag one of these for small pieces and trim work it can save a ton of time.

4. Speed Square

This is another tool I found in our garage when I started. I wish I use this every time I am measuring a cut. It really helps to ensure my blade is lined up with the mark so my cut is nice and square. You just but the edge with the ledge along the side of your board, then mark down the side. Pretty straight forward and an affordable necessity.

5. Miter Saw

My husband found mine on a rummage sale for a few bucks. It works well, but it only has a 10″ blade. I will up grade to something like this someday. The additional couple inches on this blade is handy while working with wider or thicker wood. This is another tool I use on almost every build. I also screwed a few pieces of scrap wood together to match the height of the saw. I use this when cutting long boards to rest the other end. I don’t have a separate bench for this saw so I just set it on top of my bench, and tuck it under when its not in use.

6. Measuring Tape

Wasn’t sure if I needed to include this one on the list, but for safe measure here it is….see what I did there ;). You can never have too many tape measures. I love having a mini one like this in my purse for outings. Either of these would make great gifts for any DIYer! Just remember measure twice cut once!

7. 36′” Clamps

I still only have a coupe of these in the shop. If you really are doing a build yourself these are a must have. You just wont have enough hands to hold your pieces together and drill. I really like the squeeze handle on these. They make it incredibly easy to add tension, with one hand. You should see all of the funny positions I get myself in when I am working alone in my shop! I also like the pads on these stay in place. I had a different brand, the pads fell off and left dents in my projects.

8. 12″ Clamps

I have a slew of these and they are so handy! I have even used these upholstering my dining room chairs. I constantly catch my husband sneaking these out of my shop! By far I use these clamps the most. The best part is these are the most affordable clamps I own.

9. 48″ Clamp

I was too cheap to get one of these right away, and I still only own one. As soon as I started building larger pieces I had no choice. The longer jaw depth on these is very handy for distributing the pressure. With 1,150 pounds of force these are perfect for keeping those stubborn boards in place. If you are working with a soft wood sometimes you do need to cushion your clamps to prevent dents. Unless you have a second set of hand I really encourage these when you get to larger builds. They will save you so much time and frustration.

10. Table Saw

If you are using builder grade 2″ lumber this is a must have tool. I got mine for Christmas a few years back, it took my builds to the next level. This allows you to “rip” the edges of your board to make them square. That is primarily what I use my table saw for. If I am ripping long boards I do like a second set of hands in the shop to help guide the wood. I don’t have a table built for my saw so I place my workbench on the other side to feed the wood onto.

I would also encourage you to upgrade to a blade that is appropriate for your projects. When I first started using it with the stock blade I had so much kickback. I felt like I was wrestling the wood through. This is VERY dangerous! Out of all the tools I really recommend watching some videos before using this! I always keep all the guards on this saw when I am running it and shut it off between each cut. I unplug it while I am making any blade adjustments. I encourage you to use a push stick. This is the one I use. I have tried a few others, but I just feel like I have the most control with this one.

Well that wraps up my Top 10 Woodworking Tools guide! I hope you enjoy!