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When it comes to the type of woodworking supplies you need, it will depend on your skill level and the type of projects you commonly work on. If you’re just starting out, you can begin purchasing a few hand tools, such as a hacksaw, chisels, a t-square, screwdrivers, nails and a hammer. You’ll also need a worktable and some clamps. The first power tools you purchase should probably be a jigsaw and a drill.
Woodworking Supplies: Where to Start
When it comes to woodworking supplies that you’ll use for most of your projects, your next purchase should be a circular saw. This saw can cut a lot faster than a jigsaw, and it will be easier to make cleaner, straighter cuts with it. It’s also a useful tool to have for cutting large sheets of plywood, even if you have already purchased a table saw.
You should also consider buying a hand plane and possibly a workbench that has a vice. You can even decide to build your workbench, to save some cash.
If you don’t like pocket holes joinery, you can invest in a pocket holes jig or a doweling jig instead. The pocket holes joinery is not very durable.
Another important power tool you should purchase is a random orbital sander. While a palm sander is less expensive and can use regular sandpaper, the random orbital sander uses fastened sanding disks, doesn’t sand in patterns and instead uses a random sanding motion. The movement serves to reduce the chances of sanding marks that can appear on the stock.
Major Purchases for Woodworking Tools
Your next major purchase should be a compound miter saw. The compound miter saw isn’t as expensive as a table saw and when it comes to cutting compound angles it’s invaluable. Once you develop the skill for making precise cuts with this saw, you’ll find yourself using your circular saw less and less.
The last tool that experts recommend for basic woodworking supplies is the router. There are many routers today that will offer a couple of different bases, but for a beginner a quality stationary base will be able to handle many jobs and it can be mounted in a router table, if you choose to buy one. Select a model of router that’s at least a 2-horsepower and features variable speed controls, is easy to make bit changes and has a soft start mechanism.