Carpenters…. What power/hand tools are essential for a basic setup.

As per title really. I’m looking at having a go, possibly join a local college, at learning basic carpentry. It will be cupboards and shelving units for now until my experience and skills improve. What tools are the ‘must haves’????

Big router, little router, drill-driver, selection of saws (hand saw, skil saw and chop saw probably the basics: add a rail saw, jig saw, maybe table saw and some more specialist hand saws as you go on). Then some marking and measuring stuff. Sander and plane too. There are various jigs and tricks to save you getting some specialist tools.

Edit: oops forgot clamps/cramps and a couple of workstands.

Hand saw, mallet, chisels, screwdrivers, drill and assorted wood bits.
edit: Forget scribe and square.
double edit: I mean forgot!!!!

Tape measure.

tymbian – Member

Tape measure.

And this

You’ll probably be asked to get a short stand or a long weight in your first week I’d imagine.

White van and thermos.

I play with wood but am no good. I have more tools now but can do more with less too! As ever it not about the kit. 2 excellent skill I learnt with minimal tools are
1. How to sharpen chisels.
2. How to cut a saw guide with a chisel.
Both helped mile be the accuracy of my hand wood work.

On the power tool front, drill, skill saw, router, orbital sander should get you a long way.

….and put loads of receipts and newspapers on the vans dash.

It will very much depend on the type of work you intend to do. If you are going to be 1st fixing or shuttering, a circular saw and hammer drill are essential. A nail gun is very useful but a luxury if just starting out. If you intend to carry out 2nd fix then you will need battery drills, routers, chop saw and jig saw as esential and if fitting kitchens you will need jigs for jointing worktops. Start buying the basics first and then see what type of work you are getting and purchase more specialist tools when you need them. Buy the best you can afford as cheap tools are ok for DIY but do not stand up to being abused on a daily basis. To get experience, you could offer to help a tradesman in exchange for being shown and having the chance to watch and learn. Good luck as it is a great trade!

I worked with a young travelling “Zimmermann” when I lived in Germany, basically a jobbing carpenter. All he had was a largish hand held circular saw. What he couldn’t make with that saw wasn’t worth making. After I had known him for about 8 months he eventually bought a router to make his life a bit easier.

I have built my house, including all doors, windows, floors, roof timbers, stairs, kitchen units, beds, tables etc using a site saw (30cm bladed circular bench saw), a 10 inch planer/thicknesser, a router and a good drill.

All depends what your first projects are going to be be. If you’re going to be fitting skirting-board and hanging a door or two you’ll need different tools to the ones you’ll need for framing a roof where you could be using 6m 6×2 or 8×2’s. I’ve also built a Pergola using 12′ 9×9 posts and 22′ 9×3’s. The only tools that ive used for all were a tape, pencil, square, circular saw. Straight-edge spirit-levels.

Awesome guys, thanks for all the info. To start, I’m hoping to just make simple shelving and cabinets…. Mainly from reclaimed timbers from the rec yard. I won’t really be venturing into site work, just fancied learning how to recycle wood into furniture/storage items.

Before starting each job work out what you MUST have to produce it, and buy it, but only after you haven’t worked out how to produce it with the tools you already have.

And clamps, lots and lots of clamps 🙂

So far I’ve managed to pick up a new Dewalt Orbital sander, a Makita belt sander, couple of hitachi drill/drivers mallets, hammers, squares etc. I’m looking at a rail saw for cutting panels, a compound sliding saw for cutting lengths/mitres, a jigsaw for curves and features, a router (large & small) for detailed edging. If I make small cabinets, what clamps would you recommend I use for holding the sides together while glueing/screwing? Thanks for all the help so far. Like I say, I’m a complete (but eager) novice so really appreciating all your help with this hobby.

A couple of long sash clamps, some one handed quick clamps and a load of g clamps (wilkos/pound shop ones are actually fine). Deep throat bar clamps are nice to have as well. Ratchet straps are quite handy too.

carpenter

Theres a word that means many things to many people. I think 90% of the answers so far have been given towards joinery rather than cabinet making.

On chisels- if you’re not doing detailed stuff a basic set will see you right. Even skilled cabinet makers are happy with Lidl and Aldis offerings for basic work, I got a set of Bahco 434s and they are spot on (even if I did chip one on a hidden nail). As said you need to learn how to sharpen them as well, get a good edge and any chisel will be several times better, usually second hand tool shops are good places to find old Marples chisels (ended up bought over by Irwin along with Record vices) for a couple of quid at most. Good for practice if nothing else.

Sometimes cheap is fine, Silverline is okay for stuff that doesnt need precision like mallets and such. I ended up paying more for a Stabila level though as I wanted something I could rely on.

As always ukworkshop is the forum to head to, they have plenty of advice threads and such to read that will keep you right.

Awesome, thanks squirelking, I was wondering if there would be a forum for this kind of thing.

If you do get a router, don’t skimp on it. Get a Trend or the DeWalt equivalent (they’re the same). You can get one second hand for not much more than a cheap new one. I know they seem expensive even second hand, but there’s a reason they hold their value.

I am self taught and I now make really good quality wardrobes and kitchens etc from vinyl and melamine faced chipboard and MDF. I fix panels together using a Kreg pocket hole system so I don’t use a router much at all.
There are 2 types of tool. One type improves the quality of your work and the other improves your speed. Unless you’re a pro you don’t need the latter. For example I invested in a Festool rail saw as it vastly improves the quality of the cuts. But I spent an hour or two making a few jigs to help me do the kind of cuts I would otherwise use a chop saw or bench saw. I don’t get the speed on mitres etc. but I get the accuracy. I also find a couple of saw horses and a couple of lengths of 4×2 better than a workbench. And when I go abroad I bring back a few metric only tape measures and steel rules. But never skimp on dust extraction, ear and eye protection and steel toecaps.

A big vote from here for a pocket hole jointer. I got mine from Axminster which worked out a little cheaper than the Kreg one and it’s a quality bit of kit.
…oh, and a portable radio and some plasters.

…oh, and a portable radio and some plasters a roll of masking tape.

FTFY

I got the Axminster Pocket hole jig thing.

It makes attaching bits of wood to each other a lot easier.

it even has a face, which is nice 🙂

I built 4 of these as seating/storage for our beach hut. No clamping etc and I’d never built anything like this before – the pocket holes worked a treat.

(you can see at the bottom where I misjudged the depth of the hole needed and the wood splintered a bit but it’s thin ply and I knew anythign like that would be on the inside.

Can’t tell you enough, learn to sharpen tools before anything.
Invest in a decent waterstone, steer clear of TREND and DeWalt stuff.
Makita or F
I have Lie Nielsen chisels for my best projects but use red plastic footprint chisels for all my work, its just I can relax.
I tend to have two of each size, so I can carry on working when I manage to drop one!
Most important tool though is my pencil, and a sharpener.
And I carry a loupe and a hypodermic needle to dig out the splinters.
Use the same tape measure throughout your project.
I often had apprentices with me and often they would be standing around getting bored, so I always tasked them to make a site toolbox, from plywood, using whatever they could scrounge on site, some were really good.
Learn to cut square!!