Getting started in woodworking is a tricky business. One typical route people enter woodworking is through home improvement… and many prospective woodworkers come to the table with your basic tools – a circular saw, a drill, screwdrivers – you know, those homeowner essentials.
From there, wisely adding to the tool collection is the best way to get your feet under you.
In many cases, budding woodworkers will turn to a more experienced woodworker for that advice, and the most commonly asked questions is, “What should I buy first?”
So, this week, what would you tell that new woodworker? What should be the first tool they set their shops up around?
Tom,
I voted “Hand Tools”, although “Something Else” (a book) would have been a good choice too.
Chris
voted for the espresso machine, but table saws are nice as they also tend to give you a reasonably large flat work surface. I find the most arduous job using hand tools is dimensional ripping.
Any of the above depending on their desired direction, but advocating spending money on quality rooks and not the typical BORG stuff
It’s funny re-thinking what I should have bought, having some experience under my belt, as opposed to what I actually bought, thinking that I just “had” to have that stuff..
Live and learn. lol
Ok I could not help but vote for the espresso machine. My real answer would be – what Do you want to build. Unless you are looking to whittle you will probably need more then one tool.
What Michael said. Buy quality tools, whether you want a power tool shop or a hand tool shop (or a mixture of both).
Knowledge.
How can you know what tools you need until you know what you want to build? Or even think you know what you want to build?
I must have six or seven different saws but the tool I really need is patience. Like many other activities it is best to concentrate on the journey rather than the destination.
I too voted handtools… I believe in the journey rather than the destination. However you do need to have a destination in mind as you begin… for simplicity and speed though, a table saw is tremendous at reducing time for dimensioning rough stock in any endeavor.