Here’s a great question about Tools You Need For Your First Shop from one of our readers: “Given a $1000 budget, what tools would you recommend for a beginner in woodworking?”
This question is about a beginner setup in woodworking as opposed to carpentry. The goal is to make basic functional furniture in a city.
Specifically, what tools and brands are most necessary to get started woodworking with a $1000 initial budget.
These are the tools I’d recommend for fundamentals and for building simple small crafts.
Chisels
Irwin Marples Blue Chip Chisels ($70)
There are many specific use chisels you could add over time, but I don’t think you can skip the basic set.
Hand Planes
I have an antique Miller Falls #4 right now, which cost me $40. Spend hours cleaning it up and tuning it, and I think you’ll have to do the same with most new hand planes too.
I want to get a #7 or #8 plane and a scrub plane first, and then add more specialty planes as I learn how to use them. (If I had the money, space, and a dust collection system, I’d probably get a jointer and a planer.) I expect to pay at least $100 for the larger #7 or #8 plane, and hopefully around $20 or less for the small scrub plane.
This is one category of tools where the saying, “they don’t make them like they used to,” seems to be especially true. At least, that’s what my instructor told us. I think you can buy nice, new hand planes, but they’re costly.
Spokeshave
Kunz151 Flat and Round Bottom Spokeshaves ($27)
Sharpening System for Hand Tools
Japanese 1200/8000 Combination Water Stone ($35)
G9650 9″ x 12″ x 3″ Granite Surface Plate, 2 Ledges ($30)
Somax No 22 Honing Guide ($12)
You’ll go through LOTS of sandpaper when you’re initially tuning your hand tools. I think you should expect to spend at least $100 on sandpaper. But the good news is that you only have to go through the flattening process once, and then you’re just working on maintaining your edge.
Hand Saws
Japanese Gyokucho Dovetail Saw for Fine Work ($42)
Coping Saws ($5)
Marking and Measuring
Engineering Squares (set of four for $30)
Robert Larson Combination Squares ($9)
BackChannel Dovetail Markers (depends; you could also try making these)
Marking knife
Rosewood & Brass Marking Gauge ($30)
Clamp
I think the rule is that you can never have enough clamps. I only have four bar clamps, two-speed clamps, and a couple of cheap C clamps.
Power Tools
Table saw
Band saw
Mitre saw
Jigsaw
Drill press
Corded drill
Cordless drill
Orbital sander
TIP:
Estate sales, antique stores, and eBay are a great way to acquire hand tools cheaply.
Check out another article about woodworking: Woodworking Tips For Beginners
