Whether you are taking your first steps in carpentry or you are thinking of starting your own workshop, it is important that you have a set of tools that are indispensable to perform any work you want to do.
However, keep in mind that the primary tool you need is ingenuity. Below, we’re going to present the essential tools for every carpenter, whether you’re an apprentice or a master craftsman.
Which tools do you need to get started in carpentry?
Hand tools
These tools have been the basis of carpentry for centuries; they are simple tools that require no batteries or any other type of power source.
In addition, they are meant for precision work so they are especially used in craft carpentry.
So without further ado, here are the must-have tools for every carpenter.
1. Carpenter’s table
It seems obvious but you need a surface on which to rest your materials and tools first and foremost, and that surface is provided by your woodworking table.
The ideal would be to buy a carpenter’s table like those sold in specialized stores. They are made of resistant materials and usually come with drawers to store your utensils.
However, it is not a big deal if you cannot buy one, just make sure of using a straight surface and above all, a firm one.
Then you can start working on your projects.
2. Pencil
This is a must-have tool in any carpentry workshop. Use it to draw lines on the pieces that need to be cut, sanded, polished, etc.
Even for something as seemingly basic as driving a nail, you might use the stroke of a pencil to guide you.
Pencils designed specifically for woodworking use are available on the market.
These pencils have leads of various levels of hardness (soft, medium and hard) that adapt to the type of stroke needed, as each surface requires a different hardness.
Usually, such pencils allow drawing strokes on materials such as concrete, wood, paper, and cardboard.
Also, their octagonal design prevents them from rolling and falling off the workbench.
3. Carpenter’s hammer
Perhaps the best-known tool of all and probably the one most directly associated with the carpentry trade.
The hammer is used to hit nails and nails, among other things, so that they become embedded in a surface.
Likewise, it is used to remove nails or small pieces of metal from wooden surfaces or other materials.
This tool is simple but very effective; it is a “T” shaped percussion tool consisting of a handle that can be made of metal or wood and a round metal head that is used to strike surfaces.
The head then comes mounted on that handle.
On the other hand, the back or rear of the hammer head has a flattened shape with a downward curvature that forms a “V” silhouette which is what is used to pull out nails or other metal pieces.
Types of carpenter’s hammers
Universal hammer
It is the most popular hammer of all and therefore the most used by carpenters and other professionals, even in domestic work. Its main function is to hammer nails.
It is a lightweight tool made of metal (both handle and head), although some models have a plastic handle to reduce its weight (they are more ergonomic).
As for the head, it has a square shape at one end responsible for “striking” and a wedge shape at the other end for striking more delicate surfaces or parts.
Claw hammer
Basically, it is the hammer that we have just described, its head has 2 ends, one round and the other with a “V” shape.
This last part, that is to say, the one that goes in “V” has variable edges that adjust to the level of difficulty to extract the nails and serve as a lever.
Axe hammer
This hammer is used especially when the wood is particularly hard and it is necessary to cut its surface in order to be able to drill or “hammer” tacks and nails.
It is a common hammer, but instead of having a V-shaped back, it has an edge that resembles an axe.
Mallet
The woodworking mallet is used when working with very soft woods that don’t resist well to mechanical forces (strokes).
It is often made of wood or rubber to make sure that it doesn’t break delicate materials.
Sledgehammer or veneer hammer
This hammer has a difference in its design as it has two flat heads, i.e. again the “V” shaped part is replaced by another head ready to hit materials.
It is called a sheet metal hammer because it is the tool used by carpenters to level sheet metal surfaces.
Ball hammer
The ball hammer consists of a metal head with a square end used to strike materials, and at the other end a round head used to mold or shape them.
This hammer is widely used in metal carpentry and allows you to give the desired shape to the metal parts you are working with.
4. Carpentry clamp (press)
This tool consists of 2 C-shaped jaws or “metal jaws” that are adjusted by means of a screw.
Then, turning the screw in one direction exerts pressure on the piece of wood to be clamped.
This avoids the workpiece from shifting while working with it.
In general, the clamps are used with pieces of wood that are to be machined.
5. Saw
A handsaw is an essential tool in any carpentry workshop because with it you can cut the wood into smaller pieces that are easier to handle.
This tool consists of a trapezoid-shaped serrated blade called a blade that is anchored to a wooden or plastic handle by which it is held.
Types of saws
Universal saw
It is basically the one we have just described and there are 2 types of carpenter’s saws in general:
- Of straight blade (the most common and basic).
- With an angled or bent blade.
This tool is ideal for making cuts that don’t require great precision and is often reserved for softwoods.
Rib saw
This saw has a different design than the universal saw, primarily because of the shape of the blade (the serrated metal blade) as it is completely rectangular and is not tapered at any point.
As for the handle, it has a metal reinforcement and it must hold the blade well because it is very thin.
So, this reinforced handle allows you to handle the blade more precisely and straight.
Likewise, the rib saw is used to make cuts on tongue and groove joints, that is to say, those pieces of wood that are assembled by means of cuts so that the pieces fit together.
Hand saw or crosscut saw
This tool consists of a metal saw anchored to a frame. This frame allows removing the saw so it can be used on both sides (both sides have an edge).
The hand saw is used to make high-precision cuts on wood as it gives more control over the blade.
6. Joinery planer or planer plane
The jointer’s plane is one of the flagship tools of every carpenter and, as its name indicates, it is used to plane wood.
This tool consists of a wooden box of great length that is grasped by the end and that has a metal blade in its underside with which the imperfections of the wood are leveled to prepare it for painting, or applying varnishes or other treatments.
Types of carpentry planers
Semi-planer
This is a smaller planer. It has a thicker and more inclined blade that removes shavings (residual fragments of wood in the shape of a curved sheet that are the result of passing the planer over the wood).
In other words, the semi-planer allows for making a more pronounced planing.
Mitered planer
This is a smaller planer than the semi-planer and is used for planing smaller pieces.
It is also different from the half-planer in the inclination of the blades. Depending on the hardness of the materials, the blade of the mitre planer goes in a more perpendicular direction (if a finer planing is required).
Or if, on the contrary, what we need is a stronger planing, the blade will be at a smaller angle in relation to the surface, which will give us a deeper cut and therefore a stronger planing.
Grooving planer
This tool is used to plane window and door frames.
7. Spirit level
This tool will be of great use for jobs ranging from planing to installing a shelf.
Working on level surfaces is extremely important because it allows you to be precise in your work.
How does this tool work?
The level is a small, transparent glass or a plastic tube filled with liquids such as alcohol or ether and has an air bubble inside.
Then, if the bubble is in the middle (demarcated with lines), we can say that the surface is centered; the good thing about this tool is that it works both vertically and horizontally so you can use it for any job.
8. Measuring tape (tape measure)
You may have a clear idea of what pieces or structures you want to make, but do you know the dimensions?
For this you need a tape measure, so you can be sure of the dimensions you need to work with.
Most of the measuring tapes on the market are made of metal and have units in centimeters or inches, they are practical and easy to use.
Just one thing, keep it close to you or someone else may “borrow” it from you and you may never see it again (happens quite a lot in woodworking shops).
9. Drill
We have talked about taking measurements, leveling surfaces and driving nails and tacks, but we haven’t talked about the tool we use to create the holes where the nuts, bolts, screws and other fasteners go.
So now let’s talk about the drill, which is the first electrical or mechanical tool we mention.
And although it is not completely necessary to buy one right away if you are just starting in this profession, it is good that you consider buying one in the future. We assure you that you will need it all the time in your projects.
Remember that some woods, either because they are extremely hard or very soft, need to be pre-drilled, that is, you have to use a drill to make the holes, or else the wood may splinter or crack.
On the other hand, just as the drill is important, the drill bits (the pieces of metal that create the holes) are equally important.
In addition, the drill not only serves to create holes, but it can also serve as a screwdriver, so it is a tool you must have.
10. Joining pieces
Nails
Nails are small pieces made of metals such as steel and copper, and even wood.
Regardless of the material, they have the same design: a sharp point at one end and a flattened head at the other.
Their main function is to give stability to hanging structures such as frames and to join pieces of wood together.
In turn, nails come in various sizes to suit different types of work.
Screws
They are simple pieces made of metal used to make removable anchorages, that is to say, they can be put in and later removed according to the need of the work.
The latter differs from nails as they don’t allow the joints to be disassembled.
Thus, screws have 3 basic components:
A head with a threaded hole for screwdrivers to screw in or unscrew them depending on the direction in which they move.
A neck that anchors the thread to the head.
The thread is a long part that has grooves or lines that allow the screw to be firmly embedded on surfaces.
11. Carpenter’s square
This tool is a piece of metal in the shape of an “L”, i.e. it has one long, wide arm and one shorter, thinner arm.
These arms are arranged to form a right angle and are used to design structures with sharp angles.
Also, the carpenter’s squares are widely used in carpentry construction as they are used to design the joints of the wooden beams used to provide structural support to roofs and stairs.
However, we guarantee that you’ll have to use them often when you are designing the pieces of your work.
Finally, we’d like to make it clear that these tools were just a taste of the whole arsenal of instruments available to a carpenter, and therefore, we don’t intend to mention them all. Rather, we want you to know what equipment you should get to start in this beautiful, arduous, and rewarding trade.