10 Carpentry Tools You Need to Do Your Own Woodworking

The living room in your new house looks great but you know what it really needs? A few shelves to show off your various collectibles. With this thought in mind, you head off to the nearest hardware store to buy your supplies. 

You’re going to need certain carpentry tools if you want your project to turn out great instead of a lopsided mess. As you stare at the shelves of tools in the store though, you find you’re at a loss at what to pick up. 

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here are ten tools that are going to be essential to your project needs. 

1. Power Drill and Driver 

You can use a hand screwdriver to screw things in and put holes in your wall. The problem is depending on big your job is, this can be a time-consuming process. That’s why one of the first carpentry tools you should invest in is a power drill and driver.   

You’ll be able to do the job in half the time it would take if you were using a simple screwdriver for everything. When you buy your power drill, go ahead and buy an entire drill bit set. It will keep you covered on supplies for a while.  

2. Handsaw 

After getting your power drill the next most important thing that you can pick up is a handsaw. It’s the best friend to any beginner carpenter because it gives you great control over the cuts you make.  

There are a ton of different versions of the hand saw which makes it a pretty versatile tool. You’ve got the hacksaw, rip saw, and coping saw. Keep in mind that you may need to upgrade to a power saw later for more intricate projects but a handsaw will help you tackle basic cutting jobs.  

3. Circular Saw  

Using a circular saw is a good way to cut wider pieces of wood that’s too heavy for you to pick up. Circular saws are small and portable so it saves you time and energy.  

You’ll be able to take the saw to the wood instead of lugging around a bunch of lumber to the saw.  

4. Nail Gun  

Another tool that will save you a ton of time is a nail gun. Without one, you’ll be faced with the daunting task of putting in nails with a framing hammer. With a nail gun, all you’ve got to do is pull a trigger and boom, you’re done.  

Granted, you shouldn’t toss out your hammer quite yet. There are still somethings you’ll need it for but a nail gun can at least take some of the workload off your hammer.  

5. Random Orbital Sander 

If you’ve ever tried to sand a piece of wood all on your own then you know that it’s not fun. It takes forever and it’s not an easy task to take on in general. Instead of doing this job by hand, pick up a random orbital sander.  

They can sand about any piece of wood you need to sand so you know you’ll be using it a lot. It’s a staple for any beginner carpenter kit.  

6. Paint Sprayer  

There is no end to the furniture treasures you can find at garage sales and flea markets. The only problem is sometimes they need a new coat of paint to restore their original luster.  

If you tend to flip furniture like this then do yourself a favor and pick up a paint sprayer. You’ll be able to paint furniture and cabinets in record time and paint sprayers are so easy to use.  

7. Jigsaw 

We can admit that you may not use a jigsaw as much as the other items on this list. It’s still nice to have one but no rush.  

Essentially, a jigsaw is the thing you want to reach for when you need to do a decretive cut. It’s best used for creative projects.   

8. Table Saw  

A table saw is a piece of heavy-duty equipment that you’ll need to pick up if you find yourself cutting a bunch of straight lines. It sort of performs the same job as the circular saw except you can get straighter lines out of it.  

The table saw is one that you don’t have to pick up until you find yourself going into more advanced projects. They also eat up a lot of power so you may want to hold off until you can buy converters or move into a larger workshop.  

9. Spirit Levels  

Nothing is worse than screwing in a piece of wood and realizing that it’s crooked. That’s why you should pick up a spirit level. As the name suggests you use it to check if the wood is level before you place it.  

Depending on your project you may need a long leveler. For smaller projects, there are handy leveler apps you can get on your phone.  

10. Chisel  

Chisels are a great tool to have if you need to cut a small chunk out of a door so you can install hinges. You can also use it to remove a big section of wood.  

Secure your chisel and give it a good hammer wack. The wood should pop right off without a fuss. 

Keep in mind that since you will be hitting it hard with a hammer on a regular basis, your chisel should have a metal handle rather than a wood one. Metal can take more punishment.  

Carpentry Tools that Are Essential for Woodworking  

There are certain carpentry tools that are essential to any woodworking project. In fact, trying to do woodworking without any tools makes the job harder and go a lot slower.  

Start filling up your workshop with some of the equipment on this list and become the carpenter you were meant to be.  

Did reading this help you start up your woodworking tools list? Check out our blog daily for even more articles like this one.