Woodworking Tools You Absolutely Need For Your Crafts Projects

When you're about to enter the woodworking arena, you might be surprised about the multitude of tools that you can find. Of course, if your budget is unlimited, you can buy them all and you're set for life. However most of us still live on a monthly paycheck, so the budget should be carefully planned. So which woodworking tools should you get to make the best use of your starting out in this wonderful craft and hobby type?

Budget is not the only issue here. Everybody is different and different woodworking projects might need a different set of tools. However, there are some basic tools that most people will usually have at home when interested in woodworking. These tools are used most of the times for most of the projects.

So if you want to start out in woodworking, you need to have most of these tools: hammers and mallets, chisels, measuring tape, sand paper of different grids, drill, nails, wood glue, various clamps, wood square and last but not least, wood pencils.

There might be more than these, however there are the minimum that you should have at home. You don't need to buy them all right now, however in due course you should strive to invest in them with each new project that you start, so that eventually you have a well rounded set of universal woodworking tools that can help you in 90% of your tasks.

When you are looking to buy tools, avoid buying anything else but these at least initially (unless a particular project needs something specific), as you want to avoid frustration due to too many tools and too much clutter. What you need to do is start one project, get the plan done, see exactly which tools that project needs and buy only those.

When it comes to the issue of quantity of tools vs. their quality, I always say that quality should rule. I'd rather buy a mallet that costs $50 and know that it will last for the next 10 years or more, vs one that costs only $20, and will last me only one or two years before it breaks.

View the original article here

Used Woodworking Tools Are A Great Money Saver

There are so many people like yourself who want to get into woodworking for various reasons, but find the high cost of new tools to prohibit them from diving in. This is why many decide to look for their tools by taking advantage of the used woodworking tools available. It is easy to find a number of great tools to use if you know where to begin looking.

Maybe you live some place small, out in the country somewhere, or maybe you live in a crowded urban area - there are always garage or yard sales. You can look for used woodworking tools from local garage sales and even get a better deal. Try negotiating the prices so that you get more for less. Then you can look through many of the church yard sales as well since many will join in and bring their tools for sale.

If you are able to do so, you should look at the pawn shops that sell used woodworking tools in your area. Sometimes if you look through various shops you will see that the inventory and prices really fluctuate but can easily be much cheaper than new tools in the hardware and lumber stores. It always helps if you call in advance to see if they carry the tool you are after, and to check back often since inventory is not constant.

Rather than looking locally you can also check with the many online stores where you can buy used woodworking tools at auction prices. There are a few tips to keep in mind, such as considering the reputation of the seller as well as really combing over the tool in question. Again the inventory is fluid so you will want to keep checking regularly to be sure you don't miss out on a great deal for the tools you are looking for.

A classic way to find used woodworking tools is to check in the local listings of the classified advertisements. Newspapers can give you a heads up when there is an estate sale or great yard sale in your area featuring tools.

You should be able to find used woodworking tools very easily if you consider the resources listed and are diligent to search for deals. Doing this will enable you to get to woodworking much faster and help you advance in your skills much quicker - it is much easier to work when you have all the tools you need.

View the original article here

Sharpening Woodturning Tools - Seeking the Edge

Woodturners all agree that wood lathe tools need to be sharp, the question however is "how sharp is sharp enough?" A few simple considerations will get us quickly back to the lathe and to turning wood.

First we need to question what is a good edge for woodturning. The razor edge sought after by wood carvers and aficionados of wood planes quickly disappears under the rapid movement of turning wood as well as the bark and knots that often meets the edges of our tools. As opposed to the very fine angle used to achieve a knife edge, woodturning tools require a hefty amount of steel behind the cutting edge so as to resist the impact of the wood itself.

For bowl turners in particular, a forty five degree sharpening angle will give an edge that removes clean shavings while retaining a clean cut for a reasonable length of time before sharpening is again necessary. The nature of spindle turning which generally calls for higher speeds and more knot free wood allows for a tighter angle of about thirty degrees.

The need for an edge that hold up under the stress of high speeds and less than perfect wood allows a turner to use a grinder as the primary sharpening tool. A honed and stropped edge on a gouge tends to be quickly dulled by the spinning material. However, the grinder with an aluminum oxide stone of eighty to a hundred grit will leave an edge that cuts well and holds up reasonably well under most turning circumstances. A quick trip to the grinder allows the turner to get back to work with minimum time spent on the sharpening process.

Skew chisels may require a slightly different approach. They are used for spindle turning and thus can have a sharper angle than most gouges, especially those used for faceplate work. In addition they are sharpened on both sides similar to a knife blade while most other woodturning tools are sharpened on only one side. For most cuts the edge off the grinder will be quite sufficient, however, the skew rests in the woodturner's arsenal in much the same place as a plane to a flat woodworker. Finishing cuts in particular for a skew may call for a honing before the cut. In skilled hands a skew may leave a surface that requires little or no sanding before the finish is applied.

Scrapers are used by most if not all woodturners and require an even heavier edge. Many times they are ground to only eighty or seventy degrees. However, fine cuts and very fine shavings can be achieved using the burr raised from the grinder in a trailing motion.

Surprisingly, the simple grinder becomes a very efficient sharpening tool for the experienced woodturner. What is needed is an understanding of the tool that is held and the wood that is to be cut so as to understand the cutting edge one is after. Putting these together before the grinder allows for an enjoyable and productive time in making shavings at the wood lathe.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, Around the Woods, contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? There are many free videos on the site dealing with everything from sharpening to making a bowl.

While sharpening wood turning tools is a mystery to many wood turners you can easily and cheaply make a jig to solve your sharpening problems. To see how and solve those problems in a hurry, check out the sharpening pages at http://aroundthewoods.com/sharpening01.html. There are lots of explanations, pictures and videos, all free, to get you underway.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darrell_Feltmate

View the original article here

Woodworking Power Tools - What Every Woodworker MUST Have In Their Workshop!

I know you're anxious to get to work, so I'll keep this brief. Even beginning craftsmen need basic woodworking power tools. The more advanced and skilled you become, the more power tools you will need. That's a given. This article will help you figure out what kinds of woodworking power tools are essential for all of us, and what tools you can hold off on for now.

It is 100% obvious that each woodworker across the globe is at a different level of expertise than his or her neighbor. That's okay. The general rule for acquiring tools is to only buy the tools that are absolutely necessary for the project you happen to be working on at the moment. If you haven't built anything that requires you to use a router, then don't buy a router. Simple enough, right? Once you're ready to advance to the type of project where a table saw would be a necessity, then consider making the purchase.

Until then, just stick with what you need.

There are, however, some really elemental tools that most of will want to invest in as a base of operations, so to speak. Among these essential woodworking power tools are:

* A power drill
* Orbital sander
* Circular saw
* Jig saw
* Nail gun
* Wood plane

These should get you moving in the right direction. Eventually, heavy-duty power tools will come into play. Things like a table saw, drill press, and compound mitre saw will become your tools of choice as your skill level increases and your projects become more ambitious. Until that time, however, just stick to the basics and you'll be fine.

In just a moment, I will provide you with a link to all kinds of great power tool info and resources, including an entire DEWALT woodworking power tool set that will get you completely stocked up with the basics... for a very reasonable price. In the meantime, however, I would just like to plant the seed in your mind that you should never exceed your budget if it isn't absolutely necessary.

By the same token, you should always aim for top quality tools. New, if you can afford it. Don't take a chance if you don't have to. And always aim for quality over quantity. I will gladly spend $300 on a power drill that I know will last for many years, has a long battery life, and will do any job I ask of it. And I will always turn my nose up at a $50 drill that doesn't promise any of these things.

So grow your workshop methodically. Don't rush it in the name of saving a few dollars. If you can afford to get a whole set of tools in advance, you can usually do so at a bit of a discount. But if you really don't need the stuff yet, there's no sense in owning it yet. Spend that extra money on some top quality wood... that's what's really important!

View the original article here