Basic Carpentry Tools: Not Quite So Basic

In spite of their simplicity and relative low cost, basic carpentry tools are undeniably the workhorses of any woodworker’s toolbox. No matter how simplistic or complicated your projects are, you will likely not get very far without using basic carpentry tools for at least part of the process. The good news is that there are great deals to be had in used woodworking tools, and you can put together a pretty respectable toolbox for not a lot of money.

That being said, you do have to make sure that your basic carpentry tools are of sufficiently good quality to ensure that a) they’re totally safe to use, and b) that they can do just as good a job as more expensive woodworking tools. After all, trying to save a few dollars by buying used woodworking tools wouldn’t be such a good idea if they put you at risk for injury or they make your job exceedingly difficult. Choose your basic carpentry tools wisely therefore, and don’t make the price you’re only consideration.

Don’t neglect the more “boring” basic carpentry tools either. Tools such as a carpenters protractor or carpentry protractor, or a measuring angles protractor may not exactly be what you had in mind when talking about carpentry tools, but they are nevertheless tremendously useful for a variety of purposes. In fact, no carpenter or woodworker who is at all serious about his or her craft would be caught without one of these important tools in the toolbox.

Before setting out to begin a project, it is important to make sure that you have all the basic carpentry tools that you need, and that the ones you will likely use the most are laid out for easy access. You certainly don’t want to have your tools strewn all over the place–which will likely result in a huge mess as well as make things pretty unsafe–but you do want to have everything close by in case you need them. Look into a fairly large and strong toolbox that can fit all of your basic carpentry tools. These will typically have bins or receptacles that swing out on a hinge, giving you access to the most often used tools. The toolbox will actually be a pretty hefty investment in itself, but you certainly don’t want to scrimp on one. Get the best quality toolbox that you can afford, and it will pay off for many years to come.

The types of basic carpentry tools that you will purchase depend greatly on the type of projects that you are going to undertake this. If you plan to work extensively with would, you obviously want to have a circular power saw that is durable enough to perform day in and day out. Projects that require you to do a lot of nailing can greatly be speeded up with the use of a nail gun, also less nailing intensive work should require nothing more than a good hammer or two. Determining what your particular needs are is therefore important in helping you make the proper buying decisions with regard to your basic carpentry tools.