One of the oldest industries of our society since the dawn of civilization is woodworking or carpentry. This is because woodwork is an indispensible part of any construction; be it a residential house or an office set up or just a retail outlet.
Whether you take up carpentry as a hobby or as a profession, you need to have the “just right” tools to give your woodwork a touch of excellence. Just like every other trade, carpenters also need to employ various tools to get their job done.
In this article we summarize a list of the essential tools and a brief description of each tool that carpenters may require daily for their work:
1. Handsaw - It is a traditional and probably the most preferred tool of the carpenters which serves a number of purposes starting from cutting the logs to giving your furniture a great finish. The handsaw is available in many variations and is therefore a useful tool a carpenter must have in his tool box. The commonly used varieties of saw are hacksaw, coping saw, rip saw and the traditional saw. There are power saws (including the cordless ones) that are used for saving your time and labour. But if you are for the simplistic one the handsaw is your best option.
2. Laser Level - Anything you want to do in a straight-line, laser level is your friend. For carpenters, line lasers are most common equipment . However, there are multiple criteria’s while choosing a laser level. Refer the tool buying guide & tips.
3. Claw Hammer- A claw hammer is the most polyvalent hand tool in a carpenter’s tool box. If you want something with an easy grip and perfect driving force, you should use a 20 oz. hammer with steel handles. Make sure the steel handle is shielded with rubber grip. The sledge hammer is more effective in important projects as it is light weight and saves your energy.
4. Pencil- Pencil is a very important tool of woodwork. A carpenter needs a pencil to mark the point of cut. Now-a-days there are mechanical pencils which can be used without sharpening after constant use. These pencils are slightly costlier than ordinary wood pencils but you can make sharp and clear lines with such pencils. As a result they give you good value for your money. As a substitute of mechanical pencils, carpenters often use chalk pencils for framing a layout.
5. Utility Knife-A utility knife can do a lot of wood working tasks for you and is a really multi-talking tool for a carpenter. From scoring a project to trimming the corners of a bed-side table with intricate design it can virtually do everything for a carpenter. You should look for a strong handle with locking system and a belt clip to give you the best utility of the knife. If you are a professional carpenter, you should keep one or replacement blades in your tool box to get an impeccable finish of your work.
6. Chisel- A chisel is used by a carpenter usually for fine carvings on wood e.g. chipping out wood for a door hinge or carving out designs on a wardrobe door.
Keep your chisel oiled and sharpened for making it last longer. Also, try to fit your chisel into a wooden handle to withstand the constant hammering without damage. See the woodworking blog.
7. Measuring tape- One of the essential kits your tool box must have is a good measuring tape. A carpenter relies on accurate measurements for showing his skill on wooden furniture. A good measuring tape will have graduations in metric and imperial units and it comes with a belt clip for easy handling.
Bottom-line
Apart from these basic instruments, there are other tools viz. squares, bubble levels, power drill and nail gun in a carpenter’s tool box. Using appropriate tools is the key to complete big projects within limited time without any hazard.
