set of starter tools - what should be in the tool box?

fanzhiyidan

I'm looking to start my collection of woodworking tools.

what do i need and where is the best place to purchase?

lets start with a limited budget

SpitfireIV

fanzhiyidan wrote: »

lets start with a limited budget

Which will come back to bite you in the end! Been there, done that, got the cheap tools and to be honest you're better off buying the good stuff from the word go!

Again, like your Monopoly board project, it depends what it is you are looking to do. Have you got yourself a good set of chisels? I'd imagine that'd be a fairly safe place to start! When I say good I mean Marples, Stanley, etc. Have a look on e-bay and get a nice set of vintage/old chisels if you can, I find the old ones sharpen nicely and just feel better in the hand than the polymer/wood handles of new chisels.

A couple of hand planes would be a requirment anyway, you'd probably get away with the one for now, a No5 Jack Plane, again, have a look on e-bay, you'll pick up a nice second hand one for cheap enough, have a look for a Stanley, Marples, Acorn etc. That'll be an all rounder, a small block plane and a smoothing plane wouldnt go astray either, but, all in good time!

FOr the above mentioned tools you'll need some good sharpening equipment to keep them in top order and give you excellent results when using them. You can go down the elecric route, ie grinding wheels, water cooled systems etc, these are all relatively easy to use as a lot of them come with jigs and guides with pre-set angles etc. If you want to go down the more traditional route, a fine oil stone, a honing guide and a strop or polishing stone and compound will be needed.

After that, well, its basically 'how long is a piece of sting', where do you stop?! Hammers (claw, tack, etc), a mallet, turnscrews in various sizes (both flat head and pozi), pliers, punches. Cordless drill never fails to come in handy, one with two batteries is a must!!

Measuring and marking equipment! Steel rules, marking guage, tri-square, a good tape measure, a marking knife!


To be honest, its not really about going out and getting an amount of tools in one go! Start a project and as the need for tools arise (or you identify a need for particular types of tools before you start) then pick them up.

I've got some hand tools and bits and pieces off this guy in the past and have had no problem: Toolman Uk

I've got a good few bits and pieces from Rutlands also, although there 'Dakota' range of tools arent the best really! Rutlands

I believe there are a few shops in Dublin that have a good range of tools, but I havent been to any of them as of yet.

mazthespark

try axminster.co.uk. they stock everything and its all good value. got a set of planes and chisels for bout 70 euro! find them very good indeed.

jack of all

Most of this has been covered already and CroppyBoy's excellent post is your best starting point, but I'll give you my tuppence worth anyway! Avoid the cheap "boxed sets" of tools (like those cheap bench and block plane sets you often see); their quality is poor and they might even put you off working with wood. I've spent a lot of money on a good kit over the years and I've never once regretted spending that little bit extra (or maybe a lot extra, in some cases!) to get a good quality tool that works well from the start. Good quality new planes are very expensive but with some care and a little work you can get some old planes on ebay etc and get a feel for how a proper plane should work. Resist the temptation to buy fancy power tools just yet, the only power tools you really need to begin with are a corded drill and a cordless drill/ driver. I've bought a lot of stuff online but I have managed to pick up some good really gear in stores here too, especially if there are sales on. In case no one else mentions it, you can never have too many clamps or pencils!!!

fanzhiyidan

thanks again for the help.

what clamps should i start off with and is there any online places to save money.

i'm very tempted to get a router as my only power tool purchase, everything else is going to be small hand tools for the moment.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QV35AK/ref=s9_simz_gw_s1_p60_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=00Q9XTS6WF0ARKFT1SGE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

thinking of something like that.

has anyone bought power tools from america, will they work ok off a 110v transformer, that reminds me, have to get one of those too.
i have a drill and jigsaw, although both aren't the best.

jack of all

I wouldn't bother buying power tools from America, they may work on a 110v supply from a transformer but the Hertz of our domestic supply is different so I'm not sure what impact this will have on power. You can get good deals here if you shop around and sites like Axminster have a great range of tools and are a good benchmark as regards what you should be paying for tools. A router is useful but I wouldn't put it (or any power tool, bar a drill/ driver) at the top of a beginner's shopping list. Invest in good quality handtools, you'll always have and use them. Once you've started doing some work you'll soon decide which power tools you really need and which you can do without. As for clamps- I think it's useful to have a few of those "quick clamps" but for glueing up and real holding power you need a few "F" or "G" clamps. I picked up some good "Urko" clamps at a local motor factors for small money, also I got some excellent cast iron "G" clamps from B&Q for well under a tenner each, they were good quality. I picked up some 600mm long "Bahco" "F" clamps from a local hardware shop during a stocktaking sale and got a 20% discount. You can rush out and buy everything you think you need, spending a small fortune or start out with a few good tools and add to your kit as your budget allows, perhaps picking up a few bargains along the way. Happy shopping!