If you indulge in woodworking as a hobby or if it is the requirement of your profession, you must be aware that a lot depends on the kind of tools you use. It is of utmost importance that you make use of the right tools that will make your work easier and will provide finesse to it. If you do not make use of the right tools to get the work done, you will not get your desired result and your work will suffer due to the lack of perfection.
Therefore, if you are contemplating indulging in a bit of woodwork, there are certain tools that you need to learn about. In this article, we are going to discuss a few of them so that you will understand the uses that you can put these tools to. We are going to discuss the ones that are most commonly used.
Some tools that are frequently used
Planers
If we talk about those big production shops, the planer that they require is quite huge. However, when it comes to small woodshops or homes, a smaller benchtop planer would suffice and would give you the results that you are looking for. These benchtop planers are quite affordable and offer effective results as well.
A benchtop planer is a sheet metal box that is equipped with a movable motor along with cutter head assembly that is adjustable. These planers are compact and can easily be put away under the work table when not in use.
There are four major factors that you should keep in mind when you decide to purchase a planer. You need to be certain that the machine is capable of providing you with accurate results. The machine should be equipped with the ability to collect dust. It should have a feature of setting knives with accuracy and there should be a cutter head lock present for safety. The reason that dust bags are a necessity is that planers lead to quite a bit of shaving and thus, dust collection becomes a requirement.
Lathes
The usage of a lathe is quite common among woodworkers of all categories, be it those who work on miniatures or those who manufacture hefty furniture items. When we talk about lathe, the things that need to be taken into account when you head out to get your hands on it are five in number. You need to take the distance between the head and tail stock centers into account. You need to go for a lathe that has the maximum level of swing. The drive motor should also have sufficient power. It should be equipped with a speed control system, and it needs to have a strong tool rest along with the ability to work without vibration. Variable sizes of lathes are present and you can get your hands on the one that suits your requirement.
Routers
A router basically refers to the tool that is used to hollow out an area in any workpiece, be it plastic or wood. It is mostly used in the field of woodwork and its use is greatly increased in cabinetry. A router is often used as a plunging tool. There are mainly two types of routers, plunge and fixed. When using the plunge based router, the sole of the base is placed on the piece of work and the cutting bit is raised slightly above. Following this, the motor is turned on and the cutter is then lowered into the work. When we talk about the fixed base router, the cut depth has to be set before the router is turned on. The sole plate can either be rested flat on the wood, letting it hang over the edges so that the cutting bit is not in contact with the work, or it can be placed on a handle above the work, lowering it when the motor is turned on. Although variations are present, the sole plate is mostly circular.
A special kind of router machine that’s worth mentioning here is the CNC router. This is a computer-controlled device that can carve out designs out of raw wood automatically. The user must create a design first on a computer, and then feed it into the CNC machine. Most such machines allow the router bit to move on three axes: back and forth, left and right and up and down. The best CNC routers, however, have the ability to rotate the workpiece itself, creating an extra dimension of carving and can be used to create all sorts of intricate and complex shapes. It’s a bit like a 3D printer in reverse – a 3D printer add substance until the shape is formed, while the CNC router removes substance until the shape is formed.
Sanders
This is among the most used pieces of tools for those who work with wood as part of their hobby. With the help of this rather handy tool, you can provide the much-needed finesse to your work and ensure that it looks like the work of a professional. If you are looking to sand wood pieces in a smooth manner, you ought to make use of power sanders. With the help of this tool, you have the opportunity to make the task of sanding a whole lot easier and more detailed.
When we talk about sanders, you have various options. There are orbital sanders, disc sanders, belt sanders and orbit finishing sanders. Most of them are quite efficient in terms of result and which one you should make use of depends largely on the uses that you are looking to put the tool to. As long as you have a sander, you will not have to worry about your woodwork lacking finesse. However, it is of the utmost importance that you get your hands on the right model. You need to purchase a sander that has high power. It is also advisable that you go for a sander that has a dust bag attached to it. It would be a good idea to arrange for a sturdy stand to operate the sander on as this would ensure that the work piece is properly secured while you work on it.
Quality is key
It does not matter which equipment you will use. Try to remember that it is important that the tool is of high quality. If you compromise quality, your final product is going to come out sloppy and would lack perfection and finesse. Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect result, quality is something that you would have to take into account.