What Tools do I need. Part 2

Let’s take a closer look at the first three tools on our shopping list. Hammers, (you will need at least two) a saw and a square.

Hammer:

A hammer is a pretty basic tool, probably one of the first tools man invented, so you would be forgiven for thinking a hammer is just a hammer. In truth there are just about as many different hammers as things you could find to hit with one. However the type of hammer you need for woodworking will be like one of those in the picture and not a carpenter’s hammer with a claw at on end. The latter are useful on building sites and farms, but too heavy and clumsy for bench work or any fine woodwork. A 3 ½ oz cross peen pin hammer and a larger 12 oz cross peen, these are sometimes called Warrington pattern, will be all you need to cover most eventualities. The wedge shaped cross peen is useful for starting off small pins or nails held between the fingers without doing your ‘’pinkies’’ any damage. It can also be used for pressing down veneer or inlay and also for working in restricted areas.





Saw:
Most timber yards will dimension timber for you these days; some may even work to a cutting list. This makes it unlikely that you will need to do any rip sawing; this is good because at this stage you do not have the facilities to do so. (Rip sawing is cutting along the grain to dimension the timber in section) With a few exceptions all your sawing will be cross cutting the timber to length or forming joints. Therefore you are not going to need a large rip or panel saw. The ideal first saw for you will be a tenon saw, something like the ones in the picture. I suggest you buy a cheaper disposable one; these have hardened teeth and stay sharp for a long time. You do not want to be thinking about saw sharpening just yet. A standard tenon saw will have a blade 11 or 12 inches long and a cutting depth of about 3 inches with 13 or 14 teeth per inch.

Square:
There are a number of different types in this picture and any of them will do the job. I made the wooden one myself and the very small one, I made when an apprentice. I like using the wooden one simply because it feels good; a number of my tools are made from different timbers in this way. This is just a personal preference because I like the feel of wood and using something I have made myself. The square I would advise for you is a combination square, (Far right) because you can use these for a lot of other things besides squaring. In addition to the right angle they also have a 45 o angle on them which you will find useful, they also combine an adjustable steel rule that can be used for laying out, scribing a line or as a depth gauge. Some also come with a protractor, which is nice to have but not essential. It would be worth investing some of the money you saved on the cost of the saw here, because a square needs to be accurate and accuracy costs money.