Woodworking Tools & Jigs
Whether you're building or carving, if you are using wood as your material you are woodworking. You may believe that if you have a saw, a hammer and a few nails you are prepared for woodwork. But if want your final product to look as professional as possible, it is a good idea to have some of the main tools and jigs on hand.
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Saws
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An essential tool in any woodworker's arsenal is the saw. The basic hand saw comes in two main types, the ripping saw for cutting with the grain and a crosscutting saw for cutting against it. The tenon saw is a small variety of saw that is used for fine cuts. A coping saw is used to cut shapes in thin wood like plywood, and the blade can be turned while sawing if the handle is loosened.
Other Hand Tools
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Chisels are used to carve wood and come in a range of sizes. Planes shave off layers of wood; these are used to either give wood a smooth finish or to thin it out so it can better serve its purpose. A claw hammer is an essential tool to have, as it performs two jobs. Aside from hammering in nails as all hammers do, the claw section at the back is used to remove nails. Sometimes these nails are inserted too deep to remove in this way; in these situations a pincher can be another helpful tool as its function is to remove tacks and nails from wood. Screwdrivers should not be forgotten either. They are used to insert and tighten screws into wood, as well as to remove them. A large set with different ends, in different sizes, is recommended.
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Power Tools
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A power tool is a tool driven by a motor. A router is a power tool that is used to shaped joints in wood. By creating corresponding edges in two pieces of wood, a router allows the pieces to join together without the need of screws or nails. Drills are power tools used to drill holes into wood. A cordless drill will give you more flexibility when working. A band saw uses a rotating metal blade with teeth to cut wood.
Jigs
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Jigs are templates used in conjunction with other woodworking tools to control their movement. If a woodworker carries out the same task repeatedly a jig is used to make sure each piece is cut identically. Router jigs may be dovetail templates, box joint templates or any templates where a router would be guided to make identical cuts in many pieces of wood. When using a band saw it is common to use a cross cutting jig to cut out circles or bow cutting jigs for bow-shaped pieces.
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References
- Photo Credit claw hammer image by Christopher Dodge from Fotolia.com
