Many people are daunted by the prospect of turning a piece of raw wood into something useful or into something beautiful, but there’s something satisfying about working in wood craft.

From making your own picture frames to intricate scroll work lamps, the art of wood craft is around us everyday. Artisans who make their living off their wood craft knowledge and ability are adept at the business.

Proper wood craft tools are essential to the success of your project, but the beginner can get started with just a few basic tools. The first thing on the list is a work bench. This should be heavy duty and large enough to fit the biggest piece you plan to work with, but many start with a simple 2’ deep and 4’ wide bench.

A vise is essential to holding your wood craft while you sand, drill or shape it and can be either front or end mounted. Hand tools such as chisels and rasps are useful as well. Two rasps, one fine and one course should be sufficient while chisels in a range of widths can be used to work joints such as dove tails.

Different Saws Needed For Different Purposes

A cross cut hand saw is used for cutting across the grain of the wood and a rip saw is used for cutting with the grain. Both should be in your wood craft shop. Power saws are handy for larger cutting jobs. A block sander is also needed to prepare surfaces for their final finish and power sanders come in a variety of types depending on the project.

For intricate cuts either a power or hand scroll saw will be needed and sanding the cut surfaces can be tricky depending on the thickness of the wood being used. Most times hand sanding is best to avoid the possibility of damaging the piece.

You may also want to consider a miter saw for cutting angles for projects like picture frames. These can also be handy for simple cut-off of wood as the blade is designed to stay in a fixed position.

Safety goggles is a must for every wood craft shop and even if not using power equipment should be worn when using a hammer or sanding or even just moving wood pieces to avoid the possibility of having a piece of wood or sawdust get into your eyes.