The Five Tools You Need to Get Started Woodworking

Welcome back to the Northland Workshop! Every new woodwork wonders what tools they need to start with. In this video Iain gives his recommendations for the five tools that he would want if he was starting over in woodworking.

[ahodamahingan]

Always love seeing the RadialArm saws featured.
I have a similar 16” turret Delta.

[bhougland]

I wish I saw the video before I purchased the Bosch wormdrive saw. It is heavy, but I was making a deck out of IPE so I thought I needed the power. I love the saw, but I do wish it wasn't as big and heavy.

[Rebel]

I have a cordless brushed drill and I like it just fine, that being said I also have a 14 yr old Milwaukee corded brushed drill I like even better. I do also have a hammer drill, but my shop has concrete block walls and floor and if I want to anchor anything in there or hand anything in there it's a neccessity. I find the impact driver handy when I'm driving lag bolts into deck posts. My woodshop doubles as my garage where I also keep tools for working on my vehicles so a lot of the tools I have serve double duty. While I love my 1956 DeWalt MBF RAS, I prefer to do miter cuts on my table saw because I can set up the miter gauge on it a lot faster than on the DeWalt. The numbers on the DeWalt are very small and I need my cheaters to be able to see them clearly. Some day I'll also get a Delta Multiplex 20 and maybe it will be easier to set? I'm not sure if my circular saw has a rolled stamped footplate or not, but if it does, I'm not worried as I have a clamping adjustable length fence for anything up to 4 feet that I can use as a straight edge to guide the saw.

[monteglover]

The Milwaukee M12 impact driver works extremely well for driving screws.

[Ritalie]

I got a Dewalt ultra light 7 1/4" corded circular saw with aluminum foot baseplate, and it's the nicest tool I've ever owned. It is so quiet, it sounds like the motor is half as loud as conventional circular saws. I found that the aluminum base plates require hard wax to be rubbed on them occasionally, which makes them glide across the wood 80% easier. They sell 'wax sticks" for carpentry, and tools, and you just rub the stick up and down the base plate and it makes it slide on wood. The "left side blade" worm drive saws are wonderful, but horrible for saw dust, as they blast sawdust all over you. The right blade, Dewalt saw I bought, shoots the sawdust out the side, away from your body, and no sawdust goes near your body. I prefer not to use a left blade saw anymore, due to the sawdust problem.

[brucewelty]

I just got an old 10" Craftsman. I looks identical to the one I used in the 70's. Although the memory can be deceiving! DeWalt and Rockwells are as scarce as hen's teeth done here. Also, the sellers are trying to get beau coup bucks when they are listed.

[danielgrabske]

I just started with a tape measure, a square and a hammer and electric skill saw

[monteglover]

I overall agree with you, but I’ll have to disagree agree with you on the impact driver I find them far better for driving screws better control and less likely to break most screws. I’ve been using them for 20+ years first one was 9.6 Makita to current M18 Milwaukee.
You need to add a good edge guide for the circular saw and router.
Through the late 60’s the Craftsman RAS were good saws not the budget saws 9” and others.

[thescottishlion]

Where can I buy accessories for my radial arm saw?

[mirekrosol]

Hello,
Does your radial arm saw (#1 tool) have a brake?

[eriksalmon]

I think there should be more RAS videos on youtube but people are afraid of them.

[ScreamingEagleFTW]

why does it matter if the cast iron arm of a craftsman is covered with sheet metal? Its just a decoration plus there is a nice ripping gage on it. Why busting on Craftsman RAS? Every Craftsman RAS Ive seen is cast iron. I have a 1975 12" Craftsman RAS. Cuts like melted butter and keeps its settings. Chops, rips, planes, drills.. its amazing. Made in USA>

[mikewallace]

Woodworking !!! ????
Some people just focus their interest on wood turning.
Just doing wood turning does not require many of the tools needed for cabinet making.
The tools needed is dictated by what sort of woodworking you do.