10 basic tools
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Paul said in one of his blogs that all you need is 10 basic tools to be able to cut most of the joinery that you will cut. I tried to comprise the list but don’t come up with the same numbers so I’m wondering what I am adding or even missing.
Cross-cut saw
Dovetail saw
Chisels
Mallet
pencil
Square
knife
marking gage
angle gage
#4 plane
Tape measureThat’s my list and I have 11…
Well a spoke shave isn’t really for joinery but they do come in handy and I’ll probably throw one in my travel box. I use my scale a lot more than my tape measure as well. I think a router plane is a must and I have a small one that I made. So that’s two more items. But Paul said 10. So what have I got now that I really don’t need or can get by with without?
19 January 2014 at 5:23 am #26181Hi Sandy,
Well, I think if you have a relatively fine-toothed (12 or 13 TPI) tenon saw filed crosscut, you can use it both for both cutting across the grain (for shoulders, for ex.) and for the dovetails. You don’t absolutely need a dovetail saw, though many marketed as such come in around 20 TPI or higher, which is useful for dovetails.
The other tool on your list that I can see that might not be absolutely essential might be the pencil. If you have a marking knife you can probably get away with marking all of your joinery by means of the just the knifewalls.
I agree with str8edge, a hand router should be included in a “10 must-have” list.
They are essential for making accurate recesses for the housing dados.So if you take away pencil and the dovetail saw from you list, and add the hand router, that brings you to 10 essential joinery tools.
C
22 January 2014 at 1:01 am #26349Sandy: Anytime, buddy. Just remember, I’m no expert. I’m a testament to Paul’s effective instruction and methods. I got the book several months ago and have referred to it closely and frequently ever since. The suggestions for the tool list I took directly from it. There, he clearly states his “10 essentials for joinery list” which leaves out the pencil, though obviously a pencil is essential for your woodworking, but I think Paul classifies it under “general equipment” (like clamps, etc)
As for the tenon saw, I had the same exact question a few months ago and Paul gave some really great answers on his blog when I posted the question about which one to get and what to look for. Here are the links. Hope you find them useful:
http://paulsellers.com/2013/11/saws-can-costly-inexpensive-two-extreme-saws/
http://paulsellers.com/2013/11/crown-tenon-saw-good-buy/
From Paul’s blog:
Joinery tools
Combination square
Tape measure
Sliding bevel
Layout knife
Combination gauge
Tenon saw
Chisel set
Chisel hammer or mallet
Smoothing plane
Hand router—
Paul mentions ten tools for the joinery group, but there is also the shaping group and sharpening group. The essential tool count comes out to almost 30 when you count things like “chisels” as one item.
Finishing is not something Paul focuses on in his curriculum, but that will probably involve a few more things like abrasives and brushes.
I agree that a Router plane is almost essential for cleaning up joinery. I find Fillister and grooving planes are extremely convenient as well.
22 January 2014 at 9:34 pm #26403Welcome!
[quote quote=26378]I am a not yet a newbie to woodworking. I am a wannabe. This is a great list. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge.
[/quote]SueinNC, welcome to the forum. I suppose I am a wanna be too but I’ve been in it for a while. But I still wanna be. Jump in here with your questions. A lot of good people are in the forum that offer some great help and suggestions. You even get a reply from the master teacher himself sometime…:-)
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