The 5 tools Worth Saving from a Burning Workshop
The 5 Essential Tools Everyone Homeowner Should Buy
A man can never have enough woodworking tools. Woodworking tools are a guys best friend. These are hard and fast rules in my life. The last time my wife came out to the workshop to see all my tools (and there may be a couple new ones since she was out last) she asked, “If there was fire how would you save all these tools?” Honestly, I think I might die trying to save them all. Since I value my life, I have narrowed it down to the top five woodworking tools I would save from a fire. These tools made the cut because, with them, I could build just about anything.
CIRCULAR SKILL SAW
This is by far one of my favorite woodworking tools. It’s still not a table saw, but there is not a more versatile basic handheld power tool than a circular saw. When used with a clamp-on straight-edge, the circular saw can be just about as accurate as a table saw and handle quite a few of the tasks normally performed with a table saw–particularly cutting sheet goods such as plywood or medium-density fiberboard. Don’t buy cordless–you will just become frustrated.
IMPACT DRIVER (CORDLESS DRILL)
You can still buy a cheap cordless drill, but I wouldn’t. What you want is a impact driver drill. This is a brilliantly redesigned drill that is practically idiot-proof. It’s smaller and more powerful than a cordless drill, eliminating the need to “put your weight behind it” to get screws into wood. The really nice thing about the impact driver is when you’re putting in screws, it will ratchet them down without snapping them off due to too much torque.
Some people think you need the power of a corded drill, but today’s line of impact drivers are powerful enough to handle almost any job. The only thing I use a corded drill for these days is for mixing paint and masonry drilling.
When purchasing an impact driver just look at the battery size. They range in battery power from 9.8 to 20 volts. Purchase the highest voltage impact driver you can afford. I promise that if you can buy the 20 volt, you will never regret it. This will become your favorite all-around tool. I don’t go anywhere without my Milwaukee impact driver–much to my wife’s chagrin.
MEASURING TAPE
This one might seem obvious, but a good measuring tape is necessary for every project and you can never have too many tape measures. Make sure you choose one that is at least 25 feet long with easy-to-read the numbers. If you’ve never used a tape measure, become familiar with how to read the measurements. I’m always amazed at how many people can’t read a tape measure and just round off to the nearest 1/2″ or something close. Rounding off measurements only leads to frustration as you get into your project. Take a few minutes to understand the tape measure and will become your friend.
SQUARE
My favorite manual woodworking tool is a square, even though it’s actually a triangle shape. Whether you’re cutting a small craft or cutting studs for a large home project, using a square will make your cuts look like the crew from Fixer Upper was helping you. I’ve never met anyone who could eyeball a straight line with any accuracy, and when you try to eyeball an eight inch straight line you’re just asking for trouble. Squares come in many different lengths, but an 18 inch square will work for most jobs.
LEVEL
Like using a square, the level sure makes your work look good. It’s so useful that I use my level anytime I hang anything on a wall. Technically, I would save two levels from the fire. A 48 inch level for big jobs and a small 6 inch (aka torpedo level) for the small projects. One side of the level will tell you when its level and the other side will tell you when its plumb.
Believe it or not, I built 95% of my theater room using just these woodworking tools. You, too, will be able to tackle totally awesome projects with just these tools in your belt.
I’m hoping my wife never reads this. She will ask why I need the 192 other tools in my workshop. This list will get you going on your projects, but over time you to will want to add to your treasure chest.
