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What are your top 5 Shop Tools ranked in order of priority and why? I've looked through the discussion boards and seen this discussed kind of randomly under the "Welcome" topic but I thought it might create some good discussion if it had its own topic. I'm in the process of purchasing tools and would like to know what others prioritize and why. I know each of us have our own preferences and objectives as far as what we intend to create and that often drives our priority with respect to the tools we use.

Thanks in advance!

Mark

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KenK,

Can you define what PC has done to their nailers to cheapen them?

Perhaps some parts are now made from a form of plastic vs metal.

Most of the tools have been named that make up a good woodworking shop.  The preference is depending on your  projects and how you build them.  In my shop I have many tools of which many are even duplicated and just do the same job but in a different method.

As I look back over my years I have found that the most important tools are not the ones you buy but the ones you develope.  For me to name the top tools they would have to be: 1. Drive in youself to deny defeat. 2. Patience in your work practive.  3. Confidence in yourself that you can accomplish your work.  4. Then the  tool(s) of your choice will become the instruments in your hands that allow you to master your work.  

Eack time I look on the pages of the Kreg Community I see many examples of work of which are examples of fine craftsmanship.  I know that they are not all created by the same type of tools but they are created by the skill of the women and men who built them.  

I look back at the past centuries at what was created by mere simple hand tools and realize that most of the technology we enjoy today came from the fundementals of early woodworkers.

What I am saying is that you do not need to have a shop full of tools to be a good worker, but if you do not have the drive to deny defeat  or patience to learn the skill and lack the confidence in your self you are defeating your purpose.  If there is a desire then there is a way reguardless of what you use to accompolish the task.

 

 I think that the first tool should be the work horse of the bunch is the table saw. I also believe that if you don't own a table saw; have a skilsaw to start with. You should also have the important tool of clamps. Clamps are a very useful tool to have besides the table saw, router, jigsaw, etc, etc. Without clamps a woodworker would be using vice grips, rope, twine, and etc. I think that is the important tool in the shop with saws and such.

1. DeWalt DW735 Planer: makes rough boards purdy, and rough wood is cheaper to buy.

2. 1955 DeWalt MBF Radial Arm Saw with a Forrest "Mr. Sawdust" thin kerf blade and a  Forrest dado stack, as well as a  Mr. Sawdust table. Does dead on crosscuts, miters, bevels, rips, ploughs, dadoes, rabbets, and any combination of the above and more, all while backed up against a wall in the shop. 

3. a good random orbit sander and shop vac. I have the new bosch ROS and a DeWalt "dust extractor" shopvac,  but get whatever floats your boat. Hooking up a shop vac to your sander will change your life, trust me!

4  router: i have the DeWalt 611 plunge/fixed compact router with an assortment of bits, and at 1.25hp it is plenty strong enough to plow 1/4in dados in solid pine. I've not tried it on oak but I think it would do fine.

5. various clamps straightedges, squares, jigs (kreg!) etc.

Great words of wisdom Jay!

Without drive and self confidence and a patience and willingness to learn, repeat, and re-try until you get it right, you will not find any enjoyment in woodworking or anything else in life really. 

I will second the fact that you need clamps. Too much is not enough, especially if you venture into more traditional woodworking joints, M&T, Dado, Laps, etc. Interestingly you can use pocket screws as a clamp in a M&T joint if you are short on clamps. 

It is refreshing to watch Paul Sellers or Roy Underhill accomplish with their hands, a sharp saw a a couple sharp planes what takes many of us quite a bit longer and many more tools to accomplish.

You have a great bandsaw, which many european shops use as their primary saw.

I find a pin nailer and a scroll saw quite handy at times. 

Sorry if this doesn't make sense I'm tired lol.

Hey Mark:

Welcome to the world of wood working.  Got a question.  Do you like to fish?  Well if you do get ready for a arsenal of tools that will rival you tackle box.  As a wood worker the one thing I can't get enuff of is clamps.  Bar, table and frame clamps are my favorite.  Also, a good dust collector is a must. You'll find the shop vac won't be able to keep up.  If your like the rest of us, Kreg jigs and tools make the job so much effective.  Keep up the posts and let us know how it's going.

Best regards,

James Cox

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