Top 10 Woodworking Supplies to Populate Your Workshop

So, you’ve decided to turn your garage into a woodworking shop, and why not? If woodworking is a hobby you love and you have the empty space, creating a workshop of your own at home is a great way to turn a stagnant space into a usable one.

But before you make any major conversions to the space, you should have a good idea of the woodworking supplies you need for a fully functional workshop. You want to start off with the basics first, and then build from there.

Here are the top 10 woodworking tools you’ll need to start your collection.

Woodworking Supplies 101: The Basics You’ll Need 

No woodworking shop would be complete without a good set of hand tools, because aside from cutting and sawing off large chunks of wood, this craft is mostly about the handiwork. So, let’s start with the simple hand-held items you’ll need:

1. Wood Chisels 

This is the OG of all woodworking tools — and back in the day, most carpenters or woodworkers didn’t use much else. Fast forward to today, and the wood chisel is still just as useful and important for cutting and shaping wood.

You want to have at least one general-use wood chisel in your workshop. The wood chisel is versatile and can actually take the place of other tools, such as a router until you add one to your collection.

To get started on the right foot, get yourself a good set of bench chisels, then you can look at investing in a mortise chisel, paring chisel, and other specialty chisels.

2. A Hand Saw

If you had to invest in any basic tool first, it should probably be a handsaw (if you don’t own one already). They are generally quite affordable, lightweight, and straightforward to use.

You’ll use your hand saw for a plethora of tasks — from cutting boards to long pieces of wood, the list goes on. To start out, get yourself a standard hand saw, then you can branch out to more specialized types of saws.

3. Wood Glue

Now, it depends on the type of woodworking you do, but you might find that wood glue, also known as Gorilla Glue, is very beneficial in your workshop. For example, if you need to bind wood boards together, this is the perfect way to do it.

When you apply wood glue correctly, there’s very little that can break the bond. In fact, it’s probably stronger than the wood itself. Wood glue is easy to clean — you simply need some warm water. You can also loosen the glue bond with a little heat and moisture if you need to.

4. A Spirit Level 

Most workshop owners should own one of these tools — no matter what you do in your workshop. A spirit level is a very handy tool when it comes to woodworking as it allows you to correctly measure the angle of your woodwork to ensure it’s as accurate as possible.

Today, you can even find digital versions of the spirit level to allow for a greater range of readings.

5. Nail Setters 

If decorative molding is part of the woodwork you do, then you’ll find nail setters super handy. How do they work? They allow the nail to disappear into the wood without actually damaging the look of the nail. The tool fits over the nail with a hollow shaft, allowing the nail to rest against the wood.

A nail setter is also important so that all of your nails are consistent to ensure a high quality of work and detail. Whether you’re adding specific nails or antique touches to your woodwork, such as a carriage bolt, attention-to-detail is everything.

6. A Wood Plane 

This is yet another tool that is important for beautiful woodworking designs. Its purpose is to smooth and flatten any curved or rough edges on a board or pieces of wood you’re working with.

In a sense, it’s very similar to a razor as it shaves off pieces of wood until a specific edge is as smooth or straight as you’d like it to be. While planers aren’t on the cheap end of the spectrum, they are an integral part of any woodworking shop.

7. Sandpaper 

On the flip side, this is a workshop item that will cost you almost nothing, but will come in just as handy as any wood planer. Sandpaper is essential for smoothing out your woodwork and getting rid of any grit or roughness. Trying to understand how to use a wood planer is easy once you understand what it does.

When it comes to sandpaper, there is a range of different types of grits to choose from. The lower the grip of the sandpaper, the greater the roughness. The higher the number, the smoother the sandpaper — which is ideal for polishing.

You want to stock up your workshop with a good range of sandpaper types and grits.

8. A Woodworking Square 

This might be one of the first tools you’ll invest in for a woodworking shop. Why is it important? Because it helps you create straight lines and find angles in your woodwork. Not only this, but it’s very versatile and you’ll find yourself reaching for your woodworking square on nearly every single project.

You want to invest in a few different square sizes to make your measuring job easier.

9. A Robust Drill Set 

Now, this isn’t exactly a handtool, but in today’s day and age, your woodworking shop needs to have a decent drill set in order to get the job done right. Whether it’s a cordless handheld or press drill set, this is an investment you want to make.

You’ll find yourself using your drill set for inserting screws into your wood, without any chance of splitting or damaging your woodwork. Many drill sets also come with several different attachments, such as routing bits and sanders to make your life a whole lot easier.

10. A Jigsaw or Miter Saw 

Finally, this is the tool you want to have on hand when your handsaw just doesn’t cut it (pun intended). A jigsaw is important because it allows you to cut unnatural, curved shapes in thin strips of wood. This being said, the jigsaw is versatile and is great for many different tasks.

But before you invest in a jigsaw, you might want to invest in a miter saw first. This is a type of circular saw that you pull down in order to cut wood in half, or make smaller cuts in your wood. The miter saw is ideal for cutting wood to a specific length or at an angle, etc.

Home Improvement Hacks Are Just a Click Away 

With these woodworking supplies, you’ll find that you have basically everything you need in order to run a successful woodworking shop — whether it’s for a hobby, a side-hustle, or your full-time job.

If you’re interested in learning more about home improvement projects to take on, the type of tools you need, and more, be sure to explore the rest of this site for your fix!