by Rex Coker

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 06, 2009

Woodworkers around the globe take pride in their wood shops, how ever big or small they may be. Some wood shops pride themselves in having top quality power tools on their work benches, but their power tools of choice will include maybe three out of a possible ten that they use most frequently. The three most used power tools in a shop today are a table saw, a miter saw and a drill. Others may include but, are not limited to, are a radial arm saw, a planer and a router table.

All of these are a favored bunch to have in your shop and they provide the essentials to having a good woodworking wood shop. Then there is the hand held skill saw. Portable and light weight it is probably the most used mobile hand power tool. I will explain each one and give you the reasons I think these tools are the best to have in your wood shop.

The Table Saw:

The table saw can be used to cut critical widths of large sections of solid woods or veneers. It is a must have in the shop because it allows you the precision cutting of large pieces to build cabinets. It can be used for ripping solid wood planking with out the worry of having a hand held skill saw kicking back on you. It also cuts beveled edges and joints if you use a dado blade attachment.

The Miter Saw:

The miter saw allows you to cut precision angles for wood up to 3 1/2 inches comfortably. The power miter saw can make fast cuts and save you much time and energy if you use a template stop. This allows you to cut many pieces the same length, with out having to stop and remeasure.

THE DRILL:

The drill whether it be the hand held or the drill press has given woodworkers the ability to use peg construction in their shop. A free hand drill can be just as instrumental as the drill press. The hand held version allows you to drill a hole from just about any angle. The drill press only allows you to drill holes on a level surface and that is why the drill press is considered a precision power tool.

Now for the other three top power tools to have in your shop.

THE RADIAL ARM SAW:

The radial arm saw is a mounted saw that has it's own table. The arm of the saw hangs over the table and can allow you to cut wider pieces of boards up to a foot across or better, depending on the type saw you have. it can cut across the grain through 3 inches of thickness. It can cut angles or be locked to cut in a straight line. You can put dado blades on and cut joints for shelving and other applications.

THE PLANER:

The planer is used mostly

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