If woodworking is your passion or your craft, it is necessary to have a well-equipped workshop. Following are some of the top power tools every woodworker should have.
Table saw
The table saw is the work horse of any woodworking shop. It is the tool that rips and crosscuts all your materials; melamine, MDF, plywood and solid timbers. Basically there are four types of table saws - the benchtop saw, contractor saw, cabinet saw and hybrid saw.
Benchtop saw
The benchtop saw can be clamped to your workbench. It is affordable, light-weight and portable making it easy to move from job to job, and because it is small, it can be easily stored in a corner or under a workbench if room is lacking. The benchtop saw is powered by a universal motor, similar to that on your router or circular saw which is designed for providing short bursts of speed. This means it is well able to handle cutting smaller pieces but will struggle cutting longer thicker lengths. Also the table is made of light weight aluminum making it prone to flexing under the weight of bigger sheets.
Contractor saw
The contractor saw has a 1.5 hp, 110 volt induction motor that drives the saw blade with 'V' belts. It is designed for more continuous use which enables it to easily cut longer lengths of board or lumber. A strong open framed metal leg base provides a solid mount for the saw. The main table surface is usually made of cast iron and its extension wings are either aluminum or open waffle-patterned cast iron making it a good stable working surface. This saw is still able to be transported and set up easily on job sites.
Cabinet saw
The cabinet saw is a heavy duty saw, with a 2-5hp, 220 volt motor and is mounted in a cabinet giving it extra weight and stability. The larger motor allows you to rip through thick lumber and sheets with ease, and can take a 10" or 12" blade. Being heavy, it becomes a more permanent fixture, and also allows better efficiency for a dust collection unit. It has larger tabletop and extended side tables and runs smooth with a minimum of vibration.
Hybrid Saw
The hybrid table saw is a combination of a cabinet saw and a contractor's saw with either a partially or fully enclose cabinet base. Its motor is smaller than the cabinet saw but repositioned from the back to the inside. This made dust extraction more efficient and reduced blade twist when tilted for bevel cuts. It offers a large table surface and good fence system.
Jointer
Jointers come in an array of designs and sizes, from benchtop or portable to floor standing types with greater cutting capacity. Basically a jointer is used to make a flat, straight surface and edge to lumber before it is run through a thicknesser or planer. The jointer is run by an electric-motor that drives a rotating head that holds two, three or four sharp blades. Two metal tables are positioned either side of the rotating cutter-head; an infeed table which can be adjusted up or down and an outfeed table. These blades can also be adjusted to align with the outfeed table surface and rotate shaving the bottom surface of the workpiece across its full length and width as the piece is fed through.
Planer
Planers take the hard work out of preparing lumber for woodwork. What once took hours to do with a hand plane is now quick and effortless. Planers and jointers should be used together. First run your board over a jointer to flatten and straighten one face and one edge then run it through a planer to make it the perfect parallel thickness. Planers come in basically two styles: benchtop and stationary. Benchtop planers are lightweight and portable and do a good job for the occasional planing. If you are going to do a lot of planing often, you would be better off with a stationary planer as it has a heavier duty induction motor.
Drill press
A drill press is a valuable tool in any workshop as it allows you to repeatedly drill perfectly straight or angled holes every time and accurately control the speed of the bit. There are two types available: benchtop or stationary and there sizes range from 8" to 20".
Miter saw
Miter saws, compound miter saws and sliding compound miter saws are mainly used in carpentry and because of their capabilities and portability they are an extremely useful power tool to add to your power tool kit. The miter saw has the ability to cut miters, compound miters found on moldings, and crosscut a number of pieces squarely and to the same length.
To cut miters, the blade on a standard miter saw pivots left to right. On a compound miter saw the blade can be tipped, or beveled left or right to make a compound miter. The cutting action on a sliding compound miter saw stays the same as the compound miter saw only added extension rails allow an increase in cutting width as the saw blade and motor slide back and forward.
Router
Routers are such versatile tools that perform dozens of applications such as shaping fancy profiles for moldings, joinery, and trimming edges and make door panels. Routers can be hand-held, fixed-base or plunge based.
Jigsaw
A jigsaw is a handy tool for cutting curved or intricate shapes in thinner wooden materials. It can also be used for cutting aluminum and PVC, all you need to do is change the blades to suit the application.
Drills
There is always need for a drill in your workshop. These power tools come in corded or cordless. Corded drills have variable speed controls and reverse switches and come with either 1/2" or 3/8" chucks. Some also come with a hammer-action feature and torque controls. Cordless drills are powered by rechargeable batteries and range from 7.2 volts up to 28 volts. A good all rounder would be the 12 volt drill.
Plate joiner
A plate joiner is also known as a biscuit joiner. It is a portable power tool with a small cutting blade that makes oval slots in corresponding edges of board. These oval slots are then filled with a glued small oval shaped wooden wafer to form a strong but invisible join.
The list is endless and bit by bit you will acquire many worthwhile tools to make your woodworking life easier. If you can, shop around and buy quality tools that will last. An above all, be safe and keep your tools well maintained.