Top 5 Essential Woodworking Hand Tools for Every Workshop
Hand tools are an essential item in every woodworking workshop. Depending on your budget, what projects you plan to complete and your woodworking level, these can range in a variety of tools.
Below I have compiled the Top 5 Essential Woodworking Hand Tools for Every Workshop.
I have gathered this information from various woodworking forums and Facebook pages from general posts and stories.
Everyone has their favourites and their go to tools. You will have yours, if not now you will soon.
I have also included some tools that I use and have used over the years when woodworking and working I my real day to day job as a carpenter. Lucky for me I am less on the tools these days.
I do not include in this list the obvious, and of course essential tools like the pencil and ruler/tape measure, but at the end of this article I do include some of the funnier must have tools people identified as a must have tool in their workshop. You must read to the end.
So, let me get into the Top 5 Essential Woodworking Hand Tools for Every Workshop that people in the woodworking space feel are the tools they cannot do without.
1. Hand Planes
2. Speed Square
3.Drills
4. Dragon Rasp
5. Chisels
Woodworking Chisels
Speed Square
Out of the top five above, I use 4 of them regularly, however the Dragon Rasp was one that I have not used. I do use rasps but have not heard of a Dragon Rasp.
So, I did some research and found that the Dragon Rasp is shaped to a point which come in different coarses – Large Coarse, Large Fine, Small Coarse, Small Fine, Double-Radius Coarse, Double-Radius Fine.
The rasps I use are generally flat or round with a square end.
As this shaped rasp is new to me, I would like you to let me know if you use this type of rasp and what you particularly us it for.
I can then share it here with an update.
Some other tools that came up time and time again, was a broom and vacuum cleaner.
I remember when I was doing my carpentry trade the first thing that was called upon or packed was the bannister brush (dustpan and small brush). So, it makes sense that the cleaning items are high on peoples list of essential tools.
Any good trade will clean up after themselves.
I didn’t include these in the Top 5 Essential Woodworking Hand Tools for Every Workshop as I wanted to keep it to the hand tools used to create the project.
My 5 Essential Woodworking Hand Tools
As I thought of the hand tools that I would put at the top of my list, I kept thinking “Can’t we make this 10, or 15.” I do go through the “Top 17 Woodworking tools for beginners” where I list the tools needed to get started in Woodworking.
But here I have tried to narrow it down and keep it to the ones that I would or could not do without.
1. Hand Plane
2. Hand Saw
3. Chisels
4. Combination Square
5. Drills
Woodworking Hand Plane
Combination Square
Funny Woodworking Tools For Every Workshop
So as promised I will list some of the items that made me laugh and that I can see why they would make peoples list and to be honest, probably was the first thing that came to their mind.
1. TV Remote
2. Bottle Opener
3. Stubbie Holder/Cooler
4. Fridge
I must admit, I do have a Fridge, oh and a Bottle Opener, and a Stubbie Holder/Cooler! 😬
CONCLUSION
It is hard to put the essential tools into 5.
I really could have put a top 10 or 15 list, but I wanted to keep it short and get you thinking of the tools you may use the most in your workshop or if you are just starting, what tools are people using that are further along in their woodworking journey.
As I mentioned before this list could be bigger and if you asked an experienced woodworker, they would say that all their tools, including the bottle opener, are essential for their woodworking workshop.
What are your 5 go to tools you have?
Want to learn more about Woodworking?
👉 “Woodworking – What Do I Need to Get Started?”
👉 “The 6 Best Ways To Learn Woodworking”
👉 “7 Best Woodworking Books for Beginners”
👉 “17 Woodworking tools for beginners”
I hope this helps you in your journey and you will be great.
Happy Woodworking
Ben @ Been A Tree Wood
