Wood Working Tools

The Basic Wood Working Tools

The basic wood working tools include a carving knife, several gouges, a chisel and sharpening equipment. A work bench, a special screw for holding the work to the bench and a mallet may also be needed as time goes by and the hobby progresses.

Other specialized or adapted tools may be used, according to a woodworker’s preference. For example, the router is often used. But, for anyone starting out, the basics are enough. Here’s a look at what they are used for.

Carving Knife

The uses for a carving knife are pretty self-explanatory. The knives are used to make the initial cuts and then to pare or whittle away at the chunk of wood. There are many different sizes of blades and handles to choose from. You may try to select a handle that seems to “fit” your hand.

The hardness of the blade is measured using the “Rockwell” scale, which is used to measure the hardness of steel. A range of 58-61 is considered optimum for fine wood working tools.

Gouges

The gouge is a tool with a curved cutting edge that can be used to create hollows, circles, round shapes or sweeping curves. The curvature of the gouge’s cutting edge is called the sweep. The lower numbers indicate flatter cutting edges, while the higher numbered gouges indicate a greater curvature. Most woodworkers keep at least two or three gouges on hand.

Chisel

A chisel may have a straight cutting edge, a number 1 sweep, or a skewed edge, sometimes referred to as number 2. Chisels are used for making straight lines or for cleaning up flat surfaces.

Sharpening Equipment

Stones or a sharpening strop may be used for maintaining the edges of your wood working tools. It is very important that the edges be maintained, if you want to continue to make high quality carvings or other projects.

The Workbench

Any sturdy table may be uses as a workbench. As long as the height is comfortable or can be adjusted to accommodate sitting or standing. Buying a specialized workbench specifically for woodworking is not necessary, but the specialized workbenches typically come with screws or wenches to hold a piece in place. This allows for work to be done with both hands.

Mallets

A mallet is something like a hammer, but with a larger head that allows for driving a chisel or other tool into the wood, without damaging the blade. Mallets may also be used to drive in dowels or to pound other wooden pieces together, without damaging the wood. The head may be made of rubber or wood.

You may find the need for other wood working tools, as time goes by. But, as long as you have the basics at your workbench, you can carve to your heart’s content.

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