So, you've finally gotten tired of paying contractors to build you stuff. Or maybe you are a beginning hobbyist. Regardless, your new-found interest in carpentry is going to require tools. You can't drive nails with your fists, and improvising tools is a recipe for frustration and wasted time. So I thought I'd share some of my knowledge and lay out a basic set of tools that a resourceful individual can use to do 99% of the jobs they undertake. Keep in mind that this is a bare-bones list an not a comprehensive list of the stuff I've got stored in my toolboxes. Alrighty then. Here we go.
1.)No self-respecting man can call himself a carpenter without having a hammer. A hammer is the most basic tool an aspiring carpenter can own. If you don't have one of those, you might as well call yourself a swami. Now a lot of people will insist that you need several different hammers, but I don't cotton to that train of thought. All you need is a decent claw hammer in the 14oz to 18oz range. Sure, for really delicate work you might want a smaller, lighter hammer, but if you practice enough there isn't a single nail or brad you can't use. I use a Stanley Fat Max 16oz framing hammer, and the 18 bucks I paid for it is pennies compared to the money I've made with it. the Stanley has it's flaws, but as long as the striking surface and the claws are quality, your hammer will see you through without breaking at a bad moment.
Ball-peen hammers and hatchet hammers aren't made for carpentry, and shouldn't be relied on for anything other than their intended purpose.
2.)A decent flatbar (AKA prybar). A good prybar and a hammer will serve you for most of the prying and demo you will run across. Get one with a 90 degree angle on one end and an 30 degree angle on the other, and don't cheap out with bargain purchases. Those cheap flatbars aren't tempered properly and will bend quite easily at the worst possible moment. Get one that is between 10" and 14". You'll be absolutely floored by what you can accomplish with them.
one thing I've noticed when untrained folk try to use prybars and hammers to pull apart wood or pull nails is that they try to yank the tool backward. Instead, try pushing or pulling them at a 90 degree angle. If you got good tool you will get much more leverage. Sure, you'll scar up the wood a bit, but if you hammer the wood back in that damage will be sandwiched between the boards instead of being visible (unless you fucked up the cut or nailed the board in wrong. And if you find yourself needing more leverage, you can slip a pipe over the non-working end.
3.)A decent chisel. with a solid chisel, you can do spot-cutting to fit, pull small staples, and drive nails in tight spots. You can also use them to cut nails, brads, and other fasteners when needed. Just make sure that the striking surface is durable (avoid bakelite, polymer, or plastic striking surfaces in favor of hardened steel) or the handle will crumble. Keep them sharpened, and make sure you only sharpen the grind side.
When using a chisel, make sure you put the grind-side down if you are cutting in a certain direction. If not, you'll cut too deep and weaken the lumber. the grind provides directs the hammering force int the desired direction without cutting too deep into your workpiece.
4.)A well-made tape-measure (hereafter referred to as a tape-line. What can I say, that's how I learned it). Without a tape-line, you can't make precise measurements for cutting, digging, or fastening. I recommend a tape-line with a belt-clip that is at least 16' to 30', is able to "stand off" (that's the distance you can extend the line without it collapsing) of at least 8', has a hooked end, and is graduated in segments of 1/16th to 1/32 of an inch. Tape-lines are crucial for estimates and for measuring cuts for the overall length of lumber.
You can also use tape-lines to find plum (if you hold it right), square (measurements from corner to corner should be equal), and to act as a strait-edge when ripping lumber (Hold the tape-line at the desired width at the edge of the piece, put a pencil at the hook end, and slide the whole mess down the board). If you have a steady hand, you can also use a tape-line to mark curves (run a screw into the center of your curve, hook the end on the screw, and hold the pencil at the desired measurement, then swing your end around the center. the screw will hold the tape-line end in place. Get good enough at this and you can mark out really complex pieces).
5.)A pencil. You don't need a carpenter's pencil (though I recommend one due to their standardized dimensions and overall usefulness), you just need one that can make visible marks for cuts and for writing down measurements. A pencil is something a carpenter should have on him at all times during a job, along with his hammer and a few loose nails.
6.)A utility or carpenter's knife. These allow you to sharpen your pencil, shave wood, smooth out chisel cuts, and cut other things that are cut-able when you run across them on the job (and you will).
7.)Either a framing square or a speed (triangle-type) square these allow you not only to mark square cuts, but also allow you to mark the angled cuts that you might need to make. Don't get cheap. For speed squares, I prefer Swanson or DeWalt made of aluminum(they are thicker and won't break as easily). Overall, though, I prefer a framing square if you can get away from it. A framing square has a lot of info on it. Everything from tables to figure out rise to how many nails are in a pound are stamped on a good framing square. they are also sized to match common stud spacing. I have an ulterior motive for recommending speed squares, though. Reading one is a dying art, one that I hope can be revived.
8.)A level sized to fit your projects. Obviously, the longer the level the more accurate the reading, but I recommend a 4' level for general construction. You can use them in combination with a tape-line to find the rise of existing construction, and you can use them to find plum for new construction (no need for a plumb-bob). Just make sure you check them (they should read identically if you flip them over no matter what you are trying to find level or plum for), and they make great straight-edges for marking plumb or level on long projects.
9.)A tool belt. Tool belts allow you to keep your crucial tools on hand at any time along with fasteners, and free up your hands for climbing if needed. Get a good one that is adjustable and durable.
10.)A saw. I recommend a circular saw (Skill saw) made by DeWalt, Porter-Cable, or Milwaukee. They may cost more, but this is certainly a case of buy-once-cry-once, because you really can't wear those fuckers out. If you are more of a power-free kind of guy, your best bet is to buy a hand-saw that isn't made of stainless or otherwise cheap steel, although making square cuts take more skill (pun intended) with a hand saw.
11.)A set of screwdrivers or a bit driver with multiple bits (hand powered or electric) in common Phillips, slotted, and socket sizes (1/4" and 3/8' sizes). Once again, don't cheap out, and if you go the bit route, buy in bulk. You WILL lose some of them (most likely the ones you use most frequently).
12.)A drill. This can be electric or brace-and-bit. Make sure you get a bit set that includes common sizes. Once again, buy in bulk, because you WILL break the smaller ones.
13.)A socket wrench and set in standard or metric (depending on your AO). Lag and carrier bolts use hex-heads and bolts, and none of the other options (adjustable wrench, channel locks, vise grips, etc) should be used unless you rounded off the head.
14.)Quoted from below because I overlooked the chalk-line, aka chalk-box.
JustsayMo wrote:Chalkline: Used for wall layout on the floor deck, ripping/crosscutting plywood, cutting a rafter ends (I run them wild and cut the tails after the rafter is installed), snapping the layout line for the first course of sheathing/roofing/etc so I can work from above; marking studs under sheathing for quicker nailing, long straight line, plumb bob..... the list goes on and on.
A great timesaver and almost a requirement when running lath for metal roofing.
15.)String-line: A spool of string-line will make tasks like setting poles for pole barns, post-and-beam foundations, decks, etc much easier.
If you have the above tools, you can handle the vast majority of carpentry If I've neglected anything, other experienced carpenters are free to chime in, and questions are, as always, welcome.
DA.
Edits: a mistake I spotted.
