I've seen a lot of people recently asking what the minimal set of tools is, because they don't have a lot of money or space. I've decided that that's probably something I'll be asked often enough that it's worth writing it up here. This isn't exhaustive, and doesn't cover some of the weird tools you'll need for weird projects, but you should be able to make simple furniture with this list. Be warned, I have a number of somewhat heretical opinions.
Measuring and Marking:
- Pencils are useful. Keep some handy.
- Marking knife. This doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. It just has to have a relatively small blade (so it can fit into dovetails) and a sharp edge. Don't over think it.
- Small square: I use a 6" Empire combination square for most things. It fits in the pocket of my shop apron, which is nice.
- Large square: I mostly use a 16" Empire combination square. If I'm working on something really big, I use either a framing square or a large wooden square I built.
- Marking gauge. Cheap, expensive, traditional wood, machined metal... you need something to make marks with. I have a Veritas wheel marking gauge and a Harbor Freight mortise gauge. Both work, and both get used.
Cutting tools with teeth:
- If you're committed to a small kit, start with a ryoba (a Japanese style double sided pull saw). With a little practice it's good for long rip cuts, any kind of cross cuts, and decent for dovetails. You could stop there, but I don't recommend it.
- Get a good fine tooth crosscut saw. I use my Veritas carcass saw for almost everything, and it's enough nicer for things like dovetails that I'd add it to the Ryoba without a second thought.
- I personally prefer Western saws: I have a 5 1/2 TPI rip saw and a roughly 7TPI crosscut. I used a ryoba for a long time, though, and I still use it occasionally.
Chisels:
- Get decent chisels in 1/4", 3/4", and 1". You'll want to expand later, but those will do most of what you want. You can use regular bench chisels for cutting mortises, too, so you really can just stop there.
Whacking things. You need two hammer-sort-of-things.
- A thing for driving nails. For furniture scale projects, I like a 12-oz hammer with a wooden handle. Your preference my vary.
- A thing for hitting chisels and making recalcitrant joints fit. I recently switched from a mallet to a 2.5lb engineer's hammer, and I don't ever intend to go back. Again, your preference may vary.
Hand Planes. This is where preference really starts to come in. These are my choices, and other people will disagree. In order of importantance, and don't forget I'm a heretic:
- A jointer/try plane. Why? Because store-bought lumber isn't straight. You can smooth the surface with a sanding block or a palm sander, you can remove stock with a saw, but if you can't get the edge straight nothing else matters.
- A smoothing plane. I like a #3 or #4, depending on what I'm doing. Get a #4 (or equivalent), learn to sharpen it, and use it. If you want more later, go for it.
- A jack plane. I like a #5, which, oddly, seems to be the standard choice. This is for removing stock, which you'll need to do eventually.
- A rabbet plane. #78, shoulder plane, straight rabbet, whatever: you need a way to make rabbets, and this is the best quick, reliable method.
- This is the weird one: I think you need a plow plane, or some sort of equivalent. You're going to want to cut grooves sooner or later, and a plow is the best way to do that. I have several, and the cheap Mujingfang I got for $35 works OK. I prefer a grooving plane if I have one in the right size, or a 45-equivalent if I don't.
Drills:
- In all honesty, I'd start with a decent battery powered drill and a good set of bits. I have a brace and bits, and an egg-beater drill, and they're fantastic, but I use an electric drill for almost everything.
- Gimlets. They're small, they're cheap, and they're the best tool I've ever found for drilling holes for screws. Garret Wade has a decent set for a good price.
Sanding supplies: Get an assortment of paper and a nice sanding block. A powered sander is a nice thing to have too.
Sharpening supplies. Here's where I just kind of have to wave my hands and say "good luck." My personal preference is DMT Duosharp 3"x8" plates, plus a strop. A lot of people prefer oilstones, sandpaper, or waterstones. They're not wrong, and neither am I. I also prefer sharpening without a jig, a preference I picked up from Paul Sellers at a presentation. I do like a jig if I'm completely changing the bevel, though. So... uh... good luck!
Other Stuff.
- Glue. I have a very strong preference for hide glue anywhere it's reasonable. If it's for a kitchen or bath, I use Titebond 3. For anything else, I go for Old Brown Glue. Be aware that it has a limited shelf life, and buy it in smaller containers unless you know you've got a big project coming up.
- Screws. Buy them as you need them, but buy extra. If you needed that size once, you're going to need it again.
- Nails. I'm a big fan of square nails from the Tremont Nail Co. Again, buy them as you need them, and buy extra.
Big Stuff.
- You're going to need a way to store your tools. My choice is a "Dutch" tool chest. I store everything on this list but the nails and screws, plus quite a lot more, in mine, and there's room to spare. Make it to fit your tools: mine is about 32" long because that's what I needed to fit my longest saw. It's around 30" high at the highest, I think, and made from 1x12, so it's about 12.5" deep counting the front and back panels.
- A bench is important. You can look at the one I posted here, but there are endless good designs. Make sure it has a good vise on the front, and holes for holdfasts.
Expensive (or rare) stuff. These are some of the "nice to have" tools that are in my shop.
- Hollow chisel mortiser. Good LORD did this make my life easier.
- Match planes. These are a pair of planes designed to cut a matched tongue and groove, and they're the best hand tools every made. I use mine for cutting grooves for drawer bottoms, too. Honestly, these are probably higher on my list than the mortiser.
- Band Saw. Being able to easily cut curves is nice. So is being able to make (mostly) straight cuts to rip a very narrow piece off.
- Drill press. Another one that's nice to have. This is the first big power tool I had, and probably the least valuable to me. It is pretty nice to have, though.
Books. There are a vast number of woodworking books. Here are a few I think are pretty good, in random order.
- "Working Wood 1&2", Paul Sellers. Watch his videos, too!
- The "Anarchist" series from Christopher Schwarz. "The Anarchist's Toolchest" is the first, and probably the most useful.
- "The New Traditional Woodworker," by Jim Tolpin.
