The Essential Carpentry Tools List: 41 Different Types & Their Uses

Derived from the Latin carpentarius, meaning “maker of a carriage,” carpentry has an exceptionally long human history. As an occupation concerned with the building or maintaining of wooden structures, it has developed a significant repertoire of tools, ranging from entirely generalized to hyper-specialized.

If you’ve been considering diving into the wonderful world of woodworking, a handful of carpentry tools are absolutely essential for even the most basic of projects. From there, you’ll want to expand your selection to include carpentry tools that are more limited in scope but with greater specificity to your desired projects.

Essential Carpentry Tools List

What follows is a list of what we consider to be the essential tools for carpentry, handily divided into sections based on hand tools, power tools, accessories, storage, and safety equipment. While not every one of these tools will be required for every job, this list will provide a comprehensive guide to tools that have no replacement in their functionality.

Because carpentry is such a broad field of study, with many possible projects and outcomes depending on your skill level, choosing only the tools you most need for a project you have in mind is the best way to go. That way, you can continue to collect tools that are appropriate both to your desires and your carpentry skill level. Before you know it, you’ll have a fine set of carpentry tools and the know-how to put them to good use!

Hand Tools

1. Claw Hammer

One of the most basic tools of the carpentry trade, a claw hammer, will allow you to drive nails with one end and remove them with the other. Look for a brand with a comfortable but secure grip that is not too heavy to hold and swing.

2. Tape Measure

Plastic measuring tapes are cheap and simple but tend to stretch and lose accuracy over time. Go for a metal measuring tape, preferably a retractable model for larger pieces of uncut lumber.

3. Measuring Squares

Any carpentry tool known as a “carpenter’s square” must be essential, right? That’s absolutely true for measuring squares, as they’ll allow you to identify, measure, and mark right angles during your projects.

4. Chisels

They’re great for hand-carving or lathe turning, and chisels were once the primary tool for carving out joints in Japanese carpentry. Often sold in sets, you’ll need a variety of chisels to perform detailed work.

5. Mallets

A wooden mallet is complementary to a chisel set, allowing you to drive the sharp heads into your workpiece precisely. Rubber mallets are helpful in putting together joints and will not damage the wood when tapped with light to medium force.

6. Handsaw

As the workhorses of hand tool carpentry, handsaws are used to rip and crosscut boards to size. Look for blades that are taper ground, allowing better clearance around the teeth and a smoother, more efficient cutting motion.

7. Backsaw

No carpentry tools list is complete without the backsaw. Since they’re designed with thin blades and finely set teeth, backsaws are the detail-oriented companion to the handsaw. They’re supported by a heavy strip of brass or steel over the top of the blade and excel at detail work. The backsaw can be used to cut mortise and tenon or dovetail joints.

8. Curve Cutting Saw

Bow Saws, scroll saws, coping saws, and compass saws fall into this category, often reserved for decorative work. Until a project calls for curved cuts, you won’t need any of these saws. When you’re ready to tackle more intricate designs, however, there is no substitute for these carpentry tools.

9. Planes

Although they’re used to smooth wooden surfaces while gradually reducing their thickness, planes are a complex and multi-part hand carpentry tool with something of a cult following in the classical carpentry community. A good bench plane will get you through 90% of projects, while rabbet and block planes are reserved for more specialized angled work.

10. Sharpening Stone

Keeping your chisels, gouges, and planes sharp is essential to their safe and appropriate functioning. Oil Stones are the most popular choice in the United States, while a two-part water stone is more common for Japanese hand tools.

Related Read: 3 Types of Sharpening Stones: Pros & Cons (With Pictures)

11. Grinder

While not technically a hand tool, a motorized bench grinder is used almost solely to refinish hand tools like chisel gouges. Chipped or worn blades can often be refurbished with a few passes through a grinder and finished with a sharpening stone.

12. Hand Drill

Though power drills have become more popular, hand drills offer quiet and convenience instead of speed and intensity. With the proper drill bits, a hand drill can be as effective as a power drill in preparing high-quality workpieces.

13. Screwdrivers

No carpentry tools list is complete without screwdrivers. First and foremost, when using a screwdriver, the tip must fit the size of the screw slot in question. Therefore, you’ll need screwdrivers in various sizes to accommodate the types of screws you’ll encounter in your projects.

14. Clamps

You can rarely have too many clamps in a woodworking shop, and a wide selection of bar clamps, miter clamps, and C-clamps will always help when you need an “extra hand.” Good clamps can be expensive, so consider renting extra sets for large projects.

Power Tools

15. Power Drill

The most widely sold and used power tool on the market, a power drill, is useful not only for carpentry projects but also for general household repairs and maintenance. Cordless power drills offer excellent versatility and ease of use as long as you can remember to put their batteries back on the charger when you’re done.

16. Jigsaw

Next on our woodworking tools list is the jigsaw. Also known as a saber saw, these versatile and inexpensive power carpentry tools do a fine job cutting boards to a rough size but can’t be relied on for straight cuts. Instead, use them for curved cuts and quick projects where precision is not key.

17. Circular Saw

The circular saw has become a staple of construction contractors everywhere. Thanks to advances in materials technology, you can now find lightweight and exceptionally powerful circular saws for entirely reasonable prices.

18. Router

Used for cutting grooves, curved figures, and joints, routers can easily replace a whole family of hand planes. Fixed routers are suspended above the workpiece and lowered into the cut as one unit, while plunge routers deploy only the cutting edge via spring-loaded columns.

19. Sander

They’re great for reducing the time and effort of finishing a piece of wood, and even the finest of powered sanders will only get you partway there. Once you’ve progressed to a “finishing sander”, there will still be a short period of hand-sanding necessary to achieve a fine finish.

20. Biscuit Joiner

As a particularly specialized saw and joiner combo, the biscuit joiner cuts a small section of wood out of the edge of a board to which glue and a “biscuit” of compressed wood are added. As the glue and wood expand to fill the small hole, a strong and durable joint is created.

See Also:

• 10 Best Biscuit Joiners 

21. Table Saw

It is the most central aspect of any woodworking shop and a must-have carpenter tool; a table saw will be your most substantial investment for home woodworking. Traditional cabinet saws are large, heavy, and extremely accurate and efficient, but more modern portable models allow you to take much of this utility to a job site.

22. Radial Arm Saw

Sometimes known as a chop saw, the radial arm saw is a quick and ready tool for making rips, crosscuts, bevels, or miter cuts on a job site or in your home workshop. While lacking some of the precision of a table saw, they are an indispensable tool for increasing efficiency in trim and molding work.

23. Band Saw

With a continuous loop of metal driven between two wheels, the band saw always cuts downward and eliminates the possibility of kickback on a workpiece. It performs many of the same functions of a radial arm saw (if somewhat less accurately) and can also be used for curved cuts.

24. Planer

After purchasing a table or band saw for your home workshop, the planer might be the next most essential power tool. The best planers can be precisely adjusted to evenly smooth surfaces on all four sides of a workpiece, saving much time and effort compared to using a hand plane.

25. Lathe

One of the largest carpenter tools on our list is the lathe. Incorporating a lathe into your workshop allows you to enter the world of turned pieces, such as bowls, cups, and decorative table legs. You’ll need specialized turning tools to take full advantage of a lathe in your home workshop.

26. Universal Machine

When space is limited, and you cannot fit many power tools in one woodshop, the universal machine is your answer. It combines the functions of a table saw, jointer, thickness planer, spindle shaper, and mortiser and is ideally suited to cramped workspaces.

Accessories

27. Carpenter’s Pencil

Since it’s flat instead of round, the carpenter’s pencil is more versatile and accurate than a standard pencil in measuring precise markings for woodworking cuts.

28. Extension Cords

If you own any power tools that are not cordless, chances are you will one day need an extension cord to get the most use out of them. Even extra-long extension cords are reasonably priced, making them an easy addition to your carpentry toolkit.

29. Miter Box

A miter box is a wooden jig used for cutting miter joints and square ends, but you can also find them available in plastic or metal. Two raised sides and a groove in the middle allow you to slot your saw into predetermined angles to guide your cuts.

30. Bench Hook

Used for crosscutting short lengths of wood with a backsaw, the bench hook is primarily helpful as a safety measure. Readymade bench hooks are available, or you can make your own by attaching two blocks to a flat board.

31. Woodworking Vise

Since it’s attached to one end of a solidly built woodworking bench, a vise is incredibly helpful as an “extra hand” on any workpiece. European-style vises have wooden jaws, allowing a workpiece to be gripped without leaving any marks.

32. Dust Collection System

Whether you choose a shop vac for its portability and versatility or a dedicated dust collection system attached to your table saw, you’ll need something to ensure your work surfaces are free of dust. Aside from increasing accuracy and precision in your work, this will also keep your floors safer.

Tool Storage and Organization

33. Workbench

As the most important piece of equipment in the entire woodshop, a woodworker’s bench needs to be sturdily constructed and fitted with stable vises. Most workbenches are between 32 and 34 inches high, but taller or shorter users can have custom-sized tables. Look for a workbench with a hardwood worktop that is at least 2 inches thick.

34. Pegboard

It’s great for utilizing the vertical space in a workshop, and a classic wooden pegboard with metal hooks will allow you to keep all your hand carpentry tools and accessories stored, organized, and easily recognizable.

35. Tool Belt

For work on the job site or around your house, nothing can replace a reliable leather tool belt. Precise specifications vary widely, but you should always look for one that has space for a hammer, measuring tape, and multiple pockets for screws, nails, and drill bits.

36. Scrap Bin

Wood scraps produced while you work on projects can come in handy later, so you should never throw them away. A small metal can is usually enough for casual carpenters, but more active woodworkers should go for a fairly large metal garbage bin.

Safety Equipment

37. Safety Glasses, Goggles, and/or Face Shield

No matter how experienced a carpenter is, it is never advisable to work without eye protection—particularly around power tools! Safety glasses are the minimum requirement, while goggles or a face shield will provide more complete coverage. All these accessories should be safety rated as completely shatterproof.

38. Hearing Protectors

Safety-rated headphones are a smart addition to any workshop where you’ll be running power tools and come in equally handy on loud job sites. In-ear plugs are more convenient and less cumbersome but provide less protection for your ears.

39. Respirator

Unless you’ve equipped your workspace with a powerful dust collection system, chances are you’ll be producing a lot of particulate matter that will hang in the air. Over short periods, you may not notice any problem with this, but long-term inhalation of sawdust can cause serious breathing difficulties. Consider purchasing a respirator, or at least a safety-rated mask.

40. Hair Ties

Anyone with long hair should exercise caution around power tools since dangling hairs can quickly get caught up in motors and lead to dangerous situations. A stash of hair ties will prevent this danger from the start and is a cheap investment in workplace safety.

41. Push Stick

Repurpose a sturdy piece of scrap wood as a push stick, and you’ll be able to exercise much greater safety while operating a table saw.

The Importance of Safety Training

It should be no surprise that a profession that works every day with sharp and fast-moving carpentry tools will have a high rate of accidents and injury. Even with increasing attention paid to workplace health and safety guidelines, 20% of carpenters reported injuries to their hands and fingers each year.

Whether you’re pursuing carpentry as a hobby or a profession, the importance of safety training—and abiding by safety guidelines—cannot be understated. Steve Ramsey’s “Woodworking for Mere Mortals” provides an excellent introduction to workshop safety (below), but we also encourage you to seek out safety training on your own.

Care and Maintenance of Your Tool Set

Both hand carpentry tools and power tools require considerable care and maintenance to ensure that they’re not only efficient and effective but also safe and reliable. For professional and amateur carpenters alike, getting into a routine of cleaning your tools at the end of each workday and returning them to a neat, organized location will go a long way towards making sure you’re aware of when they need extra attention.

For hand carpentry tools, keep a close watch on the sharpness of their blades as well as the stability of their handles. With power tools, inspect the cords or battery packs for signs of wear or damage, and listen closely while they’re in operation to take note of any changes that might indicate the motor wearing out.

A carpenter’s skill is only as good as the tool they use for the job at hand, so at the first sign of anything amiss with your tools, consider taking them to a professional repair shop for service and advice.

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Conclusion

There’s no doubt that carpentry offers a broad field of experience to explore, and we hope that this list of essential carpentry tools has introduced you to several possible solutions for all your woodworking projects. If you haven’t already, we recommend writing down and researching any potential projects you’d like to build; from there, you can use plans available online or in woodworking books to collect a list of necessary tools for the job.

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