Weekend Woodworker Tool List

Many weekend woodworkers trying to boost their DIY enthusiasm and do some woodworking tasks often look at their budget and experience and worry about how they can refine their skills without necessarily spending a fortune to start. Fortunately, there are a handful of woodworker tools that a weekend woodworker should have to kick start, and most are fairly inexpensive. Nonetheless, hobbyists and DIYers can work on nearly any project with these few weekend worker tools. 

Woodworking can usually be a demanding profession or hobby, but weekend woodworking doesn't need to be that challenging! You can practice your hobby with only a few quality tools to improve your art. 

Below, we've listed the six best weekend woodworker tools to help you ease your way into your projects. It's the perfect tool list for a weekend woodworker. They are simple and effective but also inexpensive and easily available. 

Essential Weekend Woodworker Tools 

• Clamps.

• Marking gauge

• Hand saw

• Combination square

• Smoothing plane

• Router 

• Power drill 

Marking gauge

These stunning gauges have been a staple of standard woodworking toolsets for decades. They form the fundamentals for any joinery task-rough or fine with simple combination squares. 

What’s fantastic about a marking gauge is not just its efficacy for both advanced and basic woodworking projects but their ease of use. 

Marking gauges are necessary for tenon and mortise joints, rabbets, dovetails, and thicknessing, among other tasks. 

Ideally, it’s such a vital woodworking tool for a weekend woodworker to fulfill their joinery tasks that it should be among the first woodworking tools to purchase. 

A quality combination gauge is the best option for weekend workers as it fulfills the tasks of both standard and mortise marking gauges. 

Combination square

Next on the weekend woodworker list of tools is surprisingly another layout equipment, which is more vital than the gauge mentioned above. Typically, its versatility and ease of use define the combination square as a perfect choice over other squares. 

Like marking gauges, good combination squares are Must-Have woodworking tools for weekend woodworkers. Combination squares allow you to mark and cut at 45 & 90 degrees, the most important woodworking angles. 

Everything from joining edges to creating tenon and mortise joints to accurately cutting a board need a precise 90-degree angle. What's more, 45-degree angles are essential for corner joints and multiple other cuts. Such is its efficacy that even if you plan to take the power tool route, a quality combination square is vital for all weekend workers! 

Clamps

Clamps, ah yes! Ask any pro woodworker, and they'll attest that you can never really have enough of these tools! When you’re starting or want to horn your weekend woodworking hobby, there's a minimum you require to complete your project. 

Clamps are the ideal weekend woodworker companion as you need them for virtually everything/ whether you are gluing panels, holding your wood piece, or final assembly…there’s a ton to do with clamps. 

Nonetheless, before you get yourself a set of clamps, you must understand that you can do with around eight specific clamps as a weekend woodworker. 

Your ideal workhorses will be standard pipe clamps, usually sold in sets. These fixtures are linked to standard galvanized pipe sizes that you can purchase in any standard tools store. You can effectively swap out these pipes for shorter or longer, rendering them useful in all woodworking situations. 

Note: pipe clamps are heavy and large; hence the need to get several high-grade bar clamps will handle most daily tasks in your store, particularly until you have a practical workbench.

It can be easy for a woodworker to overlook the humble yet effective handsaw in an era of high-tech woodworking power tools and high-precision machinery. Although it appears basic, it is among the essential weekend woodworker tools every woodworker needs. 

Hand saws (in multiple varieties were initially used for multiple functions ranging from rip cuts down to delicate joinery and board length. Multiple hand tools purists often recommend from anywhere between 2 to 4 hand saws. Still, these hand tools are a suitable, affordable, and convenient alternative to power-cutting saws for weekend woodworkers with a tight budget. 

Smoothing plane

A smoothing plane is a fantastic weekend woodworker tool for a good reason. While many guides will often recommend weekend woodworkers to get a power planer/joiner, this is absolute baloney! Besides taking up substantial space and being rather expensive, they are also a total overload for typical weekend woodworkers. 

All planning can be accomplished with a single smoothing plane for simple weekend tasks. What's more, learning to be adept with smoothing planes will significantly reduce sanding time, which, to be honest, is arguably the worst aspect of woodworking. 

Routers

Another tool recommended for a weekend woodworker tool is a quality router. Essentially, routers help shape decorative contours on standard workpieces and are also ideal for cutting dados and rabbets. 

Many routers in the market offer two distinctive bases (plunge routers and stationary bases). Many weekend woodworkers find that quality base models will handle several tasks-and; they can also be mounted on a router table should you decide to get one. 

Unlike other tools, you must choose routers that feature at least a 2-hp motor in size. Also, some other features you should watch out for include electronic (variable) speed controls (larger cutting bits need slower speeds), easy-change bit collet, and a soft-start mechanism, among others. 

Power Drill

While many may expect to find a cordless power drill here, when discussing basic power tools suitable for weekend woodworkers, corded drills are more powerful and versatile. 

Ideally, cordless tools are more advantageous for better portability, but power drills are affordable and can handle more projects than cordless drills. However, there is no fit-it drill; hence, you may need to consider several factors like whether you should get half an inch or 3/8 inch chuck, keyless or even keyed chuck, straight drill, or hammer drill. Do your research before purchasing your power drill. 

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Conclusion

That’s it for this weekend's woodworker tools guide. Undeniably, this list is for the true weekend woodworker, and besides offering a couple of suitable & effective woodworker tools, it comprises affordable machinery that will suit your woodworker toolbox. Instead, its focus is on essential weekend woodworker needs. Hopefully, you’ll find the ideal woodworker tools to kick start your weekend woodworking journey!