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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
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In addition to various hand tools, a well-stocked workshop includes a power drill, circular saw, and a power sander. There are however, many other application-specific power tools that could also come in handy. Consider the following information when buying and using power tools.
Choose quality tools with enough power and versatility for the intended work. If available, in each category of power tools that offers a choice, select a model with a variable-speed motor that will give you more control of the tool than would a fixed-speed or multiple-speed motor. Look for safety features such as safety guards, automatic shut-off switches, and double insulation to minimize the chance of electrical shocks. Before using any tool, read the instructions that accompany the tool; as you use it, be safety conscious. Never force a tool to perform work for which it was not designed. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes, ear protectors where appropriate, and a dust mask if the work you are doing is producing a fine dust. When not using a power tool, keep it unplugged. Never operate a tool if it is damaged. Keep all cutting edges sharp and clean and replace those that are too dull to properly sharpen.
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1.
Drills
Power drills, electric (corded) or cordless, are available in standard sizes of 1/4-, 3/8-, and 1/2- inch models (Fig. 1). These measurements refer to the size of the chuck opening, which is the part of the drill that tightens to hold the drill bit or attachment you're using. The best choice for most do-it-yourselfers is an electric drill with a 3/8-inch chuck, a variable-speed motor, and a reversing switch. Standard drill-bit sets are available in sizes from 1/16 to ¼ inch; a set of wood-boring (spade) bits allow you to drill holes up to 1 inch or more in diameter. Other accessories convert your power drill into a power driver, grinder, sander, or paint stirrer.
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2.
Saws
The very versatile circular saw (Fig. 2) is capable of crosscutting, ripping, and beveling boards or sheets of plywood quickly and cleanly as well as creating a variety of joints, such as miters, laps, and dadoes. The size of a circular saw correlates to the diameter in inches of the largest blade it will accept. Models that take a 7-¼-inch-diameter blade are the most popular. A circular saw can accept several types of blades. For general use, carbide-tipped saw blades stay sharp longest, and they are the best for achieving smooth, precise cuts. A good choice for the do-it-yourselfer who wants to buy only one blade is a combination, or general-purpose, blade; a serviceable blade collection though, would include a rip, a combination, and a fine-tooth crosscut blade. You can also buy blades designed to cut masonry, metal, and ceramic. Some safety features to consider in a circular saw include an additional safety switch that must be depressed before the trigger will work and a blade brake that will stop the blade from spinning almost the moment you release the trigger. An arbor lock will secure the arbor nut and prevent the blade from turning while you are changing a blade.
For quicker and more accurate cuts than you can get with a circular saw, you might consider a table saw (Fig. 3) or a power miter saw (Fig. 4). Both can quickly and accurately crosscut lumber and can also cut dadoes, bevels, and miters. A table saw is the most versatile for ripping, especially sheet material such as plywood. A power miter saw, also called a chop saw, is designed to cut precise straight and angled crosscuts on boards.
A reciprocating saw is great for cutting the last ½ inch of a board that your circular saw can't get to, for cutting rough openings in sheathing, for demolition work, or for cutting misplaced anchor bolts out of the way. (Fig. 5)
Although primarily designed for making curved cuts of any shape, a saber saw, which is designed for a wide range of light work, will also cut short straight-line cuts, much like a handsaw would (Fig. 6). Saber saws are available with a mechanism for rotating the blade while cutting. Called scrolling, this feature enables you to exercise more control when making small cuts. Saber saws, also known as jigsaws, are usually rated according to blade speed (strokes per minute) and the stroke length of the blade (the distance the blade moves up and down while operating).
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3.
Routers
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A router can quickly shape edges, cut grooves, profile moldings, and make furniture joint cuts such as dadoes, rabbets, mortise-and-tenons, and dovetails. A router with a fixed base will be adequate for occasional and uncomplicated use, but a good-quality plunge router is much more versatile (Fig. 7). The motor on a plunge router is attached to two rods; this allows you to plunge the bit into the middle of a workpiece (can't be done with a fixed-base router) and to adjust depth stops in order to make a deep cut in a series of successively deeper passes. When choosing a router, you must also decide on the size of collet, which is the small part that holds the bit. Routers with ¼-inch collets are less expensive and can be satisfactory for small tasks and infrequent use but a model with a ½-inch collet will hold larger bits and perform tougher work. Router bits are available in dozens of shapes. Like saw blades, router bits with carbide-tipped edges will stay sharp longer, though high-speed steel will cost less.
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4.
Sanders
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Electric sanders can save many hours of monotonous hand sanding. Orbital sanders move the sandpaper in a circular motion. Oscillating sanders move the paper back and forth. Disc sanders spin the paper, and belt sanders turn a continuous-loop sanding belt. Most of these sanders are good for general-purpose work, but they must be followed up with hand sanding to remove the scratch marks they leave behind. In recent years two other sanders have been developed: the random-orbit sander and the detail, or triangle, sander. Random-orbit sanders are so named because of the random circular (orbital as well as a back-and-forth) movement of the sanding pad and thus the sandpaper. When used correctly, random-orbit sanders remove and smooth wood quickly with barely noticeable sanding marks. Detail sanders, which usually have a small triangular pad, are good for sanding tight areas, including inside corners and edges. The pad moves in an orbital fashion, producing arc-shaped oscillations that in turn sand and smooth the wood.
To begin with, invest in a portable belt sander and a random-orbit sander (Fig. 8). Use the belt sander when you have to sand down a lot of wood quickly. Use the random-orbit sander to prepare and smooth wood for finishing.
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