The Best Multi-Tools For Woodworkers Top Awesome Inventions

The woodworker as he progresses in his abilities to work with wood realizes the usefulness of tools that can be used for more than one thing.  They are also surprised that some of the simplest tools are able to do a number of important jobs.

Cordless drills

One of the most common tools in any wood shop is probably the cordless hand drill. The drill is powered by a rechargeable battery so can be used anywhere including upside down in small spots. The drill bits come in a vast array of sizes and shapes and are easily changeable. They drill holes for any size hole in the wood you need. They can drill holes for screws, bolts, wooden pegs or if there is a need for an open small hole in the piece being made.

The corded drill can put in or take out any size screw. Metal, plastic or wood. After drilling the initial hole, the screw can be placed in the opening and by controlling the speed then tightens down and worked into the piece. For removing the screw, it can be done easily by putting the drill in reverse.

The drill can also be used to remove the stripped screw by changing the size to a larger drill bit. Then centering it on the stripped screw and slowly drilling. This makes the area slightly larger around the stripped screw. After a few minutes, the stripped screw can be removed, and the hole can be finished. Then a slightly larger screw put in the hole. This works on metal, wooden or plastic screws.

A set of Sockets can take the place of drill bits to do used on bolts and any other like shaped objects to be used in the wood pieces. While these are not threaded as screws are the smooth holes can be drilled using the right drill bit beforehand, and the socket attachment will put the piece into place and tighten it down.

Wood router

Almost all woodworking craftsmen will agree that a wood router’s uses and possibilities are endless. The machine itself is light enough to hold and use on large or small pieces of wood. It can be mounted on a table for more accurate work. There is also an electronically controlled version of the wood router.

There are numerous bits that come in three styles for different uses. The helical style bits are for drilling, shaping your wood project and trimming. You can use this style of bit to make the threads on wooden screws.

The profile style bits can be used for a vast variety of projects from shaping rounded edges to carving into the wood.  You can use this style bit to round the edges on straight corners or angels.

The third type of bit style are the fluted bits. These bits can be used for the cutting and shaping of edgings and trimming. The possibilities of these bits uses are only limited by the wood workers imagination and experience.

The Wood Lathe

The lathe is an awesome tool in the art of woodworking. By holding the wood and spinning it, the woodworker can use a variety of tools to carve and shape the wood. The use of the wood lathe goes back two centuries and is constantly being improved.

Today’s wood lathes come in a variety of sizes able to hold very large heavy pieces of wood, down to the very small table top wood lathes that hold small half -inch pieces of wood for tiny turned finished objects.

Using tools such as gouges, chisels, and end finishers the woodworker can create huge statues, legs for furniture, bowls, vases, and even tear drop size wooden pendants. A good woodworker knowing which tools to use and how to use them can start with a rough piece of wood and remove the finished piece of wood in a matter of an hour.

Chisels’ and their uses

Chisels are a group of hand tools used to refine and finish other wood tools cut and carving in woodworking. The chisels are tempered steel with different shaped ends. They usually have wooden handles on them. They are used by placing the metal end on the wood, and the handle end is then struck with a ball pin hammer or wooden mallet.

The most common uses for the chisels are finishing the joint holes. While a router is usually used for the making of a dovetail or mortises joint opening, it is usually a rough cut. The woodworker then comes back in with a beveled end chisel and slowly finishes the opening to the precise cut.

This is to be sure the joint fits together snugly. There should be no reason to use glue or any other type of adhesive on the wood joint. The use of glue or adhesive will cause the joint to loosen eventually and come apart.

The chisels are also used in hand carving. The woodworker can carve his design using different types of chisels, and each chisel has its signature mark as it cuts. This can be used to create different textures on the finished carving adding to the beauty of the piece.

Very small and thin ended chisels can be used to make delicate in laying cuts in the base wood of an inlay piece the woodworker is making. Although this type of work is for the master craftsman and not a beginner or intermediate woodworker. More modern tools, such as a Dremel tool, are better used by less experienced woodworkers.

Wood rasps and files

Wood rasps and files have some uses for the woodworker. The rasps are easier to control when only a small amount of wood is needed to be removed. Also, if the area that needs to be thinned is in a spot that a larger power tool cannot get at. Sometimes the woodworker does not notice the thickness difference in the pieces of wood until the piece has been put together. The rasp is easier to use than taking the piece apart.

The use of wood files in most woodworking is becoming obsolete. But there are still a number of ways they can be used. The files can reach places most other tools cannot. Very fine wood files are as good as sand paper when used right.

Small wood files can finish any rough spot on wooden musical interments and smooth any rough spots on fine inlay work where the sand paper would be too cumbersome and destroy the area around the rough spot that is trying to be smooth.

An Oscillating Tool

This is a tool that is not for the beginning woodworker. The reason being it is different than all the other power tools and the woodworker really needs to learn how to use it. The tool is fantastic in its abilities. This tool can do so many tasks that if the woodworker takes the time to learn how to use it will not regret the extra time spent learning how to use the tool.

The oscillating technology is very different in that the blades move back and forth. They do not rotate or move up and down. A lot of the time they do not look like the blades are even moving at all. There are about fifty different types of blades also that come with the machine. Each does something different. One type of blade is specifically for removing wood molding that has been nailed into place.

The blade can cut through the wood and metal nails with no problem. There is a series of blades that cut through different types of wood and make specific corner cuts. These work quickly and efficiently.

There are plunge cutting blades for making square cuts through the wood and carbide grinding blades for grinding areas of wood down. These and the plunge cutting blades work quickly and take a little getting used to.

Final Verdict

There are many awesome tools for woodworking that have multiple uses. The biggest thing will depend on the woodworker using them and his or her imagination while using them. The choice is always the woodworkers on how to use their tools in the ways that work best for them.