Essential Woodworking Machines & Power Tools

Woodworking machines are precise power tools that are typically far too large and heavy to be portable, which means that they're rarely found on a job site. Instead, these tools will be most likely confined to your wood shop. Fortunately, they're so useful that you'll be quite willing to build your fine woodworking projects in your wood shop and carry the projects to your final destination.

While there are many additional woodworking machines not discussed in this article, the following are probably the most versatile fine woodworking machines & tools that are designed primarily for use in the wood shop.

Table Saws: The Workhorses Of The Wood Shop

The Table Saw is undoubtedly the most versatile machine in any shop, and should be the woodworker's first machine purchase. A good table saw becomes the centerpiece of the workshop, as the woodworker uses it to rip, square, miter, groove, shape and join pieces. A quality table saw will make completing nearly any woodworking project easier.

Table Saw Features

Every table saw should have a smooth, heavy work surface, a handle for raising and lowering the saw blade, a separate handle for adjusting the angle of the blade and connections for dust collection. The saw should have a strong motor that starts smoothly with little vibration and enough horsepower to make deep cuts through harder woods.

Safety Equipment

Every table saw should include a blade guard, to protect the woodworker from the exposed saw blade, and a large, easily accessible on/off switch. Most modern table saws utilize a large paddle switch that is pulled to turn on the saw, and pushed to turn it off. As such, when the woodworker's hands are busy steadying the material being cut, they can turn the saw off merely pressing their knee against the switch.