As all woodworkers know you can spend a lifetime as well as a fortune buying woodworking tools. But there are a couple of vital tools for a home workshop. There are three must have tools that every DIY wood working shop must have. The first is a good tablesaw they can be used for ripping and cutting dadoes. The second is a bandsaw although many cuts that can be accomplished with a bandsaw can also be made with a jigsaw I believe the bandsaw is an absolute. And finally every wood shop needs to have a router.

Table saws have three basic configurations a contractors style table saw, a hybrid Delta table saw and a cabinet style Delta table saw. The contractors style is generally the least expensive and is built to fold up and be put in the back of a work truck, this makes it a great option for the homeowner who has limited space. A cabinet style Delta table saw is generally larger and has at least a 3 hp motor on it and can accommodate a 10 inch blade. These are designed to be used in one place so you must have a dedicated spot for it. They are generally larger than the other styles of table saws and are built to last a lifetime. A hybrid table saw falls in between the two is usually a lighter duty unit like that of the contractors Delta table saw but built into a conventional cabinet these are a great option for the homeowner who has to live with in his budget.

Routers are an indispensable tool that every wood worker should have. Nowadays router bits can be bought in a virtually unlimited number of different edge profile. Whether you want to round off a corner or you are building raised panel doors a wood working router is indispensable. Router bits come in with three shank diameters 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ most router bits available today are carbide tipped.

A band saw allows the wood worker to cut tight curves and circles and also allows the wood worker to re-saw their stock into narrower pieces. Yes you can cut circles with a jigsaw but the band saw will let you to do this much faster and with greater accuracy. Band saws come in a bench top design or a floor model. Bench top models generally have a small throat clearance, generally in the 6 inch range while floor models generally start out at about 12 inches and go up from there most of your larger commercial band saws have a least a 20 inch throat.