Setting up a woodworking workshop is not as complicated, or as expensive as it seems. There is no need to pay out a fortune for up to the minute woodworking machinery and to mechanise everything. Much of the pleasure from actually working with wood comes from using hand tools and getting the feel of the wood. This does, of course, depend on what type of woodworker you are.

A basic woodworking kit includes tools which allow the measuring, cutting and shaping of wood. Add to this a selection of joining tools and basic safety equipment, and you are ready to go. Power tools are not included here because the extra equipment can be added later as the need arises.

Measuring tools include a marking gauge, a pair of compasses for drawing curves and a steel rule. A set square and pencil are essential for marking the wood. As the old saying goes, ‘measure twice, mark, and cut once’.

Cutting tools include a selection of saws with varying tpi (teeth per inch). Different woods require different saws and ripping through a delicate veneer with a rip saw is not going to give the best of results. Three saws ranging from 7 to 15 tpi should be sufficient. A hacksaw and a selection of pliers, plus a drill with bits in different sizes completes the cutting tool selection.

Wood chisels, a range of planes of different sizes, a rasp and a scraping knife will provide enough equipment to shape wood without too much trouble. Add to this a sanding block and a utility knife and shaping and smoothing almost any wood should be fairly easy.

Joining pieces of wood together requires hammers, nails, screws, screwdrivers, clamps and wooden dowelling to be used for pegging two pieces of wood together, and don’t forget to wear the essential safety equipment which is a pair of goggles.

This is a basic tool kit but it will cover most eventualities. Equipment like bandsaws, jointers, routers and expensive woodworking machinery that can do almost everything by itself once set up, are items that can be added later.

Basic woodworking requires a minimum of outlay on equipment, but as with all tools, it is wise to buy good quality. State of the art Italian woodworking machinery that can do everything from fretwork to cutting a dovetail joint for a table top, is just a dream for most amateur woodworkers, simply because of the cost.

Setting up a kit is simple and won’t cost a fortune. The minimum requirements are a selection of saws of different grades, ranging from a rip saw, to a fine fretsaw for cutting things like fine veneer and close grained woods. A range of chisels and planes in varying sizes is essential for shaping and smoothing the wood.

Saws should be kept sharp and if you don’t have know how to sharpen them yourself, it’s a good idea to take them to a specialist DIY shop which has the expertise and equipment to do this for you. Chisels and plane blades can be sharpened on a whetstone, but it is essential to keep the blades at the correct angle.

Fixing two pieces of wood together requires special wood glue, a hammer, pins, nails, screws, or dowelling rods, according to the project in hand. It is useful to learn a selection of methods and to keep the materials and tools handy.

Finishing a piece of woodwork requires a lot of hard work if you don’t have an electric sander, but emery cloth, or sandpaper in various grades will still do an excellent job. Start with the coarser grained paper and gradually work down to the fine one.

Once the item is complete and sanded to perfection, you will need a tin of wax which can be rubbed into the wood to give a soft finish, or some wood stain and varnish, according to the finished effect you are looking for.

Very cheap woodworking kits which can be bought for a few pounds on markets are usually a waste of money and won’t do a good job because they don’t hold their edge and the blades soon become dull. So, buy the best you can afford.