Power Tools Used in a Wood Shop

Wood Lathe

• A wood lathe is used to make odd-shaped pieces of wood like spiral parts for chairs, gun stocks, bowls or candlesticks. If you are set on making furniture, the shop will need a wood lathe.The machine turns wood to make different shapes. A modern lathe has a small motor that turns the wood on an axle, and, as the wood turns, you use sharp implements to shape the wood as it turns. The machines come in various sizes and are designated by the maximum diameter of the material used. Lathes also specialize and have different purposes. For example, a pen lathe specializes in making small items like wooden writing pens. Another example, a floor lathe, handles large items like parts for furniture.

Table Saw

• A table saw sits below a table with the blade sticking up for cutting wood, which allows you to make straight and accurate cuts by pushing the wood through the blade on a flat table. The saws come in various sizes, and the type you buy depends on the type of wood cut in the shop. Small bench-type table saws are for contractors and handymen on the move while a heavy-duty cabinet saw is used by professional hardcore woodworkers who make furniture or other wood crafts that need a heavy-duty motor. The table saw also is used for ripping boards, which is cutting large boards in pieces or making specialized dado cuts for furniture projects.

Drill Press

• A drill press is used when you must drill accurate holes into an object. A good wood shop model comes with a 3/4-horsepower motor and a 5/8-inch chuck. If you need to make precision holes, you'll need a drill press. An ordinary portable drill moves in the hand so you cannot obtain a precision hole. A drill press uses a motorized drill which is mounted on a stand that allows you to raise and lower the drill. The mounted drill keeps the drill steady to allow for a precision hole. The drill press comes in bench-top models which sit on the work bench or in large floor models with their own stand.