Tools

Tools (Updated 2/5/13)

Can a woodworker every have enough tools? I doubt it. But I'm not a real woodworker. These are the tools I use in to make my wooden trains. When I built my first train my only power tools were a table saw and a hand drill. It was enough—barely. I added tools to my collection in roughly the order they appear below. The images are the actual tools I own if anyone cares (images lifted from the internet of course--mine aren't this clean!).

I’m a big fan of Harbor Freight. They sell cheap, low quality tools that I wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. Some people feel strongly about owning only high quality tools. I’d love to fill my workshop with the best tools but with my budget I’d rather have a wide variety of less expensive tools than just a few nice ones. Also, since I use my tools very lightly I’ve not had serious problems with lack of quality. For example, a nice Delta tabletop drill press from Sears runs about $300. I picked up a basic (but adequate) Central Machinery drill press from Harbor Freight on sale for $55 and I love it.

Table Saw

I think a table saw is invaluable but I suppose you could get by without it. You would have to spend a lot more money on dowels and thin, precut boards.

Hand Drill

A hand drill can be used in lots of ways, like drilling holes. You know.

Drill Press

A drill press is very helpful in making precision axel holes and rounding imperfect wood wheels.

Disk/Belt Sander

I don’t have the patience to do a lot of hand sanding. A disk sander, belt sander, or combination of the two saves a lot of time. I’ve found a disk sander, in particular, to be very useful in removing excess wood material from a piece which would be too delicate for a table saw but too time consuming to sand off by hand.

Band Saw

Some cuts require more precision than a table saw can provide. A band saw (or a scroll saw) can be ideal for detail work.

Mini-Table Saw

Some train components are small and delicate. Working on a full size table saw with very small wood pieces is unwise at best. I now use a band saw and this nifty mini-table saw for small, detailed work. This 4” table saw from Harbor Freight is called the Mighty Might. It only cuts to a depth of ¾” but keeping my fingers attached and has been well worth the $30 investment. Proxxon and Micro-Lux also make mini-tables saws but they are much more expensive.

Dremel Rotary Tool

A rotary tool is nice for creating odd shapes. I also find it very useful for cutting brass tubing I use for axels.

Router

My newest tool is a router. I've haven't used it much for actually building trains but I'm starting to dabble with building track.

Combination Square

I have a small, 6" combination square that I find terribly useful for drawing perpendicular lines on trains both during construction and finishing.