As every wood worker knows you can spend many years as well as a small fortune collecting wood working tools. But there are a few essential tools for a home workshop. There are three must have tools that every DIY woodworking shop must have. The first is a good table saw they can be used for ripping and cutting dadoes. The next tool is a bandsaw although many cuts that can be accomplished with a bandsaw can also be made with a saber saw 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 tablesaw and a cabinet style tablesaw. The contractors style is usually the cheapest and is built to fold up and be stowed in the back of a truck, this makes it a great option for the do-it-yourselfer who has limited space. A cabinet style tablesaw is usually more heavy-duty and comes with a 3 hp motor on it and can accommodate a 10 inch blade. These are meant to be used in one place so you must have a good spot for it. They are usually larger than the other styles of table saws and are built with longevity in mind. A hybrid table saw falls in between the two is generally lighter built like that of the contractors tablesaw but built in a cabinet these are a great option for the wood worker on a budget.

Routers are an extremely versatile tool that all woodworkers need. Today router bits can be found in an unlimited number of different configuration. Whether you just need to chamfer a corner or you are building cabinet a woodworking router is a must-have. Router bits are available with three shank diameters 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" most router bits on the market today are anti kickback.

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