List of requirements
A properly equipped workshop should include the tools listed below, many of which are available from good ironmongers and tools suppliers. Classified advertisements in woodworking and other trade magazines are also worth looking through.
Any bench mounted grindstone, operating at high speeds, must comply with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The poster outlining these regulations must be displayed. The grind- stone must be attached to a residual current device (RCD), and it must only be used by competent people. The wheels may only be changed by a person who has undergone an approved course for this, and only this person is allowed to adjust the rest.
Tools – general
Vice (metalwork). 105mm (4.25”) or 125mm (5”) vices with quick release jaws are recommended. Plastic inserts are available which fit onto the jaws and prevent damage to material being held in the vice.
Anvil. This can be improvised from any suitable heavy piece of steel, and should be attached to the work- bench.
Hand or electric drill. A hammer action electric drill is useful for drilling into walls when fitting out the workshop and toolstore.
Drill bits. Carbon steel or high speed steel (HSS) bits, in a selection of sizes from 3-10mm.
Ball pein hammers, 340g (12oz) and 680g (1.5lb).
Cross pein hammer, 340g (12oz).
Pin hammer, 110g (3.5oz).
Lump hammer, 1360g (3lb).
Screwdrivers, flat and cross-headed (see below).
Spanners, open-ended and ring, or combinatio type.
Pliers
Saws, tenon, panel, and ripsaw.
Hacksaw
Claw hammers, 455g (16oz) and 570g (20oz).
Saw set, to set teeth when sharpening saws.
Saw set (heavy duty), for scrub cutter and crosscut saws.
Cold chisels
Mallet, wooden, rubber or plastic.
Glass-paper, in coarse, medium and fine grades. Also silicon carbide (wet and dry) paper in selection of grades.
Oils. Light oil such as ‘3 in 1’ for use with oilstones. Vegetable oil for general oiling of tool heads. This becomes sticky with age, so do not buy in large quantities. Linseed oil for tool handles.
Rags
Safety goggles, manufactured to BS EN: 166.
Ear defenders (either plugs or muffs).
Wire brush
Ruler, preferably metal.
Pencils, 2B.
Tools – sharpening
Machine sandstone (vertical whetstone grinder). A 60rpm machine is suitable, being slow and working at a low temperature, so it will not ruin the temper of the tool head. The grinding wheel is suspended in a reservoir of water. A machine sandstone will cope with most grinding jobs, and is the machine to choose if only one grinding machine is to be purchased. It will however make slow work of grinding a badly damaged edge, such as on an axe, which is easier done on a bench grinder.
Bench grinder. This normally has one coarse and one fine grinding wheel. A grinder with 150mm (6”) wheels is suitable. The bench grinder works at a higher speed than a machine sandstone, and therefore greater care and skill is needed in its use, to avoid hollow grinding or damaging the temper of the tool head. Combination machines are available, which include a water-cooled sandstone and a high-speed dry grinding wheel.
Angle grinder. A hand-held power tool which can be used with a selection of grinding and cutting discs, or with abrasives on a rubber backing pad. Various models are available, with “no load” speeds of between 6,500 and 12,000 rpm, of which the lower speed is suitable. Great care is needed in their use, both for operator safety, and to avoid damage or overheating of the tool edge.
Files. Flat and half-round files in various sizes and cuts will be necessary. Single-cut files with teeth arranged in single diagonal rows are best for hard metals. Rasp-cut files are best for soft metals. 200-250mm (8-10”) coarse mill files with round edges are recommended for most jobs.
Oil stones, coarse and fine. An alternative is to have a combination stone, which is coarse on one side and fine on the other. One of the best such stones is the ‘India’, made from aluminium oxide (Aloxite). It should be used with a light oil such as ‘3 in 1’. If used properly, these stones will last for many years use, without ever any need for truing (rubbing flat).
Axe stone. This sharpening stone has one medium side and one fine side.
Canoe stone. A medium stone for sharpening billhooks and slashers.
Cigar stone. A coarse stone for sharpening curved tools such as scythes and grasshooks, and for honing in the field during use.
Note however that the shape of the stone does not always determine its grade or grit size, and if purchasing by post it is worth checking the grade before ordering.
Tools – rehafting
Surform. For shaping handles. Spare blades are obtainable.
Spokeshaves (flat and bevelled). For shaping handles.
Draw knife. For shaping handles. Quickly removes wood without clogging.
Wood chisels
Centre punch
Blunt-ended punch. This can be improvised from an old coach bolt. An alternative is a dolly, made from a piece of hardwood.
Metal wedges, selection of sizes.
Rivets. These can be made from round nails of the correct diameter.
Storage
Hand tools should be stored in purpose-built racks, preferably inside lockable cupboards. See section on storage of small tools.
Power tools should be stored in accordance with the manufacturer ’s instructions.
