I’ve been doing basic woodworking for a while, and I want to start moving into furniture (mostly for my own enjoyment). I strongly prefer the aesthetics of craftsman/mission/prairie style (Gustav Stickley, et al.) I’m trying to make a list of the basic power tools that would be necessary/useful for that style of furniture, along with hand tools, and I’d appreciate feedback from people with more experience than I.

I already have a very basic work bench; I think that I probably need to make a work bench that I can use bench dogs on; a roubo workbench be ideal. I also definitely need to make an infeed and outfeed table for my table saw so I can work with plywood sheet more easily.

(I have a number of these, but not everything.)

Table saw (ideally a cabinet saw)

-miter gauge

-dado blade

-tenoning jig

Miter saw

Band saw (ideally 2; one that could do re-saw work, and a smaller one for cutting curves)

Jointer (ideally long bed)

Planer

Router

-tongue and groove set

Drill press (?)

Mortising machine

Random orbit sander

Finish sander

Dust collection

Dovetail jig set (for drawers)

Doweling jig (?)

Hand planes (kind of a long list here…)

Chisels

-mortising chisels

-paring chisels

-flushing chisels

Card scraper

Marking tools

-Scribe

-marking knife

Combination square

Tape measure

Calipers w/ depth gauge

Clamps

-Parallel clamps

-pipe clamps, etc.

Is there anything that I’m missing that I should be thinking about? (Quick edit - I don’t have a lathe on here because I have zero interest in turning anything. I don’t think that things like a belt or spindle sander, or a shaper, would really do much of anything for the style I prefer. A router table might be useful though.)

  • @Death_Equity
    4•1 month ago

    You may love that style and have every intention of only doing that style, but you will likely need/want to make something of a different style.

    Consider a scroll saw instead of a second band saw. They can do tighter turns and save you having to do more work to get the edge to the line. An oscillating drum sander can be a huge help for finishing curves that bandsaw can’t get at, but a jeweler’s saw can also make the curve.

    A drill press is really great if you need to drill a hole or make plugs, preferably one with a tilting bed and fixtures for clamping.

    Mallets, both wood and rubber.

    However many clamps you think you need, double or triple that. Consider getting the ratchet strap type clamps, they can be really awesome for some glue ups where you can’t put calls on the piece. Clamps are a great gift idea too.

    Get a router and then buy the plate and make a table router, but having a hand router and a table router would be more convenient.

    • @[email protected]
      1•1 month ago

      This guys got it right (as well as the guy below, buy as you need) I would just like to add I think a drill press is definitely an important tool.

      You can get mortising kits for them which would be very useful for this type of furniture. It can also be useful in making all sorts of round shapes, like the kind you’d find under the arm of a craftsman style chair. Usefull for making jigs and drill press jigs like making evenly spaced dowel holes for spindle backed chairs.

      Just a very useful tool.