In almost any variety of home crafting, power tools make a noticeable difference - most jobs can be done easier, faster, and with more precision than by hand. There are two general categories of power tools - portable and bench-mounted.
Portable Power Tools
Portable tools are not as accurate as bench tools, but their convenience and mobility may easily justify their purchase.
Electric drill is the most versatile of all portable power tools. Hole-drilling is its regular duty, but attachments are available for sanding, polishing, grinding, routing, turning, sawing, and many other jobs. Check into the assortment of attachments - you will probably put an electric drill at the top of your tool shopping list.
Electric handsaw is very useful for cutting large sheets of plywood and lengths of standard-sized lumber. It's easy to handle and maneuver - you simply guide the saw along the line you're cutting. Blade diameters range from 4½ to 12 inches. A special table is available for converting a power handsaw into a table saw.
Saber saw is a popular tool because of its ability to make both straight and intricately-curved cuts - and it is priced relatively low. It will cut wood up to 2 inches thick, and blades are available for cutting sheet metal, plastic, and rubber. Attachments include a rip guide and an angle base. You can easily make cut-outs or do key-hole work by riding the saw on the tip of its "shoe" and slowly lowering it to cut through.
A router makes smooth, groove-type cuts. It is very handy for making joints - including rabbet, dado, mortise-and-tenon, and dovetail - and it's also useful for beading and inlaying. Attachments are available for quick conversion into a saber saw, orbital sander, or electric plane.
Orbital sander has a sanding pad that moves in a tiny circle, allowing you to sand either with or across the wood grain. You can do both heavy and finish sanding, depending upon the coarseness of the abrasive paper you attach.
Vibrator, or reciprocating sander, can also be used for either heavy-duty or fine finishing work (depending upon the abrasive) but has a pad that moves back and forth in a straight line. Belt sander must be kept moving with the grain at all times, as the sanding belt moves in only in one direction. It is useful for sanding large, flat surfaces where you want to remove large quantities of wood rapidly.
Bench-Type Power Tools
For furniture making, there are two bench-type power tools commonly found in the home shop; the table saw and the drill press. The lathe is very handy for turning furniture legs and round pieces, and the jointer precisely smooth edges and faces of boards, but most craftsmen consider both to be more luxury than necessary. The table saw is extremely useful for accurately cutting both large and small pieces of wood. It is usually equipped with a ripping fence for long, accurate cuts, and a miter gauge for precise cutting of ends and various angles in shorter pieces. Several accessories are available for special cuts and particular shaping jobs.
Drill press is designed for drilling accurate, uniform holes. Most presses are equipped with stops for easy control of angle and depth. For projects that require a lot of hole-drilling, a drill press is invaluable. The machine is also handy for mortising and - with attachments - shaping, routing, and drum sanding.
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