Power Tools

All of the pictures and information about power tools shown below is a rough guide to show some of the most common and useful power tools used in woodwork.

There are pictures to show each tool but not to show the different types available of the same tool because it is only a guide. Some tools have been left out because I am focusing on ones that are specifically used or can be used for woodwork.

Belt Sander:
What it's used for:
A belt sander or portable belt sander is very similar to a linisher because that also sands with a belt only the belt sander is smaller and portable.

A belt sander is also similar to an orbital sander only it uses a sanding belt to sand where an orbital sander uses one piece of sandpaper. A belt sander also creates scratches if it is used against the woods grain but it removes more material than an orbital sander.

Parts it consists of:
Belt sanders also have plastic cases but they use a motor that turns a pair of drums where a sanding belt is mounted. They also allow for a dust collection bag to be fixed to the back of the sander to collect the sawdust made from sanding.

Biscuit Cutter:
What it's used for:
A biscuit cutter or biscuit joiner is used to cut the oval shaped holes in a piece of timber where the biscuit shaped pieces of timber are then inserted. It can be adjusted for different widths of timber and it is also very portable.

Parts it consists of:
The biscuit cutter has a hard plastic case and a metal base where the metal circular saw blade comes from. The circular saw blade only comes out a certain depth to cut the oval shaped holes.

Circular Saw:
What it's used for:
Circular saws are similar to jigsaws only the blade is round and much larger which means it is better for straight cuts. The circular saw is a much quicker alternative to a hand saw and it is more portable than a table saw.

Parts it consists of:
Like jigsaws it has a hard plastic or rubber casing and it also has a transparent plastic guard to prevent injuries. The blade is also large but not as large as a drop saw or table saw blade and it can be easily changed when it is blunt or damaged.

Drill:
What it's used for:
There are two types of drills and they are ones with cords and ones without cords.

The drills with cords are usually more powerful and do not need to be charged but the cordless drills are usually lighter and more portable. Drills are used for drilling holes or inserting and removing screws from a material.

Parts it consists of:
Most drills have a very tough plastic outer case for affordability and to resist breaking from drops. Drills work with drill bits which are inserted into the end of the drill and there are two types where one is for drilling holes and the other is for inserting or removing screws.

Electric Planer:
What it's used for:
Electric planers are the same as hand planers only they work automatically which makes planning much faster and easier. Electric planers also serve the same purpose as a hand planer which is to remove timber for smoothing a surface or to thin out a piece of wood.

Parts it consists of:
These power tools have plastic cases and less metal than hand planers although more expensive models may contain more metal components. They also look very similar to a regular planer which means they are easy to use have great stability and accuracy when using it.

Jigsaw:
What it's used for:
Jigsaws are power tools used for cutting curves much like a coping saw as it uses a similar sized blade only it cuts much quicker. Straight lines can be more challenging to cut and you can usually change the speed that the blade is moving.

Parts it consists of:
Jigsaws have hard plastic and rubber casings and most have the ability to have a dust collection bag attached to it. The blades are also very easy to change when they are broken or worn down.

Nail Gun:
What it's used for:
Nail guns do the same job as a hammer which is to drive nails into a material only they do it more efficiently and quickly.

Hammers are smaller and more portable but nail guns considerably cut effort and working time. They also have safety mechanisms to prevent the user from injuring themself.

Parts it consists of:
Nail guns drive nails into materials with gas or air pressure which is why they are so powerful and because of that reason they are usually all metal but some more affordable or more portable models may contain more plastic components.

A number of nails can be loaded into the gun so that the user can continually work with it unlike a hammer.

Orbital Sander:
What it's used for:
Orbital sanders are a unique and excellent sanding tool because they are small and portable but are also much quicker than hand sanding.

Orbital sanders rotate in a similar way to a disc sander only they use a random orbital sanding pattern and this feature allows the orbital sander to smooth out the timber without leaving behind deep scratches.

This means that you can sand two pieces of timber that are connected at right angles or sand against the grain and not worry about marks.

Parts it consists of:
Like most other power tools orbital sanders have a hard plastic or rubber case but they also have a soft base where sandpaper is attached.

Orbital sanders also only require a piece of sandpaper unlike belt sanders and they also suck up the sawdust when sanding through holes in the base of the tool.

Router:
What it's used for:
Routers are a portable and unique power tool because they can create curved edges and mill out timber making them very useful.

Routers contain router bits which allows the user to cut a hole in a piece of timber instead of using another power tool like a jigsaw or it can be used to create patterns and curve edges like you would see on a fancy coffee table.

Parts it consists of:
Routers have two handles for stability and they have a plastic case with a metal base plate. The depth of cuts can be adjusted and there are many different sorts of metal router bits that can mill out larger holes or create bigger or different patterns or curves.