The woodworking equipment you need to make your life easier

Collaborative Post | With a wealth of quality woodworking machinery on the market, choosing the best equipment to make your life easier can be challenging and expensive.

Yet the good news is that you don’t have to buy everything new. Many quality used and refurbished items to make your life easier are available from suppliers such as Calderbrook Woodworking Machinery, and it’s likely to be easier on your bank balance too! Keeping this in mind, let’s look at what you may not have in your workshop that you might want to consider.

Photo by Bailey Alexander on Unsplash

​Tools to help a woodworking shop run smoothly:
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• Table saw – no matter whether you run on a large or small scale, a table saw is a must. They are faster, more accurate and come with a wide range of jigs. They make life easier than using a mitre/circular saw combination. Table saws can help with mitre cutting and cross cuts, and the right size mitre saw can double as a workbench. Buying a used or refurbished mitre saw can help you get a better saw for your budget than purchasing new.
• Planer thicknesser – again, no matter the size or productivity of your woodworking shop, a planer thicknesser will make life easier when you need a precise thickness or when you want to straighten up any unwanted bends in your wood.
• Wide belt sander – if you take your woodworking seriously, then a wide belt sander that allows finishing, calibration, denibbing and planning, as well as the option to add a bottom sander so you can work both sides of the material in one go, are recognised as one of the most significant labour saving devices for a woodwork shop. You don’t need to be a tech whizz! Modern computer versions are straightforward to operate and control.
• CNC Router – you might consider this a luxury, but once purchased, you will love the flexibility and accuracy it gives you to create high-quality cut pieces. The high productivity rate achievable with the computer interface makes your life easier and your products of high quality that are easily replicated. It could change your way of working for the better without extra strain on your muscles.
• Ergonomic working – a range of workbenches, lift tables, and workstations are available to make your life easier and more comfortable. They will reduce strains and injuries and ensure that your working environment has the tools to protect the workforce from accidents caused by heavy lifting or awkward operating practices.
• Combination machines – if space is at a premium, you could make life easier with a woodworking machine that performs multiple tasks. You can saw panels and rip, use it at a planer thicknesser or use a spindle moulder for shaping.
• Chisels certainly don’t come under big equipment, but they are a prerequisite of most woodworking shops, so it pays to buy the best you can afford. They will last longer and make resharpening better.
• Clamps – again, not in the big league, but holding your work together with suitable clamps is a must. It will prevent accidents if your material is held securely while you work or while any glue hardens. You aren’t an octopus, so use suitable clamps to make your life easier. 

It’s Not All About The Tools 
Lastly, we must mention dust extraction equipment. This might not seem to make your life instantly easier, but it will undoubtedly make it more comfortable. Wood dust causes serious health problems, so having the right dust extraction equipment in place should be considered essential. No matter how well-ventilated your workshop is, the dust created when working with wood is immense. Settled dust particles will, over time, impact your lungs considerably, making life harder. A suitable dust extractor unit will reduce the amount of damaging dust in the air. Some machinery can include local exhaust ventilation. However, we always recommend you take expert advice to choose the best overall solutions for your environment.


Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post