Basic Woodworking Tools for Built-ins The tools on these two
pages are essential for most projects. You won't need all of
them to begin woodworking, but you will find all of them useful
by the time you've completed several projects.Tools for cutting
and shaping A crosscut saw cuts wood across the grain (rip saws
have special teeth to cut with the grain). A backsaw creates a
finer, more accurate cut and is typically used with a miter box
to cut accurate angles. The thin, narrow blade of a coping saw
follows tight curves. Look for saws with solid wood handles,
which are more comfortable and sturdy than hollow plastic ones.
A jack plane smooths and squares the long sides of larger pieces
of wood, while a block plane shaves their ends and angles. Wood
chisels pare away material and cut recesses. A rasp and a
Surform plane quickly remove wood. When buying these cutting
tools, look for precision machining. A sanding block holds
sandpaper flat and firmly as you smooth wood. For trimming small
pieces, a utility knife