Anika Gandhi

Beginner
Woodworking Tools
Checklist
Before we start -

I want to welcome you to the world of DIY and woodworking!

If you are reading this, I bet you are wondering if you have enough tools
or the right ones to get started. I am here to tell you that you do not
need to spend hundreds of dollars on tools.

You do not need to buy all the tools in one go.

Start small. Pick a small project. Get the tools you need for it.

As you get more confident, pick more involved projects - buy the tool
you need for it.

I have listed 7 of my most used and favorite tools - pretty much in the
order I acquired them. Almost 90% of the woodworking projects on my
site use only these tools.

If you would like to buy the exact tools I use and recommend, take a look
at at them here.

I also have a list of essentials I stock up on in my workshop.

Check out the Woodworking 101 hub for lots of beginner-friendly tool
tutorials and information.

Lastly and most importantly - be sure to follow all the safety

precautions and follow all manufacturer guidelines while using tools.

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 2 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

ONE
POWER DRILL

A cordless drill is the

most used power tool
– not just in
woodworking but also
for simple projects
around the house.

Over the years I have

tried a few power drills
- Milwaukee Tools,
Dewalt,
WORX and Ryobi
One+.

The Dewalt is my favorite because it is lightweight, smaller and powerful.

The others are great too!

The WORX Switchdriver is another one of my favorites with its dual bits
and is great for pre-drilling and driving. However, you do need another
power drill for woodworking tasks like drilling pocket holes etc.

If you are starting out, I would recommend getting a Dewalt or Ryobi -

whichever fits your budget.

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 3 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

TWO
MITER SAW
A miter saw is my
favorite saw!

I highly recommend
this as a beginner saw
because it is easy to
use, precise and easy
to keep your hands
away from the blade.

You want to definitely

get a compound miter
saw. This allows you to
make straight, angled
and beveled cuts.

If you have the budget, a sliding compound miter saw is good to have as it
increases the width of boards you can cut with it.

Read more about miter saw and how to use it with my detailed article and
video here.

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 4 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

THREE
POCKET HOLE JIG (KREG JIG)
This! If you plan to
build furniture, you
NEED to have a
Kreg Jig!

The Kreg Jig
K4 was the first
thing I bought when
I decided I wanted
to build the kids a
table.

The Kreg Jig makes it super easy to create strong durable joints. I have a
full tutorial explaining exactly how to use a Kreg Jig with video and lots of
tips and tricks.

I also have a full video course walking you step by step through all the
things you need to know to master the Kreg Jig here!

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 5 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

FOUR
RANDOM ORBITAL SANDER
The most important step to
woodworking is preparing
furniture for staining or
painting.

The prep work determines

how great your finished
project will look.

Sanding the wood to

create the perfectly
smooth surface is critical.
You most certainly need an electric random orbital sander.

Sure you could sand it by hand, but trust me, your arms will thank you for
the electric sander. Plus, it is so much faster!

Depending on your budget, I would recommend getting a good quality

sander (like the Bosch) I use. It makes a huge difference in how well the
dust collection works (which is very important).

There are other types of sanders too but the random orbital sander is the
most versatile.


Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 6 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

FIVE
CIRCULAR SAW

Many people recommend a

circular saw as the starting
saw.

It is definitely more versatile

(and less expensive) than a
miter saw - it can cut boards
and also rip down huge
sheets of plywood.

The reason I don’t recommend it as the first/ beginner saw is -

• It take a bit of practice to make accurate cuts with the circular saw -
especially angled cuts.

• You need to make/set up a guide to help use it.

• If the guide isn’t setup perfectly, the blade can bind and cause lots of
frustrations.

However, like most tools, you can learn to use them efficiently.

Tip – I love using them with the Kreg rip cut for quick and perfect accurate
cuts – especially when I need to make identical multiple cuts.


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SIX
JIG SAW

The jigsaw is a simple saw that

you can use to cut out curved
lines. This opens up huge
possibilities in the designs you
can make  – from basic circles to
complicated swirls.

SEVEN
BRAD NAILER
It is basically a power nailer.
However, it is really not an
essential tool. You can totally
use a basic hammer and nails –
which is what I did for the first 3
years of building. But ever since
I bought this, it has made all the
projects so much easier AND
faster!

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 8 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi

 MEET ANIKA

Anika Gandhi is the creator behind

Anika’s DIY Life where her goal is to
inspire and empower beginners with
woodworking, DIY, home
improvement and home decor ideas.

In her previous life, she was a PhD

Scientist/Engineer. She grew up in
India with zero exposure to DIY or
power tools. She picked up a power
drill for the first time 8 years ago and
realized she could build her own
furniture! She wants everyone to
unlock their creative potential and
experience the feeling that comes
with making something. All her
projects are approachable and easy
to follow while also adding a unique personality to them. She wants people to see her
projects and think to themselves - “I can make that!”

She won the Best Creative Skill Blog (International) at the 2019 Amara Interior Blog
Awards. She has been published in Molly Makes and featured in Family Handyman,
Popular woodworking and Highland woodworking. Her work has been showcased in many
sites including Apartment Therapy, HGTV.com, DIY Network.com and Buzzfeed.

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 If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at
anika@anikasdiylife.com

_______________________________________________

I can’t wait to see what you make!

Upload and share a photo of your completed project by tagging

me on any of the following social media:

facebook.com/anikasdiylife

instagram.com/anikasdiylife/

pinterest.com/anikasdiylife/

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!!

Beginner Woodworking Tools Page 10 of 10 (C) Anika Gandhi