Woodworking Tools
for Best Construction Practices

Woodworking Tools: Knowing beforehand What you Need

Getting creative in your miniature hobby will possibly lead you down the road to building and designing your own doll house creations. So you will need great tools.

Types of tools you will need to purchase are:

Basic Hand Category

Basic hand devices consist of an all-purpose saw; a fretsaw - to cut out windows, doors and such; tenon saw for cutting lengths of wood; junior hacksaw for cutting slates and tiles; needle-nose pliers for getting into small corners; light weight hammer; pin push for applying nails in small locations and a small plane.

Sandpapers of Different Grades

A selection of different grade papers will be useful. This way you can have on hand everything needed for dealing with very rough surfaces. Plus the required grades for any finer sanding you will need to do at the completion of projects you are working on. A fine-tooth file will come in handy for smoothing very rough edges.

Cutting Knives

For furniture making you will need a small razor saw, a Stanley knife and a good exacto knife with a selection of different shaped blades. Always stock plenty of spare blades as well. Just to have sufficient on hand.

Mitre Box

This is for cutting exact degree angles in your miniature projects.

Metal Ruler

This is for making accurate lengths and measurements as well as achieving straight lines. It is also good to note that it can also be an excellent cutting edge.

For Accurate Right Angles

In this instance we recommend using a small engineer's set-square and a jig designed specifically for miniatures.

Miscellaneous Category

Some suggestions would be to have a crafter's self-healing mat, a number of small clamps for holding things together as glues dry, fine bradawl for making small holes, drill with small bits, pair of tweezers for placing small details, hard printer's roller for applying thin coats of paint; modeling devices for marking wet putty and a plastic syringe for applying tiny spots of glue neatly.

While on the Subject of Woodworking Tools, though... Use this handy Scale Calculator to make sure all your patterns are set to any Scale you happen to be working in.

• masking tape
• toothpicks
• sponges
• scraps of wood for testing stains and such
• pencils
• erasers
• scissors
• glue or putty spatulas
• clean rags
• nail brush for stippling large areas
• white glue
• multipurpose glue
• goggles
• stippling brush for stippling smaller areas
• assorted sized paint brushes
• dust masks
• paper scraps for testing paint colors

For more information about woodworking tools in general check out this page with its accompanying articles to read.

Things to remember with tool purchases

1. As with all woodworking tools you buy always remember they can be used on different occasions not just for your doll house hobby. So for this reason they are a great investment whenever you purchase them.


2. A word of caution however, always check the tools and materials list of any new project you may be starting. This way you will always be sure to have on hand the exact tool needed for each task.


3. When buying your items always purchase the best quality tool you can afford. A good tool will often perform better and last a lifetime. So it pays to shop around for what you want. Online purchases enable you to do great price comparisons as you shop as well.

Remember Safe use of all Woodworking
Tools for a great Finish to Your Hobby

1. Always use any device correctly and safely and follow any safety guidelines.


2. Wear protective goggles or face mask depending on the job at hand.


3. Choose nontoxic paint products and fungicide-free wallpaper paste whenever possible especially if your miniature is intended for a child.


4. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after working with paint, glue, putty, or paste to avoid the risk of ingesting toxic chemicals.

And with all that is said and done with your hobby, be sure to play and have fun as you create your own mini world.