A good deal of shop work can involve planning and designing jobs. If you have not done so, outfit your workshop with plenty of paper, drawing tools, tape and planning aids, plus a desk lamp and a comfortable stool. Such creature comforts will help increase your enjoyment of home and workshop projects.
When rounding out your workshop tools, consider adding two of the handiest tools used in shops of old-timers: a drawknife and a spokeshave. For the occasional job a drawknife can be used instead of the router for beveling work. It’s fast and it can make fine cuts without any chatter marks. A spokeshave is like a plane with handles, making it easy to control the depth of cut for a perfect surface.
Shop injuries often can happen when something is difficult to remove and excess pressure is applied. When using heavy force, especially with tools like a screwdriver or a needle-nose pliers, think ahead to what will happen if the tool slips off. If it could hit a part of your body, search for an alternative removal method.
