• The Tool Ontology
• Hand Tools
• Hand Tools – Measure and Marking
• Power Tools
• Power Tools – Portable
• Power Tools – Stationary

The Tool Ontology

Tools can be divided into hand tools versus power tools; or, stationary machines versus portable tools.

Tools can also be categorized by their action: sawing (spinning a cutting blade), drilling and routing (spinning a bit), or sanding.

Finally, tools can be categorized by their operation: milling, shaping, smoothing, finishing.

Some power tools, mostly stationary machines.

Take this table with a grain of salt. There's other tools, and other ways to divide the operations. Refer to this if it's helpful in making sense of the woodshop initially. Eventually you will learn your way around each specific tool, and that knowledge will replace this rough typology.

Hand Tools

Hand tools are quiet, relatively safe, and don't much sawdust. They don't require hearing protection, eye protection, or dust collection. They don't take much time to set up. They are sensitive to grain direction. They generally require more skill to use, and are often not compatible with composite woods such as plywood. The blades are generally sharper than power tool blades.

All hand tools in the shop, and all(?) hand tools that are still in use in the industrialized world, are portable.

Hand Tools – Measure and Marking

Power Tools

Power tools are fast. They require eye, ear, and breathing protection.

Power tools can be divided into portable tools, that are brought to the workpiece, and stationary machines, where the workpiece is brought to the tool.

Power Tools – Portable

Portable tools are brought to the workpiece. They require that the workpiece be held in place, by a clamp or jig. Portable tools come in three categories: hand tools, corded (power) tools, and cordless (power) tools.

Power Tools – Stationary

Stationary machines are more powerful than portable tools. They provide a table or bed, that holds the workpiece in position. The workpiece is brought to the machine.