Once upon a time, power tools were boys’ toys. But today there is a growing trend of women using power tools. Some say these women are putting the “make” in homemaker. They build furniture. They hang paintings on the walls and they think nothing of hitting Home Depot for screws, wood or a miter saw–without the help of a man.
The trend has caught the attention of manufacturers and led to many more options for women, including tool belts, tool boxes and even tools themselves coming in more fashionable colors. DIY sites for women are popping up all over the net and woman such as Ana White of Knock Off Wood are teaching women to “just say yes” to working with drills, saws and nail guns.
If you are a woman and want to take the plunge into wood working and power tools, stop hesitiating and dive in! Wondering what you need to begin? It doesn’t take much to get going on your first project.
Safety Glasses: safey first when using power tools! You don’t want sawdust (or worse) in your eyes.
Saw: A circular saw, jig saw, miter saw or table saw will do the trick but a miter or table saw are your best bets for straight cuts.
Drill: A battery powered drill and a set of basic drill bits are all you need to get started. For furniture making, a counter sink bit is nice but it’s not necessary.
Nail Gun: Don’t forget the air compressor! That’s what gives the nail gun it’s power. Using a nail gun can be intimidating at first but as you grow accustomed to the way it works, you will learn to love it’s ease. In the time it takes to bang in one nail with a hammer, you can nail an entire piece of wood down.
Screws, nails, wood putty and sand paper are all you need to round out your collection and you will be ready to start building with power tools. Now choose a simple project, perhaps something labled “beginner” at Knock Off Wood’s new site ana-white.com or a piece of doll furniture from PiecesforReese.Blogspot.com or maybe a cool basic storage piece like the dress up bin at TheAdventuresofRoryandJess.blogspot.com.
Now get out there and build!
The Milwaukee M12 and M18 cordless power tool systems are powered by 12-volt lithium ion batteries and provide more power, speed and portability for professional applications. The M18 system has an exclusive 5 year 2000 charge warranty. Visit www.homedepot.com to learn more.
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