How do you start a shop? Sometimes, with very small steps. This thread is a good example of how to do it that way, and some good reasons why. Editor

"I am completely new to woodworking, but am really excited to have just finished my first venture; an all solid-cherry hourglass mountain dulcimer from a Folkcraft kit. I used a borrowed Dremel tool a lot, plus a coping saw, palm sander, and X-acto® knives. I live in a small apartment and want to just do small woodworking projects. I have neither space nor budget for a workshop with big tools. Applications I see I'll need most are cutting, doing small routing jobs, inlay, cutting out fairly intricate, detailed shapes, etc. What tools are absolutely essential and don't take up much space in the second bedroom of my apartment? Thanks!" Snow Leopard

The first answer was, essentially, "use hand tools," which solves several problems. Editor

"I'd recommend cutting down on dust producing tools, such as sanders, power carving, and electric saws, instead concentrating on shaving producing tools such as planes, scrapers, hand saws, chisels (carving and straight). This will minimize the bad effects the second bedroom will have on messing up the rest of the apartment, to say nothing of the noise. In fact, this was part of the reason I got seriously interested in hand tools when I set up a workshoplette on the large balcony in my apartment, which cut down on noise and eliminated dust." Pam

"The first answer has a lot of merits, but a few small power tools can be a good investment. A small scroll saw or a decent corded jigsaw would be nice. A Dremel is a very nice tool, as are Foredom and Proxxom for your needs. There are many very inexpensive cutters that have a large assortment of accessories that are pretty good for the prices. A very small trim router and a set of 1/4" bits can also help you." -- Woody

This frequent contributor went a step further, adding an excellent beginner's shopping list. Editor

"Saw: a Japanese dozuki to start with. Chisels: a set of used ones would do just fine. Sharpening: see below. Block plane: a Veritas block plane from Lee Valley would be best - it is a very fine plane at a reasonable price. If you buy one from a hardware store or home improvement store you will spend a great deal of time learning how to tune it. The Veritas plane comes already tuned up enough for a beginner. Boring: Hand drill and some brad-point bits. And the small trim router mentioned previously. Sharpening: Chisels and plane blades must be kept really sharp to work well. Learning to sharpen is really the first task you face, since only a few very expensive tools come already sharpened. Besides, even the best tools dull with use, so you will need to learn the skill no matter what. There are a number of good sharpening methods you can use. Perhaps the best one for a beginner that involves the least learning curve is the "Scary Sharp" system that uses sandpaper on glass. The Scary Sharp method requires a sheet of 1/4" thick plate glass and an assortment of sandpaper along with a honing guide (I recommend the Veritas honing guides). Rockler, our sponsor, offers a Scary Sharp system for under $30 (order the fine system, not the coarse, unless you have inexpensive planes or used chisels that need serious flattening). That's enough to start. Keep us posted -- and ask questions!" Johanna - in the Land of Enchantment