Tools of the Trade: Power Tools

Power Hand Tools

Electric Drill - versatile, workhorse tool. Most often battery powered. Used for drilling holes and driving screws.
Circular Saw - either corded or battery powered. Uses a circular blade and is best used to make long, straight cuts in plywood or to cross cut dimensional lumber.
Jigsaw - electric saw that is sometimes called a saber saw. Has a small straight blade with lots of teeth that cuts by the blade moving in an up and down motion, and is great for cutting curves and other detail work. Blades can be swapped out easily to better deal with different material types.
Reciprocating Saw - also called a Sawzall, because it "saws all." Has a straight blade at one end of the body that moves back and forth to cut. Not a very precise tool, but excels at cutting through virtually any material quickly. Used a lot for deconstruction.
Router - uses a bit instead of a blade and is used to cut off excess plywood or other materials along the outer edges. Is also often used to create decorative edges (like a picture frame).
Pneumatics - are powered by compressed air instead of electricity. Most common versions that are used are the pneumatic stapler and the nail gun. Great for attaching thin materials quickly.

These are the large, imposing tools that are built into tables, stands, and other stationary work areas. Very heavy and often not portable at all.

Table Saw - similar to a circular saw but the blade protrudes out of the top of a table. Used to rip (cuts going with the direction of the wood grain) plywood and other sheet lumber or plastics. An adjustable fence helps you set the width of your cut and helps keep the wood straight as you push it through the blade.
Compound Miter Saw - also called a chop saw, has a circular saw-like blade attached to a pivoting arm. The arm is lowered to cut and then raises back up to the top when done. The blade can also be angled both side-to-side and along its pivot to create angled cuts (called miter cuts) rather than straight 90-degree cuts like other saws.
Band Saw - best saw for doing freehand cuts. Uses a blade that is shaped like a long circular band and circles around two driving wheels. Like the jigsaw, this saw is great for cutting curves and other complex shapes.