• Basic carpentry tools are enough to get you through most projects.carpentry instruments 1 image by fotomagic from Fotolia.com
  
  Basic carpentry tools will get you through jobs such as building cabinets or furniture as well as installing finish trim and casings. You don’t need to go overboard and buy every carpentry tool in the hardware store. But when you do purchase tools, it makes sense to invest in quality equipment. Well-made tools, which will last longer than their cheaper counterparts, also are more precise and accurate than cheaply made tools.
  
  

Tape Measure

• One of the most basic tools in any carpenter’s workshop is the locking retractable tape measure. Look for a tape measure that is both easy and dependable when it comes to locking in place. Quality measuring tapes have special markings every 16 inches, the common spacing measurement for wall studs and floor joists.
  
  

Framing Square

• The framing square is sometimes listed as a carpenter’s square. Graduations and tables are marked on the framing square to facilitate measuring braces and rafters as well as calculating proportions. You will come to depend upon the accuracy of a framing square; find a safe storage place where the square won't be bent out of shape or banged up.
  
  

Chalk Line

• Carpenters use chalk lines to make straight lines. A chalk line is actually a long cord housed inside a case filled with chalk. The authors of “Tools and How to Use Them” recommend investing in quality chalk line tools that are filled with colored chalk powder applied evenly with a felt gasket inside the casing. You can use this tool for making long cutting lines on sheet material as well as for laying out reference lines on the ceiling, floor or wall.
  
  

Hammer

• A quality hammer is especially important when doing trim carpentry, but it will also come in handy in a variety of carpentry projects. Hammers are used for driving in nails as well as removing nails with the claw end. That curved claw can also help rip up material during a demolition or renovation project.
  
  

Screwdrivers

• A collection of flat-head and Phillips-head screwdrivers can rival the hammer as one of the essentials of carpentry work. “Basic Carpentry Illustrated” recommends investing in a screwdriver with a square shank to achieve the best leverage. Longer screwdrivers are better than shorter screwdrivers for applying more power and for working within cramped spaces.