Metalworking is pretty much as the name depicts; metalworkers use a variety of tools and techniques to craft items out of metal or make repairs to existing metalworks. While a certain level of training and expertise is required to work with metal, everyone has to start somewhere, and with a basic set of metalworking tools and a workshop (or space you can turn into one), you could start honing your craft.

If you’re a novice metalworker and want to know which tools you should invest in, here are 6 basic tools that every metalworker should own:

1. A drill press

Drilling holes into metal requires precision and attention to detail, and anyone using such a tool as a drill press must be well versed in how to use it safely and effectively. Making the job easier, a drill press uses a drill with multiple cutting edges secured in a chuck that rotates, to bore and drill holes into metal and other surfaces.

1. A bandsaw

Used to cut both metal and wood (and somewhat surprisingly, meat!) a bandsaw has a blade that runs on a set of two pulleys known as a driver and an idler, and is secured in place through a work table in order for material to be fed manually. When cutting a material like metal, it must be fed by hand and manipulated against the blade.

1. A hacksaw

Used especially for cutting metal, a hacksaw is a vital piece of kit for any metalworker, despite its simplicity, and provided your piece of metal is held securely in place, they can be used to cut through many varieties of metal. With their fine-toothed blade set into a simple frame, they are simple to use and inexpensive to buy.

1. A flux core welder

Used for flux core arced welding, this particular tool works in the same way as a MIG welder, and for novice welders, this is arguably the simplest tool to use. With the proper techniques, flux core welders can be used by novices to weld most metals, and are a good bit of kit for any metalworker.

1. A die grinder

This hand held tool is either pneumatic or electric, and is used for grinding, honing, sanding and polishing metal, but can be used for other materials, too. With a spinning spindle able to hold a die grinder bit, this tool can cut, grind and basically remove whatever parts of a material you need them to.

1. A lathe

Commonly used in metalworking workshops, a lathe can be used for a wide variety of tasks, from sanding and grinding to cutting, knurling, turning metal and drilling, but is best known for its ability to help shape metal or wood.

There will always be a need for such crafts as metalwork, and by training up and getting as much practice in as possible, there’s no reason why you couldn’t make a career out of it, or turn it into a profitable hobby. Once you’ve made the initial investment in the power tools above, you can get started on your metalwork journey!