Take This Tool Advice from Norm Abram

Check out this video of Master Carpenter Norm Abram being interviewed at last years AWFS show by Popular Woodworking magazine. Great insights into his favorite tools and techniques.

Tools Norm Abram Value's the Most
Table saw - because it touches each project
Joiner - straighten rough lumber
Surface Planer - required to keep everything level and square

   

Hand Tool Tips from Norm
Adjustable Wrench: "Keep the wrench's jaws parallel to the work surface. An angled grip cuts down on contact with the nut."
Chain Saw: "Never cut in the "danger zone," the upper half of the bar's nose; the saw will likely kick back at you."
Chisels: "I sharpen my edge tools on a diamond honing stone dampened with a few drops of water. An oilstone or waterstone is also fine, as long as it's flat and not dished from frequent use."
Claw Hammer: "A comfortable handle is as important as the hammer's weight. A handle that's too big around--with more than a finger's width of space between the tips of the fingers and the base of the thumb--is worse than one that's too small."
Coping Saw: "In the curves, use shorter, faster strokes than when cutting along a straight line. This way, you won't twist the blade, which would make it harder to control and easier to break."
Jigsaw: "For me, getting accurate cuts with a jigsaw is mostly a matter of positioning. I put myself directly above the saw blade, not off to one side, so I can see the teeth cutting along the line."