Summarize:

Building fine furniture requires a number of hand tools for completing detail work. They can be expensive, so it's daunting to think about investing in a lot of different hand tools. Begin by purchasing these essential hand tools for woodworking. A bevel-up, low-angle jack plane is a versatile tool to smooth and shape wood. A block plan for planning across the end grain of wood. A small 7- or 8-ounce Japanese plane hammer for common finishing tasks like driving in finishing nails. Bevel-edge chisels for chopping mortises by hand. Water stones for sharpening tools. A 3-inch engineer's square for laying out joinery. A pocket square for frequent measurements like checking thickness. A 12-inch combination square for a straight edge or for finding a 45-degree angle. A wheel marking gauge for making reference marks. A 6-inch sliding bevel gauge for doing work with angles. A card scraper for sanding tricky areas like curved parts. A mill-bastard file for shaping and sharpening. Obtain the basic machinery first. Once you have that on hand, consider any special equipment you need to make your manufacturing process more efficient. A band saw for cutting angled or curved shapes. A disc sander for sanding the end grain of timber. A drop saw for cutting timber. A finisher for sanding the edges and faces of timber. A mortising machine for drilling out square mortise holes. A pedestal drill for accurate drilling on large materials. A scroll saw for cutting small, thin pieces of timber. A table saw for cutting large pieces of timber or manufactured boards. A thicknesser for smoothing rough timber and reducing its thickness. Professional upholstery requires a combination of hand tools and pneumatic tools. Invest in top quality tools that will make your upholstered pieces look their best. In addition to professional tools, purchase useful items from the hardware store, such as: wire cutters for pulling out staples; a framer's square for straight cuts on fabric; a 45- or 60-inch ruler; and a utility knife for removing old fabric. A magnetic tack hammer for easily picking up tacks and attaching them to furniture. A webbing stretcher for pulling webbing close to the frame. A regulator for adjusting cushion filling through fabric. A rubber mallet for installing tack strips without marring the surface. Upholstery shears for cutting fabric. Assorted curved needles for hand sewing. A 10-inch button needle for installing buttons through pillows, cushions and furniture backs. Upholsterer and "T" pins for holding fabric during hand sewing. A hand-held staple gun or a pneumatic upholstery stapler. An upholstery button machine for making buttons. An upholstery foam cutter.
Equip your shop with woodworking hand tools. Purchase or lease furniture-making machinery. Obtain upholstery tools and equipment if necessary.