When I bought my house 6 years ago, I had nothing except a cheap hammer and a couple screwdrivers. I remember asking people at work and friends if I could borrow a circular saw and a jigsaw so I could install my butcher block counters.
The very first project I tackled was ripping out the tub surround and putting up backer board and tiling. I remember that my friends came by to see the house, and I was outside on the steps with a handsaw and a mitre box trying to saw though a 2 x 4. He just laughed and said “that’s not the right tool for that!” At the time, I was so inexperienced that I just bought what was cheap, and thought would work.
Now I have a workshop filled with tools! However, I think that its important to know, that if your starting out with projects, whether your making framed signs, farm tables, or renovating a home, there are tools that you should have! You will see some repetition, in that there are a few different saws that I recommend, and I will tell you why you need more than just one saw.
Let me also tell you that safety is of the utmost importance! So for that reason alone, having the correct tool for the job is a must.
having the right tool for the job is a must.
1. Drill
Ok, I know this seems obvious, but you NEED to have a drill with screwdriver bits. I almost feel like this should be above and beyond the list as a gimme, but I’ll stick with the rules and keep this to 5 must haves. Now, there are drills and there are impact drivers, both of which serve the same purpose. However, impact drivers have much more power and require special bits. While most screwdriver bits can be used in an impact driver, standard drill bits can’t. So for this reason alone, as an entry level tool, get a regular drill. You may find out that you need more power for certain projects, but all in all, a basic drill will accomplish most things. Also as a side note, when your doing projects that require both drilling and screwing, it is handy to have more than one so you’re not constantly switching bits.
2. Circular Saw
This will be the first of several saws you’ll see on this list. This is an all around versatile tool. You’ll be surprised at what you can do with this tool. For example, aside from the obvious cutting a board straight across, you can also set angles and mitre cut. You can also raise and lower the guide so you can cut to certain depths. And a circular saw can be used with a track system, so you can use your saw in more of a table saw fashion. I recommend an electric saw versus its battery operated brother as a starting point. The batter operated ones tend to be not so powerful. They are great to have when you need to do a quick cut, but not my first choice.
3. Oscillating Tool
These little fellas are amazing! You can use these for cutting through metal nails, removing grout, notching wood or scraping paint. I’ve used mine for things like undercutting door molding when installing new flooring, and the slicing through these huge penny nails when I was removing a wall and taking out studs. Let me tell you that the number of huge nails that they used in the construction of my house is incredible. It was built in 1948 and those suckers are HUGE! But, the oscillating tool (or Multi Tool), went right through them. There are specialized blades and if you are cutting through a lot of metal, they do get dull pretty quickly. If you had to remove door trim and were concerned about it breaking if you were to pry it off, then this tool would be your go to.
4. Mitre Saw
I know I just said that you can mitre with a circular saw, but if your to do any precision work, like making frames or trim work, than you need a mitre saw. Its just all around useful as a chop saw, so if you have a place for it to sit, you’ll find you use it all the time.
5. Sander
This might be my most used tool on the list. There are several different types of sanders. I use a random orbit sander. Its easy to change out the sanding disks as they have hook and loop on the back so they just stick on. Sanding makes ugly wood beautiful. Everyone needs a sander, just sayin’. For larger jobs you don’t want to have to hand sand.
Have fun and Happy Building!
Here are some suggestions for your tool box!