Basic Tools to Get Started
You have EPIC mood boards created in Pinterest. You have renovation ideas saved for every room in your house. Your social platforms are stocked with saved inspo photos. But then you look around your actual house.. the walls are not a color you love, hardly any furniture matches, and everything just feels a little bit off.
Do you relate?
Because I am right there with you. If you find yourself getting lost on YouTube for hours watching people re-do a room, DIY life is calling you too. At this point, you just need to answer.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out my story on how I got started in woodworking, take a second to check it out! Essentially, when I first started I was a single mama of two tiny tots without the slightest clue about power tools. I had never built anything in my life and did not have anyone around to guide my way. I spent hours on YouTube watching tutorials and eventually gave it a try. Now here we are, just a few years later, and I run a small business full-time building custom things for events.
Start with the basics. There is zero need to go overboard here. Definitely start with what fits your budget! Ryobi is such an amazing brand to start with, because they are affordable and the quality is great. For a novice DIY’er, no bad things can be said about Ryobi. Fine woodworkers might have a different opinion but we’re all pretty aware this is not a fine woodworking blog – right? None of us here really know what we’re doing. 🙂
However, if buying new isn’t in your budget right now – search Craigslist or OfferUp in your area! I mean, you could probably even ask your friends or neighbors because chances are they have some tools sitting around in their garage that rarely get used. The overall point is you do not need to wait on anything to get started. Just start and that will lead you to the items you will want to acquire first.
But let me explain, the difficulty level sometimes depends on having the right tool for the job. So it boils down to how much you want to cuss during your project or your tolerance level before you give up. Know that nearly every woodworker starts at ground zero and completes projects with the bare minimum. So please do not let that deter you from starting. But after you’ve locked in and your work starts expanding, you’ll want to grow your tool collection to improve your quality and your production. That is what I mean by just get started and your journey will lead you to the tools you’ll want to acquire first.
Ok, so what am I talking about? I’ve broken down the essentials, the above and beyond, and the extra luxuries. I’m only speaking on what I started with and what went well for me. I’ll break down my reasoning for each recommendation. This list is focused primarily on tools used for event fabrications since that is our speciality (backdrops, bars, signs, etc).
Essentials
- Drill
- Miter Saw
- Jig Saw
- Brad Nailer
- Safety Gear
Above and Beyond
- Impact Driver
- Pin Nailer
- Random Orbital Sander
- Track Saw
Luxuries
- Level & Squares
- Circle Jig & Router
- Clamps
- Drill Bit Set
The Essentials
A Drill
Unless you want carpal tunnel, just buy a drill. The best discovery I found in the beginning was that there are more screw types than just flat head or phillips head LOL There is a magical thing out there called STAR HEAD screws and they were a game changer for me. I had my drills and a few different bits but kept stripping every screw I came into contact with. I tried adjusting my bits & drill settings, but it still took 87 prayers to not strip at-least one of the screws in my project. Then I came along these star head screws that come with a star head bit inside the package and I haven’t stripped a single screw since.
A Miter Saw
You could make do with a circular saw or even a hand saw, but again – what kind of anger tolerance do you have? A miter saw will be a game changer. Do your due diligence researching the safety protocols on how to use one of these bad boys, then move forward when you’re ready. Have a pro in your family show you how to use it the first few times. Once you’re comfortable with a miter saw, you’re unstoppable. 🙂
A Jig Saw
This will be your best friend in the beginning. This is how you will cut fun shapes and really start to get creative with your builds. I recommend purchasing scroll blades along with your tool to give you crisp, clean cuts. Practice some shapes, take your time, learn how to stay on your line. Once you’ve got this in the bag, you’ll be busting out arches, waves, and props in no time.
Brad Nailer
Who has the hand-eye coordination to use an old fashioned hammer & nails on every project? I need my fingers. I really do use a brad nailer for nearly all of my projects. For time sake, you will not regret this purchase. It’s not only quick and easy so you can keep production rocking, the brad nail holes are easy to fill so your work is nice and clean.
Safety Gear
These are essential: gloves, safety glasses, ear protection, and a particle mask. Splinters are annoying. We need our eyes. Hearing is nice. & nobody has time for asthma. In all seriousness though, we have no control over random mishaps so please do not get caught slipping that one time things go awry and you aren’t wearing safety gear.
Above and Beyond
An Impact Driver
There will be plenty of times you will have to pre-drill holes before drilling in your screw. This means using a drill bit to make a small hole first so your wood doesn’t split, then screwing in your screw. It is a luxury, but I would recommend treating yo’self on this one: have both a drill and an impact driver. You’ll pre-drill holes with your drill then grab your impact driver to screw in the screw, instead of having to change out bits every single time.
Pin Nailer
Very similar to a brad nailer, but a pin nailer shoots thinner nails. Brad nails have more holding power so we’ll actually build projects using the brad nailer. A pin nailer is more of a…really skinny sewing pin. lol We use the pin nailer to secure things onto backdrops during our installs. For example, if we’re mounting a larger sign and sticky dots seem sketchy to use – we’ll use our pin nailer. If we’re adding trim pieces to a backdrop, but want to remove them after the event is over – we’ll use our pin nailer. We also use our pin nailer to secure sheets of plywood to the CNC bed before running the cuts. A pin nailer is not a necessity, but puts in serious work once you have one.
Random Orbital Sander
You can absolutely hand sand with a sanding block or just a regular piece of sandpaper. But using a random orbital sander will save you time and spare you hand cramps. Learning the art of sanding is also something that will help your projects go from beginner to pro (even if it’s just for your toddler critics). Next time you paint something, try to give it a light hand sanding between coats and note the extreme difference in smoothness!
Track Saw
I personally feel like a track saw is less intimidating than a table saw. With this, you’ll be able to cut sheet goods down to the exact size you need. Whether it’s taking an 8′ x 4′ sheet of plywood down to 7′ tall or cutting lots of pieces so you can build a cake stand, you’ll be able to knock it out. I recommend using a website called Cut List Optimizer to help you map out your cuts and place a sheet of foam insulation underneath your plywood. Although most lumber stores will make cuts for you, what if you don’t know the dimensions you need when you’re buying? What if an employee isn’t around to make the cuts for you? A track saw definitely isn’t a necessity, but eventually you will want to level up and not be held back by those limitations.
Luxuries
I label these items as luxuries because they’re not necessities, but they will make your life much easier. If they are not in the budget or if purchasing so many things at once overwhelms you, you can wait and trickle these things in over time.
Checking that things are level and square throughout your build will come with time. My first few projects were ALL wonky and totally lopsided. It felt very frustrating to put so much time and focus into a project, only for it to wobble if you look at it wrong. Eventually, you’ll want to start checking level and square at every turn because you will want your time to pay off, and it will – I promise. The first time you build something and set that level on top for the bubble to go right to its home *queue applause*.
A circle (or an arch) is pretty dang hard to cut by hand without it being noticeable that you cut it by hand. They make circle jig tools that will cut a perfect circle (or half circle for arches) every single time. They typically use a palm router to make the cuts so this a two fold endeavor, but I promise it’s easy to master and will take your quality up a notch.
Clamps can be very versatile for many different projects, but my primary use as a newbie is to utilize clamps as an extra set of hands. Whether you’re sanding, drilling, or nailing – having your work piece clamped down helps so much. Also, if you’re trying to attach a long board to something you can set a clamp on the opposite side to prop up your piece while you attach one end. Clamps just come through right in the clutch, like good friends should.
When I was starting out, I would get livid that I couldn’t use a wall anchor to save my life. The wall anchor would either smush because the hole I drilled was too small or fall right through because the hole was too big. I never understood why something so simple was always so hard for me. Eventually I learned there are different sized drill bits in the world. & I NEEDED THEM. So I purchased a mega set of drill bits and it has came through for me more times than I can count. At first, it definitely seemed like over kill but as my work has been progressing, it really does have all the basics you will ever need (and more).
There you have it.
Some very basic tools that could completely change your life. (seriously)
If you are anything like me, you just want a link. “Show me what to buy because I have no idea what I’m looking for.” Certain DIY queens did that for me and I could not be more grateful. So I want to do that same thing for you.
