Bare Minimum Tools to get started?

[dndcollect]

I am wondering what tools I need to buy in order to build a bar top cab.

any help would be great,i am looking to get the basic tools for the job.

thanks.

[knave]

...A buddy with his own tools...

With a little creativity you could make a bartop with hardly any tools.  But If I were starting out fresh with an empty garage, I'd get a Circular saw, Jig saw, drill, and a router.  As an extra bonus you might want some type of sander.

I just got my first router recently so haven't used it much but even before my new woodworking and cabnet building obsession I used the drill and circular saw a ton.

Since I used to be short on space I also used my Miter saw alot.  but I'd go with a table saw and or Radial arm saw if you're getting into the big toys. (not needed to build a cab though)

My favorite place to get tools is the flea market and now craigslist.  Although Amazon seems to kick out the deals too. I started with a old corded drill and a circular saw I bought for 10 or 15 dollars each.  I still have them and they work great. My point is that I bought cheepies until I knew enough to warrent buying new. I also took advantage of the saws they have at Hardware stores, home depot etc...often I talked them into cutting my wood for free.

...good luck

[ChadTower]

I wouldn't say a router is bare minimum at all.  Costly and for a bartop it's not doing anything you can't do with the other tools mentioned plus a chisel.

[fixedpigs]

I wouldn't say a router is bare minimum at all.  Costly and for a bartop it's not doing anything you can't do with the other tools mentioned plus a chisel.

*ponders if hand chiseling a t-moulding slot would be even close to worth ~$100...*

[ChadTower]

I wouldn't try that.  I was thinking more along the lines of the CP insets.  I also wouldn't buy a router if I only had to do T molding for one cabinet.  I'd probably buy a decent rotary tool with a router base.  You'd get a lot more versatility out of that tool later than you would a router if you aren't going to build more cabinets.

[knave]

While I agree that building a bartop does not "require" a router...it's usefulness will overcome it's cost.  I bought my router used for $20, plus another $20 for the Holbren awesome bit deal.  Hardly expensive.  (I do still need a 1/16 slot bit though)

In any case with a drill and a jig saw you could pretty much do the whole project, just don't use T-molding and use 1/2" ply/MDF for your CP. (heck use acrilic.)

But to build it to BYOAC standards the rest of the tools are a good investment.  Now if you can borrow/rent them go for it.

I still feel that the tools I mentioned above are a good start and don't have to break the bank. 

[ScottS]

I wouldn't try that.  I was thinking more along the lines of the CP insets.  I also wouldn't buy a router if I only had to do T molding for one cabinet.  I'd probably buy a decent rotary tool with a router base.  You'd get a lot more versatility out of that tool later than you would a router if you aren't going to build more cabinets.

I'd buy the router. I find I use mine for everything, while my rotary tool almost never gets used...

[ChadTower]

I'm the opposite... three+ weeks after buying I haven't used my router yet, yet I use my rotary tool for all kinds of things in electronics projects and random household tasks.

[Crax]

three+ weeks after buying I haven't used my router yet,

Why haven't you used it yet?  I actually went a couple weeks after buying mine before I used it, but now that I have used it, I plan on using it all the time for some upcoming stuff.  Grab a couple scrap pieces, throw some bits in and just goof off with it.  For some reason in my head I was making out to be a lot more complicated than it was.

[ChadTower]

It rained two of the weekends and the other was entirely occupied by kids' sports.   

[Chris G]

Truth is, he's scared he'll boygle his remaining nut.

[shardian]

I'm the opposite... three+ weeks after buying I haven't used my router yet, yet I use my rotary tool for all kinds of things in electronics projects and random household tasks.

Same here. I have used my router once (luckily it was free from the pops). I use my dremel alot. I keep it hooked up to the snake extension thingy. That is a worthwhile investment if you don't have one for your dremel.

[ChadTower]

Truth is, he's scared he'll boygle his remaining nut.

It's a fear I live with daily, like Jones on Reno 911.

My "Dremel" is actually Black and Decker.  I wonder if there is a snake extension that fits.

[Joystick Jerk]

Another vote for renting tools. If you plan your cuts ahead of time, you'd probably only need to rent the power tools once, maybe twice. Saves a lot of money in the end, especially if you're not likely to ever use power tools again after building your cab.

[ScottS]

Another vote for renting tools. If you plan your cuts ahead of time, you'd probably only need to rent the power tools once, maybe twice. Saves a lot of money in the end, especially if you're not likely to ever use power tools again after building your cab.

I'd think twice about this. Most rental tools, in my experience, have been absolutely beat to Hell due to the heavy use they receive. If you can manage to rent a nearly-new tool it might be worthwhile. If you get something that's been abused by clueless renters for a year, it might not be any better than a cheap Harbor Freight tool. The best solution, really, is to do what I do: have friends that own good tools and borrow them when necessary. And if you don't know what you're doing, get your friend to help you so you don't ruin his tools!

[Nannuu]

I'd say a drill and skil saw.  Or drill and jig saw.  Better would be drill, skil and jig.  Also some bits for the drill including philips and flat screwdriver bits.  And sandpaper.  Utility knife (all around tool, can also score lexan/plexi for breaking though it's tough).  Exacto knife is nice.  If you want plexi and you don't mind spending an extra $3, get a plexi score tool from HD, cheap and works very well.  If you will be crimping quick disconnects to wires for buttons I'd also suggest some pliers and wire cutters.  Neither of these are necessary since you can be careful with the exacto to strip wire and don't "need" quick disconnects.

So yeah, in the end.
Drill
Skil and or jig saw
Drill bits
Sandpaper - likely
Exacto knife

You can make the building experience nicer by getting some other tools but this should do.

[NiteWalker]

1. Drill
    Indispensable. I probably use my drill more than my router. It's used for drilling holes of all sizes and screwing things together. Corded or cordless doesn't matter, but corded will definitely be a lot cheaper. Cordless adds a lot of versatility as to where you can use it, but so does an extension cord.

2. Circular saw
    This doesn't have to be a high end model (Porter Cable, Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc). It can be a $30 Skilsaw. With a sawboard it'll handle all your straight cutting needs. Do invest in a good quality blade though. Good news there is that they only run about $10-$25.

3. Jigsaw
    For curve or odd shape cutting needs. Not much else does this.

4. Electric sander
    I'd get a 5" random orbit model over a 1/4 sheet pad sander. With the 5" ROS, grain direction isn't important. Also it's a bit more aggressive than a 1/4 sheet so it'll sand edges flush quicker. Also get sandpaper of various grits from 80 or 100 grit up to 220 grit. Anything finer than that should be hand sanded only. Also grab a rubber hand sanding block and some sheets of sandpaper. Can't get everything done with the machine.

5. Router of some sort
    It doesn't have to be a full size router; it can be a laminate trimmer. I'd get a full size router though because the price difference is usually negligible. A full size router can do things a laminate trimmer can't either.  I love my routers and not a project I build doesn't use one. Be sure not to neglect your router like Chad. It'll become lonely and depressed.
(just kidding Chad! )

That's the basic list I'd have if I were starting fresh. Other hand tools not listed like clamps, utility knife, drill bits, router bits, etc, are what I would throw into a misc category. For occasional use there's nothing wrong with the black and decker or skil varieties.

An optional but highly recommended tool is a pocket hole jig. It simplifies cabinet construction and makes a lot of joining tasks easier and a lot quicker. The one I linked to is a great starting jig.

 

[ChadTower]

I miss my router. 

Definitely agree on the quality circular saw blade.  I have a $55 B+D circular saw.  Does well, but if the blade goes too dull, cut quality really suffers.  I was using a really old dull blade recently and it stopped flat in the middle of a pine 2x4.  The wood was a little moist but not enough for that.  A new blade in and it whipped right through the same spot.

[Chris G]

Finally broke out my new router yesterday and learned how to use it.  VERY cool.  I can see what all the hubbub is about.

Has anyone mentioned the mini-tools: rulers, tape measure, square, clamps?  Required.

 
Chris

[ChadTower]

I still don't have a decent square.  That needs correcting.

[Chris G]

So all your squares are indecent?  Don't let them corrupt the other tools.

[knave]

I second the square!

I use my combination square all the time...it measures, is a straight edge and a square, and does 45 degree angles. nice.  I just picked up an angle square and that is proving to be a close second.  Goes well with the circular saw.

But...Could you make a cab withought these?  Probably...

...same goes for all of the other little things...except tape measure. NEED a tape measure.

[NiteWalker]

I still don't have a decent square.  That needs correcting.

Good squares are expensive but worth it. Starrett makes the best, but if you have a rockler nearby I heard good things about theirs too. Plus they have a 20% off any one item until may 6th.

I find myself using a double square more often though.

[ScottS]

Good squares are expensive but worth it. Starrett makes the best, but if you have a rockler nearby I heard good things about theirs too. Plus they have a 20% off any one item until may 6th.

I find myself using a double square more often though.

I have the Starrett combination square NiteWalker linked to and it's worth every penny. Since I got it, I've used it on literally every woodworking, metal working, and home improvement project I've undertaken. Unlike cheaper combo squares, it's highly accurate, slides smoothly, and is easily readable. Highly recommended.

If you want an accurate square, check out the machinists squares sold by places like Enco. They're generally far more accurate than the equivalent woodworking tools and often quite a bit cheaper. I bought an 18" steel square that's accurate to about two-thousandths of an inch for $40 (part# 638-7628). It's the least accurate one they sell, BTW. Great for checking the accuracy of large casework. With the right bench setup, you can also push pieces against it to keep them aligned. At some point I'll buy the 10.5" version for use on smaller projects; the 18" version is pretty darn large!

[ChadTower]

Do those ever go on sale the way power tools seem to?

[ChadTower]

Whoa... is that the deal it appears to be?

[ScottS]

Whoa... is that the deal it appears to be?

The Amazon reviews are generally positive, but I'm still a bit skeptical. I've purchased, and returned, a number of laser tools in the $40-120 range. None of them were particularly useful...

These lasers are very low power, so they're difficult to see in bright light. Bright meaning more than about 100 watts. In full sunlight, they're virtually useless. Cheap lasers also tend to have fuzzy beams, particularly the farther you get from the laser source. When you're framing a house, you don't need extreme accuracy so having the laser beam spread out to, say, an eighth of an inch probably doesn't matter. If you're trying to build an arcade cabinet, install shelving, or create built-in bookcases you'll want more accuracy than that.

[ChadTower]

Cool, thanks.  Not buying.

[NiteWalker]

Do those ever go on sale the way power tools seem to?

Maybe...
The double square is the same price as when I bought it 3 months ago though.