Everyone who lives in a home should also own a basic tool kit. This will come in handy for all sorts of situations, like hanging a picture on the wall, or replacing a faucet. But what are the basic tools that should be in this kit? Paul, the Wood Magician at Wood Be Art, put together these lists for basic, intermediate, and advanced tool kits. With these, and the appropriate know-how of course, you can cover nearly all the fine-tuning that your home will need over the years.
Basic Tools
- Set of screwdrivers – Robertson (square), Phillips (cross/star), slotted/flathead
- Tape measure – 16 feet long
- Hammer – basic 16 oz claw hammer
- Pliers – needle nose pliers, lineman’s pliers
- Wrench – small and medium crescent wrench, pipe wrench
- Hand saw
- Level – 2’ to 4’
- Stud finder
- Utility knife
- Allen keys
- Battery operated drill and impact drill
- Staple gun
- Paintbrush (optional)
- Roller (optional)
- Paint tray (optional)
- Putty knife (optional)
Intermediate Tools
- Skill Saw – 7-1/4” blade is standard
- Compressor and 18 gauge pin nailer
- Jigsaw (for shapes)
- Hacksaw (for metal)
- Miter saw – 10” will do most jobs, 12” for bigger jobs
- Oscillating saw
- Orbital sander (for finishing)
- Socket set
- Pry bar
- Framing square, speed square
- Saw horses
- Clamps – quick grips
- Basic chisel set & sharpening stone
- Caulking gun
- Extension cord – 12 gauge, 50 foot cord
- Shop vacuum – wet/dry
Advanced Tools
- Table saw – 1-1.5 horsepower contractor saw is best
- Jointer – 6”
- Thickness planer – 12”
- Drill press
- Router (to create profiles on wood)
- Belt sander
- Reciprocating saw
- Angle grinder
- Laser level
To listen to the full episode and see the show notes, visit www.AllThingsRenovation.com or from our main page at www.woodbeart.com, click on the Podcast Tab.
