The Basic Tools That Everyone Needs
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