Hand Tools

Safety Equipment

• Eye Protection

Safety glasses. Going blind due to an accident will make all of your work useless, right? Put 'em on!

• Hearing Protection

Ear plugs or ear muffs. Many power tools produce EXTREMELY loud noise, and temporary deafness (and possibly permanent too) can and does occur. Put 'em in or on, but USE 'EM!

• Breathing/Lung Protection

Many of the materials produce dust. You may not even be able to see some of these dusts. MDF, in particular, produces toxic dust. Any and all things you breath in will cause short-term effects. The long-term effects are even worse. Get a face mask, and put it on. Your lungs will thank you for it.

Marking Tools

You will want something to mark your measurements and cut lines with. A pen, pencil, marker, etc. Anything can be used, but try to use something with a thin/skinny point to ensure consistency with your markings, or you may end up just a fraction off!

Clamps

spring clamp

screw clamp

bar clamp

pipe clamp

• Spring Clamps

Spring clamps are light duty clamps generally used to hold small thickness pieces together while you work on them - generally 4" or less

• Screw Clamps

Screw clamps are used to hold larger thickness pieces together while you work on them - thicknesses vary based on the size of the handscrews - between 4-10" are common

• Bar Clamps

Bar clamps have two pads on them, one fixed, and one adjustable, to adapt to a variety of needs. These types of clamps come in sizes varying from 2-36"

• Pipe Clamps

Pipe clamps are similar to bar clamps in that they have one fixed pad, and one adjustable pad. The primary difference is that pipe clamps use ridgid pipe, usually black or galvanized plumbing pipe to customize the clamp for the size you need. Additional lengths can be added with connectors between lengths of pipe. Common pipe sizes are 2', 4', and 8'. These types of clamps may confuse the first-time user, as you will only buy the actual pipe pads. The orange-colored pads are what will be found in the box, and the pipe is bought separately.

Wire Strippers/Crimpers

stripper/crimper

deluxe strippers

Wire strippers are needed to strip the insulation for the ends of each piece of wire needed to connect controls. Wire strippers should have multiple "settings" to strip many different sizes of wire. The number for each "setting" refers to the AWG size of the wire you purchase. Some wire strippers have a crimper built in, but may require more force to remove the insulation. This type of wire stripper is shown in the upper-righthand picture. Another style of wire stripper slices the insulation more precisely and pulls the insulation off in one step. This greatly speeds up the process, but lacks the ability to crimp your connectors. A needlenose pliers may be used to crimp your connectors if you choose to go this route. This type of wire stripper is shown in the lower-righthand picture.

Hammer/Screwdriver

Pretty much self-explanatory. Power or air nailers and drills can speed these processes up, but are not necessary.

Fasteners

• Glue

1. Wood glue - essentially the same as Elmer's white glue but with coloring and additives to make it set up faster than white glue
   
2. White glue - the regular stuff commonly found at your local "-mart" store.
   
3. Polyurethane glue - unlike yellow or white glue that requires air to cure, polyurethane glue requires moisture to cure. Polyurethane is excellent at joining dissimilar materials such as wood and plastic. When curing, it "foams", so clamps are a must with this type of glue.
   
   

• When working with MDF, remember this trick to get better results. You'll find the edges rougher and more porous than the face. Gluing as you normally would can "starve" the joint of glue. To avoid this, "double glue" the joint. The first layer soaks in and helps seal the surface, while the second application works to create a solid bond.
  

• Nails

Self-explanatory, except to say for building a cabinet, screws are the preferred method, but nails can be used if you wish, however, plywood or solid wood panels are recommended if using nails

• Screws

Screws will require special methods when used with MDF. Screws installed into the edges of MDF can cause it to split, resulting in a weak or failed joint. You'll need to drill a pilot hole for your screws. Use a drill bit the same diameter as the shank of your screw, and drill your hole slightly deeper than the length of your screw. Secondly, use sraight-shanked screws to avoid splitting the material and also to get a better grip in the material. Special screws, called Confirmat screws, are available but somewhat costly.

• Dowels

• Biscuits