As I only had limited basic tools available for the build, the first step was to purchase the required equipment. Although this was done in stages (as and when they were required) throughout the project - the initial purchases involved the below, which were essential to get started with. A full list of tools can be found under the Tools page.
The initial purchases included the following:
- PPE - including gloves, mask, eye protection, ear defenders.
- Mitre saw - invaluable for fast, repeated cuts of timber
- SDS hammer drill - required for drilling into masonry blockwork
- Toolbelt - vital to working faster and/or at heights, an absolute must!
- Wood screws - mostly 5x80mm for joining 2by4 timbers
- Set square - for efficient framing
- Clamps - for holding pieces together while framing
- Wet and dry shop vac - used everyday to keep dust/sawdust levels in the garage manageable
- Spirit level set - crucial for making things true/plumb/square
- Angle grinder - for cutting hardier materials (masonry, metal etc)
To which I added the following tools that I already had:
- Cordless drill/driver - for general wood drilling and screwing
- Drill bits - wood and masonry sets
- Hammer and punch - to facilitate masonry drilling (by providing a starting hole for the drill bit)
- Jig saw - for cutting shaped holes in boards etc
One other tool that I didn't purchase until much later on, but which is perhaps the most important of them all is the impact driver. For those who don't know, this is much like the cordless drill/driver, except it is way more powerful, and is ideal for driving screws (or bolts) without any slippage. In short, you should buy an impact driver!
Here's how I kept my tools throughout the project: on metal shelves inside the garage itself. At times this was inconvenient as I had to move the shelves around constantly, but it meant they were always easily accessible.
