OK, first I'll tell you that I'm a professional cabinetmaker with over 25 years in the trade. I have all the tools there is that are worth having and then some. I also have knowledge and ways of doing things that your average person does not. that being said, the way I would build a TD is likely to be very different to how 99% of people would do it. because of that, it's hard for me to go back in time to a place where I was just starting to do woodwork and had few if any tools to do it with but I will give it a shot.
I'm going to assume some things..
1) you have little to no previous woodworking experience and none building something as large and complex as a TD
2) you have no tools.
3) you will only be building the trailer cabin because you already have your trailer frame.
4) you have a limited budget for tools and would rather spend extra time doing things than money on tools you may not use again.
5) you are building a warm, dry, functional trailer, not 5 star Hotel on wheels.
Layout tools
25' tape measure... get one with only imperial markings on it. that way you can get a measurement on either side of the tape.
12" combination square... gives you a square and a mitre as well as a blade that can be slid in and out to draw lines parallel to an edge (and a million other things) avoid the cheap $20 ones at the hardware store, they are real garbage and will break the little retaining pin if you drop it on concrete, they are not usually very square and the adjustment if finicky. if you break the little pin you need to get a new square and then you're already at the price +- of the good one from Rockler. this is a tool that you'll use for almost every other project you'll do in the future so cheaping out on this item is no bargain. my Starrett is the first tool I bought and it'll last as long as I do... longer!
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,42936
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10345
48" drywall square... makes layout on sheet stock quick and accurate. also serves as a straight edge and with a couple of clamps, a cutting guide to run a circular saw, jigsaw and router against. I recommend the heavy duty ones. 3/16" thick blade vs, 1/8 and the adjustable ones such as the one made by Johnson Level co. if you can afford it. this one will do angles like a bevel gauge and the blade slides along the stock and can be locked in place like a giant combination square. worth the money IMO
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 42944&ap=1
pencils... carpenter pencils are good but most people can't sharpen them well. a regular pencil and a good pencil sharpener will give you better results. clear thin lines are easy to follow, fat smudgy ones are not. 0.5mm mechanical pencils are good too but break too easily for layout on plywood etc. consider them an extra item worth having to compliment your arsenal. accurate layout lines are one of the most important things in woodwork. keep your pencils sharp and consider buying a box of a dozen and have them sharpened and ready to use. the best sharpener it the X-acto. it's the mountable, hand crank one just like the one you used in school only it's better. it will sharpen a pencil to a very fine point and not crumble it like the other brand.
http://www.xacto.com/Product/1031
compass... a pencil compass is good for marking out holes for plumbing pipe, vents, speakers, lights, round corners on plywood sheets, and stepping out equal spaces between screw holes etc.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,42936
awl... a round pointed awl (not a triangular or bladed awl) for poking holes to start drilling screw holes and holding the end of your chalk line in place etc.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,42936
chalk line... for marking lines on things such as the roof panel, hatch panel to indicate where to drill or staple into wood below without missing, snapping lines on the floor for tile, T&G flooring etc., finding a point between two other points when you can't use a square or straight edge and many other things. chalk comes is permanent and non permanent, careful not to get the permanent stuff. consider getting two chalk lines and leave one without chalk in it to use as a string line for times when you need a line but don't want to make marks on your material.
utility knife... snap-off olfa blade knives are the best IMO. get one that will lock the blade firmly in place not one of those cheap $1.00 plastic ones, and a package of blades. you will use this to score your material before you cut. it will prevent chipping of the veneer on your plywood etc. and give you a guide that you can sand, grind, or file up to. mark first, then score using your square/straight edge/fairing batten to guide the knife, then use a sharp pencil to fill in the cut and make it easier to see.
fairing batten... you'll need something to draw out smooth curves on your stock. there's no such thing you can get at a store called a fairing batten, it's something you'll have to make. all it is is a long strip of material that you can bend into a curve. I make mine out of 1/8" lexan about an inch wide. however you could buy a strip of 1/8 x 1" aluminum or something of that sort. have a look around and see what you can find. all it has to do is bend into a nice curve with no kinks or bumps in it and be stiff enough it won't squirm around as you draw a line along it. perhaps a strip of MDF moulding from the lumber yard will work for you.. ???
Cutting tools
circular saw... if you can, get one that is opposite to the "normal" hand you use. meaning a left blade saw if you're right handed. a normal one, right bladed if you're left handed. I have no idea why they chose to name the saws the way they do because if your right handed and use a right bladed saw you have to look over the saw to see the line you are cutting to. very awkward and difficult to do unless you have tons of practice, which you don't or you wouldn't be reading my BS.. most of you are right handed so get a left bladed saw. only some companies make them but it is totally worth the extra money to buy a quality brand anyway. a 7-1/4" 40 tooth Freud Diablo blade is the blade you want. I'd splurge here and get a 60 tooth one too. you're basically building a cabinet not framing a house so toss the blade that came with the saw to the side or see if they'll trade it for the one I recommended at the time you buy the saw.
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eft blade http://www.milwaukeetool.com:80/Product ... cular+Saws
right blade http://www.milwaukeetool.com:80/Product ... cular+Saws
saw blade http://www.diablotools.com/blades-7.html
jigsaw... a good jigsaw with the wrong, cheap or dull blade is not going to do a better job than a cheap saw with the correct, good, sharp blade. most any jigsaw will do a good job with the right blade so get a selection of good quality blades (a few of each style) for the materials you're going to use. for cutting wood and plywood 'taper ground' blade leave a cleaner cut with less chipping than 'set tooth' blades. for cutting where you're going to see the edge use the taper ground blades. for cutting holes for windows, vents, or speakers and things that have a flange that will cover the cut edge, a set tooth blade will do.
handsaw... a hand saw will do a lot of things quicker and more accurately than any power saw will do and many things a power saw can't. the Japanese pull style saws are head and shoulders above western push style saws, they have thin blades that cut on the pull stroke and fleam cut teeth that eat wood for breakfast. you can get cheap ones with replaceable blades for about $20.00. if you don't know what I mean just ask at the hardware store. the ones that are sold for cutting PVC pipe are excellent for cutting wood. if all you've ever used is that dull rusty western style piece of crap saw in your Daddy's garage, you're in for a wonderful surprise.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 42924&ap=1
hacksaw... for cutting aluminum trim and other things like bolts. a jigsaw will work but it's much harder to cut thin metal with a jigsaw than you might think and a hacksaw is cheaper than replacing a piece of ruined trim.
file... yup, a file is a cutting tool. a 10" mill cut file will do a lot of stuff like filing the ends of your aluminum trim, cleaning up and softening the edges of wood etc. and a cabinet rasp for tuning up wood here and there when you want to remove material a little faster than a file will do it.
chisels... I have about 30 different chisels and found over the years that 90% of the things I need a chisel for can be done with two sizes. a 1/4" or 3/8" for getting in those tight narrow spots and a 1-1/4" for almost everything else. you don't need to buy good chisels to do a TD, any hardware store chisel will do and because they're cheap steel you can sharpen a lot of them reasonably well with a fresh file or a piece of 220 grit wet/dry paper glued a stick.
block plane... a very handy tool BUT, unless you know how to sharpen and have some good stones to do it with they are probably something I wouldn't recommend for a beginner. by the time you buy the plane and a couple of stones you'll have spent $100.00 and since a TD is mostly plywood there isn't the value for the dollar you could get with that money elsewhere. this says nothing about learning to sharpen, set the blade and use the tool to good effect. this factor alone makes me think it's more of a curse than a blessing for a beginner.
Drilling tools
3/8" variable speed drill... cordless drills are great, convenient tools. the good ones (read:expensive) are fantastic. the cheap ones are garbage. for the same price as a good cordless you can buy a plug in model, an entire collection of drill bits, accessories, and take the family out for dinner. my 1/2" 18v Milwaukee cordless was nearly $300.00. my 1/2" corded Milwaukee was $120, will torque your arm off and last the rest of my career. the cordless will not and the batteries will be shot in a year or two. (professional use)
drill bits... a box of 13 (up to 1/4") twist drills will do most of the things you need to do building your trailer. add to this a 3/8" and a 1/2" and most of your bases will be covered as far as twist drills go.
spade bits... spade bits are cheap and easy to keep sharp. a file and a vise to hold them in is all it takes. a set of these up to 1-1/2" will give you the sizes you need to drill holes for gas lines and wiring as well as counter bores for bolts and washers in the floor attaching your cabin to the frame and stuff like that.
screw bit/countersink... these bits drill the pilot hole and countersink it in one shot for screws. you don't need a whole set as #6 and #8 are all you're likely to use anyway.. both of these bits countersink a 3/8" hole for the screw head if you go deep enough or just enough to fit the screw head if you limit the depth you drill. a 3/8" plug cutter will make nice plugs for covering screw heads in places you see and want to look good. they are supposed to be used in a drill press but a block of wood with the appropriate size hole in it clamped to the stock you use will work just fine.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 42281&ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 42288&ap=1
pocket hole guide and drill bit... one of the best bangs for the buck. they will do most of the drilling you need to do to build and attach your cabinets, face frames, and shelves if you want to hide the screw from view..KREG makes a good jig but is fairly expensive and a lot more jig than you really need. Lee Valley sells one that is just a single aluminum block with a steel guide bushing inserted in it. this will do exactly the same thing as the KREG jig will just a little slower. remember, you need the special drill bit for all the pocket hole guides.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... ,180,42311
driver bits... you need a few of these to drive screws with a drill. the sets are cheap, might as well get one rather than buy individual sizes. some sets come with a few nut drivers too.
Sanding tools
Random orbit sander... these are probably the best bet for power sanding. they can shape and sand wood for finishing as well as the finish itself (paint, varnish, epoxy etc) between coats. they are much faster that the 1/4 sheet sanders (junk) and a lot more controllable than a belt sander is for sanding wood. you're not as likely to gouge or sand through your veneer with one either and they do an excellent job where the wood grain goes in two directions like on face frames etc. this is the tool I'd buy if I could only afford one sanding machine. RO sanders come with a choice in pads. one is for PSA and the other is for VELCRO paper. get the PSA. it's better and it's cheaper too. generally, you can get a roll of 50 PSA for the same price +- as a box of 10 VELCRO plus you can stick it to your hand block or other little sanding block you need to make to fit in curves and tight spots.
sanding block... you can't do a good job just folding a piece of paper and rubbing with your hand. you need a block. there's a million kinds out there but most of them are garbage or gimmicky. I suggest going to an automotive store and get a block from there. the good ones are nothing more than dense foam. they come in various sizes but you only need one that is about 2-3/4" wide by 5" long.. auto shops carry K-block and Dura-block and are 10 time better that the crap they sell at hardware stores.
http://www.dura-block.com/durablockline.html
http://www.tcpglobal.com/kustomshop/kskblock.aspx
sandpaper... for wood and paint, power or hand, the only paper worth getting is Aluminum Oxide. for metal and plastic it's Silicon Carbide. (that's the black wet/dry paper) you'll need wet/dry for metal and plastic because you need to lube it with water or soapy water so it doesn't plug up. buy good paper too. it may seem more expensive but it is not. cheap abrasive is not worth the paper it's bonded to. Klingspor is one of the best and it's available almost everywhere.
http://www.klingspor.com/
SANDPAPER isn't a tool you say.. yes it is, it's one of the most important tools too. the difference between good and great is the finish. the better job you do sanding, the better you and your project will look.
this is a basic tool kit that will do most of what you're going to do building your TD and of course this list is far from complete. you'll need some other items like clamps and what not but, I'm not going to go that far because the list could go on forever and it all depends on the way you're going to build you rig. you can buy these things as you need them based on how you're going to build various items, the materials you choose, and what you're going to install in it. just think before you spend your money on something you can get by without. one person suggested buying a level.
by Krashdragon » Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:26 pm 
