Tools the plans assume.
Seven things. Most people who own a drill already have four of them.
Every plan lists its tools, and the lists are short on purpose. Here's the full set the site is written around, what each is for, and what to look for. Some links on this page may become affiliate links, which would earn the site a small commission at no cost to you; nothing is recommended because of that, and right now there are no links at all.
A saw
Any of three. A miter saw is fastest and most accurate for crosscuts, which is nearly all the cuts on this site. A circular saw with a speed square as a guide does the same job for a fraction of the price, and is what you want for plywood anyway. A hand saw, with the bench hook, handles every 2x4 and 1x plan here and costs twenty dollars. If you're buying a circular saw, a 7¼-inch blade and a fine-tooth (40 or more) blade for plywood.
A drill
A cordless drill/driver. It drills the pilot holes and drives the screws. Twelve volts is enough for everything here. Buy one with two batteries.
A countersink bit
The one tool people skip. It drills the pilot hole and the cone for the screw head in one go, so screws sit flush or below the surface and don't split the wood. A set that covers #6 through #10 screws is under fifteen dollars and the plans assume you have it.
A square
A 7-inch speed square: marks square lines across a board, guides the circular saw, and checks corners. A 12-inch combination square is nicer for marking 1x work. One or the other; the speed square if only one.
A tape measure
Sixteen feet. Anything with a hook that doesn't wobble.
Two clamps
Twelve-inch bar clamps or quick-grip clamps. Two is the minimum for a glue-up; four means you never have to wait. Buy the cheap ones; they hold wood together, not up.
Sandpaper
80 grit for construction lumber, 120 and 180 for 1x and plywood, 220 for anything that will be handled. A sanding block or a quarter sheet folded in three. A random-orbit sander is the first power tool to add after the saw and drill, but nothing here needs it.
Worth adding later
- A rasp. Shapes a handle or a curve in minutes. The mallet and the serving board use one.
- A jigsaw. Curves and notches. The boot jack and the shelf brackets are easier with it.
- A 4-foot straightedge or a track. For clean, straight rips on plywood with a circular saw.
- A stud finder. Anything that hangs on a wall.
Consumables
Wood glue, the ordinary yellow kind; exterior glue for the outdoor projects. A box of 1¼-inch and a box of 2½-inch screws covers most of the site; 1⅝ and 3-inch cover the rest. Mineral oil for anything that touches food; boiled linseed oil or wipe-on poly for the rest.