Category:Self-Made Tools

Buying tools is an option, sure - but many can be made at a fraction of the cost and to your specific needs! You're guaranteed to learn a lot in the process; check out a few Maker channels on YouTube (especially the Homemade Tools & Jigs playlist by "Pask Makes"), the collection of plans at "Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal" or HomemadeTools.net, for example.

"Helper" tools, e.g. for making frequent steps more repeatable, are called jigs.

Ideas

Here are a few tools that you could make:

• wooden mallets
• foam brushes
• clamps & vises
  • e.g. "Moxxon vise"
  • toolmaker's clamp
  • check out the list on ibuildit.ca!
  • right-angle welding clamp
  • Izzy Swan's wedging corner clamps
• sanding tools
  • sanding drums (for rotary tool or drill press)
  • sanding mops/"sanding stars"
  • sanding block, e.g. this one
• woodturning tools
• marking knives
• measuring gauges, e.g. angle checkers/bevel gauges or bore gauge
  • easily laser cut!
• "French curve" drawing aids
  • also just easily made 2D shapes
• draw knife (e.g. from an old saw blade)
• "mini hacksaw"
• safe capacitor discharge tool
• "Lötfanten" third hands for soldering
• inertial sander (a.k.a. bowl sander/rotary sander for woodturning
• metal bar bender to integrate in a workbench
• three-way wood splitter to prepare stock for woodturning
• coping saw
• and many more!