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Recommended Hand Tools For
Home Fabrication Projects
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If you are planning to fabricate your own projects, be they either simple or complex items, I am recommending that you seriously consider purchasing good hand tools. These things may not be super cheap, but good tools last and the cost over a long period of time is small. Good tools will enable you to do the job that needs doing, and in the long run quality tools will save you a lot of money - and that counts for a lot......

You simply can’t do fabrication projects with out having the right tools for the job. Many of the hand tools listed below are already present in most homeowner garages – you need them for those little maintenance projects that come up for everyone who owns a home. However, I wanted to provide this list of the tools needed to build your own mining equipment to help you plan out what you need for your project – and this general list applies to all the projects on my pages from dredges to dry washers. If it happens that you don’t have one of these tools in your toolbox, you might give it some serious consideration.

The other thing about these tools is that with the advent of the internet, there are places where the homeowner can get some real bargains in purchasing these handy tools. There are a number of places out there that sell tools over the net, and with a little research, you be able to save enough money to make the effort worthwhile. Lately my favorite is actually Amazon, so I've added some Amazon links to the page in case after reading this you might want to make a purchase. I’m a big tool fan – I always enjoy having more tools on hand – I’ve never needed much of an excuse to buy another tool! Most confirmed DIY project guys are like that. The other thing I find is that buying cheapo tools always costs you more in the end. You may not need a gold plated bullet proof hand tool, but don't go to the other extreme and buy the junky, flimsy imported stuff that just seems to break just when you need it most. Be sure to get tools that even if they are imported, have enough beef and strength to them that they will last you and be there to use when you need it. If you plan to build your own gold mining equipment, you’ll need the right tools. Here is a discussion of the reasons and benefits of having each of these tools on hand:

Jig saw
A jig saw with a fine-toothed blade is a handy tool for cutting aluminum and thin steel that is too thick for cutting with tin snips. With a bit coarser toothed blade, a jigsaw is also a good tool for cutting plywood and even 2 x 4 wood. This is the tool I used in most of the cutting I did for my mining equipment and other fabrication projects.

Pop Rivet Gun
A pop rivet gun is a handy tool for fabricating and attaching aluminum sheet metal. If you have the right type of welder, some of these things can be spot welded, but many welders cannot weld aluminum. Pop rivets are a chap way to attach one sheet of aluminum to another, or even to other things like plastic. Having a full selection of different sized pop rivets is necessary to get the most out of this handy tool.

Drill
Attaching items together with screws, bolts or pop rivets requires holes. The way to put in those holes is with a drill.  Really, I figure that every home owner has a drill or two. I have three myself – a large, heavy drill with a ½ inch chuck, a smaller 3/8 inch chuck model and a battery operated cordless drill. It has gotten to be that most of the drill work I do around the house is done with the cordless – its just so handy.

Die Grinder
This is a very handy tool and is probably the one least likely tool on this list to already be in the homeowner toolbox. I use mine to cut or grind off metal for fitting pieces together, as well as grinding off welds as needed. It is an extremely handy tool to have, and I highly recommend it. It isn't exactly a delicate device, but you can really go to town and cut off some metal fast with it. its great for finishing up lopsided arc welds to smooth them off and make them look more professional prior to painting.

Dremmel Tool
This is a hand held grinder for more delicate work. It does not have huge amounts of power, so you will not be doing heavy duty work, but for delicate things were you just need to take off a hair or grind some small indentation, this is just the tool. There are about 1000 different extensions available for it from simple things to diamond drill bits.

Misc. Smaller tools:

Hack Saw – This is a simple and inexpensive tool that works great for cutting metal. I use mine all the time for the most basic of cutting when I don't want to bother with getting out an electric saw.

Power screwdriver – Handy for installing screws; especially if you have a lot of them. The cordless types do a great job and with an extra battery you may never run out of power.

Tin snips – Really necessary for cutting sheet metal - definitely better than trying to cut sheet metal with a saw.

Wrenches – These are necessary for installing bolts and taking apart existing stuff. Get well built sturdy ones - both socket and adjustable types.

Consider which of these tools you have on hand and which you may have on hand, be able to borrow or need to purchase. Costs to purchase additional had tools may figure significantly into the cost of a do it yourself project. As I noted a the top of this page, some good deals can be fond on the internet. Be sure to do your research on prices, and you'll get a good bargain. A small welder is also a highly recommended tool, so much so that I have done up a separate page on this highly important tool: Low Cost, Small Arc Welders For Home Use