5 Essential Tools for a Renter's Compact Home Wood Shop

As a renter and someone who loves building home goods, I have struggled with a desire to buy wood working tools while dreading the thought of moving them. Here are five tools to have on hand for a compact, renter's wood shop needs.

Hand-held Circular Saw
I'd rather use a table saw, but a hand held skill saw can make most of the same cuts. If you need to cut a straight line, consider using a long, metal straight edge that you can clamp to the piece you cut to use it as a guide.

Drill
Whether you are pre-drilling holes or using a Phillips bit drive screws an electric drill will serve you well. If you prefer mobility, look for a cordless drill. If you'd rather not deal with changing batteries a corded drill will be reliable.

Hand-held Jig Saw
A jig saw will allow you to make many of the same cuts that an upright band saw could make.

Clamps
As someone who has a tendency to cut my fingers while building projects, I'm always on the lookout for tools that make wood working safer. Clamps are an affordable way to keep a piece of wood you are cutting in place so you can use both hands to operate a power tool.

Wet/Dry Vacuum
If you are going to saw wood inside, it is a good idea to have a hefty vacuum on hand to clean up the sawdust. It will make your workspace safer and more livable.

MORE TOOL TALK ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
My Renovation Tools Top Ten: Timothy Dahl

(Image: Flickr member timsnell licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Comments (11)

Would be practical to have a portable/collapsible workbench, such as the Black & Decker Workmate.

And where do you store even these compact woodworking tools in your rented space?

Duh! @Winsomegirl. Its simple. You use the tools to build a tall trunk to put it all in. Then when you aren't using the tools, the trunk becomes a dining table.

Pffft...easy. :)

I'd add some kind of miter saw for cutting molding etc on an angle. A simple miter box and saw is inexpensive and takes very little room. If you have enough room, I highly recommend a compound miter saw - I use mine much more than the jigsaw or circular saw.

When I rented, I kept my power tools in the cabinet over the fridge that I had to stand on a chair to reach (impractical for other kitchen things that would be used frequently). Agreed on the miter...I use the heck out of that for molding, making frames, adding trim to windows...quarter rounds along baseboards...

I would add a Dremel. Great for lots of things.

Ditto on the miter saw - can't live without it.

They make really tiny shop vacs these days. Obviously the smaller you go, the less powerful the motor- but in an apartment or small area you tend to use them much less, so burn out is less of an issue. And it's great to have a wet dry vacuum they can fit easily in the bottom of a closet or under a high bed.

Along with all the tools, there are 3 more crucial ingredients: eye protection, dust mask, and ear plugs. Everything gets louder and messier when you're working in small quarters! Also, for storage simplicity, there are often combo kits of these tools that will run off of the same batteries. (Battery operated is great for being able to run up to the roof to do work.) We also had pre-drilled holes discreetly in our kitchen's floor where we could attach our hand mitre box. A couple heavy duty milk crates can serve as mini sawhorses too, and then you can store tools in them when not in use.

As someone who's had to make straight cuts with a circular saw, I can't wait for this to come out.

For that matter, the Kreg Jig should probably be on this list.