I didn’t start out with all these tools. In the beginning, I worked with a small setup: a RYOBI table saw, a Kobalt miter saw purchased from Facebook Marketplace, a Black and Decker Corded Circular Saw, DeWalt Sander, and a Bauer drill. As I completed small projects, I reinvested what I earned into newer or better tools.
Over time, upgrades became necessary. The Bauer drill eventually broke and was replaced with Kobalt drills. The used miter saw I bought couldn’t cut square and had no reliable way to fix it, so after completing another project, I replaced it with a new one. I later found a DeWalt Benchtop planer with a stand at a great deal on Facebook Marketplace, followed by the addition of a jointer.
My shop has grown gradually as projects came in. While having the right tools makes the work easier, a small shop like mine can’t hold everything. That limitation pushes creativity, finding new ways to solve problems and approach builds differently to deliver a high-quality, well-crafted product every time.