# Basic traveling kit?



## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

So I've spent the last winter getting into hand tools, and I finally realized that non-powered tools would be fantastic at my vacation house. See, it's up in the woods in New Hampshire, and there's no electricity... which means gas, battery, or human power for tools.

Given how often the place gets broken into, I'm not willing to leave good tools up there, so I'm planning to build a toolbox for a portable carpentry kit. I decided that, just this once, I'd plan ahead, and try to figure out what I'm going to want and how much space I'm going to need before I start. It's a radical notion, but it might save me some trouble down the road. So... if it were you, what would go in the kit?

The list so far:
Saws -- 1 each crosscut and rip, plus a small backsaw and a coping saw.
Planes -- Smoother, jack, and block
Chisels -- either my whole roll of 8 bench chisels, or a small subset (1/4", 1/2", 3/4", 1", probably)
6-in-1 screwdriver
Claw Hammer (for driving nails and hitting things I want broken)
Mallet (for driving chisels and hitting things I don't want broken)
Eggbeater drill and a selection of small bits
Brace and a selection of auger bits, plus adapter to take standard hex bits
Pencil
Utility knife
16" combination square (I know most people don't like them, but I found it cheap, it's accurate, and I'm used to it)
6" combination square (for places the big one won't fit)
25' Tape Measure
String (you never know when string will come in handy...)
Chalkline and chalk
Torpedo Level


Added from suggestions:
Pliers -- including channel lock
Adjustable Wrench
Allen Wrech set
Sharpening stone/strop
Saw files
4-in-1 rasp
Bevel
Small pry-bar
Spring Clamps

The "if there's still space" addendum:
Speed Square
Small carpenter's square
bar clamps


Bearing in mind this is general home-repair sort of stuff, not fine furniture building, I'd be interested to know what people think I forgot!


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## kpo101 (Aug 5, 2011)

A good combination of pliers, allen wrench set and a adjustable wrench (cause you never know). Oh and bring a spare pencil!


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## tito5 (Apr 5, 2011)

files, and sharpening stones if you are going to do a lot of cutting/chiseling/planing. I would bring all the chisels.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

kpo101 said:


> A good combination of pliers, allen wrench set and a adjustable wrench (cause you never know). Oh and bring a spare pencil!


Right! The pliers and adjustable wrench are especially useful... 



tito5 said:


> files, and sharpening stones if you are going to do a lot of cutting/chiseling/planing. I would bring all the chisels.


Sharpening stuff. I knew there was something critical I was forgetting. Fortunately for day-to-day I can get by with a single stone and a strop, so it won't take much space. It feels like files for the saws is a waste, but they're small, so I'll toss them in too.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

I think your list is a pretty good one for a home maintenance tool kit. 

If it were me, I would go with your short list of chisels. I got by for years with only those sizes. Also, I would not bother with the smoother plane. You can do anything short of fine furniture building with a Jack and Block. 

You do need a way to keep the planes and chisels sharp.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Thanks, Wrangler. I was actually thinking to include both the smoother and jack just because the smoother is smaller -- I can think of a few places where I might prefer a smaller tool. Dropping the #4 will lighten up the box considerably, though, so it might be worth it. 

The box isn't going to be light, though... I'm hoping to wind up with something I can heave into my car on my own. We'll see how close I manage to get. In order to hold the saws I'm going to need over 30" of interior space in some dimension.. I may cross them (corner to corner) on one wall, since that will make them easier to get out and still allow me to protect them. Alternatively, the saws may just get their own case and be carried separately.


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## joe bailey (Dec 15, 2011)

An axe or hatchet.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

joe bailey said:


> An axe or hatchet.


There's something I hadn't considered.

Where would you find use for them in a home repair kit? I'm sure there are sensible uses for them, I just don't know what they are!


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

I would class an Ax/Hatchet as nice to have, not necessarily part of a basic tool kit.

Another point, I work only with hardwoods, so I don't know how this works with softwoods; but I don't even own a crosscut saw. I have filed all of my saws as rip saws. I have saws from 5 1/2 point to 16 point. These all work well for cross cutting hardwood.


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## autre (Jul 12, 2011)

4-in1 rasp/file.










Very handy.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I would include a pair of channel lock pliers. More torque with the longer handles and wider jaws if you need to do any plumbing. Not exactly carpenters tool, but they are handy in removing nuts rounded over after using the adjustable wrench.:smile:


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

I just happen to have a picture of my minimum must haves for carpentry work, less some handsaws and a level. These all fit in one of those bucket Bosses, not too heavy and room for more if needed. I always have a lot more in my traveling bucket but these will cover just about anything.

PS, I do carry a battery drill, saw and flashlight with extra batteries.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I vote for a larger box.:laughing: I say that because I've been in the sticks and wish I had a tool I forgot. Off the top of my head, and I'll likely think of more stuff, are clamps. Jorgie handscrews can come in handy, and when you need them a few bar clamps. Oh, don't forget band aids.:laughing:










 







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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

I think you are learning that we all have a different concept of "basic".


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Wrangler said:


> I think you are learning that we all have a different concept of "basic".


That WAS one of the purposes of this exercise, yes. 

Seriously... so far up there we've managed with a hammer, an eggbeater drill with some seriously dull bits (I really need to replace those this summer), a few screwdrivers, and a $5 ACE brand hand saw with an 18" blade. Which is to say, very little actually gets repaired up there. This weekend I'm going up to my girlfriend's family's vacation place, where a lot more work gets done, but a lot of it is harder than it needs to be because they don't have the right tools, or can't find them. (I plan to spend the weekend working on organizing the workshop... they're thrilled.)

I started the thread because I wanted to know what other people considered "minimal". While I'm probably not going to go to the extent some people would, I probably will add in a few small bar clamps, now that that's been pointed out. A small bottle of Titebond III would probably be a good choice, too, now that I'm thinking about the need to clamp things together. Though I have to admit that hide glue seems a lot more appropriate to my place... it was built in about 1810, and mostly looks it!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

amckenzie4 said:


> A small bottle of Titebond III would probably be a good choice, too, now that I'm thinking about the need to clamp things together. Though I have to admit that hide glue seems a lot more appropriate to my place... it was built in about 1810, and mostly looks it!



Personally, I wouldn't bother with hide glue in a bottle. Hot hide glue works well with good fitting joints, but can be a PITA. I would take a small bottle of TB II, and TB III. Might as well throw in a small can of solvent base contact cement...comes in handy.








 







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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Yeah, I wouldn't be willing to put up with hide glue. From what I've read the bottled stuff is technically fine, but has a short shelf life and isn't as good as melting it yourself. If I'm going to be putting together furniture that I expect to last forever I might go hide glue, just for the reversability for future repairs, but for general repairs around the house? Not worth it.

Why both TB2 and 3? I think I recall that TB2 sets faster, but is there any other reason?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

amckenzie4 said:


> Why both TB2 and 3? I think I recall that TB2 sets faster, but is there any other reason?



That's pretty much it. It does seem to have a better initial tack.









 







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