Spend money on a table saw, compound miter saw, plunge router and brad gun/compressor combo. Spend the money on top-notch blades. Spend money on squares and alignment tools.

Bosch and PC make nice tools, but our contractors swear by DeWalt.

I'm just building my first set of speaker cabs, and I'm finding the tools I use on a job site are mutually exclusive to what I use to build the cabs......C

I live in a small, ground-level condo with a postage stamp for a patio, so the table saw is OUT and the sawboard is IN. Does this change the choice of circular saw? For that matter, does the compound mitre saw have a collapsible base? Almost everything has to fit into a tiny hallway closet, just big enough to hide a couple of bodies. (The SAF, y'know!)

Even if not too expensive, the non-precision tools still need to be reliable. I'm assuming that's why you recommended DeWalt. What brands did you buy for precision tools? What diameter circular saw/blade works best for you?

Why a brad gun? I thought that screw'n'glue was the preferred construction method for pro audio boxes. Plus, plenty of clamps and straps!

At the low end of acceptable is the PC 690 router. I have one with both the plunge and fixed mounts. I use both to the point that I am going to buy another motor so I don't have to keep switching.

Bob

Compound miter saws are nice for trim work or cutting small widths. Sliding cpd. miter saws give a bit more cutting width but are expensive. I have a DeWalt 706 (12" dual tilt, non-sliding) and I love it. This rides in my truck everywhere I go and has not been knocked out of alignment yet.

Would I recommend Dewalt for the average guy? Maybe. There are very nice non-precision tools to be had at a fraction of the cost. For example: My workhorse cordless drill cost me $20 at a grocery store. It's a no-name 24V drill that has two gears and a hammer function. I thought for the money I could use it a couple of months and toss it when it dies. Well, two years later I finally toated the low gear setting when running a 2' long 3/4" bit through 8" of solid wood (I was running electric through a coffered beam.) I think I got my $20 worth.

As for circ saws, I have a B&D and a couple of Chicago brand (Harbor Freight.) I cannot tell the difference. I don't use quality blades, since they are for rough framing. Again, go with what Bob said.

My table saw is a Grizzly G0575 with a thin-kerf Freud combo blade. I've had about 6 months, but just last week had a chance to really use it. This saw makes a hack like me look good. I must have stared at the first box I made for over an hour. I could not believe the joints. They were all dead on. I'll post pics on the Pi forum later tonight. I'm anxious to show off my work.

You're right about the screws. Use them (or biscuits) on all joints. I mention the brad gun strickly from a home improvement stand point. If you're doing trim work (crown, chair rail, etc) the good ones will leave a nice little hole where the nail went in. Cheaper ones will tend to shatter the wood, even at a lower PSI setting. Porter Cble makes a nice two gun/compressor combo that is just fun to use.

If you know what you want, check Amazon.com for really good deals. Hope this helps......Colin

PS. I've rehab'd a number of condos. Nothing dress them up like trim work. Put some trim up watch the SAF go way up. The'll be begging you to buy more tools ....C

I've never built any boxes from scratch, but I've modified the baffles on home stereo speakers that I had found in 2nd hand stores, but only if the build was solid. In the past, I've had to borrow tools as needed, with limited degrees of success. One tool was called a keyhole saw (hand-held, unpowered), which was convenient for such work, but the cut was pretty rough. What can you guys recommend in place of a keyhole saw for baffle surgery on a pre-made speakerbox? (I usually leave the woofer cutouts alone and modify the mid/high sections.)

Only time I've ever used a keyhole saw if for cutting drywall. That must have been a chore cutting wood ......C

For one project, I adhesed a 1/4" piece of plywood over the upper half of the baffle, leaving the 10" woofer cutout intact, then I *hacked* the cutout for a cheap CD-ish horn with a 1.8kHz piezo driver. With a simple x-over I designed, a new Pioneer woofer, some paint & hardware, my father's old speakers came back to life. They actually sound pretty good with some EQ!