The following inexpensive handsaws are handy to have:
Coping saws cut curves into any thin stock, although their primary use is coping trim so intersecting pieces fit snugly. They take both metal — and wood-cutting blades.
A hacksaw is most often used to cut metal, especially bolts or nails. Sawblades will last longer if you use the full length of the blade.
A Japanese saw cuts on the pull stroke. Its thin, flexible blade is perfect for cutting flush shims and other thin stock. Most are two-sided, with rip and crosscut teeth.
A handsaw is still worth having in your toolbox, preferably a 10-pt. crosscut saw. Even if you depend primarily on a circular saw, a handsaw is handy for finishing cuts that don’t go all the way through a rafter or joist.
A dovetail saw makes clean crosscuts in small molding, doorstops, and casing beads.
A keyhole saw can cut holes in drywall for electrical boxes, without predrilling.
Full-size routers are probably too expensive for casual remodelers, but trim routers and rotary tools are versatile and reasonably priced. Safety goggles are a must with any router.
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Laminate trimmers are also called trim routers. In addition to trimming laminate edges, these lightweight routers are great for mortising door hinges and strike plates.
Plunge routers can lower to precise depths in the middle of a workpiece, making them ideal for wood joinery, edge shaping, mortising door hinges, and so on.
Dremel™, variable-speed rotary tools can
dislodge tired tile grout and remove stubborn
paint from beaded or ornate woodwork. There are hundreds of specialized accessories for this tool.
