When I started furniture flipping 2 years ago, I started with a simple collection of DIY tools that I already had lying around at home. Over the course of the 2 years, I have started to build up my DIY tool collection.
But fear not! You don’t need to spend £££ to start your DIY tool kit. Here are 5 essential furniture flipping tools to get you started and that I reach for all the time!
TOOL 1: Sand Sand Sand Away!
Whether it’s a bedside table, chest of drawers or something bigger sanding is the upmost essential! There are two sanders I constantly reach for.
Lumberjack Random Orbital Sander with Dust Box
This is the first sander I purchased when furniture flipping and it does a remarkable job at sanding the old finish off. For £28 the sander has 6 speeds but I only use the sander on speed 3 or 4. Its comfortable and has a high degree of control making sanding bigger pieces an easy effortless job.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/handcraftedbysev
Challenge Corded Palm Sander
This is the second sander I purchased over a year ago and does an excellent job at removing the old finish off either a flat surface or a slightly curved surface. The palm sander has a pointed front making it quite good at getting close into the corners of furniture pieces. Although it does not come with a dust box, dust does not fly all over the place when sanding a surface. Purchasing a dust box could be a good option however, I don’t feel that it is necessary. For £15 I was surprised at the value for money and I have used it to sand large chest of drawers and a sideboard without the need to reach for my orbital sander.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3244856?clickSR=slp:term:sanders:3:20:1
I highly recommend both of these sanders if you are looking for an affordable option but a reliable product that gets the job done!
TOOL 2: Brush it on or Spray it on?
For the past 2 years, I have reached for my paint brush more than I have ever reached for my paint sprayer. Because I like all my furniture pieces to be perfect, I hate overspray! With a paint brush I feel that I have much better control over the paint rather than a paint sprayer. Yes a paint brush is slightly more time consuming, but I can instantly see any imperfections and sort it out on the spot rather than later. But the paint brush that you use does matter.
I have only ever used Harris 5 pack Essential Paint Brushes. The bristles are soft, they don’t fall out easily and wash up well to be used over and over again. In the warmer months I keep a spray bottle filled with water on hand, and spray the paint brush with water before dipping into the paint, to help achieve a streak free finish.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/handcraftedbysev
When I have used a paint sprayer it does making spraying a piece of furniture a lot quicker. However, I feel that too much paint gets used compared to using a paint brush and can be a little fiddly when cleaning up. Nevertheless, a paint sprayer does give a smooth flawless finish.
TOOL 3: Screw It, Drill It
The screwdriver is quite fundamental when it comes to removing and replacing handles, hinges and much more. I’ve stayed traditional and use manual screwdrivers rather than a battery operated screwdriver. If I do require a bit of extra power I will reach for the drill and add a screw bit at the end. Most of us already have a screwdriver or two lying around somewhere. I don’t use a particular brand when it comes to screwdrivers, I just scavenge the toolbox to find the right screwdriver head for the right screw.
When it comes to drills however, I have two drills I reach for when it comes to either creating a new handles hole or when adding furniture legs to a furniture base.
The first drill I reach for is the Voche Cordless Drill I purchased on eBay. And let me tell you in this scenario brands don’t matter! I’ve had this drill way before I started furniture flipping and has been fantastic! It charges up super quickly and is lightweight and comfortable to hold.
The second drill I reach for when I need something more powerful is the Black+Decker Hammer Drill. This drill is perfect as I can switch over to the regular drill option when drilling a suitable hole for a leg bracket or creating a new handle hole on thicker types of wood! It's also great as a screwdriver. When I wanted to add extra support to the wood pieces I added to the top of a coffee table, this was the perfect drill to use.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/handcraftedbysev
TOOL 4: Adjustable Hardware Jig
The Adjustable Hardware Jig! This is a tool I wish I knew about when I started furniture flipping and it’s a must for my top 5! It makes creating new handle holes an effortless, easy job. Instead of fiddling with tape or cardboard, you adjust the screw holes according to the handle, rest it on the drawer and drill away. It also doubles up as a ruler, so you can make sure your handle placement is centered and even if you don’t need it for handles, you can just use it as a regular ruler!
I have used this tool countless times and its worked a charm every time!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/handcraftedbysev
TOOL 5: Osculating Multi Tool
The final tool which I think is great and versatile is the osculating multi tool. These vary in price and you can pick one up for as little as £25 all the way up to £80. Mine is the Blue Ridge cordless osculating tool that I found on Amazon and again I would have to say it has been fantastic! The osculating multi tool has a sander function, a cutting function and a rotary function making it extremely versatile and handy with everything you need in one simple tool. I have used this tool to sand smaller, hard to reach areas, cut the bottom of a furniture base, cut wood trimmings and cut mdf and plywood.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/handcraftedbysev
There you have it. These are my top 5 essentials when it comes to furniture flipping. I have linked all the products under each category for you and if you want to see me using these tools in action, head over to my Instagram and check out my video reels.
Sevs Little Finds
