If you are here that means you are considering building dog crate furniture. Hooray! But you may be wondering do I have all the tools needed to accomplish a build like this?
When considering building the dog crate furniture, you notice that their are several unique parts to the dog crate.
1) Frame
2) Back
3) Top
4) Floor
5) Door
6) Rebar
For the most part, all the wood pieces will require the same tools, and the rebar a separate set of tools.
We will be going over both in this post.
We will be dividing this discussion up into four areas.
Wood Cutting Tools
Assembly Tools
Rebar Tools
Finishing Tools
I will also be sharing the minimum tools required and what tools are recommended for efficiency, accuracy, and just ease of use.
Now I should mention that with woodworking there are many different woodworking methods, different types of tools to use that can produce the same end result. We are just going to keep it simple. In fact I will be going over what I have done in the past and what I am doing now with my dog crate builds.
Let's Jump in...
Wood Cutting Tools
Obviously we will be cutting wood. I don't need to tell you how many different wood cutting tools are out there.
At the absolute minimum you would need a circular saw. Now if you are using a circular saw, that means you would be running the saw across the piece of wood with a (hopefully) steady hand not leaving much room for error. This really isn't the ideal way to go about things, however it is worth mentioning it is doable.
Ideally you would want to make your cuts with a chop saw or a mitre saw. I haven't ever had the need to make an angled cut when building dog crates, so a chop saw would do the trick. I personally use a mitre saw because that is what I have in my shop.
The other tool that would be great to have is a table saw. When i am cutting the bottom floor, I tend to rip a piece of sanded ply wood. This accurately done on a table saw. However I must admit, with a steady hand and a straight line, you can use the circular saw for this cut as well.
I think it is fair to admit that you could actually ask the employees at the big box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) to rip down the plywood to size if needed.
Assembly Tools
Now that you have all your wood cut using the cut list provided with one of my dog crate plans you will need to assemble them. The easiest way to to perform that task is to have a handheld drill and a pocket hole jig.
Of course when talking about a handheld drill, you could use a corded model, but for efficiency it is so much nicer having a cordless drill.
Now lets discuss pocket hole jigs. I personally can recommend the Kreg Jig 720. This is the deluxe model they have, and I love it. If you do not have a pocket hole jig and the thought of dropping $100+ on one doesn't sound great, then there are other options. Kreg does have a lower model (R3) for around $40, but it will require a bit more labor on your end to use it. So if you value your time, the 720 models pays off in the long run.
Note: there are other brands of pocket hole jigs on the market, I just don't have any experience with them. You can do a quick search on Amazon and see comparable products at much lower prices. Just do your due diligence if considering one of those options.
Lastly, I would recommend having some clamps around your shop. Clamps come in handy as an extra set of hands. I like having hand clamps to hold things in place, both parallel clamps or pipe clamps are great for clamping up the top if using glue and needing it held securely while it dries.
What About a Festool Domino?
If any of you woodworkers out there have any joinery tools like a Festool domino, than congrats! While this is the superior method to adjoining the frame of a dog crate, you absolutely do not need it for the build. I personally put together the first 20 or so crates I built with pocket holes. I then upgraded and have since started putting my crates together with the festool.
Rebar Tools
When we look at the rebar tools, it is easy to think about how we must cut them, but don't forget we also need to address the holes in the wood that they fit in. So let's break the rebar into two sections.
Cutting Rebar for dog crates
Cutting the rebar can be done with a couple different tools. Most people are likely to have a reciprocating saw in their collection. This is commonly referred to as the saws-all. This saw works well as long as you have a metal blade on it. You will also need something to securely hold it in place while sawing because it will create a lot of vibrations and shaking. I suggest clamping it to a table where the access hangs off one side.
On the off chance you have an abrasion saw, this is a go to choice. Make sure you are wearing goggles, because sparks will fly. If you plan a making a business out of building dog crates it is a tool you may suggest upgrading to down the road.
Making Holes for Rebar
Now to make the holes you really only have two options. The least expensive option is to have a self centering dowel jig. You can pick one of these for around $30-$50. This jig clamps onto the edge of your board and centers a guide hold for you. This tool of course is used in conjunction with your hand held drill and the proper size drill bit.
The more expensive and superior tool to use for this task is a drill press with a guide rail. Having a drill press is by far the best upgrade I made in my shop as far as building dog crates goes. You will be able to drill the holes faster and more accurately. This is one of the tools I upgraded to after building around 25 dog crates drill the holes by hand. I am not sure why I waited so long!
Finishing Tools
At this point you have cut the pieces and assembled the crate. Now you have to make it look pretty. Lets break down the finishing steps
Sanding
You will need a palm sander to go around the crate and clean up in areas that need it. I use my palm sander on every crate.
Now when I build the tops, I like to sand them to make them a smooth surface. Although a palm sander can accomplish this task, it will get old real quick if you start making a lot of dog crates. At some point you will want to add a belt sander to your roster. Your forearms and back will thank me later.
Painting
Of course you can brush paint or roll paint your crate. However for a real professional finish you will probably want to start spaying your painted crates with a HVLP paint sprayer. I have bought and test several brands at several price points so I will be putting out a separate blog just on this topic, so be on the look out for it.
Staining
If you choose to stain your dog crate, you are in luck. Chances are you have an old t-shirt you can cut up and use as a staining rag. No tools required, just a lot of elbow grease!
Summary
So there you have it, those are the tools needed to build a dog crate. You can always start with the minimum and upgrade tools once you start making sells. You can also find many of these tools on second hand sites like facebook marketplace or craigslist. Also, don't count out bargain tool stores like Harbor Freight. You can start with their affordable tools and upgrade later on once you start generating big profits building dog crates.
To learn how you can build and sell dog crates like hotcakes, watch this free workshop I recorded for you. WATCH NOW
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