It's going to cost you some buckeroo's if you do not already own some of the required tools. I did not and I pretty much started off from scratch.
As with anything, you pretty much get what you pay for. I thought that I could get away with purchasing tools as needed along the way. You really need most of the stuff right up front. Even when building the practice airfoil sections.
I stayed with the big guys for my tools, mainly Cleaveland and Avery. Watch the Avery site for monthly sales. However, if you piece meal your tools watching for the sales, you will probably wind up spending more for shipping. I did get a 3X Sioux rivet gun deal from Avery when they decided to stop carrying the Sioux line.
If you have the money, the tool kit option from Cleaveland or Avery will probably save you in the long run. My personal preference is Cleaveland but I buy from both.
Power tools is another big one. A belt sander will help alot and cut down the time to modify the parts. Same goes for a band saw and thirdly, a drill press. I do not have any of these yet, but they would have saved alot of time and I believe some of the parts would have come out looking alot better.
The EAA chapter 1000 work benches are really slick and very easy to construct. The plans are setup to produce 2 work benches. They can be combined to make one long work table. Very strong as well. Here is the link http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/worktabl.htm .
