
Build Tools
Many people ask me which tools I use in my videos so that they can get started making props and costumes. I put together this list of nearly everything I use in my day-to-day prop making life. The best part is, if you click through the links, I get a tiny cut of the sale thanks to affiliate partners like Amazon and MatterHackers. This helps us produce more and better videos for you!
Also check out this video that goes over which tools I think every maker should own! This video is a great place to start if you’re not sure what to buy to embark on your prop and costume making adventure!
EVA Foam
Common Shop Tools
- Foamsmith Utility Knife
- Utility Knife Blade Refill Pack
- Kershaw Knife Sharpener
- Heat Gun
- Dremel Rotary Tool
- See Through Ruler w/Metal Edge
- Hex T-Handle Drivers Metric | Imperial
- Power Drills
- Sharpie Permanent Markers
- Center Finder
- Digital Caliper
- Needle Files | File Brush
- Weight Scale
- X-Acto Craft Knife
- Panavise
- 123 Blocks
- Blue Shop Towels
- Self-Healing Cutting Mat
- White Marker
Adhesives
Power Tools
- 9″ Band Saw
- 14″ Band Saw
- Belt/Disc Sander
- 1″ Belt Sander
- Oscillating Spindle Sander
- Scroll Saw
- Dremel Rotary Tool
- Foredom Rotary Tool
- Mini Woodworking Lathe
- Mini Metal Working Lathe
- Large Drill Press
- Small Drill Press
- 10″ Miter Saw
- Angle Grinder
- Palm Sander
- Air Compressor
- Table Saw
Painting Tools
- Dual Action, Gravity Fed Air Brush
- Single Action Air Brush
- Air Brush Cleaning Station
- Air Brush Compressor
- Critter Sprayer
- Masking Tape
- Chip Brushes
- Masking Paper Tool
Paints
- Primer
- Tamiya Acrylic Paint
- Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic Paint
- Alclad Chrome Lacquer Paint
- Angelus Leather Paints
- Createx Airbrush
- GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic Paint
- Winsor Water Oil Paints
Sealing & Finishing
Mold Making
Safety
Misc. Materials
Fill & Sand
CNC/Laser/3D Print
- Ultimaker 2 Extended + 3D Printer
- LulzBot Mini 3D Printer (now unavailable, but the Lulzbot Mini 2 is!)
- Form 2 SLA 3D Printer
- Full Spectrum 5th Gen Hobby Laser
- Large Vinyl Cutter – KNK Maxx
- Small Vinyl Cutter – Silhouette Cameo
Other Tools
Video/Audio Gear
- Nikon D7200 DSLR Camera Body
- Panasonic GH5 Micro 4/3 Camera Body
- Panasonic G85 Micro 4/3 Camera 2/Lens Kit
- Sony RX 100 V Camera
- Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder & Lav Microphone
- Rode Videomic Pro-R+ Microphone
- LED Panel Lights
- Manfrotto Tripod
- Pangshi Video Tripod Head
- Logitech C920 Webcam
Software
- Blueprint Drafting: Inkscape (Premium Video Tutorial)
- Video Editing: Adobe Premiere
- Image Editing: Adobe Photoshop
- Photo Editing: Adobe Lightroom
- 3D Modeling: Fusion 360
- 3D Modeling: Maya
- Task Management: Airtable
- Notes: Evernote
- File Management: Dropbox
- Website: WordPress
- eCommerce: Woo Commerce