5 Essential Tools For Victorian Restorations

Give Your Home The Facelift It Needs, Using A Handful Of Must-Have Tools.

- Matt Mazanec

From the restoration of an old piece of furniture to the complete renovation of your century-old home, you’ll develop skills along the way. Knowing which specialty tools are available will make your life easier. If you want the project done right the first time—without several trips to the hardware store or wasting endless hours—take a look at these five must-have tools for the professional restorer. 

1. A cordless oscillating Dremel tool

Once you have this tool, you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Small and handheld, this powerful little tool has dozens of uses and, with a rechargeable battery, it can fit almost anywhere. A good Dremel will cost less than $100 and usually comes with many different interchangeable bits. A multitude of specialty bits for grinding, polishing or cutting difficult surfaces are also available. You can use a Dremel for a wide variety of projects, from cutting nails, tile and wood to grinding or sharpening objects. It can also polish anything with fine details, sand extremely tight spaces and cut drywall to make the perfect kit. This tool will save countless hours of frustration and take the guesswork out of how to make that perfect cut.

2. A mini pry bar