Need Help Leveling Woodworking(Carpentry/Tools/Etc.)

[Callisto]

So I'm looking to start building my own custom arcade stick cases in the near future, which would be made mostly of wood, acrylic glass, and maybe a few other things here and there. Minor detail: I know absolutely nothing about carpentry or woodworking tools. I have a pretty basic idea of what I need, but when it comes to actually shopping for the stuff and making sure I have all of the little things I really don't know where to look, what are good brands to trust, or how to know if I'm getting a good deal.

Here's the kind of things I'm looking for, if anyone could give me some specific recommendations and/or general tips:

• A router w/ table, mostly for cutting out holes in panels and making beveled edges on corners of the box frames, chamfer bits, etc.

• A decent drill with hole saw bits for 24mm and 30mm buttons to use on both wood and acrylic glass

• Clamps. All kinds of clamps, framing clamps, clamps to hold things to tables, clamps to hold two pieces of wood together while glue dries.

• Other crap. Miscellaneous crap that would be good to have that might not specifically be a tool explicitly needed for what I'm doing.

• Space. How much room should I have. Is it okay to do stuff like this indoors? I'm probably going to end up having a spare apartment bedroom to use, but not like a full garage.

I'm picking up a Dremel soon just for all-around stuff. I also was wondering if hardware stores typically have like...spare scrap wood that they give out for free that you can practice on. Anyways I'm sure I'll have tons of other questions once I actually start buying tools, any tips/recommendations will be appreciated.

[FNH]

I'd recommend setting your budget for the tools and peruse your local hardware store. Find the guy that works the department and ask which ones he has seen have the most problems and avoid those. If you have a smartphone (who doesn't these days) there is an app to scan barcodes that checks the internet for going prices.

On the drill decide cordless or corded. If you can reach an outlet with a good extension cord go corded batteries are expensive and a PITA if they go dead during a project. I would definitely advising investing in a table saw, a miter saw, and jig saw. A planer may be out of your budget, but they are handy. Also, sander.

I don't know of any big box stores that would have scrap wood, but look in your yellow pages for cabinet makers and maybe saw mills, sometimes they could have "trash" wood. Lowes I know sells books on carpentry and woodworking, prob find it at BAM or library too.

you can do this indoors, but invest in a shop vac. I would advise against drilling,cutting, or sanding over carpet.