The trusty favourite...the mighty dremel hand saw, rotary saw, router (if you're lucky enough to own one), screw drivers + and - and *, electrical, tape, masking tape, duck tape, super glue, wood glue, pop rivet gun, the list is really endless...all depends on what you need for your mod...
nice toolkit: various screwdrivers (inc jewelers),pliers, sidecutters, handsaw lightweight compact cordless screwdriver is very nice to work with - reduce fatigue doing repetitive screwing, and a drill chuck to fit the cordless screwdriver & drill bits an assortment of cable, different gauges, colours, cores, etc an assortment of sleeving & heatshrink (use hairdryer not a lighter to shrink) an assortment of resistors, diodes & vregs soldering iron & solder files (flat/round/big/small) various sandpaper grits, piece of glass to sand on & sanding blocks thermal greases & adhesive & isopropyl alcohol & rags lots of time, or better yet a time machine, and money is good aswell
Scroll saw, Drill press, TAble sander, Jig saw, Hand drill, Dremel, Mouse sander, Files, Needle files, lots of bits/saws/drill bits, Clamps,lots of sandpaper, Paint, and common sense. O and a table saw/mitre saw doesn't hurt either. Mill/lathe/box pan brake are all same damn nice luxories.
Necessary: sand paper hand saw soldering gun torch Dremel (or similar product) file jigsaw Nice to have: https://www.smithy.com/product_home.php?cid=1&scid=9&pid=11
necessary: riveter drill dremel screwdrivers soldering iron pliers sidecutters wish i had: jigsaw bending brake
wait why is a torch necessary? WIsh i had: 9x20" lathe(x-mas? plzzzz mom i love you mom plzzz) table saw mite saw router+router table (hopefullly all for christmas) I wish i had a bending brake... Whats a cheap solution for bending?
I think That I asked the same Question http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=138084 .................
perhaps we should categorize and organize these: 1. all-purpose 2. aluminum (scratch build) 3. acrylic (scratch build) etc...
Are you volunteering? =P I agree, though. There should be all-encompassing article/wiki/etc on modding tools, with different focuses being placed on tools for different level modders and different materials.
This is my arsenal when modding: Dremel Copy Screwdriver Cordless drill Wired drill - alot stronger Jigsaw Files - correct in english? Hand saw for metal Metal sizor - Donno enligh word Soldering station Gluegun Riveter Well, thats about it.
For the "Metal Sizor" would it be possible for you to link us to a photo? "Files" is correct in english. Also, a metal-cutting hand saw is typically in the form of a "hacksaw," or hack saw I forget which is correct.