The Tools and Supplies I Actually Use to Build My Collapsible Bars

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People ask me two things about my collapsible bars. The first is how they come apart (lift-away hinges — that's a whole other post, coming soon). The second is simpler: what do I need to build one?

So I put the whole kit in one place. The Tools and Supplies I Use page on this site is the exact list I build from — the same tools and consumables named in my build plans. Nothing sponsored, nothing padded. If it isn't on that page, I don't use it on these bars. Here's how the list breaks down, and why each group matters.

The saws do the heavy lifting

Sheet goods make or break this build. I break down MDF panels with a track saw so the edges come off the sheet straight and clean, rip framing strips on the table saw, and cut the 45-degree miters for the front trim frame on a miter saw. Add a cordless drill/driver, an 18-gauge brad nailer, a random orbital sander, and the unglamorous essentials — clamps, a carpenter square, a tape measure, and a drill bit set for pilot holes and countersinks. MDF splits if you bully it; pilot holes are the difference between a tight joint and a ruined panel. Every one of these is on my tools and supplies page — that's the list to shop from.

The hardware is the whole product

The star of the list is the 3-inch lift-away hinges — four per bar, two left-hand and two right-hand. These are what let the side panels lift off so the bar breaks down flat with no tools. This is the one line item with a rule attached: no substitutes. A different hinge is a different bar.

Screws matter more than people think. On the standard 3/8-inch MDF build it's 1.5-inch screws for the frame and hinges. On the 1/2-inch MDF variant it's 1-3/4-inch screws — one box gets you through a bar, and I buy two at a time so I never run out mid-build. The plans specify which; don't mix them up. And use proper wood screws on the hinges, not whatever short screws come in the hinge pack.

For trim and edge banding it's 18-gauge brads: 1-inch for edge banding (about 200 per bar) and 5/8-inch for the front picture-frame trim on the standard build (3/4-inch on the 1/2-inch build). The hinges, screws, and brads are all linked on the Tools and Supplies I Use page so you get the exact sizes, not a close-enough guess.

Glue: one bottle, fresh every build

Titebond III, the small 4 oz bottle — I start every bar kit with a fresh one. Old glue is a false economy on joints that have to survive being assembled and taken apart over and over.

Primer and paint: match them

This is the step most DIY builds get wrong. White primer under a white bar, gray primer under a black bar — every time. It isn't superstition: it gets you to a true finish color in fewer coats. I use 2 quarts of paint per bar (Blossom White satin for white bars, Satin Black for black ones), and painted MDF is happiest indoors or under cover — with frequent use, touch up the paint as needed to keep it looking sharp. The exact primers and paints are on the tools page too.

What I don't buy online

The MDF sheets and 2x4s. Nobody needs to ship sheet goods across the country — I buy those locally, and you should too. Everything else on the materials list is on the tools and supplies page, which is also why the page carries Amazon's disclosure at the top: some links there are affiliate links, and if you buy through them it helps keep the shop running at no extra cost to you.

Building one yourself?

If you're building along with my 5-foot or 6-foot build plans, the tools page is your shopping list — work down it and you've got the kit. And if you'd rather skip the build entirely, the same bars are available built-to-order on the site, delivered locally by woodworkers in our network.

The whole kit, in one place: Tools and Supplies I Use

Either way — measure twice, pre-drill your MDF, and don't cheap out on the hinges.