Here are a few of the tools I've accumulated ....so far. Most of them I wouldn't want to be with out, as they really make the job easier. As a matter of fact... If they were stolen today, I'd replace them tomorrow. So, do your BEST to fit this first group into your budget.
Fein MSxe 636-2 (Costal Tool usually has the best price on this.) @$175
You'll find this tool the hardest to put away. Especially the HSS blade. With it, you can cut through cured glass like "butta". It vibrates the blade, as opposed to spining it.(Like a cast or bone saw.) Which makes it very safe for klutzes like me. In the plans, Nat has you waiting for the infamous "chewing gum" stage to trim the glass. Well, with this baby there will be no more late evening trips to the workshop for trimming.
Dritz Electric Scissors $60
The Wiss scissors Nat recommends are are OK, but these are GREAT. Especially on BID glass. I'm on my 2nd pair now... only because I neglected to clean them properly after cutting wetted out glass....numerous times. (Yeah, you heard right. These cut wet glass too, Without disrupting the fibers.) I found out on the 2nd pair, if you poke the blades through the bottom of a ZipLok baggie and seal it, you won't be needing a 2nd pair.
The Proxxon Industrial Drill/Grinder IB/E $100
Zero to 20,000 rpm variable grinder. German engineering at some of it's best. You try this, you'll start thinking "Dremel" is a foreign word meaning "crap".
Smart Tool Digital Level. @ $90
The best way to Orthogonal Nirvana. Get the 4ft level it mounts in too.
A decent electronic scale would be good too. Ohaus is the drug dealers scale of choice, so it’s good enough for me. Get the scale that does at least 500 grams. You'll need it for the wing lay-ups.
Here’s spreadsheet for those which want to use MGS335