do u wanna chop-chop

So the first thing ya gotta do is get your tools together. Tools integral to chopper building include the adjustable wrench or two (bigger the better Super Mario), a screwdriver of flathead and one of Phillip's, a drill (or press if so blessed), some clampage (vise works good, we have many vices), a piece of 2x4 for fork manipulation, solvents, greases, rags, a piece of 1/2 inch water pipe (steel, baby), Vice-Grips for the unruly, about a dollars worth of 1/4 inch bolts, nuts and washers in myriad lengths (design-dependent), and most importantly, a BFH, for when things don't go as first planned. Strangely enough, these tools are a subset of those in the Phase I toolkit for VW Repair for the Compleat Idiot.

Recap. Get out the pad, or copy and print.

wrenches	many proper fitting box/opens or a coupla adjustables operated carefully
drivers	a flat-head, oh, medium a Phillip's, medium as well a tiny one for derailleurs, whichever fits
solvents	a soap, basic cleaner something nasty, like mineral spirits something really nasty, like MEK, anything that promises reproductive system harm
greases	I swear by 90 weight gear oil on the chain, the finessey rich recommend Tri-Flo some waterprufe stuff for the bearings (mosta the grease out there claims waterprufeness) some red grease looks so cool oozing from the assemblage
rags	old T-shirts seem plentiful blue jeans hold a lot of dirty goo rags are good for protecting tubes/nuts/components from plier grip bites keep a clean-clean corner for the last rub of the bearings before the grease
pipe	1/2 inch steel water pipe, from 8 inches to a few feet 1 inch steel water pipe, for extremely hi-tech/burly applications any size, for inspiration
hardware	1/4x??? depending on application, perhaps some neat barrel connectors (is that what they're called), all tough highest grade steel you can afford, we're talking pennies here hey, 3/8's stuff, if your happy drilling holes that big through your pieces/parts. Or for spacers on your footpegs. maybe a 1/2 bolt or two, for an interior splint type engineering some hose clamps can always be of use, get beeg ones with thread slots all the way down to leetle, maximum tunability
BFH	a rubber mallet if yer not into it or a framing or ball-peen @ 16 oz if you wanna bang a lot or 48+ oz of sledge, with a huge lever arm you actually use or the blunt side of a chopping maul and a big space to swing it
fancy tools	a hack saw, with sharp blade(s) is a necessity to cut the pipe to a proper length, however you may be blessed with just the right piece of pipe a drill, gotta have a drill Vise-Grips are near indisposable in your toolkit. Usually however, once you use Vice-Grips on an assembly you are forced to use only Vise-Grips on it in the future. Use them at your own risk, but try utmostly to avoid this downfall. The delicate shall triumph. diagonal cutters, or something that nicely trims cables to size, Vise-Grips have clumsy back jaws which crudely accomplish this task
bike tools	third hands rock (aka cable tensioners) but you can suffer and fray thru it with your VG's spoke wrench? Naw, c'mon, they're true enough. chain tool, functional, is usually required for most choppifications, but not always pump, or a quarter and a willingness to walk a few blocks, or friends closeby with a compressor

Ok, if you haven't read it yet, check in on the first explanation of building choppers back there when it was fresh in my mind and I was all clumsy about it. Or just read on.

Now back when they were filming this crazy disaster-film down in Mexico about some ocean-liner shipwreck our King and Queen ventured forth and hobknobbed with the stars, rubbed elbows with those in the know, those in touch with ancient wisdom. There it was revealed the leading man's actual name was originally Leonardo DaChopprio, namesake and manygreats-grandson of the 17th century's greatest chopper builder and otherwise gifted inventor. After plying the nancy-boy with far too many local tequilas, into the club stash fell the notebooks of a great inventor. King of the world my ass.