Hi,

I am an electronic hobbyist though I am always building housing and
other related stuff for my projects. I do not have to many building
tools (though I have plenty of electronic testing and measuring
equipment) and am looking to buy some especially for my current
project.

My current project involves putting a 12"x16" acrylic windows on a
piece of particle board. The acrylic window is .220" thick and I need
it to sit flush in the particle board (the board is 3/4" thick). I
want to cut a hole in the particle board which is smaller then the
window allowing for a 1" lip on all sides. I then want to lower the
lips by at least .220".

I have experimented with some of the limited tools I have currently
available to me to accomplish this and have found I need some new
tools. I am on a small budget (still have one more year of school). I
tried to cut through the particle board with a very inexpensive jigsaw
that was borrowed (3.2 amp Black and Decker) with a brand new wood
blade. The results were terrible; it was extremely slow and the blade
kept bending (even on a straight cut). I was able to achieve much
better results using a handsaw (though starting the cut was rather
tedious). To lower the lip I think I need to use a router. I have the
router attachment for a dremel and was able to test the idea on a
smaller scale. I used a 1/4" straight bit and it produced what I
needed on a small scale.

As you can see I need some new tools. I am having a hard time figuring
out what tools to buy. I think the right tools would be a better
jigsaw probably an orbital one and a router that can hold larger bits
(probably need an 1" straight bit unless they make a rabbeting bit that
can do a 1" cut). Now I would like to get some quality tools that
would last me a while, though I do not think I can afford them right
now (at least the quality I would like i.e. DeWalt, Porter Cable). I
have thought about getting a RotoZip since it has a jigsaw and plunge
router attachment. I know these attachments would be nothing compared
to high quality tools of a jigsaw or plunge router, though they may
allow me to accomplish this job relatively easily and the RotoZip
should be useful for other projects I do.

I don't expect to use these tools to frequently probably 6-12 times a
year. In the future I hope to have more time and be able to spend more
time on projects (more tool use). I also understand that quality tools
make your life much easier (this is also true with electronic test
equipment). For tools I think my maximum budget here is $200.

Here are my possible options I thought of:
1. Use a hand saw to make the hole and use my dremel router to make
the lip (would take 8 passes per side)
2. Buy some "single use tools" (cheap tools from somewhere like harbor
freight) to do this job. Maybe an edge router and a jigsaw. I would
also have to buy a 1" straight bit from somewhere else.
3. Buy a RotoZip and attachments.
4. Buy some low-mid level tools (like Ryobi). Maybe I don't need a
plunge router.

I would like to hear from some experienced people. Maybe you have
other ways to accomplish this or know of some decent quality tools that
are inexpensive.

Nick