Dedicated welding tools...this is stuff you will want to keep at hand for all welding tasks, and you can pretty much do anything you need to with it.
4.5 inch grinder. Better yet, two of them. Grinding wheels, cutting wheels, flap discs, and some wire wheels. You can get by with one but more grinders means being able to leave them dedicated to one task.
Welpers. channellock makes some good ones. Also a few pairs of vise grips of the various types (normal and clamp) and some normal style channellocks for picking up hot metal so you don't burn your hands.
Layout tools- soap stone, squares, level, tape measure
Hammer- I have a 2.5 lb cross pein that is my absolute favorite over any kind of other hammer.
An assortment of clamps, magnets, and such for holding stuff so you can weld it.
Steel to make a welding table, which will likely be your first project. You'll want a heavy duty welding table with a vise on it.
For personal welding gear I favor a Fibre Metal tigerhood or pipeliner with a passive shade 10 lens (for some reason I can see the puddle a lot better with them vs. even an expensive autodarkening lens), a Uvex Bionic clear face shield for grinding, a Uvex Bionic 5.0 IR face shield for torch use, earplugs to keep the spatter out of your ear canal when doing overhead and protect your hearing during grinding, a welding cap, good quality welding gloves (black stallion has been very, very good to me) safety glasses, a leather welding jacket, jeans, and good leather steel toe boots.
