1. Bandsaw, table saw, belt sander, router table, dremel, nail gun... I think that's about it.
2. All I can really say is practice and talk with anyone you might know about woodworking, and BE CAREFUL!
3. I used Birch for this build and worked great, but it's a little soft so it's pretty prone to dings and scratched. (but sometimes that makes it look more realisatic when it's painted lol)
4. I drew this on MS Paint and then edited it to make the lines crisper. It's 1/4" scale, so every inch on the printed picture was four inches on the gun.