Claw Hammer

The most commonly used hammer is probably the claw hammer. It has a flat striking surface on one end and a flared, V-shaped curve on the other. It's used both to drive nails and to pull them out.

 

 

Ball Pein Hammer

A ball pein hammer has a head with a unique shape. It has a flat striking surface on one side and is round-ended on the other. It's used for striking small chisels and punches, shaping unhardended metals and "peining" rivets. The word "pein" means to indent, bend or enlarge by striking with a hammer.

 

Rubber Mallet

A rubber mallet has a cylindrical rubber head with a flat striking surface on each end. It's made of firm rubber so you can pound objects without damaging them.

 

 

 

 

The tape measure may be one of the most basic tools, but it’s also one of the most important. Almost every project you work on requires careful measuring and marking to turn out right.

USING YOUR TAPE MEASURE
A tape measure blade (curved for extra rigidity) is marked in both inches and in feet. Inches are marked with a thin line that runs across the width of the blade. Feet are marked with a black box or arrow every 12 inches.

You will find 16 lines between each inch marking. These lines come in four different sizes. The longest line represents 1/2 inch, the second longest line represents 1/4 inch, the third longest line represents 1/8 inch, and the shortest line represents 1/16 inch.

To get the most accurate measurements when working on a project, make sure the end hook is firmly hooked over the end of the board. Though it may seem loose, the end hook is slightly movable so you get an exact measurement no matter what you hook it over or push it up against. Then roll the tape so the side you are reading the measurement from is in direct contact with the board.

Making accurate marks is just as important as taking careful measurements. Instead of drawing a line or a dot, draw a ”V” on the board so the point of the “V” is centered right where you want the mark. This is more accurate way to mark a measurement than just using a line or dot, because you can easily make a board too short or too long by measuring on one side of the line or dot.

When you’re finished, check to see if your blade is wet or gritty. If so, wipe it with a dry towel or rag as you retract the tape into the case. To keep your tape in good working order and free of rust, you can also apply a light coat of paste wax to the blade every once in a while.

WHAT DOES THAT MARK MEAN?
You may have noticed that there are some interesting marks on your tape measure. Let’s find out what they mean:

Every 16 inches there’s a number in a red, rectangular background. This helps construction workers space wood studs when framing walls, floors and rafters.

Every 12 inches you’ll find a black box and a number – this tells you the length in feet and inches at that point on the tape.

You’ll also see a small black diamond on your tape measure every 19.2 inches. This is an alternative spacing mark for framing materials.

 

Screwdrivers are usually classified by the type of blade or point that they have. The most common types are Standard (or Flat Head) Screwdrivers and Phillips Screwdrivers. Most of the screws we use in our projects have one of these two head types.

Other types of screwdrivers include Robertson and Star, and they're used mostly for special things like furniture and automobiles.

The other end of the screwdriver, the handle, doesn't get as much attention. Usually the handle is fixed, or molded, to the blade end. This makes it very strong, and easy to use.

The other type of screwdriver handle is the ratcheting screwdriver. The ratcheting mechanism inside the handle lets you keep your grip on the screwdriver as you twist in a screw. It works just like a ratcheting socket wrench, letting you turn the screw in only one direction. If you're putting in a lot of screws, a ratcheting screwdriver makes it much easier and faster. Another advantage of this type of screwdriver is that it usually comes with a number of different bits, so you can easily change it from a Phillips Screwdriver to a Standard Screwdriver by simply changing the bits.

Some new types of ratcheting screwdrivers - like the Craftsman Grip Driver - also let you pivot the handle to get more leverage. This makes it much easier to drive really stubborn, hard-to-turn screws.

 

When you’re working on a project, you need to wear the appropriate safety equipment to prevent injuries. Fortunately, it’s easy to find reliable protective gear that’s inexpensive – especially for working with hand tools.

Eye Protection
You should always wear safety glasses or goggles in the workshop – even when using a simple tool, like a hammer or a handsaw. Common mistakes like splitting a board while hammering, hitting a nail badly, or jerking a handsaw could send wood chips or debris into the air. Goggles and safety glasses will prevent debris from getting into your eyes.

Eye protection is important when you’re working with hand tools, but it’s even more necessary when you’re around power tools. Any time you’re near an adult who’s operating an electric drill, power saw, or power sander, be sure to wear safety glasses, goggles, or even a face shield, and keep a safe distance away.

Ear Protection
Basic, soft earplugs are usually enough hearing protection for most home workshops, but if an adult is using an especially loud machine, like a table saw, circular saw or a shaper, you should stand back and wear a headset ear protector. These earmuff-style protectors generally eliminate more sound than regular earplugs, and therefore, will better protect your hearing.

Lung Protection
Working with hand tools usually doesn’t require that you wear a mask or respirator. But any time you’re in the workshop and there’s sawdust in the air, you should wear some form of lung protection. The disposable, fabric particle mask is a good choice. Particle masks do a good job filtering out wood dust, plus they’re inexpensive and sold in large quantities, so you’ll always have some extras on hand.

Be sure to always wear lung protection around power tools like sanders and saws. These types of tools put a lot of dust into the air, and breathing in too much of it can cause serious health problems. You should also wear protection when you’re around an adult using spray paint, so you don’t inhale potentially dangerous paint particles. If you often work around an adult who uses power tools or spray paint, you
should probably use a respirator because they use
special filters to protect your lungs.

Other ways to be safe in the workshop
There are a few other things you can do to stay safe in the workshop. First, always have an adult present to help you while you’re working on a project. Second, keep a fire extinguisher in the workshop. And third, make sure to have a first-aid kit on hand. You can buy a first-aid kit or you can put one together yourself. Your first-aid kit should include bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, scissors, tweezers and a cold-pack.

 

Just like a hammer or a screwdriver, sandpaper is another basic tool to keep around in the workshop. Sandpaper helps smooth out rough edges that might otherwise cause slivers or cuts. It also provides a nice, smooth finish to a project and prepares it for painting, staining or varnishing.

Choosing The Right Paper:
There are several types of sandpaper, and each has a specific use. Some are designed for sanding finishes like lacquer and varnish, while others are best for sanding raw wood. Garnet Paper is an orange-colored sandpaper that is made of a natural abrasive. Another type of paper is Aluminum Oxide.

This is the standard brownish-colored paper found in most hardware and paint stores. Aluminum Oxide is a man-made abrasive and will last a little longer than Garnet paper. Both produce excellent results. The types of paper you want to stay away from for sanding raw wood are the Silicon Carbide (Wet or Dry) paper which is black in color, and the light gray-colored papers which are lubricated and used to sand lacquers and other topcoats.

What Do the Different Numbers Mean?
Sandpaper is manufactured in many grades, also known as levels of coarseness, or "grit." The number on the sandpaper identifies what grade it is. The lower the grade, or grit, of the sandpaper, the coarser and more abrasive it is. The higher the grade, the finer the grit and smoother the finish is. Garnet and Aluminum Oxide paper range in grit sizes from 36 (Very Coarse) to 240 (Fine).

How to Sand Wood
For best results, always sand in the direction of the wood grain. Use 60 grit or 100 grit to remove or smooth out any paint, dirt or rough edges. Then use 100 or 120 grit to create a smooth surface for painting, staining and varnishing. Finally, use 220 to 600 to smooth paint & varnish between coats.

 

Files are extremely useful and versatile tools that have been around for thousands of years. They're made of hardened steel and are used mainly for smoothing or shaping wood or metal. Files have raised teeth on their surface that look like straight or crossed rows of ridges.

Files are available in hundreds of different shapes and sizes. Double-cut files, which have criss-crossed ridges, are best for rough filing; single cut files, which look like they have straight rows of ridges, are best for fine filing. For woodworking, one of the handiest files you can have is the double cut, half round file. It's flat on one side and rounded on the other, so you can file around the inside of a curved edge (with the round side), or on a flat edge or the outside of a curve (with the flat side).

Two other types of files - the common, flat file and the round file - are very useful and should be included in any good workshop. Flat files, which come in many different sizes and cuts are great for smoothing straight edges, squaring holes and making sharp grooves. Round files can be used for things like enlarging holes and creating rounded grooves.

Many of the files you see in a store or workshop have no handle - just a pointed "tongue" at the end (known as a "tang"). These files are meant to be tapped into a detachable handle for easy, safe use. Files are most effective when used with two hands, one on the tip and one on the handle, while the workpiece is securely clamped in a vise.

Just like a hand saw, a file only removes bits of wood in one direction. When smoothing or shaping, lift your file slightly on the return stroke - dragging it back is inefficient and may end up dulling your file. When you're done filing, use sandpaper to bring your wood to a smoother finish.

 

In woodworking, one of the most important tools you can have is a good square. Squares have a built-in ruler so you can double-check your measurements to make accurate marks for cutting and drilling. In the birdfeeder project, we used our square to make straight lines for cutting. We also used it to make marks for drilling. When you take the time to make sure the details are right, like straight cuts and evenly spaced pilot holes that are lined up, your project will always turn out better.

SPEED SQUARE
Invented by carpenter Albert J. Swanson in 1930, the Speed Square is one of the easiest types of squares to use. The Speed Square has a small lip on one side that “hooks” onto the edge of a board. All you have to do is slide the square along the edge of the board to the spot where you want to make your cut. Then just make a pencil mark along the other edge. If you’re careful, it will always be perpendicular (or “square”) to the edge of the board. If you saw along that pencil line, your cut should come out perfectly. You can use the same idea to line up pilot holes for screws or to mark spots for nails.

FRAMING SQUARE
Another type of square is the Framing Square, also known as the Standard Steel Carpenter’s Square. The Framing Square is shaped like an ‘L’ and has two main parts – the body (the wider, longer blade) and the tongue (the narrow, shorter blade). It’s very useful for carpenters, especially when it comes to building a roof, a flight of stairs, or any other angled structure.

ADJUSTABLE SQUARE
The Adjustable Square is also made of two blades, but unlike the Framing Square, you can slide and angle the shorter blade on the Adjustable Square. It even folds flat, so it can fit into your toolbox. Since an Adjustable Square is so versatile, it can be used for many different projects around the house and in the workshop.

The next time you’re in the Craftsman® tool section, see if you can find these three types of squares on the shelves. And if you don’t already own one, you may want to pick one up to use for future projects.