b'picture: Paul McCredieDid you know your saw has a: tool kit. Today, youre likely to require screwdrivers for Heelthe end closest to the handle. a range of screws, including slotted, Phillips, PoziDriv,Did you know?In Israel, Stanley T oethe end farthest from the handle. Robertson, SupaDriv (crosspoint), TORX, and Allen or hexknives are known F rontthe bit with the teeth. congurations. Whatever screws youre using, make sureas Japanese knives. Backthe edge with no teeth. your screwdriver is the right size and type for the job,Did you know?Teeththe pointy bits. or you run the risk of damaging the screw as you applyA Crescent wrenchis named for its Gulletthe valleys between the teeth. weight and torque to tighten it. manufacturer, the Fleamthe angle of the faces of the teeth relative to aCrescent Tool and Stanley knife Horseshoe Company.line perpendicular to the face of the saw. The Stanley knife is also known as a box cutter or razor Rakethe angle of the front face of the tooth relativeblade knife. Stanley was one of the rst manufacturers to a line perpendicular to the length of the saw. to create this kind of tool, which originally featured Make sure youre using the right saw for the job. A rip saw,a cast-metal body, and came in both retractable and designed to cut with the wood grain, will have steeperxed-blade versions.teeth than a cross-cut saw, made to cut across the grain. ChiselHammer Using a chisel, do you have the beveled side or the atTips for buying tools:If youre into percussive maintenance, you may like toside against the wood? This tool is one of the most often Ask the storepersonknow that the hammer is probably the oldest tool usedincorrectly used in the workshop. in your hardware shopwhat they consider toby humans, even outdating the Homo species. HammersA sharp chisel should slide smoothly across the timber,be quality brands. are generally designed for specic purposes, hence theirdriven by gentle taps and removing very thin curls ofIf youre buying power different designs, but the most common in the hometools, look into the terms wood. And it is used beveled side down and going withand conditions of the toolbox is the everyday workhorse, the claw hammer. the grain! And dont hit the chisel too hardless is morewarranty. Also checkhow long are the The friction generated as you hammer in a nail causeswith a chiselthis is a gradual process. batteries likely to last it to heat up. As nails bend more readily when theyreunder normal use, and Never sharpen the at side of a chisel bladeyou willhow available new warm, the faster you can drive them in, the better. destroyyourchisel.Sharpenthebeveledside,whichbatteries are.Try-square or right angle should be perfectly straight along its leading edge. I f you know someonein the trade, have a talk The traditional try-square has a broad blade made of steelSpanner to them and see what or brass, riveted to a wooden handle. Inside the woodenthey use. Wecallitspanner,theAmericanscallitawrench handle, theres generally a steel or brass strip set at preciselywhatever you name it, it offers the most efcient way to Go by hand-feeldoes the tool seem constructed 90 degrees to the blade. These are highly useful in anyturn bolts, nuts and other hard-to-turn fasteners. from strong materials?application, such as carpentry, that requires angle accuracy. A screwdriver with a Pliers blade that will bend on Plane Pliers were rst invented around 2000 BC to grip ironrst use wont be much use to you.The hand plane is another tool thats been around foras it was being forged on an anvil. They are designedTake a look at joints, thousands of yearsand hasnt changed a lot over theto provide the user with increased leverage, and featurerivets and other millennia. In its most basic form, its a block of wood, withdifferent jaw congurations, allowing them to grip, turn,fastenings, especiallyif its a tool youll be a slot cut across the body that holds the cutting blade. Itspull, or crimp a variety of items. The basic design ofusing to apply torque.important to keep your plane blade sharp, so it doesntpliers has hardly changed over the years, with the pair of Dont overlook second-dig out lumps of the timber youre planing. The body ofhandles, the pivot (often formed by a rivet), and the headhand toolswell-made tools will well outlast the plane should provide a relatively constant angle to thesection with the gripping jaws or cutting edges formingtheir original task.cutting edgeso make sure the blade is in straightandthe three parts of the tool.Buy the best tool youthe shavings should be relatively uniform, resulting in aWire cutters can afford.smooth surface. Sometimes called side-cutting pliers or side cutters, these Screwdriver diagonal pliers are wire-cutting pliers. Instead of using a Onceuponatime,asimplebladedscrewdriver,andshearing action, like scissors do, they cut by indenting and perhaps a set of Allen keys, were all you needed in yourwedging the wire apart.| 129'