Chapter 5: Identifying and Enumerating and Hand and Power Tools

Different hand tools

There are mainly two types of hand tools and they are layout tools and tooth edge cutting tools.

1) Layout Tools

1. Scriber

   Scriber is handheld tool which used to obtain accurate layout. It is used to scribe fine lines in metal surface.

2. Divider

   Divider are used to draw circles, arcs and radii. The length of the divider must be equal and kept sharp.

3. Trammel

   It is used for drawing circles, arcs and radii that are too large to draw by divider. It has three parts and they are beam, two sliding heads with scriber points and adjusting screw attached to one of the sliding head.

4. Hermaphrodite caliper

   It is a handheld tool used to draw lines that are parallel with the edges of the workpiece. Similarly, it also helps to locate the centre of cylindrical workpiece.

5. Surface gauge

   Surface gauge is use to layout lines at parallel position to the work surface.

6. Surface plate

   Surface plate is a smooth flat table used as a horizontal reference plane for precision inspection and layout lines. Surface plates are made from granite or cast iron.

7. Combination square set

   The combination square set is used for a number of layout operations. The set consists of blade (i.e. graduated rule), square head, protractor, and center head.

Figure 5-1. Tools used for layout design

2) Tooth edge cutting tools

1. Saw

   Handsaw is the most popular tool in carpentry jobs. It has one flat and other sharp edge which is used to cut wood into pieces. It is available in two types and they are:

   • Straight line cutting saw

   • Curve line cutting saw

2. Shaving and shaping tools

   • Plane

     It the traditional and popular tool for shaping wood. It is used for flattening, reducing thickness and making a smooth surface of any rough wooden workpiece.

   

   Figure 5-2. Plane used for shaving and shaping woods

   • Chisel

     It has a sharp cutting edge at one end and handle at another. It is mostly used for cutting or carving purposes.

   • Utility knife

     It is general or utility purpose knife used by carpenter to cut, trim, sharpen or draw lines *

   

   Figure 5-3. Utility knife

   • Sandpaper

     It is used to create and ultra-smooth surface of the workpiece. It is used in workpiece before applying lubricant or oil-based finish

   • File and rasp

     Files and rasps are used for shaping wooden material. Both has coarse, individual teeth in the steel surface which is used for smoothing and shaping the lumber.

   Some of the smooth facing tools are shave, jack plane, fore plane, trying plane, jointer, smooth plane, moulding and special plane. Similarly, other sharp edged cutting tools are paring chisel, firming chisel, framing chisel and side blade.

3. Drilling or boring

   A hand drill is a used to drill for tightening fasteners like screws and bolts. A boring machine is a hand driven machine which is used to bore holes in wooden workpiece. Carpenters uses different tools like hand drill, hammer and a nail, chisel etc. for boring purposes. Different types of drilling tools are brad awls, gimlets, augers, twist drills, hollow augers, spoke pointers and reamers.

Figure 5-4. Hand drill

4. Striking and driving

   Striking tools are hand tool with weighted head attached to a handle which is used for striking purposes like inserting nails and bending nails. Driving tools are used to push or drive screws and bolts into the wooden surfaces with mechanical or manual force.

   • Hammer and mallet

   • Nails and screws

   • Screwdriver

   • Punch

   • Hold fast

Different types of power tools

Different types of power tools available are listed below:

1) Saw

Power saw is used for cutting woods with ease. There are various types of saws available in market and some of them are:

1. Circular saw

   It has toothed or abrasive disc or blade which cuts woods and other materials using a rotary motion.

2. Jig saw

   It has an electric motor and a reciprocating saw blade and is used in making curves, intricate cuts in wood and other materials.

3. Reciprocating saw

   This saw is used for quick cuts. It cuts wood through reciprocating (or push and pull) motion of the blade.

4. Miter saws

   This saw has miter box fitted with guides for 45° and 90° cutting. It is mostly used in molding and trimming.

5. Table saw

   It is used for ripping, crosscutting, mitering and beveling. It is not portable but has versatile features.

Figure 5-5. Different types of power saw

2) Power drill

(Refer in bricklaying section 5.3)

3) Power Jointer

A power jointer is a tool used for making smooth and flat surface of warped, twisted or bowed wooden board. It is also used to straighten and square edge after the boards are flat.

Figure 5-6. Power jointer

4) Nail Gun

A nail gun allows you to place nails faster and efficiently. It can be available in both electric or battery powered, and you can choose the one that suits you.

Figure 5-7. Nail Gun

5) Wood Router

It is a power tool which is used to rout out or hollow out an area of a relatively hard wood workpiece or other material. It is mostly used in woodworking and carpentry.

Figure 5-8. Wood Router

The wood lathe machine

Woodturning is a type of woodworking used to create wooden objects on a lathe machine. A wood lathe is a power tool that allows to shape a piece of wood by rotating it on an axis and using various carving tools. It is used to for turning a piece of wood into desired shape like bowl, spindle, vase or other decorative items.

Figure 5-9. The wood lathe machine

What’s next?

We’ll learn about various ways of timber seasoning in the next chapter.