Collecting a practical tool kit

Press, 14 August 1980, Page 9

Collecting a practical tool kit

The first step toward doing ' household jobs yourself is to acquire a practical set of tools. It is far too expensive to buy a complete set but a collec-. tion of basic items is essential to handle jobs easily and efficiently.

You will learn what tools are necessary as each job comes up, so you can add to your collection little by little without having to outlay a lump sum. The staff at your local hardware store can offer advice on the best tools for a specific job. Good quality tools last for many years, so avoid buying “bargains” — they are often of inferior quality and workmanship and break or deteriorate after only a few uses. “Making do” or borrowing tools can mean you mess up the job or do not get it done at all.

An occasional expensive item in your tool kit, like

a power drill, can be a good investment and save you a lot of money in repair bills. But make sure you keep your equipment properly cleaned, stored and oiled. It will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Here is a guide to some of the tools which would be handy inclusions in your tool kit: Wood saws: Saws are often designed for a specific purpose. A good buy for household work is a Danel saw, which can crosscut solid timber and is _ ideal for plywood, chipboard and hardboard. A general purpose saw has various removable blades to cut metal as well as wood. Metal saws: A useful item is a hack saw, which usually has replaceable blades with very fine teeth, specifically for cutting metal. Planes: A medium-sized

bench plane is essential to achieve a straight, smooth finish in woodwork. Hammers Indispensibie in many household jobs, a claw hammer is used for driving in nails — and pulling out the ones that get bent with the curved claw on the back. Not essential, but useful, are a pin hammer, for delicate nailing; and a club hammer, with a small heavy head for driving chisels and dismantling masonry. Nail punch: A blunt pointed nail punch drives nail heads below the surface of timber to allow a smooth finish with either filler or a plane. Screwdrivers: A selection of screwdrivers is .a must in your tool kit, including: a cross head screwdriver; flat headed screwdrivers of three or four different sizes to match various size screws; and an electrical screwdriver with insulated shaft. It is important to use the correct screwdriver for each kind of screw, A small screwdriver in a large screw head or a flat headed screwdriver in a cross head screw can strip the head. Pliers: These come in handy for a multitude of

jobs around the house and, in particular, are necessary for bending metal sheet and wire. Make sure your pliers incorporate cutters for wire and electrical cable. . Stripping knife: A proper flat bladed stripping knife makes removing paint or wallpaper much easier than using an old kitchen knife. Paint scraper: There is a variety of paint scrapers.. The best have a shaped or hooked blade to enab'/j you to scrape paint from carved or angled door frames and skirting boards. File: A half-round file provides both a curved and a flat surface for removing sharp edges and smoothing metal. Two grades of file, (medium and fine) are worth buying. Chisels: These also are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, for a variety of purposes. A versatile chisel has a bevelled edge for general trimming and paring work. An all-steel chisel should be used to cut masonry and floor tiles. Get a two-sided oilstone (medium and fine grit) to keep chisels and planes sharp.

Squares: For work requiring exact right angles a carpenter’s try square is essential, although a school set square would suffice. Or buy a combination square which combines a try square, mitre square, spirit level and steel rule. A level can also be useful for exact work.

Brushes: It is a good idea to keep a few paint brushes and rollers for that unexpected job, although brushes can usually be bought depending on the size of the job. For wallpapering get a plumb bob to mark a vertical line on the wall to align the paper. If you do not want to buy one, any small weight tied to a piece of string will do. Wood scraper: When renovating old furniture, a valuable aid is a wood or cabinet scraper, which is a flat, wide faced .metal plate with a handle used to take off damaged wood surface.

Sandpaper: You never know when you’re going to need a piece of sandpaper, so keep a good supply in fine, medium, coarse and wet and dry. A hint when using sandpaper is to wrap it around a rectangular block of wood to. keep the surface flat. Clamps: Some mediumsized G clamps are ideal for holding a job rigid while glue is setting. A better method, but more expensive, is a clamp-on vice, which can also be used for other jobs requiring material to be kept firmly in place. Drills: A good quality power drill is indispensable in a tool kit. Ask for high-speed steel bits (the drilling shaft) for use on metal and wood. Most power drill kits come with a selection of bits. Your hardware store can advise on specific jobs. A cheaper alternative is a hand drill. These come as a brace with, again, a choice of different sized bits.-