Claw Hammers

Hammers are one of the simplest hand tools that you need in your workshop. A basic lever, hammers can make any job easier. They seem very straightforward, and yet there are actually many different kinds of hammer, good for different purposes. Hammers come in a wide range of sizes, ready to be wielded for various objectives and projects. A great collection of hammers is essential for any workshop.

Hammers are made up of two parts – the handle and the head. Additionally, most basic hammers have peens on the end made for ripping out nails. This design makes up the claw hammer, which is the one usually seen in pictures. The peen has two metal prongs that function perfectly for taking out nails. Some hammers only have one prong on their peens, and this prong functions much like a chisel for separating pieces of wood.

When choosing a hammer, start with the handle. Handles should be sturdy and feel good in your hand. Does the handle have a good grip? Try striking it. Does you hand vibrate or feel uncomfortable? You want a handle that can absorb the shock and vibrations of a few good hits. Wooden handles have always been prolific, but they are not the best at absorbing shock. They can also break after many repeat uses. Eventually, they will probably have to be replaced. Today there are other kinds of handle to choose from besides the standard wooden one. Some hammer handles are made out of metal. These sturdy handles will last forever, but they can also vibrate in your hand. Rubber grips or coatings usually make up for this deficit. Another kind of synthetic handle is the fiberglass handle. This handle combines shock absorbency and hardiness, and is one of the most popular hammer handles on the market.

The hammer head is the next thing to consider when shopping for a hammer. Notice how wide the flat striking face of the head is. How big do you want it to be? If you are going to be working on smaller projects with small nails or tacks, then you risk destroying your project, not to mention your fingers, by purchasing a head that is too big and heavy. Feel the weight of the head. It is usually between 16 and 24 ounces. That weight does not include the handle’s weight. Some hammers are much smaller, in the realm of 12 ounces. These are called tack hammers and they are quite literally used for driving in tacks or small nails. If you are a hobbyist or prefer to work on a small scale, then you might prefer one of these smaller models. They are also nicely suited for little jobs around the house. Big hammers will always make bigger jobs easier however.

Next, hold the hammer in your hand and try it out. Does the grip feel right? Can you gather enough force and velocity on the downward motion when you swing it? Is the hammer too heavy, too light, or just right?

Vince Paxton writes predominantly for http://www.insidewoodworking.com , an online site on the topic of antique tools , discount tools and various other areas. You can have a look at his observations on hand tools and antique tools at insidewoodworking.com

Woodworking can be an enjoyable and rewarding hobby or profession. When setting up a woodworking area, it’s important to stock the right tools and follow some practical safety rules to make the most of your woodworking projects.

Nearly everyone has used a hammer at some point in time. And hammers come in many shapes and sizes. The most versatile and helpful to the woodworker is the claw hammer, which features a smooth, slightly rounded finish head. Choose a hammer that is not too heavy but fits comfortably in your hand, such as a 20 ounce model.

An invaluable woodworking tool, the speed square is the quickest and easiest tool for making a square line for an end cut. The triangular-shaped measuring tool is designed to assist the woodworker in making square marks or angles on stock. It can also be used to mark any angle up to 45 degrees or measure up to six inches. Speed squares are available in 6- and 12-inch models and the aluminum model is nearly indestructible.

The 25-foot retractable tape measure is a woodworker must. Be on the lookout for certain features when choosing a tape measure. Tape measures include both standard (imperial) and metric markings. Your tape measure should also have a locking mechanism that allows you to pull out a length of tape and lock the unit so that it won’t retract. Also choose a tap measure whose hook at the end is slightly loose on its rivets (this is by design), which will allow the woodworker to take inside and outside measurements.

No woodworker should be without a utility knife as well. The razor-sharp knife is useful for cutting thin material and it can also be used for cleaning out hinge mortises or scoring before making a cut with a power tool.

No matter how many power tools a woodworker may have, the chisel remains one of the most versatile tools in the wood shop today. Its likely precursor was the sharp rock used to carve wood in prehistoric times. The most commonly used chisel is the bevel-edged chisel that features a blade four to seven inches and a 25-degree bevel on three edges. The chisel’s sharp-cutting edge can be guided through wood stock with a handle that has been specifically created to aid the tool in its cutting task.

Woodworkers often need to determine if their piece of stock is perfectly level (horizontal) or plumb (vertical) and the level is the tool for this job. Woodworkers most often reach for a full-length, 48-inch level that features two glass-encased bubbles on each end of the level. The other most-often used level in a woodworker’s shop is the torpedo level, which is between eight and ten inches in length. This level is ideal for examining level and plumb on small objects.

Like the claw hammer, screwdrivers are a necessity to the woodworker. Consider acquiring a variety of sizes in your woodshop, including the #1, 2, 3 sizes of Phillips and Flathead, as well as several with a square head, Torx, and star drivers.

Resembling a small, round chisel, nail sets are used to sink nail heads flush or just beneath the wood’s surface. A nail set allows the woodworker to sink a nail into the wood without causing a dent or bruise in the wood. Nail sets come in a variety of sizes, based on the size of the nails being driven.

Finally, every woodworker needs a block plane in his or her woodshop. A small block plane is a device used for shearing small amounts of wood away from the stock. It’s also invaluable for cleaning up edges during assembly.

Safety

Like any other pursuit, safety in woodworking is mostly common sense. However, failure to follow the rules can greatly increase the chances of injury. To begin, always wear safety equipment, especially safety glasses. Avoid loose-fitting clothing and wear clothes that can protect you from flying wood chips. Before beginning a blade change on your power tools, disconnect the electricity to the power tool. Use sharp blades and bits, as a dull cutting tool can be dangerous. Always work against the cutter – a router bit or saw blade should cut into the stock not with the stock. Especially important, never reach over a blade to remove cut-offs.

SafeCutters distributes the Klever Kutter and Klever Koncept, two of the safest utility knives available. Klever Kutter virtually eliminates the risk of workplace injuries, while the permanently shielded blade protects packaged products. It has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security for safe air transport.

Buying brand new bedroom furniture is expensive. And considering how little material they actually use, furniture for women and children are even more expensive, in much the same way as women’s and children’s clothes are more expensive than men’s clothes. But what are you to do when your wife wants her nightstand and make-up table and whatnot, and your kid’s bedroom is a horrid mess and you really need to get him a book case or shelf for all his books and comics.

Well, you have three choices if you are on a limited budget: wait for a bedroom furniture sale… and hope your wife and kids do not get even more ideas of stuff they need you to buy; look for garages sales where you can pick up some decent used bedroom furniture; or build your own.

Regardless of whether you buy used furniture or build your own, you need much the same tools in your toolbox. When working with wood, there is often a common list of tasks you need to do, whether you are refinishing an old table, repairing a shelf or building a stool. So here is a list of the tools you need:

1. Toolbox

Obvious, when you think about it. But when you accumulate your tools one at a time over a period of years, it is all too easy to make do without one… until you start misplacing the tools you need. That’s what I did in the past, and I’ve had to replace several tools because of it.

2. Hammer

You should get both a medium-weight hammer and a light-weight hammer. Use the medium-weight for the majority of the nail-pounding you need to do. Use the light-weight hammer when you need fine control or when working on a more fragile piece of furniture. And make sure they have a claw head so that you can remove nails. The obvious question is what’s light-weight and what’s medium-weight? I will not give the pat answers that most carpentry teachers give. Instead, I will say that it depends on your strength. Just remember this – a hammer that is heavy for you is light for your neighbor the weight-lifter.

Go to your hardware store and look at their selection of hammers. There should be a few that feel very heavy to you and are very tough to use. These are heavy-weight and NOT for you. There should be a few that feel very light to you. These are your light-weight hammers. Pick one you like. There should be a few that feel somewhere in between the heavy and light hammers in terms of weight. Buy one of these medium-weight hammers.

3. Screwdriver

Buy a screwdriver set. This will give you a good selection of sizes for a relatively low cost. It is usually not practical to buy screwdrivers one at a time, except as replacements.

4. Paintbrush

Buy a selection of paintbrushes. A large one for large surfaces, and smaller ones for more detailed work.

5. Thinner/Turpentine

You will need plenty of this for cleaning your paintbrush. In some places kerosene may actually be cheaper – depending on the paint you use, it may be alright to use kerosene instead of turpentine.

6. Screws and nails

Buy a good selection of these in various sizes. You’ll want to make sure you have lots of long thin nails because they are the least likely to split the wood apart.

7. Power tools

The corded Dremel Rotary Tool is good and cheap. It lets you drill holes, do some wood-cutting, and even does sanding. It’s not the best in the market, but for its price, it is ideal for the beginning DIY-er. You can pick up a corded Dremel with a good selection of accessories at Amazon for around $50, which is much cheaper than the top-of-the-line Fein Multitools which cost around $400 to $500. Just make sure you get the corded tool and make sure it has the drilling, wood-cutting and sanding attachments. You should also buy spare sandpaper, cutting blades and drill bits.

8. Stain/Varnish/Wax/Paint

Paint is the easiest to use, and is ideal for making cheap wood look good. Make sure you have the colors you want, then start painting. On the other hand, if you bought good-looking wood like some of the better grades of pine, you may want to stain it to bring out the grains and knots, then wax or varnish it to protect it from fungus and insect attacks.

9. Wood glue

This item is vital for beginner DIY-ers. Experienced carpenters can use various sophisticated wood-joining techniques like the mortise and tenon, and will not need to use glue very often. On the other hand, the beginner should stick to reinforced butt joints, and glue is an important component of that simple joint. Since you have less experience, you should get the slow-drying glues so that you have time to fit the joints together properly.

10. Kreg pocket-hole jig

This is optional. But there are times when you want or need a stronger joint. The pocket hole joint is an enhancement of the simple reinforced butt joint, and is supposed to be nearly as strong as the mortise and tenon joint. The Kreg jig is a tool that makes it easy to make pocket hole joints. They change the design of their jigs fairly often, so just pick the cheapest one. I have seen them sold on Amazon for as little as $40.

The above list of tools is not exhaustive. But a weekend DIY warrior on his first bedroom furniture project should find them more than sufficient for his needs.

Even cheap furniture can cost a lot. But sometimes you can get more bang for the buck by building your own pine bedroom furniture and oak bedroom furniture instead of buying them.