Carpentry Tools and Equipment

Hammers

Warrington hammer

A Warrington hammer is made specifically for cabinetmaking.

The cross pien is used to start brads or finishing nails without the risk of damage to fingers. The round head, with the slightly belled face, lets you drive nails flush without marring surrounding wood.

Claw hammer

A type of hammer used mainly for pounding nails into, or extracting nails from, wood. Claw hammers usually weigh in the range 450g to 900g. The head is made of hardened steel and the handle of wood, fiberglass, or steel. One side of the head is flat with either a smooth or textured surface and is used for pounding another surface. The rounded end of the claw, in conjunction with the handle, is used to gain leverage when pulling out a nail.

Nail punch

Used with a nail to punch the heads of nails just below the surface of the timber. The small hole is then filled with wood stop.

Nail pincers

Used to pull out nails and staples.

The timber surface should be protected when levering out nails.

Wooden Mallet

Traditional beech mallets used by joiners and cabinetmakers.

Used in the making of woodwork joints to strike chisels when removing waste material.

The mallet is preferred to a hammer because it is less likely to damage the handle of the chisel.

Cutting Tools Bolt Cutters Bolt cutters are used for heavy cutting of rods, bars and thick gauge wire. The main use in construction is to cut reinforcement bars and steel mesh in preparation for concrete work.

Tin Snips Tin snips are used for cutting thin sheet metal such as for barges, capping, corrugated iron and for cutting band straps found on slings of timber, pallets of bricks etc. Aviation snips have greater leverage for easier cutting.

Tin snips Aviation snips

Pliers Pliers have a variety of shapes and sizes for particular jobs. They can be used for holding, cutting, banding, twisting and stripping wire.

Combination pliers Diagonal cutters Needle-nose pliers (side cutters) (long-nose pliers)

Multi Grips Multi grips are designed to allow the pivot pin to be moved to different positions enabling the jaws to be opened much wider.

Lock-Grip Pliers (Vice grips) Feature compound levers which exert strong pressure at the jaws and allow the jaws to be locked on to the job. A release lever is located in the lower handle.

Fibre Cement Sheet Cutters • Usually called “fibro” cutters.

• Used to cut fibre cement sheets up to 10mm thick.

• This tool ‘cuts’ by punching out a thin strip of material in a shearing action.

Wire Tying Tool • Used on the construction site for tying or

twisting the wire ties which hold reinforcing steel together.

• The hook at one end of the tool is attached to a spiral shaft inside the grip. The tool hooks onto loops at the end of the wire tie which is twisted by the action of the spiral shaft when the grip is pulled.

Drilling High Speed Drill Bit

High Speed Drill Bits are capable of drilling both wood and metals and are stamped with the letters HS on the shank.

Selecting a suitable drill speed is important for efficient drilling. Generally, the larger the drill, the slower the speed.

Spade Bits

Spade Bits rely on high speed to cut efficiently. They are used for rough drilling larger holes in softwood and hardwood.

Auger Bits

Auger Bits have a draw thread to assist entry and should be used at a slow speed. Often used to bore deep holes, augers are available up to 400mm in length.

Masonry Bits Masonry bits have a tungsten carbide tip that provides the cutting edge. They are used for boring holes in brick, concrete and other masonry products. You would generally use a hammer drill with a masonry bit to give faster drilling.

Hole Saws Hole saws gave interchangeable circular blades with a pilot drill to guide the cut. Hole saw kits are available with saw diameters ranging from 14mm to 152mm. Used in construction for cutting the large holes required for fitting some types of door locks.

Demolition Tools Sledge Hammer Used for demolition work and driving pegs. Head weights 9range from1.8kg to 6.3kg. Handles made from either hardwood or fibreglass.

Wrecking Bars (pinch bars) Used for levering in demolition work. Some have claws for pulling nails.

Stanley Fubar Used for demolition work

� 4-in-1 tool for prying, splitting, board bending and striking jobs

� One piece forged steel bar for increased durability

� Two-tiered jaws for grabbing common dimensional lumber & decking

� Bevelled nail slot for pulling & prying nails � Textured grip for excellent comfort & control, even when wet � Tempered steel that prevents chipping

Other

Lump Hammer

Used with bolster to cut bricks and masonry

Bolster

Used with lump hammer to cut bricks and other masonry materials.

Measuring

Steel Rule

Used for measuring lengths to a moderate degree of accuracy. Graduations on the ruler are usually millimetres and half millimetres. To be accurate, the rule must be in good condition with flat, straight and true edges

Folding Rules

• Used for accurate marking out of small work.

• The ruler divided into 4 lengths which are hinged where the pieces meet having a total length of 1m

• Made from either wood or plastic.

Tape measure

Used for measuring timber lengths and setting out. Has a steel blade and is available in lengths up to 10m

Wind-up Tape Measure

Used for site work Enclosed up to 30m and open frame tapes up to 100m

Trowels and floats • Wood floats are used for smoothing and finishing wet concrete, cement render,

bedding for ceramic tiling etc. to give a smooth, textured, or non-slip finish.They are also used to apply the cement render to masonry walls.

• Steel float finishes are usually smooth and dense to provide a hard- wearing, easy to clean surface.

• Wood floats are also useful for floating up the surface of sand bedding prior to laying pavers, to ensure that all hollows are filled and the surface is even.

Brooms • Brooms are available in a variety of sizes for specific uses and may have heads

containing bristles of straw, polypropylene or animal hair.

• Stiff-bristle brooms such as the yard broom and straw broom may be used on rough surfaces.

• Soft-bristle brooms may be used on smooth surfaces, as found on lined or coated floors.

• Brooms may also be used to provide a textured non-slip finish to wet concrete.

• Broom handles are made from seasoned hardwoods which are straight-grained, strong and flexible.

• Brooms form an essential part of the carpenter’s equipment kit, as they may be required to clean up a work area before carrying out a task, or to clean up after work has been carried out. It is each tradespersons responsibility to clean up his or her own mess to leave a dean, dust-free and safe work surface in line with each state and territory OH&S Acts and Regulations.

Hoses Hoses are used for a variety of purposes on a building site, They are used to deliver oxygen, acetylene, abrasive for sand blasting, compressed air, or simply to supply or remove water. Hoses are flexible enough to coil or roll up but have strength to with stand rough treatment. They are normally made of reinforced plastic or rubber material, or from a tightly woven fabric, as used for fire hoses.

Planks • Planks may be used with ladders and scaffolding and are made of solid timber,

plywood or boxed aluminium.

• Timber planks are a minimum size of 225 X 38 mm (Oregon) usually up to 3.6m in length (they may be 32mm thick in hardwood).

• Aluminium planks are 225 x 50 mm and are available in standard lengths of 3, 4, 5 and 6m; they can also be custom made to length.

Saw stools Saw stools may be made on-site from timber or purchased pre-made with metal legs and a timber head. They are also available in folding form for easy transport and storage.

Saw stools may be used to create a bench by placing one or two planks on top; or singularly, to cut timber and other materials.

Painting tools Knives Putty knife blades vary in length from 100 mm to 150 mm and have a variety of shapes.

They are used to fill up nail holes, cracks and surface imperfections. They may also be used to patch or reglaze windows.

Filling knife blades vary in width from 50mm to 150 mm and may be used to apply oil or water- based fillers to open-grained timbers or shallow holes in the surface of a variety of materials, Abroad knife may be used to fill or patch wider cracks and areas with a flat, smooth surface (eg plasterboard)

Hacking knife blades are usually 100 mm to 125 mmm long with tapering sides and a thick edge on one side to allow them to be hit with a hammer. They are used to remove old, hard putty from a window sash to enable removal and replacement of glass.

Filling knife Hacking knife

Shave hooks Shave hooks are available in a variety of head sizes to suit the surface they are used on. They are used in conjunction with a blow torch or liquid paint removers to scrape old paint from ornamental beadings or mouldings and to take out cracks in cornices, etc. prior to filling.

Paint brushes Paint brushes are made up of a handle, usually of hardwood; the stock, which holds the filling or bristles; a setting of epoxy resin or vulcanized rubber, to bind the filling together at the end; and the filling itself. The filling is mule from pure bristle or animal hair, synthetic fibre like nylon, natural fibre such as grass or straw, or a mixture of bristles and fibres.

They may be used to apply oil and water-based paints to a variety of surfaces. The size and type of filling, together with the length of the handle, will determine the specific task the brush is designed for, e.g. staining, cutting in, flat surfaces, applying a textured finish and even applying diluted acid to brickwork to remove mortar smears.

Rollers Rollers consist of a central core of heavy duty cardboard tube impregnated with phenolic resin to resist solvents and water, and are covered with a selection of fabrics. This cover, called the nap or pile, maybe made from natural fibresd such as wool, mohair or cotton, or a synthetic fibres such as acrylic, polyester and nylon.

They are used to paint a wide variety of internal and external surfaces such as walls, ceilings, furniture, corrugated shapes, pipes, textured surfaces and wire fences.

The roller tube is fitted over a wire frame with a handle, and paint is applied to the roller by rolling it in a ribbed rolling tray to evenly distribute the paint on the nap.

A variety of fittings, extension arms and cleaning devices is available.

Abrasive papers Common size of sheet 275 X 225mm. Papers for machine use are available in sheet, roll, disc and belt form for use on belt sanders, drum sanders and disc or orbital sanders.

Grade of paper and use

The grade of paper used will vary according to the original condition of the timber and the smoothness of the finish required.

Grade Use

60 - 80 Rough sanding Removing marks left by machines or hand tools

100, 120, 180 Finishing work prior to painting or lacquering

Types of abrasive grain and uses

Type Description Use

Glass Cream Cheapest

Garnet Red Best cutting property and is suitable for hard work and many classes of machine work

Aluminium oxide Reddish brown White

Best available for general use

Silicon carbide (wet & dry)

Blue-black Suitable for floor sanding Sanding between coats of lacquer

Emery Black Sanding of metal surfaces

Glass paper Garnet paper Aluminium paper Aluminium paper Silicon carbide paper Emery paper

Squares

Combination Square

Used for squaring lines, checking for square. Also marking and checking 45º mitres.

The movable stock allows the square to be used as a pencil gauge.

Roofing Square (Carpenters square)

Used for setting out angle cuts on roof rafters.

Also used for checking 90º on small frames of formwork

Sliding Bevel

For setting out angles on timber.

Levels Spirit Level

Used to indicate whether a surface is horizontal (level) or vertical (plumb).

Usually made from aluminium.

Line level

Used to check if a string line is level

Lines Chalk Lines

Used in setting out where a long straight line is required on a flat surface such as a concrete floor.

The line passes through a chalk reservoir, is pulled taut then snapped to leave a line on the surface to be marked.

String Lines

Used where a long straight line is required, such as setting out the profiles for a building.

Manual Excavation Tools

Breaking, cutting and grubbing

Crowbars, picks, shovels, mattocks, etc. may be used by carpenters from time to time in the preparation of the site prior to site setting-out activities. They may also be used to clean up, dig holes for fence posts, move rubbish, dig and trim trenches, grub tree roots or break up old concrete paving.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Light digging, cleaning out and spreading tools

After breaking compacted soils or martials into manageable sizes, shovelling or cleaning-out tools are employed to move loose materials clear of the work area or load the spoil directly into a barrow or transporter for disposal.

The most suitable hand tool for this purpose is the long-handled shovel of either round-nose or square-mouth design, depending on the type of material being moved. The square-mouth shovel is best suited for granular material such as sand or gravel, while the round-nose is a universal design and performs well in materials of uniform or irregular shape and size. Long-handled shovels allow for a more upright posture. This will prevent back strain and enable extra body weight to be applied with the assistance of the more efficient leg muscles. A short-handled, square mouth shovel allows more control when cleaning out loose materials from corners and edges of work.

(a) Crowbar

(b) Spud bar

(c) Fork

(d) Mattock

(e) Pick

Common Shovels

Short handled Long handled

Spade

Square nose

Round nose

Trimming, detail and finishing tools

As noted previously, a number of the basic breaking and cutting tools and some shovelling and cleaning-out tools are suitable for trimming and finishing operations. For example;

• A cutter end or grubbing mattock is an ideal tool for trimming a flat surface such as a pavement base or trench bottom. A square mouth, D-handled shovel is a good trimming and detailing tool for medium-density moist soils

• A crowbar or spud bar is suitable for trimming the sides of trenches or footing pads. A spade will also give good results when trimming or squaring an excavation, although it is not efficient for shovelling or cleaning out.

Trenching shovel Post hole shovel Post hole digger