Carpenter Tools

Measuring and Marking out Tools Getting your measurements right is essential. Incorrectly measured timber when cut will effect your wallet! The trick here is to not skimp on good quality tools and always keep a sharp pencil. Accuracy is the key; master this and you half way to perfection. Picture this, you make timber cut, the square you used is slightly out, but you continue. Now when you joint the wood together the join has a nice 1mm gap were it doesnt quite fit Nice huh? The rule quality tools shine through, if you bodge it, your want to leg it. Below gives you a simple outline to help you understand effective marking aids in our carpentry tool list. The Knife Vs the Pencil The knife more accurate than the pencil, it has a fine tip and will cut through the fibres of the wood allowing saw or chisel to produce a finer finnish. Tip - Are you unsure about using a knife why not use a sharpe pencil first then over with a knife. Marking Knives Typically they have a wooden handle and a blade with a single side bevel, the knife is used by putting the face to a square or template and marking. Craft Knives The craft knife is sharper than the marking knife, used for cutting card, paper, veneers, and delicate work. Craft knifes must respected, they are SHARPE! Stanley knife My all time favourite. This robust versatile knife, allows you to use on most jobs, a sort of all in one knife. You have a range of different swappable blades, for different jobs. I use mine for sharpening my pencil! Tip - You can place a cutting board underneath your work as to stop the blade cutting anything important. Retractable Tape Dont you dare leave home with out it! Youre best measuring tool. Price here will improve quality and accuracy of the measurement markings. Most tapes have a locking device, stopping the tape to retract at its own free will! Very handy and I would strongly recommend them. Tip - The age old saying - measure twice cut once. Steel rule You will find them at home in the workshop, they are very accurate and the graduation line starts at one end of the rule, this allows it to be pushed in to tight corners. The rules come in a combination of sizes, up to lengths of 3ft (1 meter). Combination Square An absolute must. You will benefit from a quality combination square, they accurately mark out right angles and bevels; it can also double up as a try square for measuring internal angles. You can use it as a separate steel rule and even a depth gauge. I love the combination square! Marking Gauge These are used for marking a depth on wood. You can make scoured lines parallel to a edge timber, so the depth can be removed. You will mainly use these when making timber joints such as the half lap and mortise and tenon.

Spirit Levels You use them when fitting furniture, stud walls or anything that you need to be level. They work by holding a trapped air bubble in liquid, when the level is moves so will the bubble. They are set up so when the bubble is evenly between the two level marks, you know that the spirit level is true, either horizontal or vertically level. A top quality level will be made from strong box section aluminium and are virtually unbreakable. Tip Spirit levels are great for using as a straight edge.

1 Marking Knife - 2 Stanley knife - 3 Retractable Tape - 4 Steel Rule - 5 Combination Square - 6 Marking Gauge - 7 Spirit Level

- Saws Whens the last time you used a saw, do you remember? Sweating through effort? Is the saw catching in the timber? Are errors being made? Well what saw are you using then, is it sharp? Correct for the job? Rust free ? Ive seen so many people with struggle with bad saw selection and the worst ones couldnt cut butter! Correct, sharp saws will save you oodles of time, lower stress and not to mention make your work more accurate. So which one should you use? Ah follow the guide below to the right saw selection. Hand Saws Crosscut Saw The saw is used to cut across the grain.

 Has a long blade length of around 24 - 26 inches. Has around 7- 8 teeth points per inch. Rip Saw These saws are designed to cut timber along the grain. They are long saws with a blade length around 26 inches Has around 4 - 6 teeth points per inch. Today they are not really manufactured as the power saw has replaced it. Cutting wood down the grain (ripping) is hard work. Panel Saw Similar to the Crosscut saw but has smaller teeth and as a result can be used on more finer detail work. The blade length is around 20 22 inches. Have 10 12 teeth points per inch. The fine teeth enable you to use it with thin plywood. - TIPS Hard Point teeth Today they are usually bough as disposables with blackened teeth, the teeth will stay sharper for at least five times longer. Universal Saws Todays hand saws are universal, allowing you to cut along and across the grain. Coping Saw Unlike the other hand saws the coping saw allows you to cut wood in curved shapes, it has a fine blade and can cut up to 1in thick. The saw blades are replaceable and the blade can be set on the forward or backward stroke. Coping saws have around 15 17 teeth per inch and I regularly use them on intricate work.

1 Hand Saw - 2 Tenon Saw - 3 Dovetail Saw - 4 Coping Saw - 5 Fret Saw

- Planes
Planes have a single purpose; all they do is smooth wood, thats it! But which ones will you have in your carpentry tool list? Planes remove a thin shave of wood on each pass, thats about the thickness on a piece of paper, not much! But say you had a gap in your wood work that was the same thickness as, say 5 sheets of paper, can you now see how important the plane is. Like always life is never simple and theres a variety to choose from, each designed for a different task. Jack Plane The plane is designed to be used for long periods of time as it is light enough to handle, yet long enough to smooth out bumps.Jack planes allow you to remove excess wood and flatten sawn timber. Jack planes comes in 2 different sizes, the No 5 (2in (50mm) blade with) and the No 5 (2 2/8in (60mm) blade with). They have a length between 14 15 inches, which is classed as medium length. Try Plane or Jointer Plane The plane is designed for you to straighten long timber.Being the largest of the planes (number 7); you will certainly find it the heaviest. When you set the plane you can produce perfect edge joints. The blade with is 2 /8in (60mm) and is 22in in length. Fore Plane This is in between the jack plan and try plane, you can use as a go an in-between model. Sizes at Number 6 and has a blade with of 2 3/8in (60mm). Smoothing Plane

The smoothing plane help you clean up timber, which has already been planed, such as machine planned wood or manual from the jack, try and fore plane. This plane gives you the finishing touches. The smoothing plane has a blade with rounded edges, helping it not to catch the wood. The rounded edges allow the plane to follow the grain, unlike the other panes that slice through the wood. The following the grain will make you work to become smoother. The Plane comes in two sizes No 3 (1 inches (45mm) blade width) and No 4 (2 3/8 inches (60mm) blade width). Block Plane You can hold the block planer in one hand. Designed for you to use on timber end grain and small jobs. The blade is set a shallower angle than the other planes and has only a single iron. There are two sizes you can choose from. No 60 (1 3/4 inches (45mm) blade width), the blade being set at 13 degrees. No 9 (1 3/4 inches (45mm) blade width), the blade being set at 21 degrees.

1 - Jointer or Try Plane 2 - Fore Plane 3 - Jack Plane 4 - Smoothing Plane 5 - Block Plane

- Hammers and Mallets

For a good carpentry tool list your hammer choice depends on your specific job; good hammer selection will stop the errors being made. You dont want to use a 4lb hammer to tap in picture hooks, do you! Hammers are great for carpentry but using one for joinery and get caught; the boss will scratch his head. The trick is for you to choose the correct hammer for the job and they all have different strength. Wooden MalletsWooden mallets are traditionally made from beech; the grain is tight which stops the wood from splitting. Wooden mallets are best used with chisels. Rubber mallets You will find these essential for tapping joints inn to place as they do not mark the wood, they just bounce off! Claw HammerYou will use the claw hammer mostly in joinery and carpentry, as it can be bought in different weights and can also remove nails by its claw. Handles can be made from a mixture of materials such as wood, steel, even fibreglass.

Their different weights range from 13oz (365g) 16oz (450g) 20oz (570g) and 24oz (680g) Pin Hammer The pin hammer is use for light work, so you can only used this with small nails such as panel pins. The handles are made from timber. Cross Pen Hammer These hammers are designed for cabinet making and top quality joinery; they allow hitting nails in to awkward places. The handles are made from timber to absorb the shock.

1 - Steel Handled Claw Hammer 2 - Beach Mallet 3 - Wooden Handled Claw Hammer 4 - Ball-Pein Hammer 5 - Pin Hammer 6 - Cross-Pein (Warrington) Hammer

- Chisels
Chisels are your essential parts of the carpentry tool kit, they allow wood to be chopped out from being hit with your mallet. Chisels varying in cost will vary in quality. A good chisel will last, stay sharp and have a quality handle. There are three main choices you can choose from; although similar they are used for different jobs. Bevel Edged Chisel These are more slender than the other chisels having bevelled edges; the bevelled edges allow you in to corners more easily. The bevelled edge paring chisels have more length allowing you more control, they are ideal for cleaning up joints and paring. Bevel edged chisel were traditional not meant to be hit, but nowadays you can buy them with all different types of handles with varying strengths. Firmer Chisel Theses chisels are made with square edges which greatly improve the strength; you can hit them with a mallet. The handles are wooden and are strengthen at the top with metal, stopping you to split them. Mortise Chisel The mortise chisel is much longer than the others and has a much thicker blade. The chisel is designed to cut out timber for mortise joints. The thick blade allows more pressure to be applied when using. The Handles today are generally made from polypropylene which has great strength allowing the chisel to be struck hard.

1 - Bevel Edge Paring Chisel 2 - Firmer Chisel 3 - Bevel Edge Chisel 4 - Polypropylene Handled Chisel 5 - Carver Handel

- Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers, when used properly will last you for years. But usually there in for a rough ride, these poor things usually suffer from miss use, commonly being used as a chisel. Generally all screwdrivers are made with hardened metal shaft, a special tip for fitting in to screws and a handle for turning. Screwdrivers come in two different forms. A slotted end and a cross point, Cross points benefit by allowing the driver not to slip from the screw. A good variety of screwdrivers will be need for different jobs Stubby Screwdrivers They are made very short, hence the name stubby. They are used in tight spaces. Long Reach Screwdrivers Dose what is says on the tin really! Types of screwdriver tips Slotted Has a flat blade on the tip of the driver allowing to be used with slotted screws Phillips Has a cross head tip looking like a +, Pozidrive Similar to the Philips but is made by another company with a slightly different tip.

1 - Stubby Screwdriver 2 - Standard Screwdriver 3 - Long Reach Screwdriver 4 - Slotted Tip 5 - Pozidrive Tip 6 - Phillips Tip

- Drills
A good hand drill will make your holes quickly and effortless. Hand drill are still used today but now are usually replaced by the electric or the cordless drill, The old ones come in two types, the hand drill and the brace. Hand drill The drill has a gearing mechanism, so when you make a full revolution on the handle the drill bit will rotate much faster. It is to be used with twist drill bits and counter sinking bits. You use Hand drills for making pilots holes and countersinking. Brace The brace allows you to make much larger holes than the drill. The handle gives a lot of leverage and allows you slow accurate holes. It is to be used with auger bits and similar designs, the brace only rotates are fast as the user operating it, but as auger bits require a slow speed Braces are ideal. The auger bit will screw in to the wood automatically when used, so you dont have to force the brace. The auger bit will tunnel in to the wood automatically when it is being turned.

1 - Hand Drill 2 - Twist Drill Set 3 - Centre Bit 4 - Auger Bit 5 - Adjustable Expansive Bit 6 - Ratchet Brace

- Tools for Holding

When you work with timber, it needs to be secured, whether its being worked or glued. Obviously wood comes in different sizes and there are different tools for holding your work securely in position. Securely supporting your timber while working greatly reduces any risks that could happen, also if youre gluing timber your want it to accurately set in the right place, so good clamps and vices are essential. G Clamps You will get G Clamps in a range of different sizes. General you can buy clamps between 1in (25mm) 12in (300mm). Youre find clamps great for being portable and supporting small work. Speed Clamp These are tools from the trade. Its light weight and allows you to clamp with speed, they are very portable and a great all-rounder, but they do not give as muck pressure when gluing timber together as the G Clamp. Sash Clamps You will hold great sizes of wood together. They are great for the use of gluing up frames and large pieces of work. The sash clamps have a slid able bar to allow quick set up. Vices Your work shop should not be with out one. There are two types, an engineer and woodworkers. The engineers have steel holding jaws and sits on top of your bench, making it unsuitable for wood work. The woodworkers vice has wooden protective jaw inserts to hold your work, the vices is fitted in line with the work bench giving yourself easy access. The vice is designed to hold timber while it is being worked, so you can cut and mark, NOT hitting with a hammer, this damages them and remember these are one offs and expensive!

1 - G-Clamp 2 - Speed Clamp/Quick Release 3 - Sash Clamp 4 - Woodworkers Bench Vice

Some more carpentry tools

Measuring tape

Retractable Squeeze Knife

Carpenter Pincers

Carpenter Tools Kit.

Hand Drill