The Homeowner's Ultimate Tool Guide
Choosing the Right Tool for Every Home Improvement Job

Introduction:

The home-improvement game is no different than the rest of life. The person who can pick the right tools for a job -- and use them most effectively -- stands a good chance of being a winner. If you consider yourself a "winner" who already knows all there is to know about tools, then you might be in for a shock. Unless you've recently spent time checking into the latest crop of tools on the market, you probably know less than you think. The reason is that most kinds of tools -- woodworking, metalworking, masonry, and finishing hand and power tools and machines -- have changed more in the past few years than they have in the previous few hundred years. In fact, the shelves of your local hardware store or home center are currently stocked with so many new and innovative tools that, to borrow a phrase from a recent auto ad, "it's no longer your father's hardware store."

Need examples? Walk in and ask a home-center clerk for a tape measure and he or she is likely to ask, "Mechanical, electronic, or laser?" Scan a hardware store's racks for a simple framing hammer, and you're likely to find dozens of choices, including antivibration, ergonomically designed, all-titanium, and convertible striking-cap models. And things don't get any less confusing when it comes to choosing among cordless drills ("Do I really need a high-voltage model with a computerized charger for around-the-house repairs?"), paint sprayers ("Is a piston-pump airless sprayer a better choice for painting my house than a power roller or HVLP system?"), or even glass cutters ("Does an oil-lubricated diamond-wheel glass cutter really cut more cleanly than an inexpensive carbide cutter?").

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TOOLS
What has happened in recent times that has changed today's tools so significantly? There are a few significant areas of development that have had a profound impact on the design and construction of modern hand and power tools.

Improved manufacturing
Rapid prototyping and CAD design have led to many speedy innovations in the tool field. Before, when you were designing a new tool or machine, you had to make models and physical prototypes, which were costly and only revealed so much about the final manufactured version of the tool. Now, designers create remarkable, virtual versions of their tools on the computer, using advanced software and futuristic peripheral devices, such as hard-copy machines, which can actually produce a 3-D plastic model of a tool directly from a computer file. Designers make changes and improvements to a tool in the computer, and then use it to bring the design directly into manufacturing. This process makes tool development much quicker and makes it easier for designers to incorporate the latest technological advances into their tools.

Advanced materials
The latest engineered-alloy metals and fiber-reinforced plastics have made modern tools not only stronger and lighter but also safer and cheaper to manufacture than their more traditional counterparts. Space-age materials such as titanium, superhard carbide, Kevlar, vibration-absorbing gel, and carbon fiberreinforced epoxy and polycarbonate plastics are now found in a wide range of consumer tools, from hammer handles to knee pads, chainsaw chaps to dry-cut metal saws, and screw guns to oscillating spindle sanders.

High-tech electronics and optics
The computer revolution has had an impact on literally every aspect of modern life, and the contents of our toolboxes aren't exempt. Electronic innovations have improved cordless tools, through high-capacity battery packs and computerized chargers, as well as corded tools, through soft-start controllers and electronic motor feedback circuitry. Many new tools operate by advanced electronics and/or electrical-optical means, including stud finders, circuit testers, sonic distance measures, rotary lasers, and laser-actuated measuring tools.

The growth of the DIY industry
What once comprised a small number of people taking on an occasional home-improvement project has burgeoned into a multibillion-dollar DIY (do-it-yourself) industry. The result is that thousands of consumer-grade tools and machines, once only available as expensive industrial items, have come to market. Examples include oscillating spindle sanders, auto-feed screw guns, specialized carbide blades and bits, and air tools. The thriving DIY market has also fostered the development of ingeniously designed tools, including patent inventions like folding layout squares, improved pry bars, and multipurpose tools such as the Leatherman.

Ergonomics
Advanced studies in how we hold and use tools have led to remarkable advancements that have made newer tools safer and more pleasurable to use than ever before. New ergonomic handles on hammers, pliers, and wrenches increase user comfort while reducing vibration, stress, and fatigue, which can lead to repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Safety
Modern hand and power tools are safer than everthe upside of living in a litigious society where companies are financially responsible for even the most inexperienced tool users. Examples include tools with built-in "on" indicator lights, which help stop you from picking up a hot soldering iron or glue gun and burning yourself; stationary and benchtop tools with locking on/off switches, which prevent unauthorized use; and electrical GFI (ground-fault interrupt) circuitry, which prevents accidental shocks.

The downside of this wealth of improvement in our tools is that choosing the right tools for any particular job is more confusing than ever. This situation is bad enough for professionals and advanced amateurs who pore over the latest tool reviews and ads in magazines and catalogs. But if you're new to the tool game and have recently joined the ranks of the weekend warrior, the confusion is even worse: Do you feel intimidated by walking into the tool corral at your local home center? Have you ever failed to ask a question because you didn't want the clerk to laugh at you? Then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

To stem the tide of confusion about the tools we use to build our projects and maintain, repair, and improve our homes, I've written this book that gives you all the information you need to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk." The first goal of this book is to help you build your knowledge and recognition of both traditional tools and the latest and most advanced modern tools and to help you develop the vocabulary you'll need when asking for these tools and their accessories. Second, the book will help you build a thorough understanding of just what specific tools do and which tools you need to tackle most projects around the house or workshop.

ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK
To achieve these goals, this book is organized into chapters arranged by the kinds of jobs that different tools do: pound and pry, shape and shave, drill and drive, etc.

Each chapter contains sections that cover specific tools, describing in detail what the basic tool does, the tool's features and range of styles, and useful accessories for the tool. The text, photos, and a variety of features will not only help you identify tools but also learn to choose the right tools for the job. It will also help you differentiate similar-looking tools that perform different functionsfor example, a drywall hammer and a roofing hatchet. You'll also find plenty of advice on how to purchase tools wisely, including recommendations on what kinds of things to buy, what not to buy, and what to rent instead of own.

The opening chapter contains various tool kits, a rundown of all the tools you'll need for doing specific jobs: basic carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, drywall installation, painting, tile repair, etc.

Obviously, a book of this size can't possibly describe every tool on the planet, but I've attempted to be comprehensive in my coverage of the tools that even the most ambitious home-improvement enthusiast will want for working with wood, metal, plastics, tile, glass, concrete, brick, and other masonry materials.

Limited space also prohibits an extensive discussion of how every tool is used. There are, however, plenty of action photos, tips, and sidebars to give you a good idea of how a tool is used effectively and safely. Additionally, a safety chapter at the end of the book includes all the protective gear you'll need (and should always use) to work with even the most hazardous tools in safety and comfort.

When most folks think about having a complete set of tools in their home workshop, they think about having a single tool chest or cabinet, jammed full of all the hand and power tools needed for all kinds of repairs and projects around the home -- fixing a leaky faucet or a broken door, laying a new parquet floor, changing the sparkplugs on the Corvette, or building a tree fort (if your tinkering goals are more modest, perhaps you're imagining a big, tool-stuffed drawer in the utility room).

But while your big tool chest or drawer might have some of the tools you need to get you through some basic repairs or home maintenance tasks, wouldn't it be nice to have exactly the right tools you need for the job, organized and ready to go? That's the idea behind creating Tool Kits for specific kinds of jobs around the house, carpentry, roofing, electrical, painting, etc.

By organizing a collection of task-specific tools into a dedicated box, chest, tote, or bag, you'll have everything you need in a container that you can easily take with you to wherever you're working -- that means fewer trips back to the garage or workshop for tools you forgot or just discovered that you need.

The following chapter contains a dozen tool kits designed to handle most common home repair, maintenance, and improvement tasks (there's even a kit that'll help with roadside auto repairs). Each tool kit section contains a list of all the basic and some not-so-basic tools needed for the job. The list includes a brief description of what each tool does and a reference to the chapter and page in the book where the tool is discussed in greater detail.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

TOOL KITS
Home Maintenance & Repair
Carpentry
Mechanicals
Automobile
Electrical
Plumbing
Painting
Drywall
Demolition
Sharpening
Tile
Roofing
Flooring

1. TOOLS THAT GRAB, TIGHTEN & HOLD
Pliers
Wrenches
Clamps and Vises

2. TOOLS THAT SHAPE & SHAVE
Routers
Planing and Scraping Tools
Chisels and Carving Tools
Wood Lathes
Files and Rasps
Reaming and Resurfacing Tools

3. TOOLS THAT SAW
Handsaws
Portable Power Saws
Stationary Power Saws

4. TOOLS THAT SNIP, SLICE & THREAD
Shearing Tools
Cutters and Nibblers
Wire and Cable Strippers
Multipurpose Knives
Axes, Hatchets, and Mauls
Threading Tools

5. TOOLS THAT DRILL & DRIVE
Electric Drills
Braces and Hand Drills
Powered Screwdrivers and Screw Guns
Screwdrivers
Nut Drivers

6. TOOLS THAT POUND & PRY
Claw Hammers
Specialized Hammers
Sledgehammers
Mallets
Nail Sets and Punches
Wrecking Bars, Pry Bars, and Nail Pullers

7. TOOLS THAT SAND, GRIND & SHARPEN
Portable Power Sanders
Grinders and Buffers
Hand-Sharpening Tools
Specialized Sharpeners

8. TOOLS THAT MEASURE & MARK
Measuring Tools
Marking and Layout Tools
Squares
Levels and Plumb Bobs
Electrical Testers and Meters

9. TOOLS THAT FASTEN & GLUE
Mechanical Fasteners
Soldering and Brazing
Glue Applicators and Guns

10. TOOLS THAT BRUSH & SPREAD
Brushes, Paint Pads, and Rollers
Powered Painting Devices
Spreading Tools
Finish Removal Tools

11. TOOLS THAT PROTECT
Safety Eyewear
Ear Protection
Respiratory Protection
Hand Protection
Body Protection
First-Aid Kit

Index
 

Soft-cover, 9-1/4 x 10-7/8 in., 288 pages, with color photos
Published 2003

ISBN 978-1-56158-582-3