An Introduction to Shop Tools
Shop information is a measure of a person’s knowledge of common shop tools and fasteners and their uses. This lesson introduces the types of tools and fasteners used in mechanical, construction, and general applications.
Types of Tools
A tool is a device, instrument, or piece of equipment that is used to carry out a specific function. Tools come in all shapes and sizes and perform a wide variety of tasks. They can be hand held (small) or stationary (table top or free-standing) and they can be manually driven or motorized.
Cutting and Shaping Tools
A cutting tool is a tool with a sharp edge that is used to remove material from a workpiece by means of shear deformation. In other words, it is used to cut. There are single-point and multipoint cutting tools. Single-point cutting tools consist of one main cutting edge. Single-point cutting tools are used in turning, shaping, and planing. Multi-point cutting tools consist of two or more main cutting edges that simultaneously work to cut material in a single pass. Milling and drilling tools are multipoint tools, as are grinding tools.
There are many varieties and styles available within each cutting tool category. First, determine the type of tool required to achieve the desired result. Then, consider the following to help to ensure that tools have a long working life and a satisfactory outcome to the task at hand:
- the cutting tool must be made of a material harder than the material that is to be cut,
- the tool must be able to withstand the heat generated in the metal-cutting process,
- the specific geometry of the tool must allow clearance for the cutting edge to contact the object being cut without the rest of the tool dragging on its surface,
- the angle of the cutting, the flute width, number of flutes or teeth, and margin size must be appropriate,
- the speeds and feeds at which the tool is run must be optimized for the task.
Types of Saws
Bandsaw – a power saw used to make intricate cuts in wood, such as curves. Can also be used to cut tubes, piping, and PVC. Bandsaws can be stationary or portable.
Chainsaw – a saw that uses linked chain with numerous specially designed ripping teeth. Commonly used to cut trees.
Circular saw – a power saw used to cut masonry, metal, wood, plastic, and more. Also referred to as a buzzsaw, this saw has a circular, toothed blade.
Coping saw – a saw with a thin, narrow blade used to make precise or intricate cuts, such as in trim work or scrolling.
Crosscut saw – a hand saw that cuts wood perpendicular to the grain.
Hacksaw – a lightweight, versatile saw used to cut pipes and tubing. Can cut through wood, metal, plastic, and other materials.
Hand saw – a small saw that is operated with one hand and is used to cut wood and other materials.
Jigsaw – a mechanically powered saw that has a narrow blade that can be manipulated to cut irregular shapes in wood and other materials.
Miter saw – a power saw with the flexibility to mimic hand saws. The miter saw can be used for tasks that require precise measurement and angle cuts, such as trim work.
Rip saw – a hand saw that cuts wood along the grain.
Table saw – a mechanically powered saw with a circular blade that is situated in a slot in the table; commonly used for cutting wood.
Two-man saw – a hand saw that cuts large logs or trees.
Drilling and Boring Tools
Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut a circular hole in a workpiece. The drill bit used in drilling is a type of rotary cutting tool that rotates while at the same time digs its way into the workpiece to create a circular hole.
Drilling tools can be used to drill into soft materials, such as wood, as well as harder materials, such as metal. As with all cutting tools, the drill bit must be harder than the workpiece in order to scrape out material in the workpiece. Tools that perform a drilling function include: awls, augers, drill bits, chisels, gimlets, punches, and drifts.
Other Processes Related to Drilling
Boring – enlarges an existing hole in a workpiece using a single-point cutter.
Counterboring – creates a stepped hole in which a larger diameter follows a smaller diameter partially into a hole.
Countersinking – similar to counterboring but the step in the hole is cone-shaped.
Friction drilling – a process that uses heat and pressure to create a hole, instead of cutting it.
Milling – a process that uses rotary cutters to remove material by advancing a cutter into a workpiece.
Reaming – designed to enlarge the size of a hole to leave smooth sides.
Spot facing – similar to milling but provides a flat machine surface in a localized area of the workpiece.
Filing and Finishing Tools
A file is a tool used to remove a small amount of material from a workpiece. It is considered to be a type of finishing tool—that is, a tool used to smooth out or shape a workpiece in its final stages. Finishing tools are commonly used in woodworking and metalworking. Tools that are used for finishing include: brushes, chisels, files, planes, putty knives and scrapers, rasps, and surform tools.
Files can be made of a hardened steel with rectangular, square, triangular, or rounded sides. One or more surfaces are manufactured with sharp, parallel teeth on the sides. There is often a handle on one side, for ease of use. Files come in a range of grit, from very fine to coarse.
Finishing tools may also have abrasive surfaces, such as natural or synthetic diamond grains or silicon carbide instead of manufactured, cut teeth. These surfaces allow the removal of material that would dull or resist the metal teeth of machined files.
Types of Files/Finishing Tools
Chisel – a finishing tool that is made of steel and has a sharp edge; it is used to chip or cut metal or wood from a workpiece.
Combination file – a flat-sides or half-round file that does not have a tang and has two to four cutting surfaces. It typically includes a combination of single-cut, double-cut, or rasp surfaces.
Flat file – similar to a mill file, but may be double-cut.
Half round file – a file with one flat and one convex surface; it can be slightly tapering or even in thickness and width.
Hand file – a file that is used for general work; it is parallel in width and tapered in thickness.
Mill file – a single-cut, rectangular-cross sectioned file that has an even thickness throughout its length; it may be tapered slightly or have parallel sides.
Rasp – a finishing tool with individually cut teeth that is used for coarsely removing large amounts of material from a workpiece.
Rat tail – a round-cross sectioned file that is gradually tapered over its length; it is used for enlarging round holes or cutting scalloped edges.
Round file – a round-cross sectioned file that has an equal diameter throughout—it is not tapered. It is used for smoothing inside holes and circular grooves and for sharpening certain kinds of saws.
Square file – a file that is used for a variety of tasks; it is gradually tapered and cut on all four sides.
Three square/triangular file – a triangular-cross sectioned file that may taper gradually, often to a point on smaller files; the cross-sectioned sides may be equal or have two long and one short surface.
Gripping and Clamping Tools
Gripping tools, such as pliers, clamps, and vises, are used to grasp or hold materials together. Gripping tools work on the common principle of securing materials to make it easier to perform a task. Pliers force the hand’s grip to be magnified and the focus to be directed on a workpiece with precision. This increases the mechanical advantage of a task.
While there are many different types of pliers, they all have the same basic parts with slight variation to perform specific tasks. The handles are the part you hold. They can made of metal or covered with plastic or rubber. Handles can be straight or curved. The fulcrum is the pivot point. It is the place where the handle connects to the jaws, and it serves to generate force to enable the jaws to do their work. The jaw, or nose, is the working end of the pliers. The jaw is primarily used for gripping, although some pliers have multiple functionality and are designed to cut or crimp as well.
Types of Gripping Tools
Combination pliers – are multipurpose pliers whose jaws are sectioned to perform three distinct tasks: a flat serrated section at the tip for multipurpose gripping; a rounded serrated section for gripping rounded objects such as tubing that might slip through a flat edge; and a cutting section closest to the fulcrum.
Crimping tools – (crimping pliers) are used to crimp wires and connectors together. They are used in computer and telecommunications fields and sometimes in the automotive field.
Diagonal pliers – (wire cutters, flush cut pliers, side cutting pliers) are used to cut through thick wire, such as for electrical applications. They can also be used to cut nails, so they are useful in carpentry, too.
Hose clamp pliers – (spring clamp pliers, radiator pliers) are used to compress, or squeeze, hose and spring clamps to make the connection tighter.
Linesman pliers – (lineman pliers) are multipurpose pliers that can grip and cut. They have a strong jaw that can be used to bend, twist, or cut metal and are more durable than other pliers. They also have insulated handles that can help protect the user against electrical shocks.
Locking pliers – (vise grips) are designed with jaws that lock in place, allowing them to be set to the precise dimension to accomplish a task. Locking pliers are useful when it is necessary to grip stripped screws and bolts.
Needle nose pliers – (long-nosed pliers) are used to bend, shape, or cut wire. These pliers have a long nose to make gripping more precise. One of the most common types of pliers, they are used in almost all industries, and by hobbyists as well. Needle nose pliers are a staple in nearly all home toolkit.
Slip joint pliers – (water pump pliers) are used in plumbing applications. They have a locking jaw and function much like a wrench.
Tongue and groove pliers – (channel locks) are adjustable pliers that have a tooth-grooved handle to allow the plier to lock in multiple positions. These pliers are commonly used for turning nuts and bolts.
Striking and Hitting Tools
A striking tool, such as a hammer, is a hand tool that consists of a weighted head attached to a handle. Striking tools are used to drive nails and join or separate parts. The main parts of a hammer are: the head, used to “strike” or hit an object; the eye, where the handle is joined to the head; the claw, used to pull nails and rip materials apart (alternately a hammer might have a peen, a wedge-shaped face of the head, used for bending or shaping metal); the cheek, the side of the head that receives the most stress during use; the neck, the part of the shaft that provides balance.
Types of Hammers
Ball peen hammer – (machinist’s hammer) a rounded hammer that is used to round the edges of metal pins and fasteners, to close rivets, and shape metal. It is commonly used by engineers.
Claw hammer – the most common type of hammer. It has a curved, forked claw that can grip nail heads to pry them out of a workpiece.
Club hammer – (drilling hammer, lump hammer) used in woodworking and automotive applications to dislodge parts, fix small dents, or bang wood together with minimal surface marring. It is made of solid rubber or plastic or a semi-hollow head filled with sand or lead.
Framing hammer – much like a claw hammer, this style has a straight claw and waffled head. It is used in assembling house frames, hence the name.
Rubber mallet – used on sheet metal, in woodworking or upholstery. It has a rubber head that applies force with gentle blows so as not to damage softer material,s, such as plasterboard.
Sledge hammer – used for driving stakes or breaking up concrete/masonry. This hammer has a metal double head, like a mallet, but is designed for heavier force. It is commonly used in demolition.
Tack hammer – (upholstery hammer) has two long, claw-like heads. One side is magnetized to hold a tack in place, the other side is non-magnetized and is used for striking.
Joining and Fastening Tools
A fastening tool is a tool that is used to apply fasteners, such as screws, bolts, nuts, or rivets. Fastening tools that use a turning motion to apply these fasteners are sometimes categorized as turning tools. A screwdriver is a type of fastening tool that is used for applying screws to working materials. It consists of a metal rod with a flat or cross-shaped end that fits into the top of the screw. The screwdriver is turned by hand, spinning the screw into the working material.
A wrench is an adjustable metal tool used for tightening or loosening metal nuts of different sizes. In other words, wrenches are used to apply torque. A box-end wrench has a fully closed circle that encloses a nut or bolt on all sides. An open-end wrench looks like a “C” and leaves a small portion of the nut or bolt unenclosed within the tool. A combination wrench has a box-end wrench on one end of the shaft and an open-end wrench on the other end of the shaft. An adjustable wrench is an open-ended wrench with an adjustable arm. A socket-wrench, or ratchet, is a tool with a snap-on socket to fit snugly over bolts. The socket head has sloping teeth. A ratchet can only move in one direction because the shaft has a piece of metal that stops the teeth from moving backward.
Types of Screwdrivers
Cross-head screwdriver – (Phillips screwdriver) This tool has an angled tip with a cross-shaped blade design. These are the most common types of screwdriver as they remain secure within a screw while turning due to their deep, angled tip.
Hex screwdriver – (Allen wrench, hex key) The blade of the hex screwdriver resembles a small, six-sided metal shank bent into an L-shape and often without a head. These screwdrivers are often used in bike maintenance and have become popular with furniture manufacturers.
Slotted screwdriver – (flat head, straight, or flat blade) This tool has a chisel-shaped blade that spans the width of the screw’s head.
Square-head screwdriver – (Robertson screwdriver) The blade of the Robertson screwdriver is square, which creates a high torque tolerance. It is less common in the United States but is frequently used in Canada, where its design originated.
Star-head screwdriver – (Torx screwdriver) The blade of the Torx screwdriver looks like a star or flower. This screwdriver, which was originally used for security functions, has recently become popular in commercial fields due to their high-torque tolerances.
Types of Fasteners
A fastener is a piece of hardware that mechanically connects, or joins, two or more objects together. Fasteners can be easily inserted and detached with the help of a hand tool or power tool. The most commonly used fasteners are screws, bolts, nuts, and rivets.
Some fasteners create non-permanent joints. This means that the joint can be removed or taken apart without damaging the joining components. Nuts, bolts, nails, and screws fall into this category. In situations where a permanent joint is required, other processes might be used. Welding is a process that creates a permanent joint by applying high heat to materials and then allowing them to cool, which creates a permanent bond. Another category of fasteners is semi-permanent. Rivets are semi-permanent fasteners.
Types of Fasteners
Bolts – headed, externally threaded fasteners used to keep two objects in a fixed position relative to each other. They are usually used with metal or wood. Bolts pair with the internal threads of nuts to stay in place and ensure the desired level of tension in the bolted joint. Bolts generally have a greater load bearing capacity than screws but lack a tapered shaft.
Nails – Wire-shaped fasteners made of hard metals, such as steel. Nails are driven into wood, concrete, masonry, or other materials with a hammer. Nails have one sharp end, which enters the working material, and an end with a flanged head, that provides surface area for a tool to strike.
Nuts – Also called mating fasteners because they are used with bolts. Nuts come in a variety of shapes, the most common being square or hexagonal (hex). Nuts have a threaded hole, ranging from very fine to coarse, which corresponds with their mating bolt.
Rivets – metal pins used for holding together two plates of metal. Rivets are pressed into place and create a semi-permanent bond. Rivets can be used with a variety of working materials and are ideal for joining two pieces of unlike materials together.
Screws – The most versatile type of fasteners, screws come in many sizes and styles. Screws have a pointed shaft to grip working material and have a slotted head that allows them to be driven with a hand or power tool. The head of the screw may vary depending on its application. For example, wood screws usually have a flat head designed to sit flush against a wood surface, whereas sheet metal and machine screws have rounded heads to sit on top of a metal surface.
Washers – small, flat disks with a hole in the center. A washer functions by distributing the load weight of a fastener, such as when used with bolts. Washers also serve to dampen vibration, as with rubber washers, or to act as spacers or locking devices when paired with other fastening pieces.
Let’s Review!
- A tool is a device, instrument, or piece of equipment that is used to carry out a specific function.
- Tools can be categorized based on how they function: cutting and shaping, drilling and boring, filing and finishing, gripping and clamping, striking and hitting, or joining and fastening.
- Fasteners are devices that mechanically connect, or join, two or more objects together.
- Common fasteners are: nuts and bolts, nails, screws, washers, rivets, and permanent welds.
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