Certified Remodeler

Module 6: Tools

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Certified Remodeler
Module 6: Tools

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 Certified Remodeler
Module 6: Tools

This section begins with the assumption that the contractor is familiar with
the identification and use of tools. The material given below is intended
only to review tool care and tool safety. It is strongly recommended (but
not required) that the contractor review a text on tools. Pages 55-99 in
Modern Carpentry by Wagner and Smith is a good start.
Many of the tools carpenters use have not fundamentally changed in
hundreds of years. Planes have been found intact in the ruins of ancient
Rome that have the same form and feel as planes today. Saws found
chiseled out of stone in Neolithic sites have the same curve and point as a
modern pruning saw. Many tools have changed, however. The Industrial
Revolution brought power machinery to the construction industry. Today,
even small contractors may have laser levels and microcomputers, and
tools powered by rechargeable batteries have a major place on every job.
Tool Care and Maintenance
A toolbox or carrier that protects tools from the weather and provides a
place for each tool is essential for proper tool care. Metal tools should be
protected from rusting by wiping occasionally with a rag containing a small
amount of oil. The easiest way to sharpen a tool is to prevent it from
getting dull in the first place.
Cutting tools should be kept sharp. A power whetstone is the most
common tool for sharpening cutting tools such as plane blades and chisels.
When grinding a steel blade, it is important to prevent overheating of the
edge to avoid drawing the temper of the tool steel. The formation of a
bluish stain on the edge means the tool has been overheated. A uniform
bevel can be formed if the tool rest is placed at the desired angle for
grinding and the tool is moved laterally across the rest. After grinding, the
tool can be honed on a whetstone or a diamond file. Hard Arkansas stones
and Japanese water stones can be used to put the surgical edge on chisels
and plane irons.

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Saws can be sharpened by hand using a triangular file. Practice is

required for satisfactory sharpening, but the principles of sharpening are
uniform. First, the blade must be jointed so that the teeth are of uniform
height. Jointing forms a small area at the point of the tooth called a "flat".
Next, a taper file is used in the gullet to remove the flat. The file must be
held so the original angles the teeth make are maintained. These angles
differ between ripsaws and crosscut saws and may differ among
manufacturers. After filing, the teeth must be set. Setting the teeth
involves moving the point outward so that the kerf the blade makes is
slightly wider than the thickness of the blade. Today however, most saws
are sharpened on specialized machinery.
Sharpening tools with carbide cutting edges requires specialized
equipment. The carbide is too hard to be shaped by conventional files and
sharpening stones but can be touched up with diamond files or stones.
Edged tools and saws must be protected so the prepared edges and teeth
remain sharp. These tools are designed for cutting wood and they do not
favor encountering nails in the work. There are some circular saw blades
that are specially hardened to withstand hitting a nail occasionally. The
most common of these is the flooring blade. There are also some carbide
(remodeling) blades that are made to cut an occasional nail, but nails may
cause chipped teeth on the standard carbide blade. Fiber-cement siding
and shingles can be cut with a carbide blade, but they wear rapidly. Most
carpenters use a diamond blade, which lasts longer but creates a dust
problem. Since the fiber-cement contains silica, a dust mask should be
worn when cutting it with a diamond blade.
Tool Safety
A first aid kit should be available wherever work is going on. Workers
should always be awake and alert; workers who are ill or tired should not
be allowed to use tools. Whenever a new operation is about to begin, the
safety issues should be reviewed. A contractor should think through every
operation. Goggles, hard hats, respirators, safety shoes, and gloves
should be used whenever common sense or regulations indicate.
Practicing good housekeeping on the site can prevent many accidents.

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Hand Tools
Handles of all tools should be firmly attached. The proper tool should be
used for the job. A screwdriver is not a substitute for a chisel or a pry bar.
Edged tools should be sharp. Dull tools, because of the excessive force
required to make them work, cause many injuries. The proper tool makes
the job easier, faster, and safer for the worker.
Power Tools
Line-voltage electrical tools must be either double-insulated or grounded
with a three-prong grounded plug. An adapter that allows a three-prong
plug to be inserted into a two-prong outlet should never be used on the job.
The grounding prong must never be cut off from the plug. OSHA
regulations require a traceable ground to all outlets used in construction as
well as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI). It is recommended that
electric power tools not be used in wet conditions. Plugs and cords should
be approved for use. Most power tools are now available in cordless or
battery-powered versions.
The availability of self-contained battery-powered tools has changed the
operations of many phases of construction. Interchangeable long-life
power packs that can be recharged in minutes have done much to increase
the convenience of portable tools. Drills, screwdrivers, staplers, and saws
have been freed from the inconvenience of power cords. The voltage and
power of the rechargeable units seem to increase every year. A tool
operating at 9.6 volts is about the minimum for use on the job, with power
packs of up to 18.8 volts being common. Battery-powered hand and
reciprocating saws are useful for many cuts and may be safer because
there are no dangling electric cords. A drill-driver with an adjustable clutch
is useful for driving screws and for safely powering tools such as hole
saws, which can bind and wrench a hand or arm or even throw the operator
off a ladder. New battery technology has nearly eliminated the problem of
"battery memory" common to older cordless tools, and chargers are
available that can charge up to 12-volt battery packs from a vehicle battery,
eliminating the need for temporary power or a generator in many cases. A
spare battery pack and a rapid charger will keep most tools available
continuously.

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Power saws. The portable power saw guard should move freely and
retract to cover the blade after every cut. The contractor should pay
attention to the power cord during a saw cut; otherwise, the cord could
interfere with the cut or the blade may cut the cord. Always unplug the saw
when changing the blade or performing maintenance on the saw. Safety
goggles are always recommended when using a power saw. The work
should be supported in such a way that it will not bind the blade. Always
use a sharp blade and do not force the speed of the feed.
The advent of the power miter or cutoff saws has eliminated the need for
larger saws, such as the radial arm saw, from many jobs. The sliding
compound miter saw is portable, easy to set up, and adequate for most
framing jobs.
Circular saw blades have many types of teeth, each designed for a specific
job. Selecting the correct blade by tooth type will produce better results
than selecting by brand or price. The five common tooth patterns are:
Flat-Top-Grind (FTG) – Teeth with flat tops and faces separate wood
fibers with a chipping action. They lift out waste like tiny paddles.
They are designed for ripping.
Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) – Flat-faced teeth with alternating top
bevels cut wood fibers first on one side and then the other. These
blades are for cutting across grain or undefined grain. They are used
for cut-off and thinning cuts.
Alternate Top Bevel with Raker (ATBR) – A raker tooth is added to
the ATB pattern to produce a combination blade for either rip or
cross-cutting.
Steep Alternate Top Bevel (SATB) – The steep teeth on these blades
produce very smooth, splinter-free cross cuts. They require slightly
more feed pressure and are good for miter saws on trim work.
Triple-Chip Grind (TCG) – Two tooth shapes are alternated to
produce three chips in the kerf. One tooth cuts a chip from the center
and the next set cuts chips from both sides. This pattern is used
when the material is too hard or abrasive to use the FTG blade, such
as composites and plastic laminated surfaces.

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Routers. Make sure the proper sized bit is securely mounted in the chuck,
and only mount bits with the router unplugged. When the router is turned
on, the torque of starting up may dislodge the tool from the user's grasp.
The so-called "soft start" routers tend to eliminate much of this problem.
Make sure the work is clamped tightly and will not move. Eye protection is
essential when using a router.
Power nailers and staplers. Never aim a stapler or nailer anywhere but at
the work. Sequential-trip nailers increase safety because the trip unit on
the nose must be depressed before the trigger can be pulled. They cannot
be "bounced" with the trigger depressed, firing a nail or staple every time
the nose touches the work. They may be slower in some applications but
can prevent serious accidents. Be sure the safety devices are working
properly. Operate the tool at the pressure recommended by the
manufacturer. Use the proper type of fasteners for the nailer or stapler.
Many contractors are using a combination of battery-powered tools and
butane-powered nailers to eliminate the need for an air compressor on the
job site. The butane-powered nailer does much the same job but without
needing a compressor or air hoses. They are more expensive and require
more maintenance than air-powered units.
Shop machinery. In general, shop equipment should be the best quality
you can afford. In any shop operation, accuracy is assumed but not always
present. Time spent setting a new tool up accurately is much less than the
time spent trying to make the work fit when it is inaccurate. Guards should
always be in place if the work being done permits. Some operations, such
as cutting a dado on a table saw, require that the guard be removed. The
use of safety goggles is highly recommended. Refer to OSHA regulations
for required ventilation rates where wood power machinery is used.
Respirators may be required where fine particles are discharged into the
air, such as in finish sanding. A shop dust collection system can reduce
the problem significantly. Noise can be a hazard in many shops, and ear
plugs or sound muffs should always be available for use. Push sticks must
be used whenever small pieces are being cut or jointed.

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Chain saws. Chain saws are among the most dangerous tools that can be
used. Only very experienced workers should use a chain saw. The saw
should be checked for chain oil before each use, and the blade and chain
must remain oiled during use. Chain saws can kick back; the user of a
chain saw must know how wood can bind as it is cut and must know how
the blade will react.
Powder-actuated fasteners. Powder hammers or stud guns are in common
use for fastening wood to concrete or steel. Special training and licensing
is required in some states for users of these tools. They are guns using a
gunpowder cartridge to fire a hardened steel projectile. A charge that is too
strong may fire the fastener completely through a wall, killing someone on
the other side. The stud can strike an extraordinarily hard piece of
aggregate and be deflected to one side. A stud placed too close to the
edge can cause the edge to crack off and the stud to fly out, causing injury.
Only the most cautious and experienced workmen should be allowed to
use this tool, and other personnel should be at a safe distance from the
point of use.

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Discussion Questions
1. Which power tools are the most useful on the job? What is the best
means of transporting and securing them? What hazards are
associated with them?

2. What specialized tools are useful on the job and in what areas will
they improve job performance?

3. What kinds of operations can a radial arm saw perform, and how are
they performed safely?

4. What tools can be replaced by the power miter saw?

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Sample Questions
1. When ripping with a radial arm saw, the blade should be rotating
_____.
a. in the direction of feed
b. opposite the direction of feed
c. perpendicular to the direction of feed
d. depends on the material.
2. Depth of cut on a jointer is determined by ________.
a. distance between infeed table height and the high point of the
knives' rotation
b. distance between the height of the infeed and outfeed tables
c. distance between outfeed table height and the high point of the
knives' rotation
3. The clutch on a power screwdriver limits ________.
a. the depth to which the screw is driven
b. the speed at which the screw is driven
c. the amount of torque which is applied to the screw
d. the amount of power the drill uses
4. The circular saw blade that produces the smoothest cuts is called a
___.
a. ripping blade
b. combination blade
c. planer blade
d. crosscut blade
5. The term “kerf” refers to ______.
a. the amount of set in a saw tooth
b. the width of cut a saw makes
c. the number of teeth per inch of length of the saw

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6. A hole drilled to serve as a guide for drilling a hole of larger diameter

in the same location is called a ______.
a. pilot hole
b. combination hole
c. test boring
7. A plane whose blade extends the entire width of the shoe is called a
______.
a. block plane
b. jointer plane
c. router plane
d. rabbet plane
8. Dressing a metal tool with the smooth surface of a harder material is
called _________.
a. polishing
b. burnishing
c. reaming
d. grinding
9. The short, narrow member of a framing square is called the
________.
a. tongue
b. body
c. face
d. back

10. The extremely thin flap of metal occurring on the cutting edge of a
tool after grinding is called a _________.
a. bevel
b. cutout
c. burr
d. tool mark

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