How Important Is It To Have a Versatile Set of Tools?

It is incredible how specialized the tools we use have become. There’s a tool out there that was specifically designed and built for each and every use you can encounter in your daily life. This becomes even more apparent if you’re a handyman, or if you’re working in maintenance. There are special plumbing tools, special electrician’s tools, and special tools for HVAC repair, just to name a few. But for the average Joe, who wants to be able to do some work around the house without trying to become a certified repair or maintenance professional, the incredible number of different tools isn’t only unnecessary, it’s confusing. For most of us, the best thing to have in our toolboxes is simplicity and versatility.

Just think about what you might want to use your tools for in your home. Probably some minor repairs, like fixing a toilet cistern, fixing a leaky faucet, oiling a squeaky door, unclogging a drain or toilet. Also, drilling holes into the wall to mount pictures, TV sets, or even furniture is something that you can do on your own in your home. You can also fix some minor electrical issues, like changing a light switch, if you know a thing or two about how to keep yourself safe while working with electricity.

These aren’t major repairs. For those, most people would likely call a professional, who would show up with a set of tools specialized for their trade. An electrician would show up with the tools for his trade, plumber will show up with the tool he uses, a carpenter would show up with a completely different set of tools than the other two. But you, who want to be a jack-of-all-trades, able to fix a little bit of everything in your home without knowing how to fix the really big things, don’t need a specialized set of tools. You need a versatile set of tools. You need a set of tools that can be packed in a nice and sturdy toolbox, and you need a single toolbox with all the tools you’ll need to do everything you want to do on your own.

Versatile and flexible toolsets, like the Wilson & Miller one, are designed and manufactured with the homeowner in mind. They contain all the tools you’ll need for most of the things you’d be able to do around your house. They are highly mobile so that you can carry everything with you easily to any part of the house where work needs to be done. They are made to have everything you need in one place, so that you know exactly where to look for a tool when in a hurry.

Most importantly, a versatile set of tools is important because it allows you a certain degree of self-sufficiency. Sure, you will have to learn how to use these tools, but the feeling you get when you know you’ll be able to tackle some of the common malfunctions in your home is very much worth the effort.

Better Way to Plane Chair Seats

For many years I’ve used the following trick to plane irregular-shaped objects: Screw a square block to the underside of the piece and then clamp that block in my face vise.

So today I am planing up a seat blank and fetched my little block of wood and two drywall screws. I tossed the block on the underside of the seat blank. The block landed near the front of the seat and I froze for a second.

Usually I screw the block to the dead center of the seat. But I just then realized there’s a better way. Screw the block to the front edge (or back edge) and you can get most of the seat supported by the benchtop.

Chair seats don’t flex much when you plane them. But the extra support is noticeable.

It’s a small detail. But it helps.

If you need some good hand and power tools, check this out.

How to Properly Maintain Your Tools

If you’ve spent time and money assembling your set of tools, it’s only natural you’ll want to keep using them as long as possible. You might also like how your tools looked right out of the box, and you want to keep that look for as long as possible. But esthetic preferences are a subjective matter, and proper functioning is not. There’s no use in having tools if they don’t work well. And for them to work well, they need to be properly maintained.

The way of properly maintaining tools depends mostly on what are they used for. But first thing’s first – the most important thing in tool maintenance is to keep them clean. Usually, a simple rag will suffice to clean any dirt that might be present on a tool. In some cases, when the rag doesn’t suffice, you’ll need to try another method. A dirty shovel, for example, cannot be simply rubbed down. It first needs to be hosed down to remove all the dirt, and then rubbed clean and dry with a rag. If the tools came in contact with glue, which often happens in woodworking, applying a solution that will make it easier to remove the glue would be a better idea than to try to remove it by sheer force, as that might needlessly damage the tool. Keeping tools clean is important, but so is not ruining them in the process.

Once the tools are clean, you should check their condition. For some tools, this isn’t as important, as they are less prone to wear. But some, like knives and chisels, need to be regularly sharpened so that they are able to maintain their performance. So make sure you keep the things that need to be sharp sharpened, and make sure to notice if some of the tools have dented or chipped.

To prevent your tools from rusting, you should use machine oil by applying a very thin layer of it on the metal parts of your tools. You don’t need to get it slippery, just oily enough so that there’s something between the metal and the air. What’s exactly the best brand of machine oil for the purpose is something that’s widely debated, but pretty much any oil that prevents oxidization will do.

At the end, you need to keep your tools properly stored. There are several ways you can store your tools – in a toolbox, on racks, in bins, in tool chests or cabinets, in tool workbenches. Storing your tools on racks is a good way of storing them only if the room where the rack is placed has very low humidity. If that’s not the case, and if you can’t do anything to lower the humidity, than a closed container might be a better option because it’s much easier to control humidity in them. Of course, if the tools you buy come with their own toolbox, like the tools you can get from Wilson & Miller do, you’ll probably want to store them there.

Best Hand Tools Tips & Trick

What are some basic tips when using hand tools? To avoid accidents in the workplace resulting from the incorrect use of hand tools, it is important for workers to understand the proper use of these items. Otherwise, you could get hurt, do a job improperly and generally never accomplish what you wanted with the tools you own. Thus, it is crucial that you understand a proper way to use hand tools and to know some basic tips and tricks on how to properly use them for what they are made for. You must choose the right tools This is a very important concept, when it comes to any job that requires hand tools. At any tool store, there is a specific tool, jig or fixture that promises to do every task imaginable, and you could spend a fortune buying them all, but you don’t need 99.99 percent of them. What you do need is an understanding of the necessary tools to furnish your toolkit and an understanding of what each of them does. When it comes to buying tools, buy the best you can afford. If you are just getting into hand tools, I have some great news for you. You can save cash and floorspace in your garage by avoiding all big, heavy machinery and instead investing in some heirloom-quality hand tools.

Quality hand tools do have a much higher price tag, but take it from me — if you buy well the first time, you will save a lot of money, trouble and frustration in the long run. Once you own a few quality tools, there are all kinds of tips and tricks to use them efficiently and successfully. For example, you don’t need to have every single size of screwdriver or wrench ever made. If you have three or four sizes, you can do most of the tasks in house around the tools you have. Take care of your tools Good tools can be quite an investment, but if you take good care of them, they’ll return the favor. Keeping your tools properly stored, cleaned, and maintained will save you time and money and make your DIY endeavors that much more rewarding. We’re mostly talking about hand tools, power tools, and garden tools in this article, but much of the same advice applies whether your tools of choice are kitchen knives, crafting tools, or whatever else. Store them well, keep them clean and well-maintained, and you won’t be sorry. 3. Store Your Tools Properly You have to work with the space you have. Maybe you hang them on pegboards, maybe you store them in boxes, bags, or chests, or maybe you keep them in drawers or on shelves in your shop. Whatever works for you is best. Toolboxes probably are the best solution for tool storage, offering the primary advantage of portability. While some people opt to store all their tools in toolboxes, for most, the toolbox is a way of carrying around your most-used tools while leaving the bulk safely stored on pegboards, shelves, or drawers. No matter what you’re doing, though, you can build a well-equipped toolbox for every level of DIY needs.

Keep your tools in a dry place. It seems obvious, but garages and basements and other enclosed spaces can have humidity issues, especially if they are not heated or air-conditioned. If you keep your tools in a location like this, especially if you keep them out on shelves or pegboards, consider investing in a dehumidifier to keep the dampness down. They’re not terribly expensive, especially compared to your investment in your tools, and most let you set a humidity level so the dehumidifier turns on only when it needs to. Store power tools in their original cases. Unless you have a climate-controlled workshop, your best bet for storing power tools in the hard plastic cases they usually come with. Not only are they better-protected from humidity, they’re just better-protected in general.

Clean Your Tools After Every Use

Cleaning your tools may be the last thing you want to do after a day of work, but it’s essential for keeping your tools in good shape. And it really only takes a few seconds per tool unless you’ve got something really nasty on your hands. It’s well-worth the time spent doing a little cleaning to save the time spent repairing a tool (or the money spent replacing it) later. Hand tools: You can clean most hand tools by simply wiping them down with a rag. If they’re dirty, don’t be afraid to give them a good wash with soap and water. Just dry them well afterward. Spritz metal with a light coat of WD-40 and wipe with a clean rag (you really just want to leave a light film on them to help keep the rust away). Wipe wooden handles with a rag dampened with a little linseed oil. Power tools: Power tools are a little trickier to clean. First, make sure the tool is unplugged before you clean it. Next, you’ll want to get all the dust off. An air compressor can be really useful for that. Wipe down the surface of the tool and then lubricate any moving parts. Machine oil is a fine choice for this, but you should also check the manual that came with the tool to see if they have better recommendations. While you’re at it, don’t forget that your toolboxes, belts, and bags will need some care as well. Clean out your toolboxes every once in a while by emptying them and wiping them down. If you’ve got leather belts and bags, you’ll want to condition the leather once in a while.

Inspect Your Tools Every Time You Use Them

We’re going to assume you use your tools safely. You wear goggles and gloves when you should and you follow the safety protocols recommended for your power tools. But taking the time to inspect your tools every time you use them is one of the most important things you can do to ensure not only your safety while using them, but the longevity of your tools as well. If a wooden handle is damaged, it is prone to breaking during use, which can cause injury to you or others. If a handle is not spintered too badly, you can probably sand it down just fine. Sand against the grain first if the handle is really rough and then sand with the grain until it’s smooth enough you can run your hand along it without feeling any chips or splinters. Finish off with a coating of linseed oil. However, if the handle is cracked or heavily splintered, you’ll need to replace it. Depending on the level of corrosion or rust, the tool may be unsafe to use.

Try removing the rust yourself or just replacing the tool. Removing rust from tools is actually pretty easy if the damage isn’t too great. If a power tool has anything more than a simple hairline crack on the housing, don’t use it. Unless you have the expertise to repair it, you’ll need to get it repaired by a professional. Taking care of your tools does require a bit of a commitment, but you ask so much of them it seems a small price to pay. Especially when a well-cared-for tool can reward you with so much DIY goodness.

5 Tools Every Toolbox Should Have

A good, fully stocked toolbox should always contain more than just five tools. That’s a rule that can’t be overlooked. A toolbox with five or less tools can never be a complete toolbox, and it will leave you wanting for the tool you need too many times. However, just as every toolbox needs to have more than five tools, there are roughly five tools that simply have to be included in every toolbox. These are the essential tools that every versatile toolset, like the one made by Wilson & Miller, must contain, because without them you wouldn’t be able to do even the basic DIY stuff around the house.

1. The Hammer

And not any hammer, for that matter, but a claw hammer. The claw hammer is used to, as it name says, hammer nails into surfaces by using one of its sides, or to remove the nails from a surface by using the other side. When buying a hammer, it’s important to keep in mind the work you’ll need it for. Small hammers are used for hammering small nails, and the bigger the nail, the bigger the hammer needed for it. An average hammer should weigh around one pound, and have a 16-inch long handle. Make sure that it fits your hand nicely, and that you’re able to maintain a firm grip while swinging it, because you don’t want the hammer flying out of your hand while you’re trying to hammer a nail.

2. Set of Screwdrivers

There’s no such thing as a universal screwdriver. They come in different sizes, and in two very different types – flathead and Philips head. When looking for those, you want to look for a set which contains both flathead and Philips head screwdrivers in a range of sizes. Alternatively, you can get two separate sets, one with flathead screwdrivers and one with Philips head screwdrivers. If you can get only one set with only one type of screwdrivers, aim for flathead, because they can be used with Philips head screws, although they will cause uneven wear of the head of the screw eventually. The important thing is that a toolbox without tools to handle screws is not a very good toolbox, so make sure yours has some screwdrivers.

3. Crescent Wrench

An adjustable wrench is the best thing you can have in your toolbox if it doesn’t already have a full set of wrenches. And if it would have a full set of wrenches, you’d still need an adjustable one. No fastener head, be it a bolt or a nut, no matter what size it might be, can resist being loosened or tightened with a crescent wrench. Plus, because it’s a tool that performs a function of many tools of different sizes, a crescent wrench is very practical – it can save space in your toolbox, and it can be worn on a tool belt.

4. Pliers

There’s more type of pliers than just one. Pliers are a gripping tool, although some come with a section that can be used for cutting. Because they are usually serrated, whatever you use the pliers with will be damaged if not properly protected. Just how fine of a thing you need to grip with the pliers will determine what type of plier you need. If you plan to work with electronics, you’ll need the needle-nose pliers. If you want something that will be able to grip plumbing pipes, you can use water-pump pliers. If you want the most versatile option, you should go with linesman’s pliers, which can both grip and cut.

5. Electric Drill

Because drilling by hand can be tiring and very time consuming, an electric drill should be a part of every toolbox. It doesn’t have to be a big power drill if you don’t plan to do some heavy construction work or drill through concrete walls, but it has to have enough power to be useful around the house. The best thing about electric drills is that they come with many different attachments, called bits, so they can be used instead of screwdrivers in certain circumstances, they can sand and grind materials, or even be used for stirring paint. They come in cordless and corded varieties, with the former being more expensive and portable, and the latter being less expensive and cheaper to maintain.

Wired for Beauty

I recently had the opportunity to explore a concept that has been rattling around the dark recesses of my cranium for almost three decades. It was inspired first by a spectacular pair of curly juniper boards (also known as aromatic red cedar) I bought way back when “just because” that were still awaiting their final purpose, and a cheesy Anglo-Indian carved teak box I use to hold my favorite “fussy” tools used for inlaying, engraving and marquetry.

The idea? Inlay wire into the presentation surface to enhance the already eye-catching beauty of the swirling grain pattern. The beauty of the technique is that it can be used for just about any kind of metal wire that fits the project – copper, brass, silver, pewter, aluminum, steel and even gold – and employed for any type of artistic expression, whether linear accents, scrollwork or free-form.

The use of inlaid wire has long historical precedence, perhaps nowhere more noteworthy than in the filigree inlays of exquisite antique firearms such as elegant dueling pistols and hunting long guns from centuries past. While the delicate accents of these artifacts were achieved through a skill developed during a long period of trial and error, by following the steps here, you can be up and running quickly because the scale and materials are more suited to both the modern shop and the task of furniture making.

The Magic Toolbox...

As some of you know, I got into this whole wonderful obsession when my wife’s grandfather passed away and left me with a lot of his tools. He was a hard working, honest man who through his work as a carpenter embodied the “Als Ik Kan” ideal of the Arts & Crafts movement. When I first started to go through the tools five years ago, I experienced a kind of fascination everyday as I stumbled across tools I had never dreamt of in my wildest philosophies. Central to this inheiritance was a gigantic rusty toolbox that weighed in well over 50 pounds. Inside that toolbox was treasure trove of tools old and new, pristine and weathered. It is these tools that most hold the mark of the man who put them to such great use throughout his career. I use this as a preamble to hopefully explain some of the reverence that I have for all of these pieces.

The magic toolbox still has not disappointed me. At first, I disregarded many of the tools as esoteric or too highly specialized to invest any effort into learning to use them. As my own work has matured, I continue to go back to the magic box to see if I can pull a rabbit out to help refine my work. Since my discovery of chairmaking with my recent Windsor epiphany, I have become interested in the ancient brace and bit set nestled at the very bottom of the toolbox.

In doing some shop modifications to make room for a fancy Roubo bench that I hope to start this summer, I broke out the brace to drill some clearance holes around some stuck masonry screws that were holding in place a base cabinet. Wow, that is fun stuff! The control and “feel” for the wood that you get with a brace and auger bit is next to nothing as far as I am concerned. Don’t get me wrong, my 18V cordless drill and 18V impact driver will never be far from my hands, but yet again, the magic toolbox has provided another option for a more delicate approach.