DT resistant materials - Tools

There are many different types of hand tool available in todays world. Here are the main ones that you will need to know about.

Saws

• Different saws have teeth designed for cutting different materials.
  • Tenon saws and ripsaws are used on wood.
  • Hacksaws are used for cutting metal or plastic.
  • Coping saws can be used on either wood or plastic and are mainly used for cutting curves.
• Saws must be kept sharp either by sharpening (e.g. tenon saw) or by replacing the blade (e.g. coping saw).

Planes and Files

• A bench plane has an angled blade that shaves off thin layers of material.
• It is used on wood for removing material (shaping).

Files

• Files have hundreds of teeth to cut away material.
• Different cuts of file make them suitable for different processes:-
  • Rough cuts are suitable for removal of material
  • Fine cuts are for finishing.
• Files are made for metals and plastics but very coarse ones (cabinet rasps) can be used on wood.

Drills

• Hand drills, braces and bradawls are hand tools for making holes. There are also power tools that do this but we will cover them later.
• All drills rotate a drill bit clockwise and press it against the material.

Drill Bits

• Twist bits are used for drilling small holes into woods, metals and plastics.
• Flat bits are used on wood and plastics to drill large, flat-bottomed holes.
• Countersink bits make holes for screw heads to sit in.

Different bits are suitable for different materials. Spade bits and auger bits are used on wood. High speed steel (HSS) twist bits are used on metals and plastics.

Chisels

• Chisels are used to cut away and shape materials
• Wood chisels (bevel-edged, firmer and mortise chisels) are used on wood and hit with a mallet.
• Cold chisels are used on metals and are hit with a hammer.
• Gougers are chisels with grooves in them - they're used for sculpting.

Machine tools

• Machine tools do the same jobs as hand tools - but a lot faster and more acurately.
• They are usually stationary and are often bolted to the workbench or floor.
• They can be used for processing large quantities of material accurately and quickly.
• Most machines used for wood are atached to a dust extractor.
• When using machine tools you should ALWAYS wear safety goggles and tuck in loose clothing.