Shop Information
What to know
Shop Information covers tools, materials, fasteners, and safe practice. For measuring: tape measure, steel rule, try square, combination square, caliper. For cutting: crosscut saw for cutting across the grain, rip saw for cutting with the grain, hacksaw for metal, chisel for joinery. For drilling and driving: drill bits, pilot holes, countersinking, and screwdrivers matched to the screw head. For fastening: nails hold by friction and shear, screws hold by their threads and can be removed, and bolts with washers clamp materials together.
Materials matter too: hardwood versus softwood, plywood's alternating grain layers for strength, MDF for smooth painted surfaces, and ferrous versus nonferrous metals.
Traps
- Using the wrong tool: a screwdriver as a chisel, pliers as a wrench, or a wood saw on metal.
- Choosing a nail for a joint that later has to come apart.
- Ignoring grain direction when planning a cut.
- Safety details: unplug before changing a blade, clamp the work, and keep blades sharp, because dull blades cause more injuries than sharp ones.
Rule of thumb
Drill a pilot hole slightly narrower than the screw shank before driving a screw near the end of a board. It prevents splitting and produces a straighter drive.
Worked example
You must join two pine boards that may later be disassembled. Nails tear the wood on removal and glue is permanent, so use wood screws with pilot holes. If the head must sit flush, countersink first, then drive the screw.