ABCs Of Hand Tools, Part 1 (1945)

Simple tools in the hands of skilled craftsmen have helped to build the world we know today. A world of towering steel, of giant airplanes, fastmoving transportation, a world of mechanical wonders, products of fine craftsmanship whose origin lies in the proper use of simple hand tools. But to more fully appreciate these tools and their part in our world today, let's turn back the pages of history. 60 or 70,000 years ago, long before the beginning of civilization, our primitive ancestors lived in caves. And we today might also be living in caves, except for a certain event that took place within the gloomy depths of this longforgotten cavern [music] [music] here. A certain stone age craftsman by the name of Primitive Pete stumbled upon a very good idea. He suddenly realized that by fastening a stick to a rock like this, he could extend the length of his arm like this and thereby greatly increase the force of his blow like this. [music] Thus was born the world's first practical hand tool. Oh, did we say practical? Well, anyway, it was a good idea. In fact, it eventually led to the development of all the numerous sledges and hammers we have today. But more than that, out of Pete's Stone Age hammer came other tools, tools for every purpose. This ballpeen hammer, for example, is just a practical version of primitive Pete's first crude invention. But like all tools, there's a right and wrong way to use it. There are still primitive peeps among us today who would abuse this fine tool, and this would be the horrible result. Obviously, this hammer was never intended for crushing rocks. The ballpeen hammer was designed for many purposes. The peen end can be used for riveting. It's also used for shaping soft metal. When using the face, you can avoid damage when hitting a hard object simply by striking with a full face. Never strike the object with the edge. Of course, there are many other types of hammers, all based on the original stone age model. There's the brass or copper, the rawhide face, plastic tip, and the claw hammer. which is the most commonly used or we should say most commonly misused. To use the claw hammer correctly, rest the head squarely on the nail. Give the nail a slight starting tap. Then drive it in with steady blows. A long nail can be pulled part way with a natural leverage of the claw. Then a block of wood placed under the head will increase the leverage, making a stubborn nail easier to pull with less strain on the handle. A hammer with a loose head can be plenty dangerous. Here's how primitive Pete would tighten the head on his hammer, but that only damages the handle at both ends. [music] Have you a little beauty like this in your home? A steel wedge is the right answer. Driven into the wood, the wedge spreads the handle to the tapered sides of the eye and holds it tight in both directions. Gripping the handle too close to the head reduces the force of the blow and sometimes makes it difficult to drive a nail in straight. Always grip the handle close to the end to increase the length of the lever arm and make each blow more accurate and effective. Never use a handle for a crowbar. That's going all the way back to primitive pee. Another familiar tool that takes an awful lot of abuse is the ordinary screwdriver. Our modernday primitive Pete often uses a screwdriver to pry open a stubborn window. Well, maybe he'll succeed in ruining the tool. This never would have happened if Pete had known more about the screwdriver. It's made up of three principal parts: handle, shank, and blade. Some screwdrivers have a full length shank extending through the handle, but many household screwdrivers have a shorter shank pin to the handle in this fashion. This type will not stand the primitive pete treatment. >> [music] >> The best rule is never hammer on any screwdriver. Many of us try to use one screwdriver for every size of screw head. Always choose a screwdriver with a blade equal in width to the length of the slot. Another thing, never attempt to turn a tight screw if there is too much play between the blade and the slot. A bad fit can cause serious trouble. It can ruin the screw slot or the blade. H, this looks like the work of primitive Pete. Well, so it is. Fortunately, if the blade is not too badly chipped, it can be regground in a serviceable shape. First, grind the tip straight and square with a shank. Then, grind each face a little at a time, but never allow the blade to become hot. Excessive heat will draw the temper and the blade will become soft. Here are the front and side views of a properly ground screwdriver. Here's a little trick. If the faces of the blade are tapered in slightly a short distance back of the tip, the screwdriver will stay down in the screw slot even when a severe twisting force is exerted. Here is a special type screwdriver designed for heavy duty. The extra-L large square shank will stand a wrench if added leverage is needed. Don't be a primitive Pete and resort to the use of pliers. They're apt to chew up the shank. Pliers are made for other purposes. Here are some familiar types. Combination, diagonal cutting, long round nose, and side cutting. These side cutting pliers are used chiefly for electrical work. To make an electrical connection, first cut the insulated wire to the required length. Then use the parts back of the joint to flatten the insulation like this. Then grip the insulation with the cutting edges without biting into the solid wire and strip off the insulation. Now, right here is where long round nose pliers come in handy. To make a neat loop to fit a terminal, first use the tip of your pliers to make a right angle bend. Then grip the wire farther up and turn the end into a loop. These diagonal pliers have their cutting jaws at an angle. They're very useful for removing and installing cotter pins. A drop of oil every now and then is good insurance against rust. Like all tools, pliers should be kept in good working order. These combination pliers equipped with a slip joint are very commonly used. They usually have a small shear between the teeth and the joint for cutting wire or nails. Think of these pliers as a set of extra stronger fingers, valuable for all sorts of jobs. They should not be used to tighten or loosen nuts. The jaws might slip, chewing off the corners of the nut. A better tool for this job would be an open-end wrench. They usually come in set. with openings ranging in size from 5/16 of an inch to 1 in. Wrench measurements refer to the distance between the jaws. Use a wrench that always fits the nut exactly. Pushing on a wrench when the nut is tight is bad practice. Better not, Pete. We're warning you. Oh, well, some people have to learn the hard way. On open-end wrenches, the head is set at an angle to the handle, usually 15°. This permits efficient use in close quarters. For example, this nut has very little swing space around it. To start the nut, the wrench will fit one set of flats in this position. And we can give the nut a partial turn before the handle jams against the block. But if we try to repeat the action, we find the nut is in a new position and the wrench won't fit. So we flop the wrench over and get a new fit on the nut. Again, we pull the handle as far as it'll go. We keep repeating the procedure until the job is finished. An ingenious development of the open-end wrench is this type. Its adjustable jaw makes it handy for many sizes of nuts and bolt heads, but the jaw should always be set for a snug fit on the sides of the nut before exerting any great force. To use the wrench correctly, the pulling force should be applied to the stationary jaw like this. Great force applied to this weaker adjustable jaw might ruin the tool. This type of wrench is not intended for hard service, so don't over strain it. And remember to keep the moving parts welloiled. There are many uses for a mediumsiz monkey wrench. This tool also is often abused. The jaws should always be adjusted to a tight fit. And remember to exert the pull on the right side opposite the opening. If the wrench is used the wrong way, it might slip off the nut and do a lot of damage. See what we mean? Trying to force a stubborn nut by hammering on the handle of the wrench is a sure sign that you're a primitive peak. If you really want to ruin a good tool, uh, try this on your monkey wrench. You can ruin yourself, too. [music] >> What Pete needed was a bigger wrench, and we should remember that there is a proper tool for every job if we'll only take the trouble to use it. Pipe wrenches are used for turning pipe, pipe fittings, and other round objects. The teeth of a pipe wrench will not grip the fitting unless the tool is worked in the correct position. For best results, the bite should be taken at the center of the jaws. Remember, the teeth will always leave their mark on the work. However, if you must use a pipe wrench on plated fixtures, you can first wrap the pipe with a leather strap. This will protect the finish. A popular wrench with mechanics is the box wrench. Designed for use in close quarters. The 12 notches in the head of this tool make it possible to get a good fit over the nut in almost any position. Notice the nut is gripped at all six corners. To ensure a working clearance, the head of this wrench is offset from the handle at a 15° angle. Some mechanics call this tool a knuckle saver. Here's a combination of a box and open end wrench, sometimes called a half and half. The box end is ideal for breaking loose a tight nut. Then if there's no clearance for a full spin, the open end may be used to turn the nut off more quickly than the box end. Every workshop should have a set of socket wrenches with at least one handle to fit the different sockets. However, a good mechanic needs a larger set like one with a dozen sockets and several handles for different types of jobs. These special handles provide leverage in almost any position. For example, this hinged offset handle can be worked at various angles. This tea handle with a universal joint allows use in very confined areas where it would be difficult to work with ordinary handles. A further improvement is a ratchet handle. With this tool, the ratchet lever can be set so that the wrench pulls in either one direction or the other and ratchets in the opposite direction. When primitive Pete attached a simple handle to a piece of rock, he became the inventor of the first hand tool known to man. And from this beginning, through centuries of trial and error, came the vast array of fine tools we have today. Most of us take our modern tools for granted, [music] not realizing what a vital part they play in our daily lives. [music] [music]