Renovation 4th Edition

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Renovation 4th Edition Page 13

by Michael Litchfield


  8. Plumber’s bit (wide self-feeding bit)

  52

  Chapter 3

  2

  7

  3

  1

  4

  5

  6

  Drilling and screwing accessories: 1. Allen wrenches; 2. Magnetic bit holders; 3. Extension bit holder;

  4. Flexible bit holder; 5. Stubby screwdriver; 6. 4-in-1 screwdriver; 7. Ratchet-handle bit driver

  Clamps. Clockwise, from lower left:

  spring clamp, bar clamp, quick-release

  bar clamp, C-clamp, and hand screw.

  Clamps

  Quick-release bar clamps are a second set of

  hands on the job site. Use them to hold work to a

  bench, temporarily join two boards, align stair

  balusters, or mock up rafter pairs. Their rubber

  jaws won’t mar surfaces on fine work.

  Standard bar clamps slide jaws to approximate

  position and use a threaded handle to draw mate-

  rials tightly together. They’re a little slower than

  quick-release clamps, but they apply more force.

  Spring clamps are the quickest to operate for

  relatively thin materials that don’t require an

  especially tight grip.

  Hand screws apply even pressure to a relatively

  broad area. Excellent for gluing, they hold work

  well and won’t damage wood. Open and close

  them by using two hands, almost like pedaling

  a bicycle.

  C-clamps apply a strong force and are especially

  suitable when the workpiece absolutely mustn’t

  move. Insert scrap wood between the jaws and

  workpiece to protect it from damage.

  pliErs anD CuttErs

  Slip-joint pliers are old reliables. Our grandfa-

  thers used pliers of the same design.

  Channellock® slip-joint pliers have long, offset

  handles and jaws that open wide for the slip-nut

  under the kitchen sink . . . or wherever.

  Pliers and cutters. Clockwise, from top: Channellock slip-joint pliers, Vise-Grip

  locking pliers, slip-joint pliers, side cutters, lineman’s pliers.

  tools

  53

  Vise-grip® pliers have an adjustable tension

  mechanism that lets you lock the tool’s jaws

  around the workpiece, such as a stripped screw.

  They can double as a temporary clamp, but don’t

  1

  overtighten.

  Side cutters are designed to cut wire or small

  nail shanks. But they’re also great nail pullers if

  2

  you don’t squeeze too hard.

  lineman’s pliers are an electrician’s mainstay,

  3

  great for twisting and cutting wire.

  P R O T I P

  6

  Aviation snips, also known as tin snips, cut

  5

  4

  sheet metal. Use them for flashing and ductwork.

  When removing casing or

  molding, use a nail punch to

  hammErs

  Wrecking and pry bars: 1. Crook-neck wrecking bars;

  drive finish nails through the

  2. L-bar; 3. Flat bar; 4. Cat’s paw; 5. 8-in. pry bar/nail

  back of the trim piece. that’s far

  Choose a hammer with a grip and weight that

  puller; 6. Cat’s paw with punch point

  less damaging than attempting

  feel right for you. Bigger heads and longer han-

  to grip and pull nails from the

  dles can deliver greater impacts when nailing and

  face side.

  so require fewer swings to drive nails. But they

  Sixteen-ounce finish hammers are fine for a

  also require greater effort to use and may cause

  small amount of trim.

  tendonitis.

  Hand sledges are handy for knocking shoring or

  Twenty-six-ounce framing hammers are as big partitions a few inches over and for breaking

  as anyone needs. Titanium framing hammers are loose stubborn foundation forms.

  in vogue these days because they transfer less

  shock to your arm, although more to your wallet.

  Hammer tackers are a quick way to staple

  building paper, insulation, and sheet plastic.

  Twenty-ounce framing hammers are light

  enough to double as trim hammers. But, truth is,

  WrECKing anD pry Bars

  pros prefer trim guns (pneumatic nailers) for fin-

  ish work because they free up one hand to steady

  Disconnect plumbing pipes and electrical

  the work and don’t ding the trim as hammers do.

  cables in areas about to be demolished—and

  check with a voltage tester to be sure the power is

  off. Be methodical and work slowly.

  Wrecking bars have differing lengths and end

  configurations. Most are crowbars with crooked

  ends for better leverage. The longer the bar, the

  better the leverage.

  l-bars are wrecking bars with a flat, L-shaped

  end instead of a crook. Drive the L into lumber

  that’s nailed together and twist the tool to pry the

  pieces apart.

  A flat bar (also called Wonder Bar® or handy

  bar) is the best tool to ease off delicate trim with-

  out damaging it. Pry the trim up gradually along

  its length.

  A cat’s paw is the tool of choice if you’re pulling

  a lot of nails out of framing. It bites into wood

  pretty deeply, so don’t use this tool on trim.

  A small cat’s paw with a punch point is small

  enough to remove finish nails, and its pointed

  end doubles as a nail punch.

  An 8-in. pry bar/nail puller lifts trim gently and

  pulls finish nails.

  Hammers. Left: hand sledge; top to bottom: 26-oz. framing hammer, 20-oz. framing hammer,

  16-oz. finish hammer, and small hand sledge.

  54

  Chapter 3

  misCEllanEOus tOOls

  Interior scaffolding has rollers that let you

  move it around a room. Before you mount a plat-

  Sawhorses support work at a comfortable height. form, always lock the roller locks, and dismount

  The metal-leg variety, which nail to lengths of

  before unlocking the locks for any reason. It’s

  2x4, are sturdy and easy to collapse and store.

  unwise to move an unlocked scaffold while some-

  The Black & Decker® Workmate® has an integral one is atop it.

  clamp in its benchtop; it also folds flat for com-

  ladder jacks. Ladder jacks offer an inexpensive,

  pact storage and transport.

  quickly adjustable setup, which can be safe if

  Electrical and plumbing tools are covered in

  both ladders are well footed. Many jack brackets

  other chapters. But don’t be without a voltage

  pivot so that scaffolding planks can rest under or

  tester to make sure the power is off, slot and

  over the ladder. Consult the operating instruc-

  Phillips-head screwdrivers with insulated han-

  tions supplied with your ladder jacks. In general,

  dles, and needle-nose and lineman’s pliers. And

  avoid platform heights higher than 8 ft.

  every toolbox should have a pipe cutter, large and Pump jacks. Pump jacks work fine when new,

  small adjustable open-end wrenches (commonly

  but after a few seasons of rain and rust, they often

  called Crescent
® wrenches), slip-nut pliers, and a bind, which produces eye-popping free falls or

  pair of pipe wrenches.

  blind rage when you’re 15 ft. in the air and the

  Earth tools include a round-point shovel, pickax, jacks refuse to go up or down. Consequently, most

  hatchet or ax, and wheelbarrow.

  rental pump jacks have been hammered silly for

  their failings. Be wary of rental pump jacks.

  Tools to Rent

  lasEr tOOls

  Most contractors own the tools listed in this sec-

  Laser levels have become more common as their

  tion, but occasional users should probably rent

  prices have dropped so buy one if your budget

  them. The decision depends on how often or how allows. You can set a self-leveling laser almost

  long you may need the tools and how passionate

  anywhere, and it will project a level reference

  you are about collecting them.

  line all around a room or to a distance of 50 ft. to

  safEty, sCaffOlDing, anD jaCKs

  100 ft. easily. Laser levels are invaluable for set-

  ting electrical outlets or kitchen cabinets at the

  Inside or out, scaffolding gives you secure footing same height, finding how much a floor is sloping,

  and peace of mind. Instead of hanging precari-

  or checking drainage slope by shooting from the

  ously from a ladder, you can concentrate on what curb to a house foundation.

  you’re doing. That said, anyone who’s not com-

  fortable working at heights shouldn’t. As one

  contractor put it, “If it feels unsafe on a roof, it

  probably is.”

  Pipe-frame scaffolding. Have the rental compa-

  ny set up and tear down exterior scaffolding. It

  takes experience to set scaffolding safely, espe-

  cially on uneven ground, and units must be

  attached to the building.

  Pipe scaffolding typically consists of two rec-

  tangular end frames and diagonal braces secured

  with wing nuts or self-locking cleats. Once the

  first stage is assembled, the installer adjusts the

  self-leveling feet until the platform is level.

  To raise successive stages, the installer stacks

  end frames over coupling sleeves and locks the

  pieces in place with uplift and cotter pins.

  Additional lock arms may join the bracing.

  Platforms should be planked their entire width

  with 2x lumber or metal planks provided by the

  rental company. Guardrails are a must on all

  scaffolding. If your platform is 10 ft. or higher,

  most safety codes require midrails and toe

  boards as well.

  Rotating laser on a job site. Note the laser lines on nearby studs.

  tools

  55

  laser plumbs (see p. 288) enable electricians to

  right-anglE Drill

  lay out ceiling light-can locations on the floor

  Renting a 1⁄2-in. right-angle drill will let you avoid

  and then shoot the locations up to the ceiling. It’s burning out your own drill while roughing in

  much easier than repeatedly climbing a step-

  plumbing and electrical runs. The right-angle

  ladder and plumbing down.

  drill is a godsend in the tight spaces between

  laser tape measures, also known as laser dis-

  framing members, and the drill’s long handle

  tance meters, bounce a sonic or laser beam

  gives you more leverage to control the torque of

  between surfaces to get a quick reading of dis-

  this slow-drilling, powerful machine.

  tance. They’re not accurate enough for cabinet

  When drilling through framing, self-feeding,

  work, but they’re great for drywall estimators,

  double-spiral bits clear wood well, but use a hole-

  siding installers, and (so I hear) golfers who want cutting bit when bigger holes are required.

  to know exactly how far it is to the green.

  Whatever bit you use, wear goggles and watch

  for nails. The better right-angle drills will have a

  sliDing COmpOunD-mitEr saW

  clutch that disengages if the bit meets a certain

  level of resistance.

  A 10-in. sliding compound-miter saw is the ulti-

  mate tool for a wide range of finish work. The

  pnEumatiC nailErs

  extended crosscut length, combined with adjust-

  able angle and bevel settings, allows complicated It may take 20,000 to 30,000 nails just to sheath

  cuts in large materials such as 6-in. by 6-in. deck

  an average house. Add to that the nails needed

  posts, 10-in.-wide siding boards, and large crown for framing, roofing, and shingling, and you can

  molding.

  begin to imagine the number of hammer strokes

  required. Pneumatic nailers, commonly called

  pOWEr planErs

  nail guns, save a lot of effort.

  Moderately priced and incredibly useful, a power

  planer can plane down studs to create a flat plane

  for drywall, trim a little off an exterior door, and

  quickly cut a slot so the nailing flange of an elec-

  trical box is flush to the edge of a stud (see the

  photo on p. 199).

  Pneumatic nailers. From left: finish nailer and

  framing nailer.

  nailer TRIggERS

  Pneumatic nailers have several types of triggers.

  The safest is a restrictive trigger, which you

  must squeeze and release to shoot a nail. A sec-

  ond type, a bounce-fire trigger, shoots a nail

  each time you depress the gun’s nosepiece.

  Bounce-fire triggers are usually favored for

  sheathing, which requires a lot of 8d nails

  (21⁄2 in. long) spaced relatively close to one

  Sliding compound-miter saw.

  another. Until you become accustomed to nail-

  ers, restrictive triggers are far safer.

  56

  Chapter 3

  Control of the workpiece is the other big

  A powder-actuated tool with

  advantage. When using a hammer and nail, you

  drive pins and (at top of gun) a

  need one hand for each. A pneumatic nailer

  strip of cartridges.

  delivers the nails, giving you a free hand to hold a

  stud or top plate in place. The nail goes in quickly

  without requiring hammer blows that can cause

  the workpiece to drift out of position.

  And pneumatic nailers won’t slip and ding

  expensive trim. Consequently, among profession-

  als, pneumatic finish nailers have all but replaced

  hand nailing door and window casings.

  There are framing nailers, finish nailers, brad

  nailers, and pin tackers. They are powered by air

  Rotary hammers. From left:

  hoses connected to a compressor and calibrated by

  1⁄2-in. hammer drill and

  a pressure adjustment on the nailer. Staff at rental

  11⁄2-in. hammer drill.

  companies can explain the adjustments as well as

  safety features and how to use the tools safely.

  Hard hats, safety glasses, and hearing protec-

  tion are musts.

  pOWDEr-aCtuatED tOOls

  Potentially very dangerous, powder-actuated

  tools are useful for shooting nails into concrete,

  as when framing an interior wall on a concreter />
  slab or securing pressure-treated lumber to a

  Wear safety glasses, hearing protection, heavy

  foundation wall. These connections aren’t consid- gloves, and a hard hat.

  ered structural. Engineers specify bolts instead

  for all structural connections to concrete.

  COnCrEtE BrEaKEr

  A reputable rental company will demonstrate

  anD COmprEssOr

  the tool’s safe use, describe (and rent) safety

  Whenever you need to replace defective concrete,

  equipment, answer your questions, and supply

  change the configuration of foundations, or remove

  appropriate cartridges and drive pins. Some local concrete so you can lay underground drainage

  codes prohibit renting powder-actuated tools to

  pipes, rent a concrete breaker (see the photo on

  nonprofessionals.

  p. 247) and special high-volume compressor.

  When using this tool, wear safety glasses,

  hearing protection, and a hard hat.

  sOil tampEr

  hammEr Drills

  Use a gasoline-powered soil tamper tool before

  you pour a concrete slab, lay a brick walk, or set

  Hammer drills are a category of tools that com-

  a stone patio.

  bine hammer and rotary functions to drill holes

  into concrete. The terms hammer drill, impact

  DumpstErs

  hammer, and rotary hammer are often used

  interchangeably, but I’ll use hammer drill to

  Although you can rent Dumpsters by the day or

  denote smaller, less powerful tools and rotary

  week, carefully plan (and stick to) demolition

  hammers to denote larger, more powerful ones.

  schedules so your Dumpsters leave the job site

  promptly. Other people’s debris has a way of fill-

  Hammer drills (1⁄2 in.) typically offer two settings: ing your Dumpster when it sits too long. Don’t

  rotation only and hammering with rotation.

  order one until you’re well into tearout and have

  They’re adequate for drilling small holes in con-

  accumulated a half-week’s worth of debris.

  crete, for anchoring door thresholds to slabs, and

  If you’re demolishing masonry, rent a “low boy,”

  for predrilling pilot holes for masonry screws.

  which is a small unit (10 cu. yd.) specially built for

  A rotary hammer drill (11⁄2 in.) is the tool of

  the great weight of concrete, brick, and the like.

  choice if you need to drill dozens of 3⁄4-in. holes

  For other jobs, rent the largest size available, usu-

 

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