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Tools

Be sure to know what these look like! You can find pictures online.

  • Hand Drill
    • Can be cordless or have a cord.
    • Attach drill bits for different purposes (boring, fastening).
    • Rotates both ways.
  • Impact Driver
    • Drives screws and bolts into stronger materials by using many rotational impacts
    • Often have higher torque than hand drills, which is why it excells at securing fasteners
    • Cannot be used to bore material
  • Drill Press
    • Bigger version of drill.
    • Drills straight down.
    • Types of drill presses
      • Floor/Standing drill press
      • Bench top drill press
      • Upright sensitive drill press
  • Band Saw
    • Helps cut irregular shapes.
    • Cuts with more precision.
    • Is a massive band that spins around.
    • Does not go up and down.
  • Lathe
    • The part rotates rapidly, with a tool perpendicular to cut.
    • Safety precautions: Wear safety glasses, long pants, closed-toe shoes, tuck back sweatshirt strings, and tie back longer hair.
    • The cross slide moves the lathe along the x-axis.
  • Miter Saw (Chop Saw)
    • Cuts at angles.
    • Cuts metal and wood.
    • Different blades cut different materials.
    • Safety tip: Hold the trigger, allow the blade to reach maximum speed, and then cut all the way through. Let go and let the blade stop moving before you bring it back up.
    • Types of Miter Saws
      • Single bevel - Tilts in one direction
      • Double bevel - Tilts in two directions
      • Sliding double bevel - Tilts in both directions and doubles the width of its cut.
  • Dremel
    • Handheld, corded rotary tool that can spin at very high speeds
    • Can attach many different bits that have different purposes, such as cutting or polishing
    • Used on metal
  • Files
    • Coarse and Fine
      • Coarse
        • Lesser density.
        • Larger particles.
        • Teeth further spaced apart.
      • Fine
        • Higher density.
        • Less particles.
        • Teeth closer together.
  • Saws
    • Yellow blade for metal, unpainted for wood.
  • Tap and Die
    • Tap makes internal threads.
      • 3 Types of taps: Plug (short chamfer, usually 5 threads),

  • Taper (longer chamfer, 9-10 threads),
  • Bottoming (extremely small chamfer, 2 threads).

  • Recommended to use plug or taper tap first.
  • Die makes external threads.
    • When cutting threads, grind a chamfer onto the object for easier turning.
    • Secure the rod, use lubrication, and make one full turn with the die and tap wrench, then one half turn back.
    • Ensure both the rod and tap wrench are level.
    • Clean the metal chips with a wire brush and check if the desired nut fits on the rod after it's been threaded.
  • Tap and Die Sizing
    • SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) threads are measured in TPI (threads per inch).
    • Metric threads are measured by the distance between thread crests in millimeters.
    • Thread pitch gauge helps to properly identify thread measurement.
    • Both cut threads and are made of carbon steel.
    • Lubricating the threads aids in minimizing friction.
    • The empty parts on the tap are called flutes and allow the metal bits to fall through.
  • How to tap/thread things: Attach the circular part (die) or the tap, and rotate to cut threads into the screw. When rotating, make one full turn forward and one half turn back.
  • Purpose: Allows grinded screws or messed up threaded inserts to have a more secure connection.
  • Quarter 20 would be 20 TPI, or threads per inch, with the bolt being ¼ inch in width.
  • Rivet gun
    • There are different tips on the rivet gun, each for different sizes of the rivets.
    • Rivet gun tips can be unscrewed and replaced for different sizes needed.
  • How to remove a rivet:
    1. Sand down one side, and then the other side will pop out.
    2. Drill into the rivet. (This is the easiest and most common method.)
    3. Hammer and chisel
  • Rivets are typically made of aluminum or steel.
  • The rivet's length should typically be equal to the thickness of the objects you are fastening.

^ Rivet ^

Bench Grinder (Pedestal grinder)​

  • Sharpens and/or polishes metal.
  • Usable on any metal tool that needs sharpening.
  • The bench grinder typically has 2 wheels.
    • One hard for grinding
    • One soft for polishing
  • Most of the wheel is covered, but 1/4th is exposed.
  • There is also an eyeshield and work rest attached.
  • Spins at 3000-3600 rpm.
  • Tongue guard prevents debris from being carried over by the wheel and shot out.
  • When using a bench grinder, allow it to reach full rpm.
  • Press wheel dresser against the wheel perpendicular to the wheel to square the face of the wheel.

Misc​

  • Screws and screwdrivers:
    • Phillips (Plus head)
    • Flathead (Flat head)
    • Allen wrench / hex key
  • Hex head (the hexagon shape on top of a standard bolt)
  • Know what cross threading and stripped screws are