Common Hand Tools and Their Uses - Clamps, Coping Saw,
Fasteners, Hack Saw
By: The Working Man


The Clamp

The clamp was designed to grip and hold firmly objects
together. They are very useful when you need to glue
different materials together because a clamp will hold the
pieces together firmly till the glue dries. Clamps are
usually composed of a large adjustable screw and a face. The
hand screw has two screws to clamp objects together.

You can choose from many different types of clamps. For
instance, the C-clamp is useful for clamping together metal
and wood. The hand screw is used to clamp together pieces of
wood at differing angles. The spring clamp is a light clamp
for helping to glue two objects together. The pipe or bar
clamp holds two larger objects in place. The web clamp uses
a softer nylon webbing to tighten around larger objects. An
example of the simplest type of clamp is a paperclip.


The Coping Saw

The coping saw has a metal frame and a very thin metal blade
fastened to the frame. A coping saw is used for making cuts
in wood when the cuts must curve. It can cut through metal,
plastic and wood depending upon the type of blade you use.

The U-shaped frame has a clip or swivel spigot that holds
the blade in the frame. A handle of either plastic or wood
allows the person cutting to turn the blade while cutting.
The TPI or teeth per inch on a coping saw blade is about
twelve to fifteen. You can find finer or coarser blades
(more or less teeth per inch) for special jobs.


Fasteners

A fastener in tool terms is a very essential tool. It holds
things together. For instance, a wood screw holds two boards
of wood together. A nut and bolt will clamp metal together.

There are many different heads, shapes, kinds, types and
lengths to fasteners. Be sure to evaluate your project
beforehand in order to get the correct type of fasteners for
your project. There are many, many types of special
fasteners to hold together different materials.


The Hacksaw

The hacksaw is a metal-framed saw that is commonly used for
cutting metal pipes and plastic pipes, although it can be
used on other materials. It has a frame shaped like a U in a
bow-like style. The frame holds a thin blade using clips or
spigots. Most hacksaws also have a handle at one end that is
made from either plastic or wood.

Some hacksaws have adjustable frames that can use an 8-, 10-
or even 12- blade. The TPI or teeth per inch on a blade
varies depending upon the kind of cut you want to make. The
blades typically have 14, 18, 24 or 32 teeth per inch. The
finer or more teeth a blade has the finer a cut it will
make.


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