Common Hand Tools and Their Uses - Hammer, Hand Drill,
Handsaw and Level
By: The Working Man


Continuing our series on hand tools, here we give
a brief overview of the uses for Hammers, Hand Drills,
Handsaws, and Levels. As always, use the proper tool
for the job and be careful when using hand tools.


The Hammer

The hammer is a tool that is used for striking nails into
boards and other implements into other materials. It is a
striking tool. Hammers are composed of a shaft, handle and
head. The materials that make up a hammer and its
configuration are dependent upon its use.

But most hammers have some kind of face that is used to
strike a fastener into another object. Opposite the face of
the hammer there may be another face, a curved, forked end
for nail pulling, or a ball peen for a different strike
surface. Just about every household has a hammer as part of
its repair kit. The hammer can weight seven, ten, thirteen,
sixteen or even twenty ounces, depending on the need of the
user.


The Hand Drill

The hand drill is a tool that is basically a crank that you
spin in a circular motion forcing a drill chuck at the end
down and into an object. It is a human-powered hand tool
that made drilling holes much easier and faster, but it has
been replaced in most tool chests by the electric hand drill
that requires no hand cranking at all. But still today some
woodworkers like to use the hand drill for greater control
of the depth of a hole.

The components of a hand drill are as follows: a main shaft,
a chuck, drill bit, cranking handle, and pinion gears. To
operate you point the drill end down and press into the
object that you are drilling. Then you grasp the handle
firmly while turning right and holding the top stationary.

You can select multiple different drill bits for a hand
drill, one of the most common being three eighths of an
inch. Sometimes you will have to get a larger hand drill to
handle the bigger drill bits. The drill bit size is usually
inscribed on the drill bit itself.


The Hand Saw

A handsaw is a hand-powered tool that is used to cut through
wood, usually with a push pull action. It cuts with sharp
teeth on one side of the blade. The teeth of a saw and the
frame or handle of a saw vary. The more teeth on the blade
the finer a cut the saw makes.


The Level

The level is a horizontal plane that indicates when the
object you hold it against is level. It does this with a
vial full of liquid that has an air bubble in it. The level
will show you when the level is horizontal with the earth's
surface because the air bubble will be centered.

Levels may be made from many different kinds of materials
and may be all kinds of lengths but it is essential that
they have a liquid vial with an air bubble in it somewhere.
Some of the levels that are longer in length have not only a
horizontal plane level but a plumb or vertical level where
the vial is turned perpendicular to the earth's surface.


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