basic tool kit

[toffee]

not taking the mickey... serious beginners question;
basic tool kit for the home?
I have got a hack saw, hammer, some screwdrivers, some pliers, tape measure, level thing, a small sander. A large saw with broken blade due to my wrong angle when sawing I think, some small nails and some screws.

what else for day to day?

 

[andy]

i dont have time to list all the stuff ive got.... i can easily fill the back on an estate car!

multimeter would be a good idea for testing batteries etc and for doing electrics

 

[Hitachimad]

A new saw a basic hammer drill and bits, retractable knife,
A pair of mole/vice grips would also be on my list.

It depends what you plan to do, but with what you have and the above should cover you for the basic diy jobs.

 

[toffee]

ohhh... ( proud as punch ) I have a drill
and no thanks to my hubby who is good in other ways... I have found out which are stone drill bits and which are wood drill bits.
Tell u what though, I tried to put up a roller blind and its not as easy as the instructions make out.
You make a hole and mark it wit your pen...

but the drill bit does the hole a few mm's to the side!!! hmmm
I know they say a bad workman/lady blames her tool (why have a dog and bark your self) but hey... this takes practice!

 

[andy]

I have found out which are stone drill bits and which are wood drill bits.

masonary usualy are wider at the tip than the best of the body, and are fairly blunt

wood have a small point in the centre, and sharp edges 90° to the main body

HSS are angled on the top and dont have a point like wood.

that help you?

 

[Nestor_Kelebay]

I agree with Andy that a good multimeter should be in every DIY'ers toolbox. You pretty well need one of these to do any electrical work or much in the way of appliance diagnosis and repair.

A good wet/dry vaccuum cleaner is also something most DIY'ers need. I think my vaccuum cleaner is the one tool I use on EVERY major project I do. Also, a good wet/dry vaccuum cleaner can be used as a poor man's carpet shampooer for cleaning stains out of carpets.

If you're looking for an electric saw, look no further than a jig saw. A jig saw is the most versatile saw a DIY'er can own as it allows him to make more kinds of cuts (straight, curved, notch) in more kinds of materials than any other single saw. Also, a jig saw will cut lumber up to 1 1/2 inch thick, and for cutting larger lumber and 4X8 panels, it's easier to just put that stuff on a pair of car carriers and take it somewhere to be cut.

A JEWELLER'S LOUPE. This is an important tool for anyone to have. It allows you to gain a lot of information by allowing a real clear view of things that would otherwise be too small to see clearly, but are nonetheless very important to know about. I have a 10 magnification jeweller's loupe that allows me to check the surfaces of things such as faucet seats to ensure they're not nicked. I can check the surfaces of electrical connections to ensure they're clean. I can tell if drill bits are sharp or dull just by looking at them, and judge how sharp they are. And, it allows me to read the sizes on small drill bits and allen keys that would otherwise present a problem even to someone with 20/20 vision. Also, if you have a clear view of the very small, you can tell if a discoloration on a surface is due to something being deposited on that surface, a staining of that surface or damage due to deterioration of the surface. It allows you to check surfaces for wear. Excellent for removing splinters, too, because you can get a very clear view of the splinter, how deep it is and when enough of it is sticking out so that it can be pulled out.
This is one of those tools that you don't realize how many times you find yourself using it until you have one. It opens up a whole new world of understanding problems once you can get a very good look at the very small, which are often the root cause of problems or are the key to solving them.

A set of locking pliers is important because you don't always have nuts and bolts in good condition. Sometimes you have to replace screws with stripped heads, or stripped nuts, and often the only way to turn them is with locking pliers.

A set of driver bits. Put them in your electric drill to drive screws quickly and easily. If you have a variable speed reversing drill, so much the better.

A bee keeper's bar. These pry bars are very common to see in hardware stores, but difficult to describe. Also, the ones in hardware stores are all the same size and shape. If you look up Bee Keeper's Supplies in your phone directory, you'll find these handy little pry bars come in a variety of sizes and in different shapes. They're a very handy tool to have because they're very thin and very strong and that makes them excellent for a lot of odd jobs.

A heat gun. Heat will soften a lot of materials that are otherwise very hard to remove. Paint, glue and caulking are only a few examples.

 

[big-all]

a couple of 4 inch clamp or at least a bench hook

you can make a bench hook a piece off board or timber 12 to 25mm thick 250mm long by 150mm back to front
screw a piece of wood on the back top edge thats 18 to 25mm square idealy [but any batton will do as its to rest the wood against]make it 50mm shorter than the top length[250 -50= 200]
if your right handed line the batton up with the l/ h side so it stops short by 50mm on the right hand side
flip the wood over so the batton rests on the outside edge of your hard surface
fix an identical batton to the back edge of what is now the top again 50mm short on the r h side

once made you can use this for cutting timber against any hard surface
with the front batton hooked onto the front edge and the timber supported on the back batton

you can use a cloth to protect any surface that may be dammaged

when you saw you make shure you saw will cut down within the 50mm on the side

so theres you first hand made tool sorted


has any body said a work mate is realy handy


a metal framed mitre saw is ideal for strait or angled cuts for about £12 but needs checking as they are easily knocked out of square

you can also use your hand saw as a square and 45% angle as the handles are usualy set at the angles

 

[Thermo]

a decent sharp saw, a small hacksaw, a decent small set of chisels and a sharpening stone, a claw hammer, decent set of screwdrivers, small pry bar, square, pencils, tape measure, japanese draw saw, pliers and a stanley knife. Plenty of screws, plugs and nails. Should just about do you!

 

[hermes]

not taking the mickey... serious beginners question;
basic tool kit for the home?
I have got a hack saw, hammer, some screwdrivers, some pliers, tape measure, level thing, a small sander.?

I had a level thing once but it tends to sag a bit nowadays.

 

[pitbull]

but the drill bit does the hole a few mm's to the side!!! hmmm
I know they say a bad workman/lady blames her tool (why have a dog and bark your self) but hey... this takes practice![/quote]


use a nail punch or even a nail to give you a start for the drill bit

 

[toffee]

I will try that...
im going to try and fit new blind at weekend.
last time it took ages as i had to fill the wrong hole Id made and wait for it to dry... as the position I wanted was only like 2mms accross from the hole Id madeso I couldnt drill another or Id have been left with a huge hole.

fingers crossed.

 

[masona]

I think one of the most important tools is the stopcock key turning off water supply on the quick! I can't believe the amount of people knocking on my door to borrow one

Make sure you have the right one for your valve, they're not expensive

 

[JohnD]

I think one of the most important tools is the stopcock key turning off water supply on the quick! I can't believe the amount of people knocking on my door to hire mine

 

[masona]

Hmmm, £10 deposit next time

 

[Thermo]

unless the waters pouring out then the cost goes up by the minute as they argue!