Work More Efficiently With the Right Tools Always in Reach

A tool belt is one of the most important pieces of a builder or tool user’s repertoire. A good tool belt keeps you safer and more productive on the job, it keeps your hands free when you need them and ensures you have easy access to a whole arsenal of tools, no matter where you are or when you need them. Whether you’re on the ladder, on the roof, or anywhere out of the shop, a tool belt promises you’ll have exactly what you need.

So tool belts are great, right? But what exactly do you stock them with? How do you find a balance between being prepared and being totally bogged down by odds and ends? The key is knowing the work you have ahead of you and being familiar with the functions of each of your hand tools and accessories. Foreseeing the future, though, is a lot easier said than done and, accordingly, I’ve put together a list of gadgets that together comprise the ideal, general purpose tool belt.

But first! Please allow me to provide a few tips about using, wearing and stocking your tool belt.

Tool Belt Tips

• Ensure you invest in a tool belt that is designed for your dominant hand. You shouldn’t have to reach around your body to grab your hammer with the hand that swings it.
• In your tool belt store your most commonly used tools on your dominant side and the tools you reach for less frequently on your secondary side.
• Keep fasteners (like screws and nails) on your secondary side so that your “helping-hand” can seamlessly feed fasteners to your dominant hand.
• When you need to bend or adjust your balance/load, try rotating your tool belt 180-degrees. This puts the weight behind you and keeps your tools from impeding your movement (especially in crouched or awkward positions).
• If your tool belt gets particularly bulky, invest in a pair of wide-band industrial suspenders. This will disperse the weight and save your back.
• Don’t put yourself in a corner with inferior equipment – invest in high-quality tools. You don’t have to break the bank to buy a good product and, if you have to sacrifice high-tech for high-quality, do it. There is nothing worse for your productivity or your budget than struggling with poorly fabricated tools.

And finally, here is a list of essential items for your tool belt with a brief explanation of why these tools are important and what to look for in a good one.

Essential Tools for Your Tool Belt

Pencil and Pen/Sharpie

In your tool belt, square carpenter’s pencils are preferred. Their shape prevents the pencil from rolling and increases their durability. Keep at least 2 pencils on-hand as you never know when a tip will break or when you’ll drop one from atop your ladder. Also carry a pen or permanent marker for marks that require a little extra distinguishing.

Hammer

While you may choose a hammer with a wood, steel or fiberglass handle, the most important thing to consider is the quality and balance of the hammer as a whole. Ensure the hammer is not too flimsy and not too heavy. You may also choose between a hammer with a rip claw and a curved claw. Though the curved claw is more traditional, the rip claw can double as a hatchet if you need to chop something (albeit roughly) in a pinch.

4-in-1 Screwdriver

A 4-in-1 screwdriver offers 2 common sizes of both Phillips head and flat-head tips. This eliminates the need to carry multiple screwdrivers.

Fasteners

If you don’t carry a pouch for your screws and nails, it can’t hurt to carry a handful of fasteners in your tool belt. You never know when you’ll need to replace a screw or hammer a few nails; accordingly, its also smart to carry various sizes.

Nail Sets (in the 3 most common sizes)

For setting nails (or driving them below a surface) or for poking a hole or two, there is nothing so helpful as a nail set. Keep multiple sizes on-hand and you’ll use them often.

30-Foot Tape Measure

Anything larger than a 30-foot tape may not fit exceptionally well (or at all) in a standard tool belt. Accordingly, invest a 30-foot or 25-foot measuring tape with a 1-inch blade (this will ensure better reach with less buckling). Durability is important as tapes often get knocked around and because you will use the thing constantly.

Rafter Square/Speed Square

Though there are many uses for a rafter square, you will most commonly use this for marking both straight and angled cuts on virtually every cutting material. Choose a square made of thick aluminum or thick plastic as the thinner models don’t hold up.

Chalk Line

Use a chalk line to mark perfectly straight lines in a flash (or, more accurately, a “flick”). These are great for marking long cut lines or perimeters, but, as a cautionary tale, use only blue chalk on surfaces you want to keep clean (red chalk will stain).

Utility Knife

You will use a good utility knife to cut everything. You may choose a standard knife or an upgraded knife with a quick-change blade. In either case, invest in a higher-grade cutter to reduce blade wobble.

Cat’s Paw

A cat’s paw will help you pull or pry just about everything. Literally, these tools are ideal for nail pulling but can also contribute to light demolition, chiseling or scraping.

3/4-Inch Chisel (or set of 3: ½-Inch, ¾-Inch, 1-Inch)

A tough 3/4-inch chisel is ideal for a wide range applications from scraping, cutting and prying. You’ll likely reach for your chisel frequently so although a 3/4-inch should do everything you need it to, it’s good to have a few sizes on-hand.

1-Inch Putty Knife

For scraping, prying and applying stuff, a durable putty knife can be incredibly useful.

Needle Nose Pliers

With their long, skinny nose, strong gripping power and wire cutting capability, needle nose pliers are incredibly useful. You’ll use them for everything from reaching into tight spaces to gripping objects, to untying knots and bending and cutting wire.

Slip Joint Pliers

Because slip joint pliers can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes, you will use this tool for many tugging, pulling and twisting applications.

Electrical Tape

Electrical tape is a kind of insulating tape that is both weather and heat resistant. It’s durable yet stretchy, it’s typically made of vinyl and it’s most commonly used to insulate electrical wires. Because electrical tape can be torn by hand and because it generally removes cleanly from surfaces, it can be used like regular tape for taping/bonding, labeling, bandaging or etc.

Safety Gear (Dust Mask, Safety Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection)

Always remember your safety gear – your gloves, glasses, masks, earplugs and etc. Don’t be caught with debris in your eye or a blow-up ear drum when you can easily avoid injuries on the job. Be safe, smart and careful.

And that does it! Of course, the items you’ll need to keep in your tool belt will differ slightly from this list (and will differ slightly still from your neighbor’s list or your best friend’s list, and may differ again depending upon the job you’re doing) but these basics will get you well on your way to finding perfect bliss with your tool belt. – Good luck and happy crafting!

Authorized Dealer of power tools, hand tools, accessories, machinery and all their working parts.

How to Clear a Jammed Nail Gun

Disclaimer: This “Quick Tip” is significantly less quick than its predecessors; it is, however, equally important. Use these guidelines to keep safe and productive while working with air tools.

Though the intricate systems of valves, cylinders, pistons and springs that make up our air tools may appear, by all counts, prepared to fire nails into eternity, there are a number of factors that can contribute to a jammed nail in your air tool. Of course, the most common cause for encountering a jammed nail is human error, but, essentially, a jam occurs when a fastener gets caught in a nail gun or when a fastener fires into something (like another fastener or a tough knot) that deflects the nail backward into the gun. In either case, a jam must be unjammed. Fortunately, for us users, unjamming an air tool requires only a few simple steps and the due amount of caution.

To clear a jammed nail from an air tool, one must first disengage the tool by turning it off and/or disconnecting its air hose or battery. Next, open the gun’s magazine and remove all racks of unfired fasteners. Do not bypass this step; it is imperative that you disengage the tool and remove any fasteners from potentially firing. Because the nailer will be waiting to obey the firing command it was given before the jam prevented discharge, as soon as that jam clears, it will attempt to fire. Accordingly, the tool must be in all capacities prevented from unintentionally discharging a nail. So, no matter what, disengage the tool and remove all the fasteners from its magazine.

Next, you must access the jam. The gun’s manual will show you how to best do this. Most nail guns, however, have a flip-style locking mechanism on their nose piece. This should open without tools, but, if not, you may gently release the latch with pliers or the claw of a hammer (the “claw” being the curved prongs on a hammer’s back-side).

If there is no latch on the nose piece of your gun, please do not attempt to open it; instead you will likely access the jam through a latch on the top of the gun. This will have a flip-style latch mechanism or a few screws that will need to be removed in order to reach the interior of the gun. Bearing in mind that you may need to remove one or more components to reach the jammed nail, open this access to inspect the jam. In the event components must be removed, be careful not to damage them and be equally careful reinstalling them; ensure each part is restored to exactly the manner in which it was removed.

Next, you need only remove the jam. You may be able to clear it with your fingers, but, if the nail is bent or otherwise caught or obstructed, you may need to use a pair of long-nosed pliers to release it. After removing the jammed fastener, inspect the nose piece and the nail path for damage or anything that appears out of the ordinary.

Next, simply close-up shop (or, close the mechanism you opened to remove the jam), reload your magazine and reengage the air tool. Fire a test-shot to ensure all is well and, assuming it is, be successfully on your way. If, on the other hand, the gun is still jammed or jams again, reopen the tool to look for additional jammed fasteners or for visible damage to the gun. If upon this inspection, no jams or damage are found, take your nail gun to an authorized service center for diagnosis/repair.

Do Not Carry Electric Tools by Their Power Cords!

Always carry a power tool by its handle. Do not carry an electric tool by its power cord; this can damage or break the cord’s connection to the tool which will either reduce its power and performance or render it temporarily obsolete. Carrying a power tool by its cord also makes the tool more susceptible to body damage. So, don’t do it. Hold and carry your power tools by their handles only.

DO NOT FORCE YOUR SAWS,

Instead, allow them to do the work for you.

If your blade encounters sudden or increased resistance while cutting, there is something wrong with the progress of the cut. To avoid costly and painful kickback, disengage the saw immediately and evaluate the situation. Analyze the cutting blade and its cut-path to ensure the blade is fit to perform and that the workpiece isn’t too stubborn for working.

Keep Your Screws Tight!

Change Your Sandpaper Often!

Just Use Water

When cleaning the plastic components on your power tools and equipment, always and only use water (i.e. a damp cloth) to clean them. Using chemical solvents will damage the integrity and functionality of the plastic parts and pieces on your tools. – This, of course, means you must replace them. So, do right on all counts by using only water to clean your power tool’s sensitive parts.  

It’s also worth noting here that you should clean your power tools often. Regular maintenance contributes to the overall well-being and longevity of your equipment.

Preparedness:

Beginning Projects With All Your Ducks In a Row 

Before you start a project it is important not only that you have all the materials necessary to complete that project, but also that you ensure your power tools and equipment are in the best working condition possible. Clean and inspect your power tools before a big project and, if you can, keep a few spare parts on-hand as well. This prevents last-minute scrambling and frustrating project delays.