Search no more when your kit
packs only the necessary gizmos
By Tim RyanStar-Bulletin
My nearly new tool box lay on the ground, the kit I hadn't used since my daughter had given it to me as a birthday present.
Were the hammer and staple gun I needed somewhere in the rusty heap on the bottom of the box? It was then that I remembered something a carpenter friend had told me: "By the tools, you will know the workman."
Looking at the pitiful mess, I realized there was no way I came close to being "a workman."
Wanting to know what I needed to be just a simple tool person, I started calling around to hardware experts at City Mill, Eagle, Sears and to my carpenter friend Bob "Mr. Fix-it" Hansen. What are home tool basics, I asked.
First, they agreed, while a professional "always" buys the best tools available, a homeowner buying professional-quality instruments sometimes may be overkill.
See, buying a cheap hammer may save a couple bucks, but it also can mean buying a hammer whose head could chip, possibly injuring a user from flying steel. A cheap saw may bend and the teeth become dull if the blade is of inferior steel. Chisels must have sufficient steel quality so the blades will take and hold a sharp cutting edge.
"It really helps if you have the right tools," said Walter Goedicke, City Mill salesman. "It's a good idea to have the basics on hand because sooner or later, you'll need them."
And, experts insisted, it's important to know the intended use of a tool and how often you'll use it: Will the drill be used to build a house, or just occasionally used for pre-drilling screw holes in plaster?
"I remember my father always bought (a less expensive brand) and sometimes the tool didn't last as long as he wanted it to," Goedicke said. "We always ask customers what kind of project they're doing and if they will be doing future projects. Only then can we make an intelligent recommendation."
If a customer plans to be doing a lot of drilling Goedicke always suggests purchasing a high-speed drill.
"Otherwise there will be a lot of stress on the wrists and you can suffer cramps, or develop carpal tunnel syndrome," he said. "A high-speed drill also cuts work time tenfold."
Most Americans will reach for a basic tool this year, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute. In the 1970s about one-third were self-proclaimed do-it-yourselfers, that is, people who do one or more repair or home-improvement jobs in their homes over a 12-month period. In 1996, that figure rose to nearly 90 percent, HIRI reported.
Why not just hire a carpenter, plumber or electrician? Because professional work costs.
According to tool experts, the average person "absolutely" cannot do without a small carpenter's claw hammer.
"A curved claw hammer is great for beginners," said Eagle's Al Glasby. "The curved claw lets you pull nails with minimum damage to the walls; the flat face is designed to hit the nail as squarely as possible." He also suggests that the hammer be fiberglass "for durability" and rubber-handled to dampen the "shock of hammer blows."
A tape measure is another must, Glasby insisted, and should measure 1-by-25 inches with a locking mechanism to hold the tape out to a set distance.
The Eagle tool maestro also recommends buying 10-inch channel-lock pliers that adjust to four or more positions that allow it to fit around most house pipes. And diagonal pliers are good to cut and strip wiring in small jobs like lamp repair.
As for screwdrivers, Glasby said if you must limit yourself to just one, go for a 6-incher "with a carbide tip for durability." A block wood plane comes in handy too for shaving wood off the door that doesn't seem to want to close right and is sticking, he said.
"There (are) thousands of hand tools ... to make any job easier, but these are just the basic ones that can get about any nonserious job done around the house," Glasby said.
Hansen suggested adding a flashlight, torpedo level, chisel, putty knife, and a caulking gun to the old tool box.
"A torpedo level is short, about nine inches, and is great for easy storage and leveling small items around the house," he said. "A caulking gun is useful because there are a lot of new products for making repairs in concrete, asphalt and roofing that are caulk-tube products."
Clifford Urabe, hardware sales manager of Sears at Ala Moana Center, added the Sears Robo Grip, about $23, to the list because the tool automatically self adjusts and has "better than average grip."
Before buying any tool, hold it first to feel how it fits in the hand. A hammer should not feel too heavy or unwieldy; otherwise, the only pounding you might be doing is on your fingers, Hansen said.
"You want tools to be comfortable to use," added Sears' Urabe. "Something like a drill shouldn't be too heavy and should be well balanced. Whatever feels right to you is what you should get."
And don't forget the importance of the right tool box. A good one is sturdy and will keep your tools dry. If you work with small pieces, you'll want a toolbox with trays. And if you only have a few tools, canvas totes are perfect and easy to store under the sink or in a drawer.
"One other thing," carpenter Hansen mused. "Don't forget having your wife's business (phone) number, your doctor's number, insurance number and the nearest fire department number real handy - just in case of a medical emergency."
That's why Goedicke always suggested safety goggles and ear plugs to customers.
"A lot of do-it-yourselfers neglect their safety when working around the house, like somehow it's different when you work at home," Goedicke said. "Buying safety goggles is a small price to pay to protect your eyes."