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Woodworking - Tools & Equipment, Home Tools
Tools: A Tool-by-Tool Guide to Choosing and Using 150 Home Essentials by Steve Dodds — book cover

Tools: A Tool-by-Tool Guide to Choosing and Using 150 Home Essentials

by Steve Dodds
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Overview

A practical reference to 150 power and hand tools.

Whether you have a job in mind and don't know where to start or simply want to feel more knowledgeable at the hardware store, Tools is the ultimate blueprint for getting equipped and getting started. This uncomplicated beginner's reference covers all the essentials.

Divided into three sections, the first covers where to find quality tools and what to look for to ensure years of reliable use. Valuable safety tips include how to avoid power tool accidents as well as guarding against toxins in treated wood, preventing electrical and chemical fires, and more.

The second section outlines eight basic tool kits along with a list of tools for each:

  • Home/apartment Kit
  • House kit
  • Plumbing kit
  • Electrical kit
  • Machine and metal kit
  • Car kit
  • Child's kit

The third section is a guide to almost every common hand and power tool. Each page features a photograph of the tool accompanied by a concise, jargon-free explanation. Quick reference symbols identify the tool's relative cost, necessity, and skill level required to use it.

The tools are organized and cross-referenced by task: measuring, cutting, making holes, holding and supporting work, shaping, driving and prying, fastening, sanding, and storage and protection.

Helpful tips suggest alternative tools for a single job. There's also information for setting up and organizing a workshop that includes advice for lay-out, utilities, organizing tools and more.

Tools is an essential reference and a must for every homeowner and crafter.

Synopsis

An uncomplicated beginner's reference to getting equipped. Organized into nine kits for home and car -- an easy to follow guide to building a tool kit and learning how to identify the right tool for the right job.

Library Journal

Most people, from new homeowners to apartment dwellers, need basic tools to keep their living space in good condition. Not quite a dictionary, this guide evaluates tools and makes recommendations based on functionality. The thematic arrangement is a bit confusing, but the index helps make the navigating easier. First-time author Dodds addresses a variety of concerns of new tool buyers, e.g., what tools are essential, quality vs. price, where to shop, and tool safety. He also recommends "kits" of tools for those living in apartments, doing crafts, or working on cars. Similar to John Kelsey's Field Guide to Tools, this is recommended for most libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, Steve Dodds

Steve Dodds is an architect and avid woodworker. He is a regular contributor to Readymade Magazine and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

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Editorials

Pasadena Star-News - Michelle J. Mills

I know nothing about fixing things and that's why I love this book.... I would actually know if I was purchasing the right "thingy" for the job.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Debra Prinzing

Excellent photographs show you, for example, exactly what a rotating head punch and a torque wrench look like.

E-Streams

Glossy, profusely illustrated, and thoughtfully organized... an excellent beginners resource to the proper use and purpose for most commonly used household tools... sensible advice on gaining skill with tools and a very practical list of tool kits for various living situations.

Sacramento Bee

A straightforward paperback filled with color photographs... the ideal book for the guy who wants to upgrade his tool lore and not feel lost at the hardware store.

CanWest News Service

Those who prefer to plan ahead can get a good start on building up their toolbox with Tools.

Calgary Herald

Advice on what tools to buy and how to use them, safety tips and information on what to put in tool kits for the home.

Akron Beacon Journal

The first step to becoming handy with tools is learning what the devices can do. That's the purpose behind Tools.

Globe and Mail

A social history, a guidebook and an illustrated encyclopedia that will provide hours of browsing pleasure for anyone who's every swung a hammer or driven a screw, whether experienced builder or novice.

Buffalo News

Everything you ever wanted to know about plumb bobs... explains what each tool does and which tasks it does best.

Style at Home

Suitable for those who own every tool in the hardware store, as well as the novice who has decided a shoe isn't a good hammer substitute and wants to set up a tool box.

Library Journal

Most people, from new homeowners to apartment dwellers, need basic tools to keep their living space in good condition. Not quite a dictionary, this guide evaluates tools and makes recommendations based on functionality. The thematic arrangement is a bit confusing, but the index helps make the navigating easier. First-time author Dodds addresses a variety of concerns of new tool buyers, e.g., what tools are essential, quality vs. price, where to shop, and tool safety. He also recommends "kits" of tools for those living in apartments, doing crafts, or working on cars. Similar to John Kelsey's Field Guide to Tools, this is recommended for most libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Book Details

Published
March 1, 2005
Publisher
Firefly Books, Limited
Pages
224
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781554070602

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