Descriptionary

linoleum cutter a short, wood-handled knife with a hooked blade, used for cutting vinyl and linoleum flooring.

oilstone a stone made of aluminum oxide or sili­con carbide, used to sharpen blades. Also known as a whetstone, benchstone, sharpening stone, or hone stone.

precision knife a pencil-like metal knife with a small, triangular blade, used for cutting paper and other light materials. Also known as an Xacto knife.

razor knife a wooden or plastic handle with a slot for holding a razor blade.

tin snips heavy, metal shears used for cutting thin metals. Types of tin snips include aviation, duckbill, hawk's bill, and universal.

utility knife a hollow, metal handle with a retract­able blade, used for cutting soft material, such as drywall or roofing products.

hammers and nail pullers

ball peen hammer a standard hammer with a rounded back surface instead of claws. Also known as a machinist's hammer.

brad driver a small, spring-loaded, screwdriverlike tool used to drive brads (tiny nails).

cat's paw a crowbarlike steel bar with a slotted tip for pulling up nails.

claw hammer the standard hammer with nail- pulling claws. Also known as a carpenter's hammer.

deadblow hammer a mallet with a head filled with shot to prevent rebounding.

engineer's hammer a very small sledgehammer.

mallet a wood-handled hammer having a cylindri­cal or square head made of wood, rubber, or plastic; it is used primarily to pound chisels and to manipu­late metal.

maul a sledgehammer.

nail gun a gunlike apparatus that automatically drives nails without hammering.

nail set a thick, nail-like shaft with a pointed tip, pounded with a hammer to countersink nails.

rip hammer a hammer having straight claws, used in flooring work.

sledgehammer a hammer with a long or short han­dle and a very heavy, oblong head for driving chisels, wedges, and spikes, and for demolition.

tack hammer a hammer with a square, narrow head that has been magnetized to hold tiny tacks and nails for driving.

tack puller a screwdriverlike tool with a clawed tip for prying out tacks.

pliers

end nippers metal pliers with wide, beveled jaws, used for pulling out or cutting off nails.

fence pliers multiuse pliers with jaws to pull wire, a hammerlike end for driving staples into posts, and a hook or claw for pulling staples out, used to erect wire fences.

lineman's pliers square-jawed pliers for cutting and manipulating wire. Also known as electrician's pliers or wiring pliers.

locking pliers pliers that can be locked or clamped onto an object; the adjustable jaws are widened or closed by turning a screw in the wrench's handle. Also known as Vise-Grips.

long-nose pliers needle-nose pliers used to hold and manipulate wire, especially in tight spaces.

slip-joint pliers a metal pliers with jaws that are adjusted for size by means of a pivoting joint in its neck.

tongue-and-groove pliers long, straight-handled pliers with jaws that are adjusted by a pivot and a series of grooves.

wire cutters pliers with curved handles and jaws for cutting wire.

saws

azebiki a short, thin Japanese saw with a double- edged blade, for starting cuts in the middle of a panel or board.

backsaw a handsaw with a spined, rectangular blade with fine teeth, used for making precise cuts, especially when used with a miter box. Also known as a miter box saw.

band saw a large, stationary power saw with a blade in the configuration of a loop that continuously rotates through a table guide; used for making curv­ing for elaborate cuts.

bayonet saw see reciprocating saw.

buck saw a large, bow-shaped handsaw with large teeth, used for cutting logs or branches.

circular saw a popular, high-speed power saw with a circular blade, used primarily for making straight cuts.

compass saw a small, fine-toothed hand saw with a curved handle and a long, thin blade (sometimes pointed), used for cutting holes and curves. Also known as a keyhole saw.

coping saw a small hand saw with a very short and narrow blade held in a U-shaped metal frame, used for making fine, precise, or decorative cuts. Also known as a fret saw or a scroll saw.

crosscut saw the most commonly used handsaw; it has a wood or plastic handle with a long, tapering toothed blade and is used for sawing wood across the grain.

dovetail saw a small backsaw with a small hand grip.

dozuki a thin, hatchetlike saw with very fine, sharp teeth, for cabinet work and for cutting joints such as dovetails.

hacksaw a hand saw with a fine-toothed blade, used for cutting metal or plastic.

hole saw a drill bit having a small cuplike saw blade, for making perfect holes.