Archive for June, 2010



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Top Shed Foundation Solutions

1. The shed foundation should support the weight of the shed and spread it evenly over the ground on which it rests

2. Protect the wood at the base of the shed from moisture coming up from the ground.

3. Include features to stop vegetation growing beneath and around the shed.

A fourth point applies to larger sheds:

4. Stop it moving throughout a range of climatic conditions (some soils change in volume with moisture content, frost and action of tree roots).

Due to the size, weight and longevity of house foundations they are designed and built not to move. They are expensive and expected to last a long time. This contrasts with shed foundations where some movement can be tolerated.

Normal house foundations are dug deep so that the foundations are supported on a stable layer of subsoil. This is to avoid the main causes of foundation movement;

Frost heave. Tree roots. Shrinkable soils.

A house needs to be still so that connections to water, sewage etc are not broken. Also with large buildings if one side of the house moves relative to the other the building starts to crack and tear itself apart.

This does not necessarily apply to sheds.

To achieve the cheapest and simplest form of foundation appropriate for your shed, think about the size and use of the shed, its location within the garden and possibly the sub-soil type.

If you are planning a small shed, read the next couple of paragraphs to point you to the next article to read, however for larger sheds I suggest you read right to the end of this article.

The smallest sheds dont need a foundation at all! Small sheds and stores can often be situated on an existing patio or hard-standing.

Smaller prefabricated sheds (up to about 8×6) can be sited on crushed stone with either treated wood foundations (timber sleepers/railroad ties will do just nicely)or concrete foundation blocks or paving slabs.

Click here for how to build a foundation on timber bearers

Click here to find out how to build a foundation on concrete paving slabs

However before you decide on the traditional have a look at a new type of shed base that can save you time, effort and money. Click here to find out about the plastic shed base.

For sheds bigger than 8×6 more substantial shed foundation plans are required. A concrete shed base may be the solution. A concrete slab foundation has the advantage over timber floors if water is to be used on the shed floor or wet equipment to be brought in often. See here for how to build a concrete shed base.

Alternatively, a shed pier foundation can be used as a more easily constructed, time and money saving option.

Does the site where you want to build your shed slope? If the ground slopes gently or steeply it can make construction a bit more tricky, but nothing that can’t be overcome as this article on building a shed on sloping ground shows.

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Small sheds literally move up and down by an inch or two in the course of a year and will not be noticed or matter to anyone. The shed sort of ‘bobs up and down on a sea of soil’.

For larger sheds, foundation movement can be a problem for two main reasons:

The shed is connected to another structure with a different foundation type that is moving in a different way or services are connected in to the building.

If one end moves and the other doesnt, then the floor will start to slope or the building crack and distort.

The main solution to these problems is to make a foundation sufficiently deep that it is on ground that is not going to change volume.

Frost heaveAs the ground freezes in the winter months, the soil expands and lifts whatever is on top of it. The solution to this problem is to make the foundation deep enough so that the underside is below the frost zone. In the UK, the frost zone is about 600mm, for colder countries it can be a lot deeper.

TreesFor some soils, mainly clays, the volume changes with moisture content. Moisture content can change due to a very dry summer, a very wet winter or a tree growing and sucking the moisture out. As moisture is sucked out of the soil it shrinks (after a tree has been cut down the soil regains its moisture content and expands). For these reasons think carefully before locating a larger shed close to rapidly growing tree or one that has been recently cut down.

Finally..if a shed moves, it is nearly always possible (if a bit inconvenient) to re-level it later.

ConclusionWhen deciding on your shed foundation type, remember that the larger the shed and the more often it is used, the more substantial the base needs to be.

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Free Wendy house plans

The Wendy House. This Wendy house is basically a playhouse with a few feminine touches added. A Wendy house can give children hours of enjoyment. And with a little imagination, customized touches can be added to create a unique and special environment. This house stands 2 metres high, is 2.3 metres long and 1.2 metres wide with a 700mm wide deck along the front.

Explanation of timber sizes. The timber sizes referred to in this project are the finished or ‘actual’ sizes. For example: If you went along to the timber yard and asked for a piece of 75×50 dressed framing, the actual timber size would not be 75×50, but rather 65×46. Confused? Well 75×50 was the approximate size of the timber before it was planed, dressed or gauged and is still referred to in timber yards as 75×50, even though the finished size is 65×46, give or take a mil. Hence the term used in this page ‘ex 75×50′. For more timber terminology explanations click here

Note: This is the metric version. The standard (ft & inch) version more suited to North America can be seen here

About the timber. All timbers used for the construction of the Wendy house are readily available at most timber merchants or building suppliers. The floor base is constructed of 145×46 (ex 150×50) treated dressed (gauged, smooth finish) covered with standard 90×32 pine decking. All the framing stock is 65×46 (ex 75×50) with the exception of the ridge beam which is 90×46 (ex 100×50) and the posts which are 65×46 (ex 75×50) treated for outside use.

The Plans. (The following images might take a tick to load)wendy house plans

wendy house plans

The Floor and Frame Cutting List.wendy house cutting list

The Instructions.

Step one: The piecesCut all the timber as shown in the cutting list above.

Step two: The base and floorOn a level, flat piece of ground make a rectangle by nailing the two longer joists (a) to two of theshorter joists (b).Nail another three intermediate joists (b) in place evenly spaced (see above floor frame plan). Use 90 or 100mm galvanized nails.Check that the floor base is square by measuring diagonally from corner to corner. When the diagonals are equal, then the base is square.Cut the decking to length (20 lengths @ 2300mm) and lay and fix to the base beginning from one side. Use 75mm galvanized jolt head nails.

Step three: the wall framesLay out the bottom plates (d) flat on the floor to form a rectangle 2300×1200. Lay the top plates (e) on top of the bottom plates and mark the studpositions on the edge of both plates (see above plate and stud layout diagram).Separate the plates (d & e) and lay the studs (f) in place. Cut and fix nogs (g) between studs (f) as shown in ‘the plans’ diagram above. Nail the wall frame together. There will be four wall frames in all, the two end frames and the front and back frame.Stand the frames up in place and nail together. Ensure the bottom plates are straight and fix to the floor. Check all corners are vertical (plumb) and fix temporary diagonal braces to the insides of the wall frames.

Step four: the roof frameCentralize the two ridge supports (i) on top of the two end frames and fix in an upright position.Balance the ridge beam (j) on top of the ridge supports (i) and fix in place with nails skewed (angled) through the ends of the ridge beam into the supports.Fix the 10 rafters (k) in place (5 each side) beginning with the end rafters and then the intermediates.Fix the lower rafter supports (m) in place at the lower end of the top rafters (k). (See diagram below.) Fix the lower rafters (l) in place on top of the lower rafter supports (m), so that the top of the lower rafters (l) are at a point running 335mm up from the bottoms of the top rafters (k). (See diagram below.)rafter detailNail the beam (n) to the end of the lower rafters. Fix three posts (o) plumb under the beam (n). One post in the middle and one at each end.

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: Suncast Horizontal Storage Shed: Patio, Lawn & Garden

The title says it all. After reading the other glowing reviews and comparing prices, I decided it was almost a wash price-wise to buy online vs local. The box it comes in is large and somewhat awkward so I decided to let UPS deliver it! It came with a minor amount of box scuffs but the product inside was fine. (If you live upstairs, the delivery will be a little tricky.) The large box can later be used to slide several kids down a grassy hill together.

The plastic material is a good color and very tough. It is well finished and designed to be stiff but also flexible. The pieces were all straight and fit together very well. I had the whole thing together (with a hand from my 8 yr old) in about 10 minutes. It is best to assemble the unit where you intend to have it live since it is pretty big. Where I installed it, I have a rock wall that protrudes out around it on each side. It was 2″ too big and I crammed it in anyway. I must have beat and slammed on this thing for 20 minutes and I finally got it in there to find it just wouldn’t work well. I then spent another 15 minutes getting it out. After all was said and done, the thing works as if I had never abused it at all!! Very resilient!!

I used this storage unit as on outside “dumpster” to store trash bags in so I don’t have to step around them and have the smell in the garage anymore during the summer. It cleans out great with the hose and it comes with a “prop bar” that slides down inside one wall to hold up the lid if necessary. The front splits and opens up barn door style and the door design works very well, the doors can be removed easily too.

I built a 2×6 wood base on the bottom to give it more stability and weight but that isn’t required. There are 4 spots already molded in the floor of the unit for bolts if you like. There is also a spot on the back walls for a 12″ shelf about 12″ or so from the top if this is desired.

All in all a great purchase, I wish this had been available a long time ago!

UPDATE JAN 2009:
Unit is still in great shape after a couple years of outdoor use. I am still happy with the purchase and it has served its light duty “dumpster” purpose very well. It cleans up easily from grease or other trash related messes. Overall, this continues to be a winner and should last for many years to come.

Minor Use and Foundation Notes: The unit really needs to be on a level surface. My son uprooted the stakes I had it anchored with and until I got it re-anchored, the lid/doors wouldn’t shut right. In addition, my wife has a hard time keeping the lid secured in the back due to opening it up too far and then not shutting it right. I routinely have to re-open it, re-seat the rear hinge and then close it. In essence, you need two hands to close it right and it requires a little attention due to the removable nature of the lid and the “prop-bar/kickstand” on the right front. This isn’t a huge problem, just something to keep in mind if it will be used by kids or lots of people who won’t pay much attention to this.

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Woodworking Jigs – Perfect Cross

The task of cutting large panels is relatively easy with a table saw. By the same token, making square cross-cuts on planks is a piece of cake with a miter saw or a properly tuned radial-arm saw.

The question is, what do you do if you’ve got a circular saw, but don’t have any of these woodworking machines? Easy. Build a couple of simple woodworking jigs.

My two favorite such jigs are essentially the same jig, just in different sizes. Out a sheet of melamine, or better yet, MDF, cut a 12″ x 24″ rectangular piece. Then, using a straight-edge, cut a 12″ long x 2″ wide strip of plywood. Be certain that one side of the plywood is as straight as possible, as this will be used for a straight-edge on the jig.

Using a framing square or layout square, mark a straight pencil line six inches in from the right end of the melamine/MDF board (18-inches from the left end).

Next, using a power drill, attach the plywood strip to the board on the left side of the line. Be certain that the straightest edge of the plywood strip is tight against the line.

Once the strip is secured, place your circular saw against the right edge of the plywood strip (on the pencil line) and cut the melamine or MDF board, using the plywood strip as a straight-edge.

The jig is now complete. To use the jig, simply mark the piece of stock you wish to cut and place the jig on top, lining the freshly cut edge of the jig with the marks on the stock. Clamp the jig in place (be sure that the clamps are to the left of the straight-edge) and cut the stock in the same manner that you cut the edge off of the jig in the previous step. If you built the jig correctly, the cut on the work piece should be perfect every time.

The beauty of this jig is that it can be adapted to pretty much any size. I like to have one jig that is 12″-16″ wide (for cross-cutting small boards) and another that is at least 4-feet wide (for panel cutting). Having a large version of this jig makes cross-cuts on a sheet of plywood simple and precise.

Even if you have access to a miter saw, radial-arm saw or table saw, these jigs are handy to have around, especially if you find that you are working on a project away from your shop. For instance, if you’re helping your neighbor build a backyard playhouse, do you really want to haul your miter saw or go back to the shop every time you need to use your table saw? A couple of minutes to build these simple jigs will solve the problem and still give some impressive results.

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The Tool Shed

The Tool Shed

What’s the difference between a tool shed and garden variety storage shed? In many cases, not all that much. There are some simple differences that can turn a box stock shed into a bona fide tool shed that would make any guy proud. After all … in most cases, the tool shed is a man’s world, baby.

First off, a tool shed has to be big and sturdy enough for a guy to work in. Don’t expect to get by with one of those little plastic toys. A real deal tool shed has to be made of wood or metal. Recycled soda bottles don’t cut it.

Size matters. While 8 x 10 feet is the bare minimum for a small tool shed, the bigger the better. And don’t just look at the square footage. Check out the headroom, too. Short tool sheds are nobody’s friend. The taller your tool shed, the more room you’ll have for overhead storage … whether that storage space is for lumber or that extra set of exhaust pipes for your hot rod is up to you. Tall gambrel and saltbox tool shed designs will provide the most overhead storage.

Tool sheds are for storing stuff, yeah … but the stuff you’re storing is tools (d’oh!). Those walls had better be covered in pegboard and shelves. Why throw those beautiful tools into a greasy cardboard box when you can admire them in all their glory, hanging on the wall?

Workspace is all important. You’ll need serious workbench space to get the job done. A nice wide counter top running the width of the tool shed should give you plenty of room to spread out those projects. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

You have power tools, you need power. Are you going to get by with an extension cord or will you step up and run conduit to your tool shed? It’s not just the tools that need juice, it’s the other stuff … like that little fridge and tellyvision for those days when you want to get that project done and watch the game …

Posted by geekbooks at September 8, 2005 08:12 AM

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Shed Plans and Barn Plans For Building Nice Wooden Storage Sheds

These shed plans will not only allow you to build nice sheds and barns, they will enable you to have fun in building your own backyard storage shed or barn. Downloadable For Building Gable Sheds, Gambrel and Barn Sheds and Saltbox Sheds.

And, they’re cheap too!

Not only is this shed easy to build, it will provide you with lots of storage. The double shed doors are 5′ wide. The flooris built out of treated 2″x6″ floor joists spaced 12″ on center and sheeted with 5/8″ treated plywood for a really durable and sturdyshed floor that will last a long time.

  • You can download these shed plans right now for only $5.95.
  • Simple shed design thats easy and fun to build.
  • Plans are for a wooden floor constructed with treated joists 12″ on center.
  • However, this shed can be built on a concrete slab if desired.
  • Recomended siding is ‘smart lap’, engineered wood, pre-primed 7/16″ long lasting siding.

More information on this storage shed.

or Buy now for $5.95 with the Paypal link below and download instantly so you can start building today.

This saltbox shed is really a fun shed to build, looks great, and can be used for a storage shed, garden shed, ora tool shed.

The 4′ doors are built and framed right into the front wall for ease of construction.

  • You can download these shed plans right now for only $5.95.
  • Simple shed design thats easy and fun to build.
  • Plans are for a wooden floor constructed with treated joists 12″ on center.
  • However, this shed can be built on a concrete slab if desired.
  • Recomended siding is ‘smart lap’, engineered wood, pre-primed 7/16″ long lasting siding.

More information on this storage shed.

or Buy now for $5.95 with the Paypal link below and download instantly so you can start building today.

As always when your using power tools, be careful, and be safe.

Leave storage shed plans and return home.

More storage shed plans coming. If you have a special request for shed plans, please email me.

I love this little gambrel style storage shed. The one thing that is really nice about it is that notonly does it have 7′ side walls, it has lots of space in the ceiling to add a good sized loft for allthat extra storage you will need.

Not only that, this barn is easy to build. It’s fun to build too. I have designed the plans for using pre-primed smart lap siding but you can use any type of siding you prefer.

  • You can download these shed plans right now for only $5.95.
  • Simple shed design thats easy and fun to build.
  • Plans are for a wooden floor constructed with treated joists 12″ on center.
  • However, this shed can be built on a concrete slab if desired.
  • Recomended siding is ‘smart lap’, engineered wood, pre-primed 7/16″ long lasting siding.

More information on these 8×10 small barn plans

or Buy now for $5.95 with the Paypal link below and download instantly so you can start building today.

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Here’s How I’m Beating The Financial Crisis

(with a smile :-)

Hi, I’m John, and this is my wife with our three beautiful grandaughters. Welcome to our shed building site.

I work on my websites from home and they earn me thousands of dollars. And they have proven to me that anyone with a hobby or passion and no prior internet knowledge can create a profitable website.

It’s a stable stream of income that is helping me beat the financial crisis.

If you’ve ever dreamt of being your own boss and not having to depend on someone for your own financial security you can either:

1. Continue dreaming

2. Click here now to read what I’m doing and beat these hard times.

My comprehensive downloadable e-book for anyone who wants to build a neat shed. Loaded with diagrams, pictures, illustrations and detailed easy to understand information for building storage sheds, garden sheds, tool sheds and more!

“Build Any Shed” E-book

Ask The Wise Old Shedmaster at Shedking

He loves to answer any questions about how to build a shed.Don’t be Shy!.

Site Build It!

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Woodworking auction for top brand Thickness Planers.

This woodworking auction is for Thickness Planers. These power woodworking tools can save you a lot of money. Some are used woodworking power tools and some are new discount woodworking machinery.

Normally, woodworkers use the Thickness Planer for just that thickness. You can even do thickness on edge, which I call width of board.

Why use these power woodworking tools?A hand-held planer leaves uneven “streaks” on the wood. Thus, you have to sand when finished, which is very time consuming. A good thickness planer leaves the wood silky smooth and ready to finish. You do not need to sand. Good power woodworking tools save you a lot of time. It can make your old wood look better than new!

Have you priced lumber recently? If you have, then you can imagine how much money you can save!

Rough sawn oak is a lot cheaper than surfaced oak! You can normally get 1″ thickness out of 4/4 oak. When you buy pre-finished wood at a Super store, a 1 x 6 is actually ” x 5″. The true cost is $7.50 per board foot versus $2.25/board ft for rough sawn oak. It won’t take you long to pay for a quality planer. In addition, your work will look a lot nicer!

A quality Thickness Planer adds versatility to your shop. You can even “joint” wide boards with these power woodworking tools. See Planer Tips to learn how to do this.

With a good router table and a good thickness planer, you do not need a woodworking jointer. You can edge joint on your router table, and face joint with your planer. This saves you a lot of time and money.

Delta Woodworking Equipment makes a nice planer, and so does Dewalt & Makita. If you buy a larger planer, like the Woodmaster, you can do your own custom molding.

DeWalts 735 13-in. thickness planer is a recent Fine Woodworking Editor’s Choice “Best Overall”. This thickness planer features a three-knife cutterhead and a built-in chip extraction system.

This woodworking auction give you good prices on the Best thickness planers!Do not buy cheap power woodworking tools. Buy good woodworking machinery at a fair price.

More items are available by clicking on the “View all xxx items on eBay” at the bottom left.


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TUFF SHED: Storage Sheds, Installed Garages, Custom Buildings, Backyard Gazebos, Storage Cabinets, and Flooring

This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for (http://www.tuffshed.com/ and http://www.888tuffshed.com/). This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by these web sites. It will notify you of the following:

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We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to ship an order.

Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

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You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

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From time-to-time our site requests information via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and you may choose whether or not to participate and therefore disclose this information. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and shipping address), and demographic information (such as zip code, age level). Contact information will be used to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.

Contact Us

If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via email at info@tuffshed.com.

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: Suncast Storage Building: Patio, Lawn & Garden

This May 2009 review is for the Suncast Model A01B37C03 10′ x 12 1/2′ Storage Building — purchased from Amazon. Also see the pictures that I have uploaded.

The most important thing for prospective purchasers to note is that Suncast has substantially improved this shed since it was first released in 2007. While the original shed had only three ridge beams to support the roof, the new Model A01B37C03 sheds now include 5 beams, PLUS an additional header support tube for the rear header. Suncast claims that the roof can now support 15 pounds per square foot, i.e. pretty heavy snowfall. This improvement is significant, and makes a product that was already very good exceptional.

It took only 11 days from the time I ordered from Amazon until the product was delivered to me in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The product is drop-shipped from Suncast in Illinois via freight shipper – in my case CEVA – who called me the morning the shed arrived in their Baltimore facility and delivered it the same morning. There are four large boxes – two of them are perhaps manageable by one person dragging them to the back yard, and the other two are not. The heaviest, with the beams, must be unpacked to be relocated. The CEVA driver was kind enough to help me get the three lighter boxes around back and off of the driveway. The fourth took me about 30 minutes to unpack and repack in the back yard.

I built the wood platform specified in the Suncast manual and used 30 Dek-Blocks (highly recommended) – with exterior grade pressure treated 2x6s and 3/4″ plywood. Because I was building on a pretty substantial slope, the shed platform took me a full weekend to build and several hundred dollars worth of materials. It is, however, rock solid and level – which is critical to the subsequent shed construction. The manual specifies a platform of 10’3″ by 12’10″, which is what I built. However, the actual shed footprint is only 10′ ” x 12’5 ‘, so there will be a bit of platform underhang if built to Suncast specs.

I took a day off from work to build the shed by myself, which certainly can be done. I first unpacked and checked all of the pieces and was extremely annoyed to find that the 4 Male Corner Posts (Part H) and the one Right Hinge Post (Part L) were missing!! However, upon closer inspection, I was relieved to find that the Corner Posts had been snapped together for shipping to the four Female Corner Posts (Part G) and the Right Hinge Post to the Left Hinge Post (Part P). So, if you find that parts seem to be missing, check to ensure that they are not temporarily attached to other pieces! Note that these pieces are only temporarily snapped to the others for shipping, and must be separated and then reinstalled (in the case of the Corner Posts). Once I verified that all parts were present, installation could proceed. As it turned out, Suncast packs EXACTLY what you need in hardware too – no more, no less – so don’t drop any hardware on the ground and lose it.

A few installation observations for those who are interested:
The 42 total Pan Head Screws specified as being used for connecting the floors pieces are accounted for INCLUDING the 4 floor to front/back connecters, NOT the 10 floor pieces alone.
There are no snaps on the roof panels for the U beam connectors on the 2 extra beams now included with the kits. The panels just sit over the connectors, which support them from below.
Make sure you follow the steps for roof panel installation, i.e. second side starts where first side ends – NOT back at the rear again.
As others have indicated, the Cupola should be installed BEFORE the last two roof panels are installed.
The roof panels can definitely be installed by one person, because I did it. I wouldn’t say it was easy, as there is a certain amount of finessing that might be easier with two persons – but maybe not. In any case, they eventually went in and the shed doesn’t leak. Make sure the adjoining roof panels snap together – you’ll need to exert pretty good pressure from underneath with your fingers.
The shutters CANNOT be done by one person – even two is a challenge – as the 4 screw holes must be lined up perfectly. We used an awl to guide the first shutter screw hole back directly over the corresponding screw hole in the side panel, and then tightened things down from there.
The doors have a nice little feature – when they are swung back to the full open position, there is a dtente that will engage and keep them from swinging back closed on you. Very nice attention to detail.

My next step will be to hang some 1x4s on the side panels so that I can install hooks, etc. for tools. Since the walls are resin, you obviously cannot put nails directly into the shed walls. Suncast sells metal pieces that snap into the side support rails, but they are costly and I’d need A LOT of them. I suspect that large zip ties threaded vertically through adjacent side support rail holes and then around the 1×4 will be sufficient for this purpose.

Overall – I am extremely impressed with the quality of, and value for, this shed. This was certainly my largest Amazon purchase – both in terms of size and expense – and it couldn’t have gone smoother. Highly recommended!!

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Essential Workshop Handtools : Home Improvement : DIY Network

There’s an adage that says: “anything worth doing is worth doing right.” A corollary to that statement is the recognition that doing the job right requires the right set of tools.

The tools in your workshop will depend on your areas of specialty, interests and level of experience. Following is a list of some the more essential hand-tools that should be found in most any basic workshop.

Measuring Tools

Measuring tapes come in a variety of lengths such as 12, 18, 25 or 33 feet. Remember that the longer the tape, the heavier it will be. A 33-foot tape is a good choice for a serious builder or craftsman. Some tape measures are marked in eighths of an inch, which simplifies measurement and calculation of exact measurements.

Special measuring tapes known as long tapes come in lengths of 100 feet or more, and are helpful when measuring distances for building structures, landscaping, etc. The tape is housed on a spool that cranks to reel the tape in.

A speed square is used for measuring and marking angles in construction. It is constructed with a lipped straight edge making it easy to mark 45-degree and 90-degree angles, and it has designations for some of the more commonly used measurements and angles. A speed square is an absolute necessity for serious building and construction.

Levels come in a variety of sizes, lengths and styles — including high-tech levels that use a laser beam. The basic level uses a straight edge and liquid-filled containers that contain a bubble. The bubble is lined up between markings on the liquid-filled tubes to determine when a surface or line is level.

Hammers

Hammers come in a variety of styles for varying uses, and are available in different weights depending on how they’ll be used. Commonly used hammers include tack hammers and standard nailing hammers. Some specialized nailing hammers incorporate a slot that holds a nail so that the nail can be set one-handed with a single blow.

Dead-blow hammers are used in woodworking, and don’t bounce when struck against a material.

Rubber mallets are also useful, particularly for woodworking to make fit adjustments without marring the surface of the wood.

Drills

Cordless drills are one of the most versatile tools in the workshop. Aside from being used for drilling into a variety of materials, they can be fitted with a screwdriver attachment to make driving screws into wood a snap. Since they are cordless, they won’t hinder your mobility. Corded drills have the disadvantage of the cord that limits your movement, but they are available in strengths and torque greater than their cordless counterparts.

Screwdrivers

Every workshop — or toolbox for that matter — needs to have both Phillips head and flat-head (slotted) screwdrivers. Each of these types comes in a variety of sizes. There are other types of screwdrivers, as well — such as hex and torx head — for more specialized uses. Phillips and flat-head are the most common. A nut driver works just like a screwdriver, but has a socket at the end for tightening and removing nuts as with a socket wrench.

A six-in-one tool is a handy household tool that’s essentially a screwdriver with six interchangeable attachments — small and large Phillips head, small and large flat-head and two sizes of nut-drivers.

Wrenches

An adjustable wrench is useful around the house as well as for working in the shop or on automobiles. The open end of the wrench adjusts by rotating a threaded adjuster, and the wrenches themselves are available in a wide variety of overall sizes.

Open-end wrenches are available in incremental sizes (metric and standard), and are open at both ends. Box wrenches are available in the same size increments, and are closed at both ends.

Combination wrenches are open at one end and closed at the other.

Cutting Tools

Don’t forget hand-tools for cutting sheet metal and other materials. These include:

  • Tin snips
  • Left-cutting aviation snips
  • Right-cutting aviation snips
  • Straight-cutting aviation snips
  • Flat-cutting aviation snips
  • Utility knife
  • Scissors

Saws

Hand-saws commonly used in the workshop include:

  • Large and small cross-cut saw
  • Pull saw
  • Compass saw
  • Coping saw
  • Keyhole saw

Some other commonly used tools include pliers, chisels, files, rasps, sanding blocks and wood plane.

In our prototype workshop, the most commonly used tools — hammers, mallets, levels, screwdrivers, etc. — were hung on a pegboard above the workstation. A separate pegboard is home to measuring, marking and cutting tools as well as pliers and wrenches.

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