Tool Time The nuts and bolts of household tools
By Laurie Freehafer | Illustrations by Emily Jahn
CLAW HAMMER You need one to bang nails and fix nail pops, pull things out, tap on things, bend things or straighten them out, and, of course, to smash things. Curtis Lumber hardware 48 | Life@Home
manager Donald Gariepy has good advice for your basic tool kit: “Nobody really needs elaborate hammers. Any 16- or 20-ounce hammer is good enough. Nothing fancy is required.” 84 Lumber co-manager Dustin Lisak puts it more succinctly: “Buy a cheap hammer.” But do get some assurance that it’s safe.
MULTI-BIT SCREWDRIVER SET You no longer have to rifle through a drawer full of screwdrivers, only, inevitably, to choose the wrong size. These handy tools, ranging from the most basic 4-in-1 screwdriver set to a cool 41-piece set, have interchangeable heads,
both slotted (flat-head) and Phillips (crosshead), in progressive sizes that lock into a single handle. “There’s no need to buy a whole set of screwdrivers anymore,” says Gariepy. In fact, he has had the same multibit set for many years. Look for a set that, at a minimum, includes these four common sizes: ¼ inch and 3/8 inch flat head, and no. 1 and no. 2 Phillips head bits. Buying more bits won’t cost more than a few dollars.
REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC DRILL WITH ASSORTED DRILL BITS This is the only power tool on this list. Karen Shanley’s muchused power drill is cordless, lightweight
Photos: iStockphoto.com. Toolbox, © William Howell; Smartphone, © serdar sipahioglu.
T
he late George Gobel wrote, “Alice is a strong believer in this do-it-yourself business, except she doesn’t believe in doing it herself; she believes in doing it myself.”* I hear ya, Alice. Except that my husband, who is fine and handy, is a very busy guy, so I try to keep these expectations on the low side. Sure, I can wield a hammer like nobody’s business, but I am admittedly lacking in handyman-ness. However, you could say we’re both handy with our money, so we rarely pay for help. Even those who live in a hut will face maintenance and repair tasks. For the sake of pride and money, we all should be prepared to handle some of these jobs ourselves, and pat ourselves on the backs when we do. Consider Karen Shanley of Saratoga. A homeowner, business-owner, and skilled do-it-yourselfer, she stores her tools in a zipper tool case, and she doesn’t shy away from a little sawdust. “There’s always something that needs to be taken apart or put together, or doesn’t fit right,” she says. True enough. Things break. Things need to be hung, connected, repositioned, child-proofed, unclogged, assembled, and tightened. DIY doesn’t have to be onerous; all you need is a few essential tools and off you go. We asked the pros for their advice on the essentials every home toolbox should have. Here’s what they said: