HAND TOOLS
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When you have to tighten a nut, bolt, or other standard fastener, you need a wrench. But what kind?Listen to BOB VILA...
Do you want to make sure that shelf you’re putting up is really on the level? Then you need. . . well, a level. Level...
I can barely think of a home improvement job that doesn’t require a tape measure! Whether you’re framing a new room o...
Tool sets are popular gifts, but none is more useful for the home and garage handyperson than a really good ratchet s...
No workshop should be without levels in various lengths, but for lines longer than 3' or 4', traditional bubble level...
Improving a tool's design is often a tough task, but Irwin has managed the feat with its GrooveLock Pliers.
Thanks to its magnetic edges, which provide an extra pair of hands, Johnson's box level stands apart.
ChannelLock's tough and thoughtfully designed combination screwdriver outperforms similar tools.
Why carry six tools when you only need one? Save space in your tool belt with Milkwaukee's innovative combination pliers.
Craftsman's comprehensive mechanic's tool set holds the answer for innumerable projects around the house, shop, or garage.
Don't wreck a good pair of scissors trying to cut metal; you need a good pair of tin snips. Listen to BOB VILA ON TIN...
It's a ‘staple’ in every tool and craft kit, it can save you lots of time banging tacks or nails, and it can get into...
The tool we think of as pliers only evolved from “tongs” fairly recently, but it’s hard to imagine life without a var...
Besides "righty tighty, lefty loosey," there's one DIY phrase that nearly anyone can recite: Measure twice, cut once....
For a saw that’s great on the curves, no workshop is complete without a good saber saw. CM_BVILANOTES-4 Tool Tip- Sab...
A century ago, knife-maker Wenger (of Swiss Army Knife fame) started a debate that only got louder in 1983 when Tim L...
It’s been in every tool belt since the 16th century. The claw hammer is a must-have for driving and removing nails an...
With all the great power saws available today, the lowly handsaw has kind of faded into the background. But there are...
Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing)...
A square is worthless if it isn't actually square. Learn this quick, simple way to make sure your square is just that.
This is not dedicated to the woodworkers, the gear hounds or the power tool junkies. This isn't for the contractors, ...
Proper tool maintenance depends on keeping your tools clean and storing them safely.
Coping is a process by which one piece with an irregular surface is fitted to another. In practice, most of us encounter coping in cutting trim work, especially c...
Files are shaping tools made of hardened steel that smooth wood or metal, removing burrs or rough spots. They can finish off or enlarge holes, and allow wood to b...
The spokeshave is used to smooth curves cut onto stock. For generations of woodworkers, the spokeshave was a multipurpose tool used for shaping the seats, backs, ...
Follow the three steps necessary to sharpen a chisel or similar tool with a grinding wheel.
Clamps, specifically hand-screw, bar, spring, strap, pipe, and C-clamps remain the basic tools on which any workshop relies, used to hold assemblies in position w...
A tool for minimalists, the scraper is perfect for those who admire simplicity of form and function beyond all else.
Lining cuts up perfectly without a miter box is tricky, and when it comes to fitting the pieces together, the miter box more than proves its worth.
For marking off straight lines parallel to the edge of a workpiece, for certain cutting tasks, and for laying out mortises and tenons, these tools are unsurpassed...
Use calipers to transfer measurements, especially in situations where applying a rule to a workpiece is difficult.
A simple way to lengthen your two-foot level to conquer bigger jobs using scrap wood and electrical tape.
Learn more about the simplistic and convenient tool for finishing exterior wood surfaces.
John Wellborn (from Wellborn Cabinets) and carpenter Paul Anderson join Bob for the kitchen cabinet installation.
Bob takes the first of many visits to the Winterthur Garden and Museum in Delaware's Brandywine Valley.
Paul Anderson attaches pre-finished crown molding around the kitchen cabinets in the modern Colonial project house.
Interior designer Leslie Curtis shows off another of her decorating ideas in the dining room.
Furniture maker Tommy MacDonald demonstrates a few of the techniques he employs to create hand-carved furniture details.
Bob meets lead carpenter Connor McKenna from Thorough Construction, who is working with the original floor joists in preparation for the hardwood floors.
Thorough Construction's lead carpenter Connor McKenna applies panel adhesive to the tops of the new, sistered joists before laying four-by-eight sheets of Georgia...
Bob visits with carpenter Mark Fortunati, who is building a traditional-looking staircase in the foyer.
Bob and Professor Tom Visser (UVM) visit the Burtch-Udall house in Quechee, VT, and the nearby Sumner Mansion-- suitable locales for a running discussion on prope...
Bob observes as general contractor Charlie Tomaszewski finishes up the picture framing for the mahogany deck.
Bob and contractor Ed Weller meet to demolish a block wall in order to open up the room for remodeling.
Contractor Larry Landers installs V-groove pine on the ceiling of the new front porch and demonstrates how to stagger and miter boards for an attractive, old-fash...
Flooring contractor Leo Boudreau shows Bob how to recycle hardwood flooring. First, the floor must be salvaged. A pry bar is used to lift and remove the wood, pie...
