Tools of the trade

Intro – hand tool safety and care Some hand tools are designed for a specific purpose Choose the proper tool for the job Use the tool as it is meant to be used Keep the tools clean Wear appropriate PPE

Strap, chain, and spanner wrenches Strap and chain are types of pipe wrenches Used in the same places a pipe wrench is used Used in areas where pipe wrenches can not fit – next to a wall Chain wrenches can handle pipe up to 18 inches diameter Strap wrenches can go up to 12 inches diameter Strap wrenches are often used when pipe or chain wrenches would mar the surface Spanner wrenches are made for a specific purpose Spanner wrenches usually are furnished with the tool that they are used on

Taper gauges – pipe and tubing cutters Taper gauge – a solid shaft-shaped bar with a tapered section used to measure the inside diameters of tapered holes Insert into the hole and read the at the gauge line Pipe cutters are used to cut steel, brass, copper and iron pipe It has a cutting wheel mounted so that it is stationary and two pressure rollers Tubing cutters are similar to pipe cutters but used to cut thin- wall metal or plastic Place cutter on the pipe, tighten pressure rollers, rotate around the pipe, repeat until pipe is cut

Putty knives/scrapers, drift pins, mallets Putty knives are used to scrape off gaskets, glue, sealer and other substances when cleaning pipe flanges and other machinery Uses at an effective angle for the job Drift pins are round steel pieces that are tapered on one end A barrel pin is a drift pin that is tapered on both ends They are used to align bolt holes when connecting flanges Dead-blow mallets and rawhide mallets are used whenever using steel hammers would deface the work Never use a mallet to drive nails Use mallets to shape, bend or force metal pieces together

Diagonal cutters, tin snips Diagonal cutters are small pliers used to cut wire, cotter pins, and other light metal items that are not accessible with other cutters Since the cutting edges are offset about 15 degrees, they are used to cut small objects close to a surface Tin snips work like scissors – they cut light-gauge sheet metal where power metal cutters can not be used There are several types of snips, including some that make straight or circular cuts – they come in right or left hand styles Aviation snips are color coded by the handle to tell whether they cut a curve to the right, left, or straight Red – cut to the left, green – cut to the right, yellow – cut straight

Taps and dies Cut threads into materials like metal, plastic, and hard rubber Taps are used to cut internal threads in materials Dies are used to cut external threads on bolts or rods Chamfer – an angle cut only on the edge of a piece of material Taper taps – used when starting a tapping operation or when tapping through holes - chamfer length 8 to 10 threads Plug taps – used after the taper tap – chamfer length 3 to 5 threads Bottoming taps – used after the taper and plug tap – used for threading the bottom of a blind hole (ends inside the material)– chamfer length 1 to 1 ½ threads

Taps and dies Pipe taps are used where extremely tight fits are necessary – for pipe fittings Dies are made in a variety of shapes and sizes Pipe dies are made to cut specific types of threads Rethreading dies are used to repair damaged or rusty threads on bolts or screws

Thread gauges, scribers, tension meters Threads gauges – also known as screw pitch gauges are used to measure the pitch of threaded fasteners Pitch – number of threads per inch on bolts, screws, and threaded rods Can be used to measure internal and external threads Scribers – sharp, pointed, pencil-like tools used to mark lines on sheet or plate metal Tension meter – measure the tension on belts

Strobe lights, sheave gauges, cylinder hone Strobe light – a light that flashes at a certain controlled frequency If a strobe light is set to the frequency of a motor the light will always show the same point on the motors shaft – can also make the motor appear in slow motion Sheave gauge – used to measure the side wall wear of a belt sheave (a grooved wheel used as a belt pulley) Cylinder hone – used to dress the walls of cylinders when rebuilding or repairing engines, pumps, compressors or any equipment with cylinders Has abrasive stones that cut small amounts of metal away from the cylinder wall

Gear puller, packing puller, reamer Gear puller – are made to grip gears or bearings in a way that will not damage them They apply force to the gear or bearing in a straight and even motion Made of steel, have two or more interchangeable reversible jaws, and a pressure bolt mounted in the middle Wear eye protection in case it comes off quickly Packing puller – used to remove packing from valves, pumps, and some motors Some resemble a pick with curved point, others are flexible and have a corkscrew-like end Reamer – used to enlarge and true holes – cuts in a clockwise motion Has a body, shank, and brittle cutting blades

Retaining ring pliers, extractors Used to remove and install retaining rings from shafts, rods, and spindles They are made to use on retaining rings only Can be internal, external, or convertible Squeeze handle to open the ring Extractor – used to remove a screw or tap below the surface of the work Spiral screw extractor – easy-outs – reverse threaded to remove right handed threads – drill center of screw, insert easy-out, slowly turn until screw is removed Tap extractor – made to remove taps, has four prongs that fit into the tap

Feeler gauge, dial indicator, bars Feeler gauge – measures the clearance between parts Dial indicator – measures machined parts for accuracy or surfaces of machinery Has a graduated dial with an indicator hand and a contact point attached to a spring-loaded plunger Bars – help move and align heavy equipment Sleever and alignment bars are types of bars mechanics may use

Power tools – portable band saw and grinder Portable band saws – cut pipe – use special procedure to cut pipe over 4 inches Use coarse blades with fewer teeth on softer material – use fine blade with more teeth on harder material Cutting 4 inch or larger pipe – do not cut straight through – cut around the pipe by stopping the saw and moving the pipe Grinder – used for cleaning scale from pipe, beveling pipe ends, grinding away welding splatter Make sure the grinder does not come off the work in your direction

grinder End reach into small areas, angle 90 degree angle, vertical grinders Use appropriate wheel for the job The grinding wheel must be rated higher than the speed of the grinder

Pipe machines, portable power drives Pipe vise – holds pipe that is being threaded Pipe threading machines – center, hold, and rotate pipe, conduit, or bolt stock while cutting, reaming, and threading is being performed Check the thread cutting oil before using the machine – fasten the threader securely because it produces a lot of torque The machines have universal die heads that adjust for the pipe sizes You should be able to hand turn a fitting 3 and ½ turns if the threading is done correctly Portable power drive - Hand-held power unit that can be used to cut threads, drive hoists and winches, and operate large valves An electric motor rotates a ring in the end if the tool