Tool Deals

I know a lot of people are hesitant about buying tools online however some of the best deals can be found online. I would like to show some of the deals going on right now at Amazon. These tools are Black and Decker, a lower quality manufacturer however for home use they would work just fine. Also be sure to read the reviews associated with these tools. Here are some links to various Black and Decker tool deals.

Black & Decker CDC180ASB 18-volt Compact Drill with 20 Accessories

Black & Decker BD12PSK 12-Volt Smart Select Drill

Black & Decker 9099KC 7.2-Volt Cordless Drill with Keyless Chuck

Black & Decker RTX-B 3 Speed RTX Rotary Tool with Storage Case

Black & Decker LI4000 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Smart Select with Exclusive Magnetic Screw Holder

Black & Decker 71-968 Drilling and Driving Set, 109-Piece

Black & Decker DR650B 6.5 Amp 1/2-Inch Dual Range Hammer Drill with Storage Bag

Black & Decker 14.4V 126-pc. Home Project Kit

Black & Decker JS680V 6 Amp Jig Saw with Smart Select

Black & Decker 71-966 Drilling and Screwdriving Set, 66-Piece

Black & Decker 7750 4-1/2-Inch Small Angle Grinder

Black & Decker CG100 2-Speed Powered Caulk Gun

Factory-Reconditioned Black & decker 3-in X 21-in Dragster Belt Sander DS321

Failing is An Element Associated with Installing Trim For First timers

By understanding and using these easy recommendations a person will be installing trim work efficiently with professional looking results. A good deal of times the end result connected with your work may be the direct depiction associated with precisely how you are feeling or perhaps what frame of mind you’re in. I am a firm believer in this due to the fact of all the years I have performed finish carpentry in addition to the actual experiences with my very own employees.

I recognized one thing immediately when I started out recruiting employees and doing work along with these individuals on a day to day basis. Any time I showed up for work in the morning in a fantastic mood, thinking and feeling positive, this particular great energy ended up being magically transferred on to the guys. The results ended up being extraordinary. I have seen unskilled people whom I was training in for installing trim work carry out some stunning tasks. Almost all the challenges of trim work appeared too disappear and their work was of great quality. I could not help but commend them on the work and this merely fueled more determination for them to do better.

As a result of reading through information pertaining to a certain element of installing trim regardless if it’s installing doors or baseboard or whatsoever. Then taking on the work with a positive attitude will considerably enhance your results. Don’t sweat it in the event that you can’t get something just right. People have to allow small failures in order to succeed and it’s how a person learns and applies these failures That helps them move on. Don’t let these little failures get you distressed or mad or guess what?

Being mad, upset, depressed or just negativity produces substandard results with a person's work. Installing trim could seem too difficult and your work will express this if you continue while you are in this specific state of mind. That is all I will mention about negativity, it’s not worth the energy to dwell on. I recently wrote a short article (in my blog) to enable an individual to obtain as well as stay in the frame of mind a person needs to maintain whenever performing any type of finish carpentry or installing trim work. The article is called "Getting the Mind Set for Finish Carpentry".

For more information regarding all your finish carpentry needs visit www.finishcarpentryhelp.com.

Obtaining Tight Miters With 45 Degree Angles in Finish Carpentry

Since most people in all likelihood understand that two 45 degree angles cut onto two pieces of trim wood, for example, door casing will create a perfect 90 degree mitered corner. When trimming doors as well as windows this might be regarded as the analogy nonetheless is seriously a long way from reality when trying to accomplish nice tight 90 degree miters in finish carpentry.

Truth be told there can be a number of small factors that may well and do change such so termed picture perfect analogy. Why don't we have a look at a couple of these issues so most people can get the nice tight miters needed for ones own personal trim projects.


In the event that you might be trimming a door or window the initial thing to check for is making sure the outer edge of the jamb is even with the inside wall. If this is completely flush all the way around you are generally good in order to move forward. If perhaps not then you will have to to correct this issue and there are actually a number ways to do this depending on your individual scenario.

The jamb may be sticking out past your wall or maybe it is possibly short of reaching the inside wall whatever the circumstance it has to be flush so the casing sits flat against the wall and jamb without being tipped in or out. There are a number of finish carpentry web sites on the internet to quickly find solutions to your particular problem to remedy this situation.

When you are comfortable the casing is likely to be flat as possible the next detail is getting ready to cut the angles on both ends of the top section of casing. I will typically start with the top piece of casing whenever trimming doors and windows.Then proceed on with either of the side pieces of casing.

A single very important factor for tight miters is being certain there is a back cut on the 45 degree cuts. This particular back cut or bevel will be so the face or outside of the casing will be extended therefore the two 45 degree cuts will meet at the face or outside of the casing together before the back of the actual casing meets together. Cutting this bevel upon the 45 degree angle cuts makes tighter miters less difficult to achieve.

45 degree angles only work when the casing is perfectly flat. When the casing is tipped inward or outward this will certainly result in the angle to change somewhat. Practice using several scrap pieces of casing to find out exactly what the angle is prior to cutting the actual piece that will be nailed on in the event the casing is slightly tipped either way. All of these miters need to be glued as well as pinned / nailed.
Regardless, all miters require to be worked a little in order to end up with them perfectly tight.

A few Interesting Chair Rail Ideas and Functions

Chair rail ideas can certainly cover a wide range of designing goals. Whether searching for classic or kits, chair rail gives a effective horizontal aspect to room styles, as well as supplying a excellent strategy to help preserve the condition of the wall a chair rail molding is attached on.

The primary and most basic choice is the size of your chair rail. Don't forget that if your rail might be to perform a practical, protective aspect it shouldn't be so narrow that it fails to safeguard the wall from chair backs. Outside of that, however, chair rail ideas may easily incorporate many widths of molding.

Be sure to keep the size in proportion to the room as well as the additional decorative elements, though: a wide molding in a small room filled with fine, dainty furnishings will appear gawky and awkward. Too slender a rail in a larger room decorated with grand set pieces of furniture could look too insignificant and frail for the setting it is placed in. All the chair rail ideas you think about should take into consideration the design of the home where they will be seen.

Generally chair rail is basically molding that has plain rounded edges, although more complex routed moldings perform just as adequately. Just as the sophisticated curves and fancy routed molding can enhance your chair rail, so can embossed moldings or pressed wood or resin moldings. Any of these versions of molding provides an aspect of depth to what is otherwise a fairly plain horizontal line around the middle of a room.

Color and design could bring yet an additional dimension to ones own chair rail. Chair rails are frequently painted white against a contrasting background, or are colored a light shade against a white or ecru colored background. In some examples, though, a deep, bold color can easily spark up the individuality of a room.

Likewise a selection of a subtle, pale tint, tone or shade of the primary color of the wall may produce a beautiful impression when the same color is picked up by accents in the room. Thus a medium blue wall might have a smooth, soft gray-blue chair rail, with corresponding gray-blue cushions on the sofa and runners on the incidental table.

While looking for chair rail ideas anyone may also turn to other modes of designing. A flat, uncomplicated chair rail could be elevated by simply the add-on of a decorative band of wall paper. These border strips are generally applied at the top of a wall, however , if selected carefully may be used for a wide chair rail also. Be careful: most of the time you may wish to use either a ceiling high border or a band for the chair rail, however not both. Too much decoration is no longer a beautiful element, but mere clutter.

If you are preparing a baby's room or play room, think about devoting one wall or part of a wall to pegged molding. In a child’s room such pegs could substitute closets, or allow a wide range of packs, bags, and looped toys to be hung up out of the way. Keep in mind that chair rail could include practical attributes such as this.

For simple modification look into pairing a narrow chair rail with two interesting moldings, one top and one at the bottom. By implementing three pieces of pre-shaped wood you can actually come up with complex chair rail without having to do your own routing.

For more chair rail information go to www.finishcarpentryhelp.com.

Flexible Moulding Trim

Flexible moulding is actually a urethane resin alternative when compared to conventional wood trim. This may be utilized inside your home or even outside. When correctly applied, it will be unaffected by hot and cold temperatures, moisture or even salt.

Possibly the greatest benefit would be the material’s capability to bend. It can also be preformed easily into an arch. With only a ½ inch thickness or less, it could actually flex around a column greater than 12 inches in diameter.

These are unquestionably situations in which can not be completed with actual wood trim, nevertheless the product maintains the physical appearance of natural wood. This can be purchased in several different wood grains and may be finished the identical way in which standard wood is finished.

Urethane resins are definitely more immune to pesky insects compared to regular wood. Consequently, you will have no need to worry concerning termites.

Due to the fact it can certainly flex around corners as well as stair rails, it can also produce a potentially seamless overall look. It may be fastened by using construction adhesives, epoxy as well as glue. In the event that holes would be pre-drilled, hand nails, screws or perhaps different fasteners can be utilized.

An assortment of variations is actually produced using this material. Crown mouldings, door casing, baseboard, statues, circular designs along with numerous others can be purchased.

Surface finish is completed subsequent to installation, any time finishing is needed. Flexible moulding is available in a variety of colors. Therefore, it might work as is without extra finishing. Really the only drawback is due to temperature conditions. Should the temperature fall lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the product will become considerably more inflexible and will crack or perhaps break instead of bending.

Extreme care should always be used when working with the product throughout the winter season (or even anytime in certain areas on the planet). During lower temperatures, installing outdoors might be challenging, since the product truly should be brought to room temperature or 60-85 degrees.

Once installed outdoors, this product will be unaffected due to the temperature. It is just an issue of losing the overall flexibility necessary to bend or even work with it which results in being an issue through the colder months. Inside temps are not typically a problem with regard to the installation of flexible moulding.

Staining should be completed following installation. In the event the product is stained prior to flexing, the stain may crack. Gel or wipe on stains provide the best final results. Penetrating stains are not recommended.

Urethane resins could be painted, with or without a primer coat. Therefore, whenever it’s time to paint the house, indoors or out, the trim can be painted along with the walls.

Potential uses and the ease of using will be what you will enjoy when installing flexible moulding.

For more information regarding all your finish carpentry needs visit www.finishcarpentryhelp.com

Utilizing Wood Filler Successfully In Finish Carpentry

When it comes to finish carpentry wood filler is really a wonderful product. This particular product is primarily used for filling the nail holes in trim work. Additionally, it may be used to fill those not so perfect miters however there are a few details to be aware of before you begin using it on your own wood work. The type of wood putty I choose as well as often suggest is made by Minwax. There’s a wide range of colors or shades of this product that may be blended and combined to match virtually any color of stain. The consistency of wood putty can be compared to childrens playdoo and is a type of plastic resins which hardens when it dries after it is applied. Matching the color of wood putty to your stain will virtually conceal nail holes, minor splits, tiny spaces in miters as well as other small imperfections so long as applied appropriately.

Wood filler should really be applied to your trim wood after it is stained and varnished. Subsequently after this is applied an additional coat of varnish will certainly seal as well as protect the filled areas. The reason behind this is actually due to the fact this product consists of several chemical substances that can be absorbed into the wood in the event that it is applied to raw wood. These types of chemicals may disrupt the natural absorption of the stain in to the wood where the actual wood filler had been applied and yield unfavorable results. You will find a number of brands as well as varieties of wood putty available. Make sure you read the instructions intended for use in order to obtain the best possible end result.

Do-it-yourself wood putty

Anyone can easily make your own wood filler. Using a hand full of very fine saw dust together with White or wood glue you can make this by simply blending the glue along with the sawdust. Form this mixture into a workable putty. It is most certainly not as good and strong as the real thing however will do the job in a pinch. Furthermore bear in mind this will end up being the raw color of the wood but will take stain ok. Take care to clean or even sand any excess wood putty off of the raw wood to ensure the stain can penetrate evenly.

For more information regarding all your finish carpentry needs visit www.finishcarpentryhelp.com

Wainscoting Ideas

Wainscoting is a great way to decorate your home without spending a lot of money. Some people prefer using the same kind of wainscoting for all the rooms in their home. Most people, however, prefer using different types of wainscoting for different rooms.

To install the wainscoting, you can get a good carpenter. However, if you want to keep the cost down, you can do it yourself too. The installation process is not as hard as most people think. It can be done with simple tools like stud finder, compressor nail gun, miter saw, measuring tape, and chalk line. The important thing you need to keep in mind is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to wainscoting. It is your home and you can decorate it whichever way you want.

Wainscoting is most commonly is made of different types of wood, but one might also find it made from as wide a variety of materials such as bead board, stone, marble, plaster, molded tin and even as simple as wall paper or just plain paint.

One stylish type of wainscoting is raised panel wainscoting. Within every section of raised panel wainscoting there will be a design of some type comprised of wood and set in decorative patterns and adhered to a flat expanse of wood. That being said it would be easy and affordable to create your own raised panel wainscoting out of materials consisting of simple paneling and some decorative trim. This decorative trim could be door casing or baseboard or even chair rail and simply making geometrical patterns arranged in a decorative manner. These patterns could be as simple as just squares.

Although today the most common styles of wood wainscoting consist of simple wood strips aligned in rows.

Many people these days even decorate their bathroom walls with wainscoting. It is an inexpensive way to make their bathrooms different, unique and look good without having to spend a lot of money. It is very important that bathroom wainscoting is of good quality wood panels so it is resistant to warping if you are going with the wood look. Oak wood panels, for example, is a good choice since it does not harbor bacteria or mildew and will look good for a long time. Less expensive types of wood panels can be used also but it is highly recommended that these types of wood wainscoting is painted and sealed for a lasting protection.

Wainscoting can really add depth and décor to your home so keep these easy tips in mind for different types and styles of wainscoting to give your home a new look and feel for a very affordable price.

For more wainscoting information and installing instructions go to www.finishcarpentryhelp.com or click here

Add Beauty Through Chair Rail Molding

Chair rail molding is one of the most beautiful ways to protect the walls from the harmful scrapes and dents caused when chairs are pushed against the walls.

Now-a-days with the growing availability of wonderful design pattern, it is trendy to go for this functionality to add grace to the house. They are applied to give a modern accent to the room and obviously guarantee the “wow” factor for your modern home.

Chair rail molding is a dramatic addition which will dress up the perimeter of the room along the middle and gives a wonderful wainscoted look to the room. The walls are protected and this forms the dividing line in the middle where the walls above and below could be painted differently. May be one could paint the upper part and can paste wall paper to the lower part.

The alternate use of chair molding is that they could be used as panel molding which is used to divide panels on walls or ceilings. Chair rail is available in many materials which include MDF, Ultralite which is lightweight MDF, finger joint pine and polyurethane. It comes in all variants of wood like fir, pine, oak or any other wood of customer choice. Finger jointing is a process by which the wood is made defect-free. During this process the short lengths of timber wood are joined to make longer lengths and they are then processed in a machine to yield the final solid product. They produce the characteristic interlocking joint and produce clear graded timber. The moldings arrive primed.

Any DIY enthusiast with sufficient knowledge of tool usage can attempt chair rail. The materials needed include chair rail and 2 ½ finish nails (used for clamping). The basic tool needed would be a claw hammer, nail set, miter box, a coping saw and caulk. Measuring tape, Pencil and stud finder are the accessories. A chair rail finds its place around 32’’ above the wall. But typically depending on the size of your furniture one could fix it anywhere between 24 and 48 inches in the room. Once the place is decided, the height of the chair rail is then decided which is nearly 30 and 36 inches. Windows in the house could be the other reason to consider. They can be installed in easy steps.

Reinvent your interiors with the glorious designs of Chair rail molding. This creative addition will certainly ‘up’ the glamour quotient of the wall!

For more installation instructions click to this page installing chair rail at finishcarpentryhelp.com.

Guidance with Finish Carpentry jobs

My visit to my grandmother’s place had a pleasant change. They had remodeled the house and the place looked beautiful and modern. Thanks to Finish Carpentry, the makeover was fresh and appealing! Finish or Trim Carpentry as it is called, refers to anything visible especially the finishing touches of your interiors like your baseboard, hand railings, the novel newel posts, the Balustrade, the bookcase, casings, the intricate mantelpiece are some of these. The detailing this carpentry brings gives a magnificent makeover to all furniture, cabinets, interiors and exteriors.

Working with a Finish carpenter can bring a world of change especially while bringing in custom furniture to fit in exactly. May be there are specific odd places at home which needs to be properly filled and utilized. A finish carpenter pitches in at this time with the right advice. Cabinets that could fit the space with the right shape and utility can be a good choice.

Any new house could be enhanced with good Trim carpentry and molding. Their work is seen to smoothen rough edges and corners and in the junction between the wall and ceiling, windows and walls and in the installation of doors. Seamless integration is the order of the day and choices in Finish carpentry today guarantee the best trim and the type of molding best suits the home. Today, with the advice of a finish carpenter, one could get custom made solid poplar doors at good price. This way, look-wise it promises to be distinctive. Wood moldings of frame doors have distinct choices with great profiles.

If your house is more than a floor, staircases are the lifelines. Finish Carpentry is here with choices to make it aesthetically appealing with beautiful hand railings, stylish Balustrades, newel posts. These additions are not just decorative but could be functionally worthy also.

Raised panel wainscoting and beadboard wainscoting certainly adds to the glamour quotient of our homes weaving out a contemporary style even to a staid home.

Choosing a carpenter could be a life-long relationship, so the choice has to be made with the needs and budget in mind. Once you entrust him with the job, he will take care with passion and will suggest you things that will benefit you in the long run. Who knows, he would even be your best buddy in all enhancements and altering and will be on the list of people whom you greet seasonally!

DIY enthusiasts keen on knowing more about the work of finish carpentry should understand that since this work involves craftsmanship, few tips to go about it will be very handy.

• Practicing the art of a cut or technique first is very important
• The best of the job is completed with the right carpentry tools. For example while trying out a simple baseboard installation, using the miter baseboard; having a set of wood chisels, caulk and caulking gun and using a properly calibrated scale is important. Perfecting the art of managing gaps is the technique to be perfected here.

Know the nitty-gritty’s, indeed, this pastime is bound to give you pleasure along the learning curve.

Find your way to Finish Carpentry

The hallmark of a modern home lies in their wonderful interior and beautiful exterior which is endowed by Finish Carpentry. It enhances the elegance, gives an appreciable look and feel and even a simple home can be transformed into an exquisite living place.

Professional Finish carpenters guide homeowners with their common principles which are the following:

• Design is equitable in use and shall be appreciated by people across diverse ability by creating more space to be enjoyed by all. There can be no segregation based on a person’s ability and design would be visibly appealing.

• Design allows people of different taste to be use it conveniently. For example, a left-handed person and a right-handed person should be able to operate easily. It guarantees flexibility for people to space out their choices.

• Design gives importance to ease-of use and ease of comprehension to make it more acceptable among the users. A simple design always is a safe way.

• The learning modalities differ from person to person. Design understands this variation and accordingly fine tunes the presentation.

• The design should take care of the tolerance to the error. It should make sufficient allowances for the same, specially a misuse of space. Installing fail-safes, warnings and signals prompt users about probable misuse.

• The design should lower the fatigue of user while using. There cannot be too much of effort and exertion.

• Finally, the design should take into consideration people of all ages and size.

The above principles can be used as guidelines for a Do-it-yourself enthusiast too in his pursuit.

Whether the Finish carpentry involves in designing the decorative hand railing, the baseboard fixing it is not complete without knowing about Carpentry tools which help in building or remodeling. Carpentry tools makes a difference in the final output and so to achieve a smooth and detailed finish, specific tools are used.

Let us understand the various tools used for this purpose:

• For excellent interiors, the power miter box saw (12”) which is used to make accurate crosscuts in a work piece is handy. For specific purpose, a compound saw could be used. This is used for cutting the wood for the intended look.

• Hand held coping saw to cut a range of wood, especially cutting unusual shapes and curves.

• Router (with different bits) and Belt Sander. Router is used to hollow out an area of a piece of wood. A Belt Sander is used to find the perfect fit between pieces.

• Wood rasp which is used to shape wood.

• A finish Nailer finds good use to nail pieces together

• Assorted wood chisels

• Razor knife is a good accessory.

• Assorted squeeze clamps with biscuits and glue help to achieve the solid build while connecting pieces.

• Screw gun

• Table Saw

• Carpenter’s pencil

It is interesting to note that some of these Finish carpentry tools are available as power tools and they are available as corded and cordless variety.

Finish Carpentry lays the foundation of impressionable wood working at home. You will certainly gloat in pride with this investment!

Aesthetics behind the best Finishing touches

The other day I was visiting my friend’s new home. The home was well-planned and roomy but what caught my surprise was the unique styling of doors, windows, stairs and the baseboards. I was stunned by the skill of hand railings. It was then that I realized that the aspect that changes an ordinary home into an extraordinary magnificent modern home is the finishing, largely the Finish Carpentry associated. It is sometimes referred as Trim Carpentry too. True to its name, it’s indeed the last step of the carpentry. It involves sophisticated craftsmanship and eye for absolute detailing that enhances the quotient of perfection in carpentry.

Finish or Trim carpentry covers our interiors and the exteriors, especially all works that are part of every visible carpentry work. This includes artistic doors, wonderful windows and baseboards which cover the gap between the floor and the end of drywall which is known as millwork. The flamboyant newel posts and the stair cases and their handrails, our wonderful mantelpieces, our doors, our bookcases speak in volume of our artistic flavor. These are some of the things where quality of Finish Carpentry is visible.

Finish Carpentry involves crown molding which refers to the decorative strips of wood installed in the meeting point of wall and ceiling. Crown molding serves to conceal the gaps between wall and ceiling and certainly has a say on the look of the room. There are casings, which fills gap between a window or the door and wall. Wainscoting helps to take care of rising damp but is a lengthy and expensive process. This is usually done with tile and vinyl paneling. There are designers who prefer to use contrasting wallpaper or paint to create the effect of wainscoting. Finish Carpentry has specialists who have a broader understanding of how beautifully household things can be placed with the right material, color, size, shape and pattern. For example, a simple change in homes with wide casings, deep baseboards, crown molding can stun you with a luxurious look and feel.

Now that we are aware of the different activities of Finish Carpentry, let us also have a ring side view of the Carpentry tools that are used. The tape measure is an important aid. The level, pencil, the miter box and Spackle are important and so is the saw, which is used for molding materials. Sanding is an important activity, so sandpaper is used. Nail set, finishing nails add strength. Caulk and Caulking gun is useful and so are Paints.

If you are ambitious and a D-I-Y enthusiast, you can attempt some Finish Carpentry but as an advice start on a simple task, say trying on baseboard molding for a small room for practice. If you intend to remodel your house with the help of a specialist, discussing the appropriate styles of moldings and their size helps. Bringing in chair railing molding, fitting a newel post, a banister and spindles certainly refurbishes any home. Finish Carpentry can make your style statement loud and clear. Go for it, make a mark!!

Getting Started in DIY Custom Trim Work

Custom trim work is something that some carpenters specialize in these days. As there are many different jobs that a carpenter could do, they often choose the ones that they enjoy the most or the ones that they excel at and specialize in them.

Sometimes, that means it is necessary to hire several carpenters, unless you ask the right questions during the interview. For big jobs, hiring a contractor that has access to carpenters with all kinds of specialties is usually the best idea.

If you want, you can hire a contractor or carpenter to do the big parts of the job and then finish it up yourself. Finish-carpentry is not that difficult, as long as you have the right tools.

The necessary tools include a hammer or a nail gun. A hand saw, a circular saw and a cutting table, workbench or sawhorses will be necessary. They vary in price and style. Choose according to your budget and the amount of space that you have for storage.
Workbenches and tables will require a garage or workroom. Saw horses and hand-held circular saws can be stored in a closet, if necessary.

You will need a miter box for cutting wood at specific angles. This is necessary for corners. Custom trim work typically requires cutting end pieces at various angles, although there are some new plasticized and wood materials that will wrap around most corners. Inside facing corners will still need to be cut.

If you plan to do a number of projects around your home, you may eventually want to invest in sharpening tools. The cost of new blades for circular and hand saws is not that high, but some craftspeople still enjoy doing their own sharpening.

When choosing a type of wood, stick with the same type throughout the house. Even the same type of wood can vary slightly in the grain and texture, making the look less uniform. So, careful wood selection is part of the job.

When you begin nailing up custom trim work, you will notice that real wood has knots and other imperfections. You will need to avoid those when you are nailing. A nail too close to a knot will cause the wood to split.

Measuring tools, including a tape measure, are essential. Some woodworkers feel that it is more accurate to line the wood up and mark it at the point where it should be cut. Others disagree. Try it both ways, as you are getting started in custom trim work. See what you feel is more accurate.

Essential Home Improvement Tools

The necessary home improvement tools depend on the job that you are doing, but there are some basic tools that you will need to do just about any job. Here’s a look at what they are and the purposes they serve.

Hammers

For most jobs, the “claw hammer” is suitable. Designed primarily for hammering nails into wood and for removing them, the claw hammer differs slightly from the framing hammer, which usually has a milled head. The milled head will leave a mark on dry wall. So, for any finishing work, the claw hammer is used. They may also be referred to as finishing hammers.

In addition to the claw hammer, you may also need an upholstery hammer, if your DIY jobs extend to furniture refinishing or upholstering. The upholstery hammer does not have the claw on the back to remove nails. It is smaller and lighter weight than most hammers, because it is primarily designed for hammering in upholstery tacks or nails.

Saws

For most jobs, the handsaw is suitable. But, for large jobs that require a lot of cutting, a power saw, usually referred to as a circular saw may be desirable. Anyone interested in home improvement tools would enjoy a power saw, especially if they were given a special table for cutting. It just makes every job a little easier.

Planes

Hand planes are composed of a cutting edge and a safety handle. They are used to smooth out rough pieces of wood and for “rough” sanding. Sandpaper of different grades is used to complete the smoothing process. A hand plane is often used to repair a door that sticks.

Levels

Levels, as the name suggests, are used to ensure that structures are of even height; that they are “level”. The bubble level has been used most commonly in the past, but the laser line levels are gaining favor. The laser line levels can be used for everything from hanging a chair rail to hanging a group of pictures at exactly the same height. A bubble level would be used, for example, to check that a deck rail was straight.

Miter Box

Although some people might not think so, miter boxes are essential home improvement tools, especially for installing trim. Baseboards, chair rails and crown moldings, for example, need to be cut at special angles, or they will not meet properly at the corners.

You may need other home improvement tools, as you attempt to do other jobs. But, the basics here will get you started.