Basic Skills Hand Tools

BASIC SKILLS HAND TOOLS B.No.
985631-R 8/73 Page 1 of 77
BASIC SKILLS HAND TOOLS
Foreword
Bulletin No: 985631-R 8/73
Have you ever wondered why a certain screw driver doesn't stay in the screw slot the way you'd like for it to? Or why some files
and hacksaw blades wear out more quickly than others? Or why hammer handles have slender necks?
True, some experienced mechanics may be aware of all the facts presented in this recall booklet. But many of you will probably
learn something you never realized before.
So read through the booklet with an open mind, despite some of the seemingly boring facts. Then decide whether or not it has
helped you in the use of basic hand tools.
Screw Driver -- Spanners&Sockets -- Torquewrench Calibration -- Hammers -- Files -- Saws -- Review
Copyright 1991
Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
http://cdss.kcl.cummins.com/training/recalls/985631r_basicskills_handtools_bn/985631r_basicskills_handtools_bn.html 12/17/2003
BASIC SKILLS HAND TOOLS B.No.985631-R 8/73 Page 2 of 77
1. .
2. Few of us will ever admit that there are some rules

we don't practice concerning hand tools. We take it for
granted that a screwdriver turns screws, a wrench
turns capscrews, and so on. And yet -well,
3. take the screwdriver, for instance. Sure, it's for

turning-
4. for turning screws! This tool does its job very well if
the blade fits the screw slot properly, like this. Apply
downward pressure and turn it slowly and steadily,
keeping the blade straight in the -
5. But what happened here? It looked like a good fit.

Let's take a closer look at that blade.
6. Notice the angle of the taper, and the edges of the

blade itself. Apparently, this blade has been ground
improperly, causing premature wear and failure. ..One
good way
7. to sharpen a screwdriver is to lay it against the

grinding wheel like this. Grind both sides uniformly,
making sure that the blade is kept cool. This method
produces
8. a "hollow-ground" blade. The edges on this blade
9. "bite in." If the screw heads are in reasonably good

shape, you'll have very few problems with this
screwdriver. ..If you prefer the conventional
10. shape, use a file to sharpen the blade. You can

control the shape much easier than when you grind the
blade on the side of a wheel. Make sure that the taper
is gradual enough to allow the sides of the blade to be
almost parallel at the tip.
11. Phillips-head screws are used around smooth

surfaces that could be easily marred or scratched if a
screwdriver slipped off a screw head. The
12. Phillips screwdriver will not slip out of the screw

slot as easily as the standard screwdriver. The one
disadvantage of using Phillips-head screws is that
much more downward pressure is required to hold the
screwdriver in the slot.
13. Here's a simple, but misused, tool: the combination

pliers. You can usually tell when a pair of pliers has
been used in place of a wrench.
14. Everyone is familiar with the many different types

of wrenches available today. But their proper and safe
use may be a mystery to some mechanics. The
15. open-end wrench is one of the most frequently

used wrenches in the automotive industry. It is faster
than a box wrench when a socket wrench can't be
used. The off-set angle of the jaws allows a capscrew
or bolt to be turned by simply flopping the wrench at
the end of each swing. The
16. box-end wrench may be used to final-tighten or

loosen capscrews or bolts. Although it is slower than
the open-end wrench, its twelve points assure positive
contact on hexagon-head capscrew and bolts. Thus,
greater force can be exei on all
17. standard wrenches, the length of the wrench is

directly proportional to the size of its openings. In most
cases, this helps to insure that proper twisting effort is
applied to the capscrew or bolt. A
18. small amount of twisting effort is required for this

job, while
19. a great amount is necessary for this one.
20. How long has it been since you've seen this? It

may work OK part of the time, but a
21. standard tubing wrench works much better. It
22. contacts five of the six corners on the fitting. In this

way, greater force can be applied to loosen stubborn
fittings. ..A
23. wrench often wrongly substituted for open, box,

and even tubing wrenches is the adjustable wrench.
Sure, it's a convenient tool. And,
24. it saves on trips to the tool box. If you must use it,
be sure to use the right size for the job,
25. and pull against the solid jaw. The adjustable jaw is
naturally weaker, and may allow the wrench to slip off
the capscrew. Or, worse yet, it may break the wrench.
Actually,
26. it's a good idea to always pull on any wrench. This

method sure cuts down on smashed knuckles and
fingers. But,
27. if there's no other way, just keep your fingers clear.
28. The socket wrench is by far the most popular

wrench in the world. The quarter, three-eighths, half,
and three-quarter inch drives fit sockets that range
from a fraction of an inch to several inches in diameter.
With a little imagination,
29. any mechanic can come up with a combination that

will get the job done.
Never
30. resort to something like this to get the job done

quickly. Take time to get a bigger drive, or a hinged
offset handle. It'll save the expense of a new ratchet.
Hammering on this tool
31. has a devastating effect on the ratchet teeth and

the "stop" lever. ..Even
32. this method is bad news. Wrenches and handles

are designed to withstand the force exerted by a strong
man --period!
Another important wrench, used mostly with socket

sets,
33. is the torque wrench. In many cases,
34. it is very important that the capscrews be tight-

ened evenly, in the proper sequence, and to a specific
torque -not so loose that they vibrate out and cause a
failure; but not so tight that they break.
The main points to remember concerning the torque

wrench are:
35. One, make sure the wrench is kept properly cali-

brated by experienced personnel.
36. Two, since the torque wrench is a delicate instru-

ment, use it with great care. Store it in a safe place
when it is not being used. And
37. three, pull the wrench slowly and steadily, always

making certain that the needle returns to its place of
beginning when you release tension on the wrench. If
the needle does not return to its proper place, double-
check the torque on the capscrew.
Another tool that requires a certain amount of care,

believe it or not, is the common, everyday
38. ball-peen hammer. It looks mighty rugged, but this

device is often abused more than any other tool. The
39. head of a good hammer is drop-forged. That is, it's

made by hammering red-hot steel into the shape you
see here.
This steel is extremely tough and durable. The beveled

edges on the face help to prevent chipping,
40. unless the user hasno idea of what the hammer is

for. ..
The typical
41. dime-store hammer has a cast-iron head. This

head is made by pouring white-hot iron into a sand
mold. The metal is very brittle -it usually doesn't last
very long.
42. But either type will last longer than normal if you
strike a surface as squarely as possible.
The
43. shape of a good hammer handle isn't just for looks

-each contour has a definite purpose. The
44. slender neck allows a certain amount of "spring" in

the handle. This spring allows the user to deliver a
harder blow; and it softens the shock of the blow on his
wrist and arm.
45. The but t-end allows the user to grip the hammer
securely, where he can get the best leverage and can
hit his target squarely.
Two common hand tools used with the hammer are
46. punches and chisels. There's no great secret

involved in their proper use.
47. However, one helpful hint, when using such a tool,

is to hold it rather loosely. Then
48. if you hit your fingers, they'll "give" much faster,

and less damage will be done.
Another good idea is
49. to hold the hammer with just enough pressure to

keep it from flying out of your hand. It's amazing how
much longer your arm and wrist will hold out.
Keep
50. the but t-end of punches and chisels dressed down

properly,
51. and avoid dumb accidents. ..
52. Speaking of "dumb," ever see anyone using an

injector plunger in place of a standard center punch?
It's a good way to put out an eye. The tip is extremely
hard and brittle -it could shatter when you least expect
it.
53. Here's another brittle tool that should never be

hammered on. It, too, can be quite dangerous. A good
mechanic
54. will insert the file part-way into the handle, then
give the handle several sharp raps on a wooden
surface.
And,
55. when that good mechanic uses the file on any hard
metal, he uses a firm, uniform pressure on the forward
stroke, and lifts it completely off the work on the return
stroke. Each of
56. these methods greatly extends the life of any file.

Filing too lightly, or dragging the file back over the
work, dulls the teeth because the tips of the teeth are
worn down quickly if they barely contact the work.
On the other hand,
57. you should always draw the file back along soft
metal, to help keep the teeth cleaned. Soft metal will
not dull the file teeth. Use a
58. file card to keep all file teeth clean. A clean file cuts
better, and it doesn't scratch the work. When they're
not being used,
59. keep them stored in such a way that the teeth will
not be damaged.
Now let's -
60. oh oh! Looks like somebody neglected to put a

handle on his file. It sure pays to play it safe. File
handles are cheap.
Now let's take a look
61. at a tool that is used in much the same manner as

the file. The hacksaw can cut a wide variety of
different-sized metals. The
62. blades are made with teeth ranging from fourteen

to thirty-two per inch. The proper blade must be
selected, of course, for the type of metal being cut. But
63. the "three-tooth rule" should be used for any metal-

cutting job. This simply means that at least three teeth
should contact the work at all times. Fewer than three
teeth would
64. most certainly cause problems.
65. Like the file, a hacksaw cuts only on the forward

stroke. Use a little downward pressure on the forward
stroke, but lift the saw slightly on the return stroke --
almost like the file, and for the same reason.
66. After several minutes of sawing, a new blade will

stretch a little. Always keep it tight enough so it won't
buckle during use. If a
67. used blade must be replaced with a new one,

never change it in the middle of a cut. Since the teeth
on the old blade have lost most of their "set," the cut
will be too narrow, and,
68. when a new blade is forced into the cut, you'll wipe
out the teeth in one stroke. If the
69. blade breaks in the middle of a cut, begin a new

cut. If this is impossible, cross your fingers and very
carefully start sawing into the old cut until the blade
reaches solid metal. Then proceed as usual.
70. Here's another neat trick that'll wipe the teeth out of
any hacksaw blade. Always
71. start the cut with at least three teeth contacting the
work.
72. We've tried to cover most of the basic hand tools

commonly used in many shops today. Two important
things to keep in mind are:
73. One, use the proper tool for the job; and
74. two, use the tool properly. Never
75. substitute the wrong tool simply because it saves

time. It may not save anything -including a few fingers.
It seems that, with the simplest tools, even the
76. wisest mechanic needs to have his memory jogged

once in a while.
Formated by -- Service Training School
Cummins Diesel Sales and Service (India) Limited,

35A/1/2, Erandawana, Pune - 411 038

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BASIC SKILLS HAND TOOLS B.No.

985631-R 8/73 Page 1 of 77

BASIC SKILLS HAND TOOLS

Bulletin No: 985631-R 8/73

Screw Driver -- Spanners&Sockets -- Torquewrench Calibration -- Hammers -- Files -- Saws -- Review

Cummins Engine Company, Inc.

2. Few of us will ever admit that there are some rules

3. take the screwdriver, for instance. Sure, it's for

5. But what happened here? It looked like a good fit.

6. Notice the angle of the taper, and the edges of the

7. to sharpen a screwdriver is to lay it against the

8. a "hollow-ground" blade. The edges on this blade

9. "bite in." If the screw heads are in reasonably good

10. shape, use a file to sharpen the blade. You can

11. Phillips-head screws are used around smooth

12. Phillips screwdriver will not slip out of the screw

13. Here's a simple, but misused, tool: the combination

14. Everyone is familiar with the many different types

15. open-end wrench is one of the most frequently

16. box-end wrench may be used to final-tighten or

17. standard wrenches, the length of the wrench is

18. small amount of twisting effort is required for this

19. a great amount is necessary for this one.

20. How long has it been since you've seen this? It

21. standard tubing wrench works much better. It

22. contacts five of the six corners on the fitting. In this

23. wrench often wrongly substituted for open, box,

26. it's a good idea to always pull on any wrench. This

27. if there's no other way, just keep your fingers clear.

28. The socket wrench is by far the most popular

29. any mechanic can come up with a combination that

30. resort to something like this to get the job done

31. has a devastating effect on the ratchet teeth and

32. this method is bad news. Wrenches and handles

Another important wrench, used mostly with socket

33. is the torque wrench. In many cases,

34. it is very important that the capscrews be tight-

The main points to remember concerning the torque

35. One, make sure the wrench is kept properly cali-

36. Two, since the torque wrench is a delicate instru-

37. three, pull the wrench slowly and steadily, always

Another tool that requires a certain amount of care,

38. ball-peen hammer. It looks mighty rugged, but this

39. head of a good hammer is drop-forged. That is, it's

This steel is extremely tough and durable. The beveled

40. unless the user hasno idea of what the hammer is

41. dime-store hammer has a cast-iron head. This

43. shape of a good hammer handle isn't just for looks

44. slender neck allows a certain amount of "spring" in

Two common hand tools used with the hammer are

46. punches and chisels. There's no great secret

47. However, one helpful hint, when using such a tool,

48. if you hit your fingers, they'll "give" much faster,

Another good idea is

49. to hold the hammer with just enough pressure to

50. the but t-end of punches and chisels dressed down

51. and avoid dumb accidents. ..

52. Speaking of "dumb," ever see anyone using an

53. Here's another brittle tool that should never be

56. these methods greatly extends the life of any file.

On the other hand,

60. oh oh! Looks like somebody neglected to put a

Now let's take a look