The Handyma’am
By: Jennifer Hart - September 12th, 2006
The experienced handyma’am knows that every home needs a well-stocked toolbox. If you’re still using the kitchen drawer to store the lone hammer your dad gave you when you moved out in 1985, read on.
A dedicated toolbox means you don’t waste time sorting through old bits of string, paperclips and out-of-date grocery coupons when what you really want is a tape measure. And it eliminates the need to use the heel of your best shoes when you need to put a nail in the wall.
A plastic toolbox is great because it’s inexpensive and not too heavy. Many people like the soft-sided canvas tool boxes that are now on the market. Husky recently introduced a nice model. Either way - don’t overload it—you’ll want to be able to carry it around easily.
What goes inside? Start with personal protection (always a good idea!) A decent pair of safety glasses is the very first thing you must put in your toolbox. Buy the hard plastic kind that wrap around the sides slightly. Put them on a string that can hang around your neck. A mate-less sock makes a great protective case when storing them in your toolbox. Add a dust mask, earplugs, a pair of tweezers (splinters!), a few band-aids, and a pencil or two.
Next, add a 10-20 ft. tape measure. Look for one with an easy-to-read tape, and pick one that’s brightly coloured—that will help you find it easily. As with most tools, price and brand name will dictate how long it will last.
The multi-tip screwdriver is a great invention. It replaces the need to have a bunch of individual screwdrivers rattling around in your toolbox. Pick one that has at least six different tips. This should give you the basic heads required for most tasks.
No home should be without a hammer. Look for one you can heft comfortably. If it’s too light or too heavy, it won’t do the job effectively. Hammers come in different weights—a 12 or 16 oz. would be a good choice. Stanley makes a nice model. Stay away from the traditional wood handle/metal top hammers. Unless they’re very well made, the head will inevitably loosen. That will render it not only annoying, but dangerous as well. Much like bathing suits, one piece is the way to go. That means the both the handle and the head are forged from one-piece, as opposed to a tool that consists of a handle and head joined together. Plan to spend about $30. (Get yourself a nice Estwing hammer and it will last forever. Or until you lose it.)
Pliers are another must-have item. They come in many different sizes and shapes, but start with a few basic ones. Needle-nose pliers have, as the name suggests, a tapered, pointed end, which makes them ideal for jobs where there’s not a lot of space. You can use common blunt-nose pliers for pulling nails, tightening, loosening, and gripping. One of the best pliers for gripping are Vice-Grips. These have a little wheel in the handle that lets you adjust the holding size of the pliers. This enables you to lock the pliers onto an object with a much tighter grip than you could ever hope for with your bare hands.
A utility knife is invaluable. You may not use it often, but it’s ideal when you need a good, sharp cutter. Avoid the cheap, plastic ones in which the locking mechanisms are often flimsy. One of the best choices is an Olfa knife where the blade can be securely locked.
Last but not least, I would recommend a saw. Relatively new on the market are “Toolbox Saws” which are small enough to nest comfortably inside an average toolbox. Select one with a low number of teeth per inch if you be cutting a lot of 2×4 lumber. If you’re cutting trim or smaller wood, go for more teeth per inch for a finer cut. Keep the blade guard on it when storing. This protects not only the teeth but your fingers as well.
Another key to a good toolbox? Return your tools as soon as you’re done with them. That way they’ll always be there waiting for you the next time you should need them.
Next month: Most common maintenance and repair jobs could be done with the tools from your basic box. But every girl likes to add a few extras to her toolbox now and than—especially if it helps get the job done more quickly and easily. Next month, Handyma’am reviews some cools new tools that are worth making room for.