Universal Tool Kit

(Writeup not finished but I think it will help Orange Crews move faster)

Universal Tool Kit

This is a household tool kit that has been heavily refined over the years to fit the most variety of situations. If your learning more hands-on skills and trying to figure out what tools to get started, this is it. For the well initiated, there may be some improvements you had not considered.

The metallurgy across different brands of hand tools is not equivalent. Unfortunately there are Many manufacturers that make something that look like tools but they break on first use. Stay away from the ‘this is the only tool you’ll ever need’. They were designed and sold by people sitting at a desk with no real world experience.

Phillips Screwdrivers– #2 & #0

Most times the phillips or + sign screws you can skip the #1 size and go bigger or smaller. I grind the tip of the screwdrivers down a little bit as the shape is always too tall and not allowing proper contact with the screw heads. As much contact as possible is always preferred with any screw head. You can refile the + profile as the tip gets worn down. If you break off the tip you need a new screwdriver or some file commitment and mental fortitude. Phillips #2 belongs at the top because its often the first tool to disappear from any toolkit.

Flathead Screwdrivers – ¼ & 1/8

The flatheads are similar in that usually you can go up or downin sizing . If you break off a chunk of the tip, file it shorter can fix the tapered profile. If you twisted the tip, the metal is fatigued and will keep bending on you later. Cut the screwdriver shorter, heat up the end, hammer new end, quench in water. File to fix profile.

Paint Can Opener

A screwdriver can take the place of a paint can opener, but it often warps and mars the top. If the can top is damaged, its contents will of course dry out quicker. Often there is a bottle opener built into a paint can openers handle.

Allen Wrench Set – Metric and SAE:

Allen wrenches have hex shaped ends that are mostly on bolts. A standard allen wrench tool is L shaped. There are some allen wrenches with specialized handles, but a metric L shaped set is most universal. The second SAE set with fractional U.S. sizes are infrequently used. If you get a nice metric set with the between sizes like 5mm, 5.5mm and 6mm then you can probably skip the U.S. sizes. If you need more leverage on an L shaped allen wrench, grab with a pair of pliers for easier turning. The allen wrenches often get damaged ends over time. That is an easy fix by grinding or filing the allen wrench shorter. If you get one to look like a corkscrew, its done.

Adjustable wrenches – Medium 10” and Small 6”:

Adjustable wrenches are to be used with caution. Throw caution to the wind and you will understand what ‘one size rounds all’ really means. Adjustable wrenches are excellent for assembly and light disassembly. They are more convenient and versatile than an individual wrench set. People have the tendency to try an adjustable wrench on a rusty bolt or nut. It damages the fastener as well as the jaws on the adjustable wrench. If you damaged the jaw profile on an adjustable wrench, it can be ground or filed flat again.

Pipe wrench – Medium

The pipe wrench is the go-to for grabbing cylindrical objects. That’s not limited to just pipes. Beware that whatever you put the teeth onto, marring marks will show from the wrench. I’ve put a rag or paper towel before with success to use the camming action of the pipe wrench without marring the project I’m working on. For a rusty bolt or a nut, the pipe wrench is the second best choice. The best choice is a 6pt wrench of that size. Generally if the pipe wrench made it to a rusty nut or bolt, don’t put it back on, find a replacement. When you round the teeth on your pipe wrench, file the teeth profile, as it is well worth the effort.

4 Pliers – Needle-nose, slip-joint, channel-locking, and diagonal cutters:

To keep pliers from getting damaged, utilize the different profiles for specific applications. Needle nose pliers are for light duty only. If you put them on something rusty and squeeze hard, you’ll damage the jaw contact when the pliers are fully closed. Then they are trash. Channel-locking pliers have the widest size gripping range and can take the most abuse. Slip-joint pliers are somewhere in-between. They have a medium range with good versatility. Grind or file the nose flat to be able to grab a fastener that has broken off nearly flush with a project. While slip-joint pliers do have a cutter built in them, diagonal cutters are more reliable. Use to cut soft metals and only small bits of steel as the jaws will break of too much is put in them. If you have a pair of pliers with the handles wobbly and the jaws closing inconsistently, smash the rivet or tighten the fastener that binds the handles together. Use a file to fix damaged teeth in the jaws.

Wire cutter/stripper/crimper

This is one of the few times I can think of where a multi-use use truly functions as multi-use. It is a little bit slower to use than having 3 individual tools but there is no compromise in performance. As the wire strippers and cutter dull, rub with a 3-400grit piece of sandpaper to give it a sharp cutting surface again.

Tweezers

Good for picking up small objects and removing splinters. Use a piece of folded 300-400 grit sandpaper between the jaws to get them to close completely without a gap. Sand the outside of the jaws to remove any deformed lip from manufacturing.

Sand Paper 80 – 400 grit

For most purposes a rasp or file is a better choice than sandpaper more coarse than 80 grit. Anything finer than 400 grit starts to get into specialty territory. You might sand wood from about 80 grit to 260 grit and metals from about 180 to 400. It is good to have some spare sandpaper, as it dulls with use. If you used the sandpaper for a while and its not as effective, what was sharp sand glued to the paper, is now dull. Discard and replace.

Wood Chisel ½ or ¾”

A universal size wood chisel can flatten surfaces out as well are able to cross-cut the wood grain when boring a hole or creating an inset. The classic chisel has a metal tang and wooden handle. That may not be the best choice for this universal kit because the chisel is going to get abused by an improper hammer. For a wood chisel, a wooden mallet is best, second best is a metal hammer. The the striking end of the chisel will get damaged by a metal hammer as it has a harder impact on the chisel than a mallet. The preferred chisel for this toolkit has a steel stem all the way through the chisel, with a steel top. Don’t hit metal objects with this chisel because it will nick the end, but your going do that anyways. The chisel will still work well enough even with some nicks. After a few light uses or one heavy use, sharpen the chisel with the various grits of sandpaper you have. While holding the chisel about 30-45 degrees or even with the bevel, start sharpening with the most coarse grit, then work you way to the finer grit. Some people will have a fit about direction the chisel is moved on the sandpaper to keep the bevel nice; back in the real world, put the sandpaper on a flat surface and rub the chisel around. It should look shiny and be sharp if you used a fine enough sandpaper to finish. Rub the backside of the chisel with a fine sandpaper to remove any burrs.

½” Metal Chisel

If you only have a wood chisel in the kit, it will become overly abused with a short life. A metal chisel has a hardened steel edge that can cut through even light steel. It works well for splitting apart two metal pieces corroded together. Use sandpaper to sharpen, as the file and chisels have a similar hardness in steel. The cutting edge on your file will be dulled quickly.

1/8 and 5/32 Round Punch

A round punch is the best choice for finishing removal of cotter pins. It also works well with small hole alignment. If you damage the end of the punch, sand or grind it shorter. To fix a bent punch; hold with pliers, heat up the bent with a torch or open flame until red, bend it back to shape, quench fully in water. The steel will still be somewhat fatigued, but its better than a bent punch. For a home-made punch;the sharp end can be cut off a nail, heat until red, then quench.

Straight and Bent Pick

A straight pick will get into crevices and help with small hole alignment. A bent pick is excellent for removing o-rings or picking crevices where the straight pick handle gets in the way. The pick should remain nice and sharp. As the pick get worn over time, make it shorter and reshape the end with sandpaper. Don’t pry with the pick. If you pried with the pick and damaged it, use the same method as fixing the punch.

Magnet Wand

A retractable or flexible magnet wand that is 18 to 24” will get the steel fasteners dropped in hard to reach locations. A magnet secured to the end of a stick would serve the same purpose. A magnet on a string won’t do because on the way into the tight spot it will try to grab things and get stuck. It needs to be a strong enough magnet to pick up a dropped screwdriver in a bilge or my favorite; a wrench dropped in the oil bucket.

Steel wand with hook

An 18 to 24” steel rod with a hook bent into it will assist with the occasional fishing. I used a steel TIG rod because it was available, though an unbent steel curtain rod will work just well. It can hook directly or tape onto things like rope and wire to pull through a tight spot. If one is desperate it can become a sacrificial fastener. Steel is the material of choice so it can be grabbed with a magnet wand if dropped.

Carpenter’s hammer

It’s the classic hammer with a cylinder head and V shaped opposing side. An all-around weight is 16oz. A heavier hammer is more fatiguing to use and if you miss a nail it can break your fingers. With a smaller hammer it is more work to get sufficient striking force on a medium weight nail or object. As the hammer head become misshapen over time, use sandpaper or regrind it flat or close to flat. A completely flat head or slight conical shape on the head is optimal. Unless the strike is perfectly centered, a heavy conical shape on the head with have you often bending nails. For an exaggerated effect, hammer nails with the ball side of a ball peen hammer. The V shape nail puller works well, though too much curve can be problematic when pulling nails. Too little curve will result in a nail not fully being pulled out. Use a block under the hammer for pulling taller nails. Use the channel-locks for pulling finish nails. My channel-locks often have a center groove cut in perpendicular to the teeth for this purpose.

Small Framing or Speed Square

It is difficult to get a 90 degree line without a square, though it can be done nearly by measuring both the top of the material and bottom of the material. There is a margin of error when marking that way and a square fixes it. A commercially available square is not square ‘out of the box’. Review the t-square design methods to square it up. Though it requires some math to make angles, a framing square gives the most versatility. A speed square is quicker for angles but is slightly less versatile because it does not lay flat.

Pocket knife or Razor knife

Sharpen the pocket knife with your sandpaper. Go from 220 to 400 grit while holding at about 30-45 degree angle. The purist will scoff at those directions as they will go to 2000 grit and then use a buffing compound or strop. Meanwhile a functional knife will do just fine. If using a razor knife with disposable blades, have at least 5 spare blades in the kit. They easily break. If desperate the disposable blades will also sharpen with sandpaper.

3 small cleaning brushes

The 3 most common and functional bristle brushes are stainless steel, brass, and nylon. The stainless is the stiffest brush and works best for cleaning metals. The nylon brush is good for cleaning things you don’t want to mar or have brush marks on. If the nylon brush isn’t doing the job, I’ll bump up to the medium brass brush.

Abrasive Pads

There are a few different grits of abrasive pads often based on their colors. A common one is green for cleaning in the U.S. that is commonly available. Don’t use it for cleaning. It is actually too abrasive for plastic and creates a bunch of micro-scuffs that will have the item you were cleaning get dirty faster. I had this happen on the tub at home. The solution was to swap to a grey pad which is of higher grit. Its a good abrasive that is somewhere in between sandpaper and polishing compound.

Tape Measure

The tape measures with a wider band hold up much better than the skinny bands. They also have a longer holding range that is invaluable when on ladder measuring by yourself. A 16’ is nice for most applications as it is smaller and lighter than a 25’. The bigger the tape measure, the heavier it is hooked on your pants or in a pocket.

Power Tools (if obtainable)