Hand tools are easy and safe to use when they are used properly. Please inform yourself about safe use of hand tools by reading ahead and by consulting your teacher or mentor. Below, we describe some commonly used hand tools and some dangerous situations that can result if they are not used properly.

Click on the tool titles to see more information!

Safety glasses, the most important safety aids, are inexpensive and available at any hardware stores or from your shop teacher.

Hot glue gun

Very useful for quickly fastening different materials together with a reasonably strong bond, hot glue guns can cause minor burns if the gun nozzle or hot glue touches skin.

Soldering Iron

Useful for making electrical connections. Soldering irons can cause minor burns if the soldering tip, or hot solder, touches skin.

• Wear safety glasses to protect against hot solder

Electric hand drill

Hand drills are useful for placing holes in materials and might be used in the fabrication of wheels, for example.

• Wear safety glasses. If too much force is applied, drill bits can break, launching fragments into the air. Material removed by the drill bit can also become airborne. Students using hand drills should work a safe distance from students that are not wearing safety glasses.

• Clamp work securely. A spinning drill bit can grab the workpiece and yank it around if it is not properly clamped in place, resulting in hand injuries, especially if the workpiece has sharp edges. A small vice or clamp is useful for this purpose.

  Note what is underneath the piece being drilled. Be sure that drilling is done into a secure block of scrap wood or into a clear space.

Hacksaw

Hacksaws are useful for cutting a variety of materials.

• Wear safety glasses. Removed material could become airborne.

• Keep hands away from the cutting zones. The blade can jump and cause minor hand injuries.

• Clamp work securely. This removes any inclination to hold the workpiece near the cutting zones and allows better control of the tool.

Wire Clippers

These tools are useful for cutting wire and thin shafts. If both sides of the piece are not securely held, they may shoot out.

• Wear safety glasses, and:

• Orient the tool so that the section being clipped is aimed at the floor or held in some other way.

Utility or "Exacto" knives

Useful for cutting cardboard foam core, etc.

• Wear safety glasses. It is possible that a blade could break and fly upwards.

• Cut away from yourself. (i.e. don't draw the blade towards your hand or any other part of your body)

• Store tools safely. Avoid leaving exposed blades on table surfaces. Use a handle with a retractable blade if possible