| Topic | Summary |
| Basic hand tools |
Choose the right tool for the job. Otherwise you could damage the part you are working on, the tool, or yourself. |
| Hammers |
The most common hammer in an automotive workshop is the ball pein or engineer's hammer. The soft-face & deadblow hammers are also used. |
| Chisels |
The most common type of chisel is the flat chisel. You should always wear safety goggles when working with chisels. |
| Saws |
Hacksaws are a common workshop tool. The frames come in a range of shapes and sizes. For any given frame there’s a range of available hacksaw blades to cope with different materials and situations. |
| Screw-drivers |
The correct screw-driver to use depends on the type of slot or recess in the head of the screw or bolt, and how accessible it is. |
| Vices & clamps |
The bench vice is a plain vice that will hold anything that needs sawing, filing, or chiselling. The G-clamp holds parts together while they're being worked on. |
| Spanners |
There are many types of spanners. The most common are the ring spanner, open end spanner & the combination spanner. Spanners will only do a job properly if it’s the right size for the nut or the bolt to be turned. |
| Sockets & accessories | Sockets are a good choice where the top of the fastener is reasonably accessible. The socket fits onto it snugly and grips it on all six corners and is the type of grip needed on any nut or bolt that’s extremely tight. |
| Pliers |
Combination pliers are made from two pieces of high carbon or alloy steel. They pivot together so that any force applied to the handles is multiplied in the strong jaws. Most pliers are limited by their size in what they can grip. It is important to select the right type and size of pliers for the job. |
| Wrenches |
A torque wrench tightens bolts and nuts. A pipe wrench grips pipes and tubes. Other specialised wrenches include the wheel brace & oil filter removing tool. |
| Files |
There are many different types of files. What makes one file different from another is not just it's shape but how much material it's designed to remove with each stroke. |
| Torque wrenches | The torque wrench tightens bolts and nuts to a specified torque recommended by the manufacturer. Whilst manufacturers don't specify torque settings for every nut and bolt,when they do, it's important, and that's why the torque wrench is such an important tool. |
