IGCSE Design & Technology - Tools

Plane

A tool used to smooth, flatten or shape a piece of timber

Combination Square

A sliding square mounted on a steel rule, used to mark a "square" line, find level, or measure.

Bench Vice

A device that securely holds material in place while working

Bench Hook

A wooden plate with a raised edge on each end (opposite sides) to hold wood in place on a table while cutting.

Tenon Saw

Used for cutting straight lines in wood or for making mortise & tenon joints. The metal spine keeps the blade straight when cutting

Belt Sander/Disc Sander

A sanding machine with an abrasive belt and disc that is used for quickly smoothing edges and faces of wood

G-Clamp

Used for holding material in place while sawing or drilling or to hold material together while gluing. It is shaped like the letter 'g'

PVA Glue

A non-waterproof adhesive that is used to glue wood together

Bevel-Edge Chisel

Steel tool with a handle used for removing large amounts of wood or thin shavings

Mallet

Used to strike chisels or for tapping wood into place for a wood joint

File

Used for shaping and smoothing the edges of wood, plastic and metal

Coping Saw

Type of handsaw that's used to cut curved lines or shapes in wood

Scroll Saw

Used to cut curved lines in small pieces of wood. Faster than a coping saw because it is electric

Rasp

Used for smoothing and shaping the edges of manufactured boards and timber. Similar to a file, but larger teeth remove more material

Marking Gauge

This tool is used to mark a line (using the point) parallel to the edge of a piece of wood. It is mainly used when marking out wood work joints.

Try square

Woodworking tool used to mark a line at 90 degrees to the edge of the wood or checking that edges are 90 degrees

Mitre Square

Used to mark out 45 degree angles on wood or for checking that angles are 45 degrees

F-Clamp

Used for holding material in place while sawing or drilling or to hold material together while gluing. It is shaped like the letter 'f'

Jigsaw

Used to cut curved lines in larger pieces of wood. It is portable and can be moved around the workshop

Hand Saw

Used to cut large pieces of timber

Pillar drill

Used to drill vertical holes in wood. The chuck holds the drill bit and is opened with a key

Cordless Drill

Used to drill holes in wood or to drive screws. It is battery powered and portable. It is not as powerful as the pillar drill

Twist drill bit

Used to drill accurate holes in wood, metal and plastic. Common sizes range from 1mm-13mm

Forstner drill bit

Used for drilling holes or flat bottom holes. Larger diameter than twist drill bits

Hole saw bit

Used for drilling very large holes

Steel rule

Used for measuring up to 300mm, drawing lines, or cutting materials with a blade

Tape measure

Used for measuring lengths of material up to 20m

Marking knife

Used to create a thin line on wood that acts as a guide when sawing or chiselling

Palm sander

Used for quickly smoothing edges and faces of wood. It is portable and can be used on large pieces of wood

Sandpaper

Stiff paper surfaced with sand, used for smoothing edges and faces of wood. Comes in a variety of grit. Low number is rough and high number is smooth. Start with a low number and move to a high number. Should be used with a sanding block