Essential Non Power Tools…must haves
In the event of any situation where electricity is not available you will be much better off if you have these items in your possession. Non power tools will be vital and much needed when there is a long term power outage, crisis or disaster. There is also some sort of comfort granted to you, more than when using power tools, when you have completed something using your strength and a couple of hand tools. Many of these tools can be found at garage sales, estate sales and hardware stores. My favorite hand tools are the ones that have been handed down to me. I am well aware at how old they look and are, but “old” tools were made right and were also made to take a beating. Which if you know me; I am pretty hard on my tools and use them often. If there is a tool in my collection that cannot stand up to my abuse, I consider it junk and donate it to a thrift store or the dump. I have no patience for tools that frustrate me by breaking or locking up right in the middle of what I am working on, and I bet you don’t either. Look for old tools, the older the better. Many of the old hand tools you will find were made for laborers in a profession that is related to that specific tool…these are some of the greatest finds and should be added to your collection of non power tools. Working and getting comfortable with non power tools will make the transition much easier if ever a time came when electricity wasn’t an option.
Let’s take a look at some of the tools I feel are essential to have:
~Hammers and nails: nothing beats a great hammer. One that fits perfect with your particular grip is imperative. If the hammer is uncomfortable or the handle is too long for you, you will be less likely to want to use it. I would suggest a rubber mallet too. An assortment of nails is a must as well.
~Screw drivers and wrenches: The screw driver consists of 4 different parts; the tip, the shank, the blade and the handle. Screw drivers are distinguished by their tip and what sort of screw they can drive. The two most common are a slot-head and a Phillips- head. I would encourage you to have a collection of both with different sizes of each tip. A wrench, or also known as a spanner is a tool that applies grip when attempting to apply torque to an object. (i.e. when you are trying to loosen something your husband tightened way too tight). You will need various sizes of these as well.
~Saws: Hand saw uses the blades thickness to remain stiff. The pull stroke also reduces the amount of stiffness required. Some examples are:
(definitions courtesy of wikepedia)
- Crosscut saw for making cuts perpendicular to the grain
- Rip saw for cutting along the grain
- Two-man saw for cutting large logs or trees
- Plywood saw fine-toothed blade to reduce tearing of plywood
- Veneer saw two edged saw with fine teeth used to cut veneer
- Hacksaw fine-toothed tempered blade under tension for cutting metal, bone, and other hard materials.
- Pad saw, keyhole saw, jab saw narrow bladed saw.
- Fret saw for cutting intricate wood patterns
~Axes and Shovels: You will need a good axe and a splitting maul in order to get that wood cut so you can provide heat. Most of the time when our power goes out it is in the winter with snow as tall as I am. This is one of the many reasons you will need a strong snow shovel too. I am on the hunt for a great axe sharpener, because we are still slave to our bench mount grinder to sharpen our tools and that won’t do if SHTF. Other necessary shovels to have are round point shovels (best for digging), a square point shovel (best for scooping loose materials), and finally a garden spade (best for digging through sod and creating perfectly straight lines.
~Clamps and Sawhorses: These two items are a solo workers best friend. The clamps can serve all sorts of purposes like holding something in place while you need to work in another area. Sawhorses are basically just a beam with four legs that is used to support what you are sawing. You can also put a plank over a couple of them and make a scaffold.
~Hand Planer: This tool is used to shape wood. Hand planers have a sharp horizontal blade under a sturdy base that is capable of taking off small shaving when pulled or pushed along wood. I actually have to pull my planer back towards me so I can get better leverage, but either way works.
~Hand Drill: This is one of the tools in my collection that I will only result in using if I have to. I much prefer my electric and battery drills to this one. But it is good to have and if need be I could use it. The drill head moves just like a power drill only your hand is cranking the wheel to make it move. (You will need to eat a good hearty breakfast and pull out your sweat bands for this one)
~Automotive floor jacks: These can come in handy in so many ways. Make sure to look at what your jack is rated for weight before using it. Usually they range from two to twenty tons. All you do is pump the arm to lift what it is you wish to get off the ground (usually a car).
~Creeper: For whatever reason you have a lot of work or repairs to do down low or on your back. the creeper will allow you to lay on it and have movement since there are wheels underneath the pad.
Here are a list of a few other Non Electric Tools that I feel can go without explanation-
Tin snips
Wheat grinder
Sewing machine (foot powered)
Magnetic wand
Can opener
Garden tools (any and all you can get your hands on)
Box cutter
Wheel barrows
Sand paper
*These are some of the items I have in my collection. Please feel free to share with us ones that you think are imperative as well in the comment section.
This is an archive of: http://hillbillymom08.blogspot.com/2012/01/essential-non-power-toolsmust-haves.html
