Tools are absolutely necessary for some tasks and make many other tasks easier. Tools are used to extend your reach or multiply your strength or protect body parts. Amost any task can be almost fun using the right tools. Conversely, almost any task, no matter how simple or easy, can be onerous, a pain in the neck -- or about 2' lower -- and even dangerous, using the wrong tools. Using tools correctly is usually pretty safe, but misuse or abuse can be dangerous, resulting in damage to tools and equipment and personal injury.
Use the right tool for the job. Banging on something with the end of a wrench instead of going back to your tool box for a hammer may sometimes seem like it will save time, but in the long run, damage to the item and/or to the tool will end up costing you time, money, and frustration and increases the chances of you hurting yourself. And when you do use a hammer, use the right hammer. A claw hammer is designed for driving and pulling nails. A ball peen hammer is designed for pounding metal. Claw hammers may chip when used to pound metal and ball peen hammers may slip or ricochet when driving nails. It is tempting to use large screwdrivers for prying, but they aren't built for that and may bend or break, often damaging parts -- both on your equipment and on your own body -- as well as ruining the screwdriver. Use a pry bar instead. Using a wrench or socket that "almost" fits a nut or bolt will probably result in rounding off the nut or bolt or stripping the tool, usually resulting in skinned and bruised knuckles too. Make sure you have the right type of tools (SAE or metric) and are using the right size. Some metric sizes are good matches for some SAE sizes; some are not. For example, a 14mm metric and a 9/16" SAE are pretty much interchangeable, but a 1/2" SAE is smack in the middle between a 12mm and 13 mm metric. A 1/2" wrench will sort of fit a 12mm nut or bolt and a 13mm tool will almost fit a 1/2" fastener. Either combination is recipe for stripping the fastener and/or the tool -- and bloodying some knuckles along with filling the air with expletives! Screwdrivers come in different sizes to fit different sized and shaped slots in screws. Using the wrong size or shape often doesn't work at all and significantly increases the chances of stripping the head or breaking the screwdriver. Damaged fasteners, broken tools, and bloody knuckles are never a good thing and can usually be avoided or at least minimized by simply using the right tool in the first place.
Keep your tools clean and in good repair. Dirty, rusty, greasy, dull, bent, or broken tools are dangerous to use. Greasy tools may cause your hand to slip, usually resulting in the very common problem of bloody knuckles and a string of expletives you surely don't want your kids to hear. Dirty, rusty, or damaged tools may not fit properly, further increasing the risk of breaking the tool or damaging the fastener -- or other parts of the equipment or you. You are more likely to be cut by dull tools than sharp ones. You will find yourself using excessive force to compensate for dull tools, often leading to bouncing tools, loss of control,and serious injury. If you do scrape your knuckles, take care of it right away. Clean the wound, apply antiseptic, and bandage it properly. Hand tools can easily become contaminated with germs that you don't want in your bloodstream! A bleeding hand will also be slippery, increasing your chance of further injury and a proper bandage will help control bleeding as well as protecting the wound.
When swinging things like hammers, hatchets, and axes, make sure there no people or obstacles within range of your swing. Hold the tool by the head with handle extended and slowly swing it 360 degrees around you and over you head to be sure your working area is clear. Constantly monitor your work area to be sure no one enters the danger area or to make sure you haven't moved into danger. Be especially cautious when there are kids around. When we were kids, my younger brother got a nasty bash in the head when he leaned over my grandfather's shoulder to see what he was doing while he was driving nails. Grandpa swung his hammer back briskly to get a good whack on a 16d nail and it caught my poor brother smack in the face.
Dull tools will make your work harder. Ever try chopping a log with a dull axe? I hate the way it just bounces! I recall the story of an elderly volunteer hoeing weeds at a church garden. He worked slowly and steadily. He had a file in his back pocket and frequently stopped to dress the edge of his hoe. He was constantly teased by a young father and a teenager who both hacked away at the weeds with youthful vigor, but when the day was done, the old man with his slow, steady pace with a sharp hoe had cleared twice as many rows as the energetic man and his teenage son had together! And with a fraction of the sweat.
Keep your axes, hatchets, and knives sharp. A dull tool is more likely to ricochet or bounce, hurting you or a bystander. You also have to use more force when the tool is dull, further increasing the risk and extent of injuries in addition to wearing you out faster.
Shovels and rakes are handy for many campground tasks. Shovel edges become chipped, dull, or bent over time and occasionally need to be sharpened to maintain effectiveness. Bent edges should be pounded flat and dull ends sharpened with a file. The teeth on rakes sometimes need to be straightened. Bent or pinched teeth aren't efficient or effective. Long-handled tools like shovels, rakes, and brooms, should be stored in an upright position. Wooden handles should be kept smooth and treated with linseed oil to prevent splinters. If you leave them lying on the ground they become trip hazards and, if you step on the blade, may flip the handle up, injuring you or someone else. Always store a rake with tines facing back away from you when you lean it against something. If you step on tines pointed your way, you'll get a nasty bump in the face when the handle snaps forward. Some good ways to store long-handled tools include drilling a hole in the handle to either hang the tool on a nail or insert a thong to hang it by or by using a length of large PVC or ABS pipe to slide the handles into to keep the tools upright and secure. If you use pipes for holders outdoors, make sure they can drain out the bottom so they don't fill up with water when it rains and damage the handles of your tools.
Power tools can make many tasks easier. A cordless drill-driver is probably one of the handiest power tools for RVing and camping. Be sure to store them properly in their original cases where they will not be exposed to water or extreme temperatures. Keep the batteries charged between trips. Organize your screwdriver and drill bits so you can easily find what you need when you need it. As always, keep the tool and its accessories clean. Be sure to follow your manufacturer's instructions for lubrication and other maintenance. Most drill-drivers have adjustable clutches to help you avoid over-driving screws. Take advantage of this feature to avoid stripping fasteners or countersinking them too far and damaging the material. Ordinary corded power tools can sometimes be used, but cordless tools are far more convenient and safer. Corded tools require shore power or a generator. Cordless just need to have been properly charged before you leave home. Most modern cordless batteries should easily last through a weekend campout. Take care not to use corded tools in the rain or other wet conditions. One of my son's has a cordless Snap On brand impact wench for his work that makes many maintenance tasks on dirt bikes a lot easier in camp but I find it too pricey for my recreational budget. I waited for a good coupon on a "Chicago Electric" cordless impact wrench at Harbor Freight. It should hold up well enough for occasional use on dirt bike outings if I can remember to charge it before each trip and it sure makes field repairs easier and faster.
Wear proper personal protective equipment as needed. Rubber gloves and eye protection are "must haves" for battery work. Mechanics gloves will help protect your hands yet still give you good dexterity for most wrenching tasks. For most mechanical tasks, heavy work gloves will be more of a hazard than a help but they are essential for shoveling and axe work. Gloves not only protect your skin and prevent blisters, but let you apply more force without pain and usually improve your grip. Wear eye protection when chopping, grinding, or using a chain saw. Wear ear plugs when using loud equipment. Aprons are always a good idea for BBQing, other cooking tasks, and welding. I like to keep a shop coat handy to protect my riding gear from dirt and grease when I have to stop to work on our dirt bikes in the field.
Proper tool storage is often overlooked or underrated. A lot of folks just toss all their tools into one tool box. That might work for a while, but eventually you will learn is is worth the time to carefully organize and store your tools so you can find the easily when you need them. It can also help to keep them from getting damaged if they are stored correctly. "A place for everything and everything in its place" is a good rule to follow. My kids think I'm OCD about putting away my tools but over the years I've found it pays off to invest a little bit of time keeping them in order instead of endless searching for something when I need it.
To summarize: use the right tool for every job. Use all tools correctly. Keep your tools clean and in good repair. Store your tools logically and consistently: "A place for everything and everything in its place". Keep your work area is clean and safe. Wear proper personal protective equipment.
Tool up!
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