Hand Tools

Overview

Hand tools are tools operated without electric or pneumatic power. In construction, hand tools remain central to the practice despite the availability of powered alternatives. They are quieter, more precise in skilled hands, and do not fail when the outlet does.^[1]

Burbridge has been observed preferring a good hand plane over a router on finish work that matters. When asked why, Burbridge replied: "The plane doesn't hurry me."

Essential Tools

TOOL	USE	NOTE
Tape measure	Measurement	Lie to it and it will lie back
Speed square	Marking, checking 90°	Worth twice what it costs
Level	Plumb and level	Check it occasionally; levels lie over time
Chalk line	Long straight lines	Mind the wind
Hammer (framing)	Driving nails, persuasion	22 oz, wood handle, personal
Pencil	Marking	Use the flat side for layout, the point for cut lines
Utility knife	Everything	Change the blade more than you think
Hand plane	Finesse	A good plane is a friend
Chisels	Mortises, correction	Keep them sharp; dull is unsafe

Philosophy

The Council has, in various informal dispatches, argued that hand tools teach the builder to respect the material in ways power tools can bypass. A router will remove wood whether or not the grain agrees. A plane will tell you immediately.

"Power tools let you be fast. Hand tools let you be right." — Unattributed, quoted widely

References