TOOLS OF THE TRADE!

Measuring Tools

Tape Measure- a retractable, flexible metal rule housed in a plastic or metal case; used for measuring in general stage work

Tri Square- a small, rigid, hand square with a steel blade and steel, composition, or wooden handle; used as a guide for marking 90-degree angles across narrow (under 6 inches) materials

Combination Square- a 12-inch steel rule with a movable handle angled at 45 and 90 degrees; used for marking those two angles, and the rule can be used for measuring.

Examples:

More Measuring Tools

Bevel Protractor- measuring device similar to the combination square except that the angle of the blade is adjustable; used for marking angles between 0 and 90 degrees.

Framing Square- a large steel L, typically 16 inches on the bottom leg and 24 on the vertical leg; used for checking the accuracy of 90-degree corner joints.

Bevel Set- a measuring device similar to a tri square except that the angle between the blade and handle is adjustable; used for transferring angles from one piece of work to another.

Carpenter’s Level- a 2-to 3-foot piece of wooden, steel, or aluminum I beam with glass-tube spirit levels at either end and the middle; used to determine true horizontal and vertical.

Examples:

Marking Tools

Pencils are the preferred marking medium. Wax pencils are used on lighting color media.

Chalk Line- a metal or plastic housing holding a long piece of twine and filled with dry scenic pigment; used for marking straight lines.

Hammers

Claw Hammer- a hammer with two sharply curved claws projecting from the back of its head that facilitates nail removal; used for driving nails

Rip Hammer- a hammer with two relatively straight claws projecting from the back of its head that can be used for prying or ripping apart previously nailed planks; used for driving nails.

Mallet- a hammer with a wooden, plastic, or rubber head; wooden and plastic mallets are used for driving chisels; all three can be used for shaping metal.

Examples:

Saws

Crosscut Saw- a handsaw with an approx. 26-inch blade whose angle-sharpened teeth bend outward so that the kerf is wider than the blade. Kerf- The width of the cut made by a saw

Hacksaw- an adjustable frame handsaw with an extremely fine-toothed (twenty to twenty-five teeth per inch) replaceable blade; used for cutting metal.

Other Cutting Tools

Utility Knife- a metal handle with a usually retractable replaceable blade; used for a variety of jobs including cutting cardboard and trimming fabric from the edges of flats; also called a matte knife.

Tin Snips- scissorlike tools used for cutting thin metal.

Plane- a knife-edged tool used to smooth or round the edges or corners of wood.

Examples:

Pliers

Slip-joint pliers- common pliers with an adjustable pivot that provides two ranges of jaw openings; used for clamping, gripping, bending, and cutting light wire.

Long-nose pliers- pliers with long tapering jaws; used for holding small items and bending very light wire; also called needle-nose pliers.

Locking pliers- used for gripping and holding, the size of the jaw opening and amount of pressure applied by the jaws are adjustable by the screw at the base of the handle; also called a vise grip.

Examples

Wrenches

Open-end wrench- a wrench with non-adjustable U-shaped jaws on both ends; used to tighten bolts.

Box-end wrench- a wrench with a closed, toothed head that must be fit over the head of a bolt; used to tighten bolts.

Adjustable-end wrench- has smooth jaws that adjust to fit almost all sized bolts.

Examples:

Screwdrivers

Standard screwdriver- has a narrow blade for driving standard screws.

Phillips-head screw driver- has a four-flanged tip that matches the crossed slots of the Phillips-head screws

Wrecking Bars

Crowbar- a round metal bar with flattened metal claws similar to those on a claw or rip hammer on one end and a tapered wedge on the other.

Ripbar- tool similar to a crowbar but the nail-removing claws have more curl for better leverage