Metalworking hand tools

thumb|A blacksmith using pliers thumb|Slip joint pliers thumb|Cutting wire with diagonal pliers/side cutters Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly, possibly developed from tongs used to handle hot metal in Bronze Age Europe. They are also useful for bending and physically compressing a wide range of materials. Generally, pliers consist of a pair of metal first-class levers joined at a fulcrum positioned closer to one end of the levers, creating short jaws on one side of the fulcrum, and longer handles on the other side. This arrangement creates a mechanical advantage, allowing the

thumb|250px|A set of metric spanners or wrenches, open at one end and box/ring at the other. These are commonly known as “combination” spanners.

thumb|upright=1.3|A bench vise, B machine vise, C hand vise

fastening tool that applies pressure on two opposite ends to hold objects together

thumb|Rubber mallets thumb|A wooden mallet thumb|Rawhide mallet thumb|Stonemason's mallets of plastic, wood and steel thumb|An iron mallet with copper faces. Solid head copper mallets are produced with a round or square head thumb|An aluminium [[meat mallet, for tenderizing meat]] thumb|Meat mallet. thumb|Cooking mallet for crushing crops. thumb|Indian cobbler tool kit, with an iron mallet A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head.

shaped steel or other metal tool with a blunt end that may be struck with a hammer to produce indents (but not holes) in a material

thumb|Silicone-tipped locking tongs designed to withstand temperatures up to thumb|Long handled locking tongs designed for outdoor grilling thumb|Sugar tong thumb|Blacksmith tongs used for forging

thumb|Fine wood rasp thumb|Farrier using a two-sided file, double-cut on the visible side and rasp cut against a horse's hoof

right|thumb|300px|European style woodworking workbenchIn most instances the "end caps" and the "shoulder vise arm" are significantly thicker than is shown above. Indeed, this shoulder vice and its "arm" appear to be incomplete.

thumb|Typical full-size hacksaw frame, with 12" blade

thumb|upright=1.35|A single-speed Dremel 'MultiPro' electric die grinder.

Snips, also known as shears, are metalworking hand tools used to cut sheet metal and other tough webs. Workers use various types of snips, with the cutting edges being straight or curved to various degrees. The style of edge employed will depend if a straight sheer or some type of shape cut is necessary. There are two broad categories: ''tinner's snips, which are similar to common scissors, and compound-action'' snips, which use a compound leverage handle system to increase the mechanical advantage.

rod of steel, ceramic or diamond coated steel used to realign blade edges

A scriber is a hand tool used in metal work to mark lines on workpieces, prior to machining. The process of using a scriber is called scribing and is just part of the process of marking out. It is used instead of pencils or ink lines, because the latter are hard to see, easily erased, and imprecise due to their wide mark; scribe lines are thin and semi-permanent. On non-coated workpieces marking blue is commonly used to increase the contrast of the mark lines.

single-edged tool used to scrape metal from a surface

mechanical saw used to obtain precise angle cuts

hand tool used to turn taps or other small tools

type of hammer used in metalworking

tool consisting of a brush whose bristles are made of wire, most often steel wire

machine tool for sheet metal cutting

A pritchel is a type of punch used in forging, particularly in making nail holes in horseshoes. The horseshoe is heated and a hole is punched through 90 percent of the steel with a forepunch or drift punch. The pointed end of the tool should be kept sharp so that the burr is cut out smoothly. The punched hole is lined up over the pritchel hole and the pritchel is driven into the hole, knocking out the remaining metal at the bottom of the punched hole. The temperature of the pritchel should be kept below the red-hot stage as the tool itself will bend and lose its temper. When over-heated it is

short, replaceable screwdriver blade

tool for removing broken or seized screws

mallet helpful in minimizing damage to the struck surface and in controlling striking force, with minimal rebound from the struck surface

metalworking tool

handheld power tool used for grinding, sanding, honing, polishing, or machining

manual tool used for enlarging holes