Carpentry Power Tools
Power tools play an important part in modern construction, having evolved over time to speed up traditional hand tool processes, as well as creating new methods to reach our desired outcomes. Power tools, as the name suggests, are tools that consume electricity to drive motors within them, facilitating the rapid spinning, cutting, drilling, and shooting of bits, blade, and fxings. The power may be drawn from an electrical outlet/socket via a cable or cord, or as is becoming more common in recent years, portable batteries. The batteries must be charged via a charger connected to mains power and serve to free the operator from the constraints of a cable during use. Static power tools such as saws may benefit from the use of cord, with corded varieties typically putting out more torque than battery powered saws.
Some power tools have evolved to meet the requirements of existing hand tools, such as drills and saws. These tools, aside from increasing the speed of production, lower the physical labour requirement of a task. Other power tools have developed on their own with advances in technology to meet previously unmet criteria, such as oscillating tools, impact drivers, and biscuit jointers.
Here we shall look at some of the most commonly used power tools in site carpentry. It's important to note that most large tool manufacturers produce a whole range of power tools for use in modern construction, suiting the requirements of other trades such as electricians and plumbers. With such an extensive range available, we’ll focus on carpentry related power tools here.
Impact driver
Impact drivers are a fairly recent development in bit driving technology that are used to great effect within the construction industry. Whilst the basic premise has been used to our advantage for hundreds of years, the culmination of the principles and technology into one small piece of equipment yields us a fantastic piece of modern utility. The impact driver in its simplest form is a handheld, battery powered driver that is capable of receiving drill and driver bits. The technological predecessor to this piece of modern equipment would have been the pneumatic impact wrench, with a similar technology being found in hand cranked hammer drills before that. The main advantage that the impact driver brings to the table over other driving tools is the internal impact system. As torque is applied to the screw or drill bit that is spinning in the chuck of the driver, the hammer system inside begins to actuate. With every revolution of the chuck, a small, cammed hammer face within the mechanism is lifted and dropped against the chuck, incrementally hitting it in the desired direction. This increases the amount of torque that is able to be exerted on a screw or drill bit. For heavy construction, regular drill drivers struggle to drive longer screws into materials without a predrill, as the forces of friction acting upon the screw increases as the screw increases in depth into the material. The benefit of the impact driver is that as it begins to meet resistance, the assisted action helps to ease the passage of the screw into the material. This makes the tool an excellent choice for driving screws quickly and without pre-drilling the material. The assisted action also helps to drive larger coach screws without a pilot hole. Impact drivers are also typically smaller and lighter than drill drivers, making them easier to carry around hanging from a toolbelt or pouch. Impact drivers are not always aggressive though, as they can be used to great effect for driving small screws in internal scenarios, as the small screw doesn't engage the assisted action of the driver. The chuck is of the quick releases variety and is designed to take hexagonal shanked bits.
Drill driver
Drill drivers are the most basic form of electric drill technology and are incredibly affordable in modern construction. These drivers typically feature a three-jaw keyless chuck that can receive drill and driver bits. The dual speed, reversible drive is used for driving and removing screws, as well as drilling holes in materials. These cheaper drill driver models feature only these basic abilities but can power their way through most DIY and lightweight construction tasks. Due to the lack of features in comparison to combi drills, these drills are often marketed towards homeowners and DIY’ers. That being said, they’re perfectly appropriate for most carpentry tasks.
Combination drill driver
This type of driver is a more advanced version of the basic drill driver. Boasting more features than the basic model, this electric driver is capable of more niche tasks. Most models feature a handful of different chuck settings that can be adjusted by twisting a selector on the jaw. A clutch system with a range of torque settings can be selected to aid in driving screws. By setting the clutch to a low torque setting, when a screw that is being driven becomes tight the clutch will disengage and prevent the head of the screw from being rounded out. This is useful when installing ironmongery with finished screws that are on show. A drill mode can be selected that overrides the clutch setting, spinning with the maximum torque of the drill. This setting is used for drilling holes in materials that offer a lot of resistance to the spinning bit. A hammer drill function is also typically featured on a combi-drill driver. When selected, a hammer function engages that provides some controlled percussive force to a drill bit that is drilling into hard materials like masonry. Due to advances in technology over the last 20-30 years, these drivers have become very affordable and are the most common choice for drivers on site. This is also due in part to the fact that most established tool brands sell affordable driver kits. A typical kit sees a combi drill and an impact driver, with some batteries and a charger in a case.
Hammer drill / SDS Drill
Hammer drills are drivers that are intended for more heavy duty use when drilling into masonry. In modern construction, these hammer drills have evolved into very compact cordless varieties that are capable of undertaking heavy duty work. Most often these drills feature a slotted drive system (SDS) for receiving the bits. These bits have grooves in their shank that are held in place by ball bearings in the quick release chuck of the drill. The main feature of the hammer drill is to provide heavy, controlled percussive force to the drill bits whilst drilling into concrete or masonry. Recoil springs or floating internals are standard features on modern hammer drills - features that aid in reducing the vibration felt during use. Depth stops are commonly featured too that can be adjusted to depth to drill specific depth holes, such as for installing mechanical anchors in masonry. Alongside the main hammer function of the hammer drill, a number of other settings are often included. Whilst the main feature is the spinning hammer drill function, a static hammer function can be selected for use with chisel bits, turning the hammer drill into a small breaker. The hammer function can also be deselected to use the drill in a normal rotational mode.
Oscillating multitool
Oscillating multitools are an innovative power tool that are practical and highly customizable in application. At its core, the multitool is a handheld power tool that features an oscillating attachment receptacle. Many different attachments can be fitted using a quick release system, and new attachments are being designed and sold all the time. The most common use of a multi tool in carpentry is with a wood blade attachment. These blades are relatively small and possess saw teeth on their cutting edge. When the trigger of the tool is pulled, the oscillating function wiggles the blade very fast from side to side, over an incredibly short radius. Due to this function, cuts can be made in wood and other materials with minimal clearance space. Where handsaws require space for the long motion of the blade, or circular saws require a wide enough area to fit the tool and make the cut, as long as the blade of the multitool can touch the material, it is able to operate. This feature is ideal for making cuts in tight spaces, or directly downwards into materials. A common example would be carefully cutting up floorboards. A circular saw can be run so far up to a wall when doing this, but the cut stops short of the board where the actual body of the saw hits the wall. A multitool is capable of finishing this cut right up to the wall. Due to their handiness and compact size, they are perfect for small tasks as well. I personally find them very useful for cutting plastic components, such as guttering, soffit, fascia, and plastic trims.
Other attachments are available that aid in tasks such as sanding, grinding, polishing, scraping, and many more. More recently on the market, specific cutting heads have made an emergence. For example, box shaped cutters can be used to cut the perfect sized hole for electrical socket back boxes into plasterboard.
Circular saw
Circular saws - often colloquially called “Skil saws” after the brand that popularised them are by far the most commonly used powered saw within site carpentry, especially framing. While other types of powered saw see a fair amount of use, the sheer versatility of the circular saw makes it the most practical tool for general cutting tasks. Traditionally, these tools were pretty simplistic in their construction, lacking the modern safety features that we expect in our tools today. They were also fairly large during their initial introduction, weighing a fair amount and being rather cumbersome. Over the years, advancements in technology have seen these saws get lighter and more manoeuvrable. Developments in cutting technology has seen a plethora of different blades with varying tooth patterns for use in specific applications. Whilst the standard models of circular saws have always been corded even in current construction, the more premium and modern varieties see the implementation of battery power. These varieties are far more convenient in terms of not having to drag a lead around with you. However, these battery saws do lack some of the power that the corded varieties possess, with the batteries being drained fairly quickly during heavy rip cutting activities.
The circular saw itself can be adjusted in a variety of ways, and has a few features that are very convenient, depending on the model. The depth of cut can be adjusted through the use of a locking lever that secures the body of the saw to the plate. When loosened, the plate can be moved up or down in relation to the body of the saw, exposing more or less of the blade. The angle of the cut in relation to the plate can also be quickly adjusted through the use of another lever at the front of the saw. This portion features an engraved scale in degrees in relation to the angle of presentation for ease of setting. Most of these saws feature an attachment point on the plate for a guide rail that can be installed to make consistent rips across materials. A few select models also feature a plate with grooves that can be used in conjunction with the tracks that come with the more application specific plunge saw. This system can be used to great effect to cut very specific and accurate shapes from sheet materials. A spring-loaded blade guard protects the blade from damage during transport, and covers the upper unused portion of the blade during use, protecting the operative from potential harm.
Mitre saw/chop saw
Mitre saws and chop saws have evolved over their lifespan during the last 70 years or so, improving our efficiency within the construction industry and reimagining the ways that we carry out certain procedures. Both of these types of powered saw see a spinning saw blade that is housed within a larger blade guard. As is the case with both saws, the blade housing can be lowered towards the base of the saw to make quick and clean cuts on lengths of timber. The advantage of using one of these saws over any other type of cutting tool is the speed and absolute precision that can be achieved through their use. The base of the saws features a fence that is used to register the timber against and provides a solid surface for the user to manually push the timber into to keep it in place during the cut. The smooth downwards motion of the blade and the small clearance insert of the saw allows for very clean and accurate cuts to be made. This is in contrast to the lack of included support by the chop saw's main competitor, the circular saw, in that neither the workpiece nor the back of the cut is directly supported by this tool. As such, chops saws and mitre saws are the perfect tool for cutting mouldings such as skirting and architrave, as well as many other second fix components.
Whilst it is true that they require more setup than other tools like a circular saw, relying on a stand to mount them, as well as adequate support for cutting longer lengths, taking the time to set up a chop saw station on the job site can help to increase general efficiency.
Chop saws and mitre saws themselves are not identical in their design. Chop saws are not so common in modern construction, as their intentional design is also their downfall. The chop saw is fixed with the blade perpendicular to the fence on the base, with no adjustments able to be made. This means that the chop saw is only capable of making straight 90-degree cuts. On the other hand, the mitre saw, which is often only slightly bigger if not the same size as the chop saw, features a set of adjustments that allow for angled and mitred cuts to be made. The blade and housing are able to pivot both left or right to 45 degrees, and often a little more than that. This allows for mitres to be cut on mouldings, as well as angled top cuts for rafters. Additionally, mitre saws are also commonly able to fold over sideways to around 45 degrees as well, allowing for angled cuts to be made on components that won’t lie on the base of the saw in the correct orientation. For example, when cutting mitres on a small mitre saw, even common 4” skirting won’t stand up fully against the fence to be cut conventionally. In this instance, it must be laid down flat on the base and cut with the blade tilted to 45 degrees. The final benefit of this double adjustment system is that they can both be set to a specific angle at the same time in order to make compound cuts. This is perfect for making light work of cutting jack rafters, as well as any number of other desired compound angles.
As is the case with most modern power tools, the standard models sold by manufacturers are corded, and in the UK requires the use of a 110v transformer plugged into the 240v main power. Whilst the more expensive battery powered saws are always more convenient manoeuvrability wise, I would argue that for most carpenters the corded models are just fine. These saws are static in operation and are always set up in a designated workspace. Running power to these areas is often no hardship, unless in very specific circumstances. If this is a common occurrence then investing in a battery powered system is probably sensible, otherwise the drawbacks of the battery system outweigh their benefits.
Nail guns
Within the construction industry, few innovations can be compared to the effect produced by the introduction of the nail gun in terms of speed and efficiency. The creation of the nail gun almost immediately changed the way that timber construction operations were carried out, especially in North America. Most commonly powered by pressurised air through a hose attached to a compressor, the nail gun is capable of instantly sinking a variety of nails, up to around 90mm in length. Whilst skilled carpenters are able to sink nails rapidly, no one is capable of matching the speed of a nail gun with the use of a hammer. Not to mention the lack of needing to set the nail or the possibility of missing it when striking with the hammer.
As mentioned, the classic style of nail gun requires the use of an air compressor connected to a hose. For larger scale framing projects this is not really a problem, and the mechanical/pneumatic operation of these guns makes them very reliable. More modern nail guns have moved away from these hoses, utilising battery power in combination with replaceable or captive gas cylinders. For the most part these guns are comparable in effect to the classic styles, with the main drawback being the increased likelihood of mechanical faults due to the more complex mechanism within. Modern batteries last fairly long in these guns, with the replaceable gas cartridges also lasting up to over 1000 nails fired. These guns see much use in carpentry and framing tasks, such as nailing together studs and installing sheathing.
However, the use of nail gun nails in structural roofing applications, at least in the UK, is becoming dubious. The resistance to draw out of a nail gun nail is less than that of a wider shank wire nail. A combination of poor workmanship and regularly updated building regulations are leading to some companies and sites opting not to use nail guns for these structural applications. Components such as rafters and joists than are solely fixed with nail gun nails can pull apart over time, far more so than those nailed in the traditional fashion.
Whilst these primary “first fix” nail guns see the most utilisation in larger scale framing operations, smaller “second fix” nail guns see extensive use in interior second fix and finishing applications. These smaller guns are capable of firing thin gauge brad nails for use in installing skirting and architrave, as well as pinning panelling and forming airing cupboard shelves.
Additionally, specially designed hanger nailers are available for use with nailing timber hangers. This special adaptation of the framing nailer sees a modified tip for receiving into the holes in metal hangers. The magazine comfortably holds special twist nails on strips that make light work of nailing the otherwise laborious timber hangers onto timber surfaces.
Most nail guns are fed via strips of nails that receive into either a straight or drum style magazine.
Concrete guns
Concrete guns are a nail gun variant that are used for firing hardened nails directly into masonry and through steels. These guns are used to quickly and effectively secure fastenings through softer materials such as wood and into masonry to fasten them together. The original design utilizes small calibre “blank” ammunition to propel the nail out of the tool. This type of tool is still available today and is cost effective for its purpose. A special fixing with a sleeve around it is placed into the “barrel” of the tool, with a propellent being installed behind it in the action. When the tool is closed and the back end is stuck with a hammer, the firing pin activates the shell and forces the nail out of the barrel incredibly fast and into a hard substrate. This type of tool is also capable of firing these nails through steel beams, making them an excellent choice for securely fastening timber to them.
In more recent years, battery powered, gas pressurised nail guns have entered the market. Whilst these guns are not as powerful as the traditional type, they are perfectly apt for concrete fastening, taking advantage of modern nail gun technology. Strip of nails can be loaded into the magazine of the gun like conventional nail guns, significantly increasing the speed of installation in comparison to the single shot traditional style. This type of gun can be very expensive though but is worth the investment if regular concrete fixing operations are carried out. It goes without saying that these tools have the potential to be very dangerous if used incorrectly.
Rail saws
Rail saws, also called track saws, are circular saws that are specifically adapted for use with guide rails. Whilst regular circular saws can be used for a variety of free hand tasks, rail saws are designed with more utility and features in the pursuit of precision. The base of the saw is adapted to run along a rail that can be laid on a workpiece to make accurate straight cuts. Specially designed depth stops can be set in place on these saws to achieve certain outcomes. A stop can be set to a distance of half the thickness of the material that is being cut. A small switch can be flicked to set the saw to “scoring mode”, a setting in which the blade only cuts to a few millimetres’ depth. When considering these features, tasks such as cutting down doors or other finished materials like kitchen components comes to mind. A scoring cut can be made in an accurate line, so as not to chip out the finished surface. The depth stop can be activated to cut halfway through the material to reduce the stress of the blade and create a cleaner cut. The stop can then be quickly removed to make the final cut through the material. Overall, these tools are intended for precision cutting. Some models feature built in rails that are permanently attached. These saws can be very quickly aligned with the cut for faster cutting procedures of smaller components like kitchen panels. Whilst useful for the intended tasks, they’re more of a luxury item for general carpenters, and more of a specialist tool for those that really need it.
Reciprocating saw
The reciprocating saw is a fast and aggressive type of powered saw that is capable of making quick cuts in hard-to-reach places. The blades come in a variety of styles, with options for cutting wood and metal, as well as other materials. The blades slot into the end of the saw and reciprocate very fast, allowing the body of the tool to remain static whilst the cut is made. The slender nature of the tool and the blade in combination with the single plane of travel of the blade makes it an excellent tool for making cuts in hard-to-reach areas. The metal blades can be used to great effect to remove nails or other metal hardware and are even capable of cutting through RSJ beams. Aggressive toothed wood blades are excellent for fast demolition work, being used to cut out joists and rafters in roofs that are being removed. The drawback to this tool is that the cutting action is very hard to accurately control. A straight cut can be achieved, though not with the absolute precision offered by a circular saw or chop saw. Care should be taken when operating these saws, as they are very aggressive. The stabbing motion of the blade can also throw oneself off of balance if the trigger is pulled with the blade out of alignment in the cut. This can be especially dangerous when operating a saw of this type at height. Other various forms of blades can be purchased for speciality exercises, such as cutting masonry or scraping paint and wallpaper.
Electric planer
This tool is the modern evolution of the traditional hand plane and can be used to great effect to speed up the process of certain activities on site. The tool features a flat sole, similar to a hand plane, but with a pair of rotating cutters in lieu of a typical cutting edge. The blades spin at incredible speeds and are most often made from tungsten carbide. These blades can be sharpened, though it is typically more cost effective to buy replacements. The rotating cutters can be adjusted for depth, up to around 2 mm in thickness, depending on the make and model. On the deepest setting, the electric plane is capable of removing far more material per pass than a standard hand plane, whilst also leaving a smooth finish, making it an excellent choice for rapid but precise material removal. The spinning blades also make light and tidy work of removing undulating grain and knots, something that even a freshly sharpened hand plane may struggle with. As such, electric planers are fantastic tools on site for planing doors or removing high spots in timber components such as joists. The fast and sharp cutters of the plane can shoot a door in with a few consistent passes, ignoring any difficult areas with knots. Most planers come with an attachable fence that can be used for more accurate alignment when planing work pieces. The downside to using these tools instead of the more traditional method is the mess, with the electric planer ejecting much more dust and chips into the air than standard hand plane shavings. This can be negated with the use of appropriate extraction, however. It also goes without saying that the spinning cutter on the blade is incredibly dangerous if used incorrectly, and both hands should remain on the tool at all times to keep them clear of the cutter.
Routers
Handheld routers are a staple tool for the effective and rapid creation of profiles and mouldings in modern woodworking. In addition to this, they are effective tools for rapidly yet accurately removing waste material. The design of a router in short is a high-speed motor that is capable of spinning a chuck at extremely high speeds. The chuck is capable of receiving router bits in a myriad of different profiles. The depth of the bits can be adjusted incrementally in relation to the fixed base plate of the router. When turned on, the router bit spins and can be presented to the wood in order to remove the material. Straight cutters can be installed in the chuck that are used for removing surface material from the timber. In site carpentry, this feature is often used for neatly and accurately routing out hinges and other ironmongery on doors and finished components. A fence and adjustable depth stop are also common features on modern routers. Additionally, most routers feature a plunge setting that can be used to safely lower the cutter directly onto the timbers surface. Cutters with guide bearings on them can be used in combination with profile jigs to aid in specific tasks, such as cutting out hinges. The diagram shows a handful of the most common router bit profiles.
Jig saw
Jig saws are a powered saw that are used to great effect in carpentry, especially second fix operations. Whilst some tools can be substituted for others in certain scenarios, the tasks that call for the use of a jig saw are really best achieved with only this tool, oftentimes the only tool that can achieve the desired outcome. The jigsaw itself features a thin blade that travels up and down very fast when the trigger of the tool is pulled. Due to the thin blade and short stroke of the cut, the tool is very good for cutting curves, especially in the centre of boards and sheet materials. By drilling a small hole anywhere in a countertop or sheet material, the thin blade of the jigsaw can be inserted to start the cut, without having to enter from the side of the material. This tool is suitable for cutting circles or odd shapes in sheet materials. These tools are also generally quite compact, making them a good choice for making powered cuts in tight areas. A good example of this would be cutting birds mouths in situ on existing rafters when carrying out loft conversion. Typically, the space is too small or tight to get other types of powered saw in there.
Biscuit jointers
Biscuit jointers are a clever tool designed in the 1950’s as an efficient and speed effective method of aligning and joining lengths of timber together in joinery applications. The tool features a wide circular blade that is protected by the body of the tool. An adjustable depth setting can be used to move the height of the cut up or down in relation to the reference surface of the timber. With the tool located in place at the correct height and placed on the length of timber, it can be switched on. The handle of the tool is plunged into the timber under spring tension, projecting the blade of the tool slightly out of the body in a short and shallow radius. This creates a smooth and consistent rounded slot in the edge of the timber. This slot is half the profile of an off the shelf “biscuit”. These biscuits are oval shaped inserts made from composite timber products, typically some form of hardboard. As mentioned, when inserted in the slot, half of the biscuit will fit, and half is left exposed. When two lengths of timber have biscuit gouges cut into them, using the same depth setting on the tool, a biscuit placed in both of the holes keeps both lengths of timber perfectly aligned with each other. This aids in maintaining perfect alignment of timbers during a gluing operation.
In a more realistic application, two lengths of the same sized timber may be laid next to each other on a surface. The timbers are marked out identically to denote the location of the biscuits. Each timber is machined with the tool, resulting in two identical layouts but oppositely machined lengths. Glue can then be applied to the inside surface of the joint, as well as in the biscuit holes. The biscuits are inserted into their holes of one length, with the other length of timber being pushed into them afterwards. When clamping pressure is applied to the joint, the biscuits prevent the top edge of the timbers from sliding out of alignment with each other.
As an aside, similar tools are available on the market that perform in the same way, but drill holes for standard sized dowels instead.
Sanders
Electric sanders are a staple tool used in the modern finishing process of more refined workpieces. Traditionally, sandpaper was used by hand to smooth the surface of timber workpieces, as well as the use of other hand tools such as planes and card scrapers. Whilst these methods are still perfectly acceptable, the large availability and versatility of electric sanders allows for the finishing process to be sped up considerably. Through the use of powered sanders, the physical labour requirement is reduced also, in comparison to hand sanding. In both workshop and site applications, the speed at which tasks can be performed is greatly increased, without suffering any negative drawbacks in terms of quality. There are many different forms of electric sander, and so here we will briefly cover the pertinent points of the most common varieties.
Belt sander
Handheld belt sanders are a portable form of the larger static workshop belt sander machines. These handheld tools feature a sandpaper belt that runs continuously around rollers, with a wide flat surface on the underside of the tool. The tool is held flat on the surface of a material as the belt spins, removing material from the surface of the timber. As with all sanders, the belts come in many different grits, for use in applications at the varying stages of the finishing process. Due to the large range of movement and wide area of the belt of these sanders, they are useful for the quick removal of material over large areas when using more aggressive grits. This sander is best used following the grain of the timber, as the aggressive bite of the belt can create a rough surface when operated across the grain.
Random orbital sander
Random orbital sanders are the most common and portable style of modern sanders, being well suited to most sanding applications. Modern battery powered varieties are especially light and convenient. The sander features a circular base and takes circular sanding discs. When turned on, the base and sanding disc spins around in a continuous direction. As the sander spins, the base also vibrates around the central axis. This feature helps to randomise the scratch pattern that is left as we work our way through the grits. Through these randomised scratch patterns, a finer finish is achieved. In site applications, they can quickly be brought out to carry out less intense sanding operations. In the workshop, the randomised function of the sander makes it the perfect tool for high grit finishing. Dust collection attachments are commonly available to reduce the number of particulates that escape into the air.
Vibrating sander
These sanders are an effective surface finishing tool that are used in the final stages of the sanding process. They feature a vibrating base plate that creates a small scratch pattern. When used with a fine grit, the small scratch pattern creates a smooth surface finish. Pointed “detail” vibrating sanders feature a narrow tip that allows for sanding into corners. This is useful when trying to sand components that are fixed in place or in tight spaces.