Posted: 5/15/2008 9:50:37 AM EDT
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I have stored tons of nails/screws/fasteners. Also have purchased the following: Hammers, sledge, etc. Hand Drill 2 man saw Hand saws Augers Axe Splitting maul and wedges Block and Tackle Wrecking/pry bars Obviously need to start storing some lumber/plywood. What essentials am I missing for hand tools? ETA: I have a full set of "regular" tools. I'm asking about specific "hand powered" tools for SHTF. Stuff out of the ordinary that I may need, like the hand drill |
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Watch the documentary "Alone in the Wilderness" with Richard Proennke. That ought to give you a really good idea of what it will really take. Oh, and he had support coming in from the outside world thanks to bush pilots and visitors to his cabin. Even with that support what he did was amazing. J. |
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Safety glasses of course! Gloves if you’re not used to working with your hands can extend your workday by a large margin. I really like the Mechanix brand for dexterity and a tough leather for cleanup type work. If I had to respond to a disaster a Dewalt (or your fav brand) cordless drill, circular and reciprocating saw, would be at the top of my list with an inverter or 12 volt charger. Extra batteries for them. Vise grips Channel locks Assorted crescent wrenches Pipe Wrenches Hack saw and blades Carpenters pencil Chisels Screw drivers Socket sets Open end wrenches Chalk line Speed square Some other non-tool items that are handy in a tool box: Dust masks Duct tape, bailing wire etc Waterless hand cleaner Gatorade powder Light source (multiple) - SHTF seems to happen when it’s dark. Tapcon screws can be really handy if you have alot of masonry construction to deal with. Never can have to many good extension cords if there’s an electric source around. A come-along and tractor jack can be handy for lots of disaster chores. ETA: Wheel barrow or cart and a good tool belt can really help you get more work done in the same time frame. Zip ties |
I've got a lot of my wife's Grandpa's and Great Grandpa's tools, as well as a couple generations of my own people's, and you'd be surprised but many have homemade handles. Heck ,even alot of the tools are homemade. (blacksmith in the family  )I literally have tools that I have no clue as to what they did. A barrel of soldering irons, from back when you HAD to keep 'em in the fire! You can NEVER have too many quality tools. |
That's what you want the drawing knife for. It's great for fitting handles quick.. |
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Books: Electrical Plumbing Masonry Carpenty: Framing, sheathing and Roofing IF your church group has a work party for elderly folks home repairs, jump in. Prybars, sledges and wrecking hammers, as many assorted lengths and weights as you can afford. Tarps...lots of assorted tarps, the silver ones are really nice, the blue ones...not so much. Think about a generator and a supply of fuel stabilizer. You can run a compressor off it with a framing gun. I'm considering a solar panel to recharge cordless tool batteries. I've been in home remodeling since 1980, I am amazed by how little some folks can do, not talking about making cabinets but JEEEEEZE, change a plug, plane a sticky door, replace a light fixture...it's just common sense stuff. About 5 years ago I started working as the "helper" for my subs. I learned to measure and cut pipe, after A while I learned to solder. Run wire, hang lights...I know how to do this stuff but I wanted more "trigger time" with my hand tools. Setting cabinets is actually fun once you get over the fact you can ruin a $25K set of cabinets IF you don't think first. Pete |
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I personally have some diamond stones for common sharpening of stuff that does not need to be super duper perfect. And these days that is most of my stuff since they can get things pretty darn sharp. Diamond stones that are credit card sized can be held still for sharpening small things like pocket knives and moved over large edges like an ax edge or something. I picked up a huge set of drill bits and driver bits at sam's a year or two ago for 50 bucks, I think it has 500 pieces to it or so. A lot of the drill bits are duplicates and I actually have a drill doctor to resharpen stuff as well. But the screw driver bits of all sorts of types are darn useful and I normally use a socket and ratchet for these when I need more torque than a screw driver might offer. |
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Sickles can be very useful. We have a couple and are trying to make one via blacksmithing. I've already made a couple of screwdrivers, a hive tool, a prybar (iron was a little weak, will have to try something stronger) knife and some lid lifters for dutch ovens. And yes, we keep hand tools, just like to be able to make/repair some of the more important stuff also. FWIW, I didn't appreciate "good" tools until I lived on the homestead for a while. |
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A one or two man crosscut saw is great if you don't have a chain saw. Traditional Woodworker |
You need no other tools then an ax and a saw. And the saw is optional. Buy the DVD showing what Richard could do, you will be amazed. |
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i'll take a little bit diferent approach, but technically they are tools and they are for your hands/ are handy, and haven't been touched on at all yet... Needles, handy from everything from sewing to sutuering etc, and are actully one of the more delicate and harder things to fabricate quality versions of, on your own. besides you can put a bunch away now for very little money. check the $1 stores, they often have different "sets" of needles(reg small sewing needles, larger industrial needles, and even the apolstry/canvas/leather needles), for the great price of $1... also as a trained blacksmith(well kinda, i didn't complete, but did a good portion of a journeyman's blacksmithing program, my teacher was a menonite[if you don't know, think more progressive amish] and as a break from normal studies, taught us a LOT about smithing as part of a welding/fabrication/metal working vocational course through 11-12th grade, and i was eventully offered a couple different jobs from a journeyman gig at historic Williamsburg Va, to teaching at Lynhoksin hi-adventure B.S.A. scout camp etc.). some how i ended up in the service industry, but i can +1 a way to bend, beat, heat, harden, anneal, shape, sharpen, etc. metal. you can make danm near anything once you have a hammer, anvil, forge, and a little practice.... |
| C-clamps, bar clamps and the "Quick Grip" clamps come in handy when doing work by yourself. |
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i picked a FuBar up today. i gotta say even though it was $40 from home depot, this is one hell of a SHTF tool. if you needed to get into, or out of a building of any kind you could do it with one of these. among other things. http://www.stanleytools.com/catalog_images/mid_res/55-099_mid_res.jpg |
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Great list! I would add a spoke shave to go with the drawing knife. It can be very handy, especially for making, fitting smaller pieces. Having grown up in "baling-wire-will-fix-anything country," but several spools (over even several coiled feet) of small gauge wire could be quite useful. On my dream list would be some cordless dremel tool with a solar charger. On that note, solar-powered electric fence charger with insulators and wire to keep critters in (or out). The electric fence could also be of some use in setting up a perimeter. |
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In order to help keep the handles of your axe's and maul's and such in good working order. 1) drill a 1/4" hole around 1-2 inches deep in the end of the handle. 2) set the tool on end and fill the hole w/ RAW linseed oil. 3) chk. the level every day or two and fill as required. 4) after a week or two it will stop "taking" the oil. the oil will be drawn into the wood via capillary action. after a time the entire handle will be "full" of the oil. the linseed oil will harden, both strengthening and protecting the handles. I've gotten good results w/ this including the handle of my cheapie chinese tools/ P.S. do not forget to sand off the varnish on your tool handles. |
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To tie several responses together as it were: My father would hold anything together with baling wire I try to hold everything together with good duct tape But am now often using zip ties as the baling wire of the 21st century - except on the exhaust of the Model A  SHTF -- I would like quantities of all three. Along this whole line, Lehman''s is a wishbook of this kind of products. Lehman's HardwareSome of the Ohio guys will be by shortly to validate that. Saw a recomendation earlier for a cross cut saw -- a rip saw is equaly useful sometimes. I do have both. 
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Check these garden hoes out. They make them from old disk blades. I haven't ordered any yet, but plan to very soon. Rogue Hoes |