Screwdrivers and screws come in many sizes. Use the proper size driver for the screw.
Screws and nuts are often very tight and will not come loose easily. Several techniques
can be used to loosen the screw. Clean the head of the screw. Place a proper size screwdriver
firmly in the screw head and give a quick snap of the wrist. This often will loosen
an otherwise impossible screw. If the screw still will not loosen, tap the end of the screwdriver
handle with a hammer, and then try again with a snap of the wrist to loosen the
screw. Apply torque to the screwdriver while tapping it with the hammer. Apply a penetrating
oil or solvent and allow it to soak, and then try again to loosen the screw. If the
screw has been set with a varnish, shellac, or other substance to prevent loosening, heat it
with a soldering iron, and then try to loosen it while it is still warm.
Needle-nose pliers are not made for use as a wrench or spanner to tighten or loosen
bolts and nuts. In general, pliers are not manufactured to use as spanners. They mark up
the nuts and bolts so that a proper spanner will no longer fit.
Wire-cutting diagonal pliers should not be used to cut steel wire or small screws and
bolts. The jaws are not made to cut materials harder than copper alloys. Special cutting
pliers are made to cut steel.
There are many different type of hammers. The reason is that each type is designed to
be used for a particular purpose. Certain hammers are designed to be used to strike steel,
while others are made to pound nails. Pounding steel with a hammer that is designed for pounding nails is very dangerous, as the head could shatter or chip, tossing bits of the
steel hammer head about. Workers have been blinded by use of the wrong hammer.