By Jon Eakes
The Tools of DemolitionAlmost all renovations start with removing the old, so since this issue of Home BUILDER concentrates on renovations, I thought I would seek out some of the front-line tools: the tools of demolition.
Renovation
gloves
What better place to start than with the greatest new gloves on the market
from Irwin? They set about making a pair of gloves specifically for demolition.
What they came up with was good flexibility and breathing by combining various
different materials, leaving the joints to flex perfectly while doubling and
tripling stress points like finger tips, palms and even the backside of your
thumb! I guess they simply studied where all regular gloves wear through and
then beefed them up. Best of all, rather than follow the traditional flared
cuff, they went for an elastic arm cuff that gently but effectively keeps
dust and debris out of the glove, just like snow gloves keep out the snow.
I can't wait to try them out on a plaster and lathe removal job.
Wrecking
bar
They call them "wrecking bars" because they were not meant for gentle
persuasion. They come in all sizes but, for each size, they are heavy and
made for abuse. To some extent, they can even be used as sledge hammers, but
the rebound on the wrists is not nice. At least one big one - two to three
feet long - is a necessity when simple brawn is needed over brains.
Nail
claw
Designed similar to the wrecking bar is the "nail claw". Where the
short end of the wrecking bar is built for strength, not finesse, the nail
claw is a bit more refined and is limited specifically to getting under and
pulling nails where your hammer ears don't fit well. It is often used just
to pull the nail up high enough to grab it properly with either a hammer or
the wrecking bar.
Claw
bar
When you start working with trim and other material where you actually want to save the wood, the "claw bar" comes into play. This is actually a machined tool and, although it comes in different sizes, it is generally under a foot long. The machined foot is specifically designed to be hit with a hammer, allowing the sharpened claws to cut into the wood to get under the head of a nail, often a finishing nail. When you can't pry something apart and pull the finishing nails through the back side, this is the tool that will grab a nail head with the least damage possible to the wood.
Wonder
bar
The "wonder bar" has been around for a long time and, although it does not have the strength or the leverage of a wrecking bar, it is an incredibly versatile tool. Its wide but thin configuration makes it a good pry bar. Both ends pull nails in a manner similar to a wrecking bar. The fulcrum point curve makes it a great lifter for raising things into place with either arm pressure or foot pressure - quite similar to a dedicated drywall lifter. Because of its lifting and prying functions, it is good to purchase the wonder bar in pairs; one holds things while the other goes in deeper.
New
demolition blade
Of course, we couldn't
talk about demolition without talking about reciprocating saws, or at least
about their blades. Bi-metal blades are the norm for these saws: high temper
steel in the centre sandwiched by flexible softer steel on either side to
give the cutting edge lasting power while preventing the brittleness that
would snap the blade easily.
Now Lenox has come out with what it calls the "Demolition Blade".
What the company has done is add a coating of titanium to the cutting edge
- that gold stripe on the teeth. The combination of three different metals
allows Lenox to claim it is the longest-lasting blade on the market. I found
it impressive as I cut through nail after nail just to test it.
Demolition utility
knife
Lenox put that same titanium
gold strip technology to utility knife blades to give them extra life when
working in the difficult environment of demolition. In addition, they put
out a special knife. The gold rim on the front of the knife is not just advertising
- it is a sturdy metal hoop through which the blade passes, totally eliminating
the sidewise pressure we often put on the clam shell structure of these knives.
Working hard with this knife will never cause the handle to pop open. They
have incorporated their slide-forward-then-to-the-right technique for easy
blade removal and insertion, which really works once you get the knack of
it. You only open the clam shell for access to the blade storage.
HB
Montreal-based TV broadcaster, author, home renovation and tool expert
Jon Eakes provides a tool feature in each edition of Home BUILDER.
www.JonEakes.com