How To Care for Hand

Tools
Professionals neglect to maintain their 
hand tools, too, but these tools are
expensive, and they are your babies. If
you take care of them now, they will
stay by your side in the long run.
 Clean your hand tools after every
project for better performance and
lifespan. If you want to clean your
hand tools professionally, buy a gun
cleaning kit. You will find the tools
necessary to clean pretty much any
hand tool you have.
Storing Hand
Tools
• Storing tools the right way is very
important. Each tool that you buy comes
in its own case. Don’t discard the cases.
Rather, use them to store your tools. 
Cleaning Your
Tools

• You can clean your hand tools

with soap and water. After
you have cleaned them, use a
dry rag to get all your tools
dry.
• Cleaning is probably the most
important part of maintaining
your hand tools. Clean your
tools every time you end a
project. And other than that,
clean your tools every month.
Sharpening

• You can sharpen your tools using sandpaper, 

water stones, or diamonds. The easiest and
cheapest way is to go with sandpaper.
Lubrication

• Lubrication is important when it comes to

hand tools. It makes the tools easy to use
and lasts longer.
• Tools with rubbing parts wear out quickly.
You need to maintain them with good
machine oil. Make sure that you get all the
moving parts.
Inspecting Hand Tools

• Inspect your hand tools regularly even if

you are not working with them for a long
time. You should check for splintering
and cracks on handles and early rusting
on your tools.
Splintering and Cracks on the Handle

• If you have splintering and cracks on your wooden

handles, sand them down. Next, apply some linseed oil
on the smooth surface. However, if the cracks are too
big, it’s time to replace them. An accident over a
broken handle is not worth it.
Rust

• Your metal tools are prone to rust and need proper maintenance. Make
sure that you oil your tools regularly. Other than that, use silica gel
packs. They are moisture absorbers and prevent rusting.
Stick To The Manual

• Every tool comes with a

manual. Make sure that you
follow each manual when it
comes to storage, cleaning,
and maintenance. This is very
important for both regular
hand tools and power tools. If
you don’t have your own tools
and equipment, you can 
check here for tool rental.
Direction. In the
graphic organizer
below, write down
your learnings in
proper storing of
hand tools
Directions. Write True if the underlined word is correct, if it is False
change the underlined word to make the statement correct. Write your
answer on a separate sheet
• _____________1. Put the tools on the ground directly for storage.
_____________2. Check for damage or flaws as you do your cleaning.
_____________3. A power tool storage rack is a smart solution for
keeping your power tools organized if you are in a crunch for space.
• _____________ 4. Make sure the location is unprotected from
disruptive factors if you put an instrument in its storage location.
• _____________ 5. Keep measuring instruments stored in a place as
far away as possible from vibration and movement if your work is in a
setting where vibration is an issue.
Types of Tool Boxes for
Storing and Transporting
Your Tools
• Also called a toolkit, workbox and a tool chest, a toolbox
(or toolbox) refer to a container used for storing items
such as wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, hammer,
axe, drill machines, and other hardware tools.
Aluminum

• Aluminum is employed in the

construction of tool boxes for the same
reason that it is used in making all
modern airplanes – it is strong and
lightweight.
• Besides being a sturdy and durable
material, aluminum is often preferred
for making various types of tool boxes
because it does not corrode and
therefore will not deteriorate for a
significantly large time period. 
Steel

• After aluminum, steel is the second most

widely used substance for making truck
tool boxes. Although these toolboxes are
heavier than the aluminum tool boxes of
equivalent size, capacity, and dimensions,
they offer other advantages that are not
really achievable through the use of
aluminum.
• For instance, steel is tougher than
aluminum and therefore, it can bear more
weight as well as resist dents and other
damages caused while storing, shifting,
arranging and retrieving the tools from the
box. 
Stainless Steel

• These boxes are made from a special

‘stainless’ steel alloy and are true
‘premium’ tool kits that will stay as
good as new even after years of usage.
• They cost more than the alternatives
because they are highly resistant to
oxidization and will,
therefore, never rust or corrode,
literally!
Plastic

• Plastic tool boxes come close in

competition to stainless steel kits in the
sense that they too will never corrode.
However, it goes without saying that
these boxes are far less durable than any
of the above three types.
• Toolboxes made from plastic are usually
preferred by homeowners as these are
not only economical but are also easily
available in a wide range of various
shapes and sizes that fit the different
needs of different users. 
Wooden

• If you see wooden toolboxes used in

garages, by window cleaners or other
workers, it is highly likely that they will
be an open-style tool holder that
features a handle for carrying it around
but does not have any lid. This is in
usually done to ease accessibility and
more so to reduce the weight of the box.
Common
Types of Tool
Boxes
Hand-Carry

• They come as a compact box with a

handle for carrying it around. Hand-
carry toolboxes are normally made from
plastic as it is the lightest material
available.
Stationary Drawer-Style

• As is evident by the name, these

toolboxes feature drawers to neatly store
all the tools and other relevant
equipment. Unlike portable tool boxes,
stationary toolboxes do not consist of
wheels to move them around easily. 
Roll-Around

• Roll-around tool boxes are usually sold in an upright

design and consist of pull-out drawers whereas there
is also a lid-style compartment at the top. You can
think of these toolboxes as a chest-of-drawers
mounted on wheels.
Roll-Around Tool Boxes with
Workbench

• These toolboxes are quite similar to the

standard roll-around toolboxes except that
instead of a covered compartment at the
top, these chests have a plain surface at
the top which serves as a workstation.
Portable Trolley-Style

• Normally made using high-density

plastic, these toolboxes are as versatile as
a toolbox can be. Not only are they light
in weight, but they are also completely
portable and can be rolled to wherever
you like. They are compact and flexible
plus the trolley-style design makes them
easier to move around. They come with
four wheels or sometimes only two as this
provides greater stability (when the box is
supposed to stay stationary).
Organizer Sets

• These relatively small tool boxes are

more of an organizer kit that craftsmen
can use to safely store tiny hardware
items such as nails, screws, pins and other
similar items. These sets can be used on
their own or housed inside a proper
toolbox so that you have all the items
handy when you work.
Truck-Mounted

• Designed specially to fit on trucks or similar

vehicles, these toolboxes are useful for
carrying essential tools on the move.
• These are not only used by truck drivers, but
also by several other drivers who own a
large utility vehicle or often travel to remote
and distant areas.
• Truck-mounted tool boxes are usually made
of aluminum or steel for durability but you
can also get plastic ones if weight is an
issue. They come will special bolts and
hinges and just need to be fixed in the
proper place.