Youth Explore Trades Skills

Automotive Service Technician

Hand Tools and Power Tools

Lesson Outcomes
The student will be able to:
• Identify a variety of hand tools and power tools and describe their purpose, application and
how they are operated in a safe and proper manner.
• A wide variety of tools should be introduced at this time. The more exposure and the
sooner students get to experience new tools, the more interest students will develop.
• Most tools taught in this Activity Plan will be determined by the teacher, based on previous
teacher experience and relevant courses taken by the students.

Assumptions
• Students will have little or no previous knowledge or experience with any of the tools being
introduced to them.
• The teacher is proficient in the safe and proper operation of all of the tools being taught.

Terminology
Any terminology related to the tools being introduced will be taught to the students as it is
required during the lesson.

Estimated Time
30–60 minutes

Recommended Number of Students

20, based on the BC Technology Educators’ Best Practice Guide

Facilities
It is recommended that this activity be taught in a facility where there is sufficient room for all the
tools and for the students to move around freely.

Students are generally unaware of the dangers in handling some tools for the first time,
especially air- or electrically-operated tools. Therefore adequate space is a primary concern for
safety.

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Tools
This may be a review lesson for some students, and may include new information for others. A
wide variety of tools should be introduced at this time:
• Hammers of different types and styles: ball peen, brass, rubber and plastic
• Screwdrivers, punches, files, chisels, wrenches (including adjustable and pipe wrenches)
• Electric drills, angle grinders, rotary drills (Dremel), metal shears
• Air tools including impact wrenches, air drills, air hammers
• Sockets: deep, standard and impact
• Ratchets with different-sized drives: ¼”, ⅜", ½", ¾"
• Hacksaw
• Safety glasses

Materials
Handouts of tool descriptions and images with most common names are attached.

Resources
Most manuals and shop textbooks have sections on tools with images and explanations of use.

Adjustable Wrenches
Information on adjustable wrenches
[Link]

Toolmanship: Your Complete Guide to Wrenches (The Art of Manliness)

[Link]/2013/03/05/toolmanship-your-complete-guide-to-wrenches/

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Automotive Service Technician Hand Tools and Power Tools

Activity
1. Workstations should be set up with a variety of similar tools grouped together. Have
students identify them by name and then explain how they are used.
2. Handouts should be given for students to make notes and connect the names as they see
the tools.
3. Power tools can also be identified the same way if specific stations are set up for power
tools.
4. During this activity, additional reinforcement should be given on the use of safety glasses
when operating power tools or when striking two metal objects together—such as hammer
and a punch.
5. Specific tasks can be given at a station that is related to a tool. [Marking out a scribe line
when introducing a scribe, for making a centre punch mark at an intersection of a piece of
metal.]
6. Cutting a small piece of metal with a hacksaw, and then filing the edges smooth would add
a practical component to a hacksaw lesson and introducing a file.

Evaluation Guidelines
• Evaluation of a skill can be connected to marking a handout filled out by a student.
• Handout sheets with tool names deleted can be reworked into tests.
• Cards with tool names written on them can be used for students to select the tools and
describe or demonstrate how to use them.
• Accuracy of layout marks with a scribe and centre punch mark.

Notes on Tools
Torx screwdriver: found on newer cars (1990 and above). Do not confuse a torx screw with the
Phillips screw, as you will strip the screw head.

Brass, rubber and plastic hammers: often called soft face hammers. Use only when you don’t
want to damage the surface of something. A steel ball-peen hammer will damage, dent or chip
soft metals like aluminum, tin and sheet metal.
• A brass hammer is often used when removing an aluminum cylinder head.
• A rubber or plastic hammer is used when installing a hubcap.

Wrenches (all types): whenever possible, pull on a wrench—rather than push—for more
control in case the wrench slips or the bolt breaks. It’s easier to recover body position in a pull
situation.

Crescent (adjustable) wrenches: the solid jaw should be on the pull side of the nut rather than
the loose adjustable jaw, to prevent slippage.

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Oil filter wrenches: there is a large variety of oil filter wrenches because oil filters come in
three basic diameters but can be awkwardly placed.

Files: do not tap files together or against other hard objects as they are brittle and will break.

Sockets: only use impact sockets when using an impact gun. They are stronger than regular
sockets and will not crack.

Electric tools and extension cords: always think about where these are placed. Water
dripping from cars can create pools, leading to electrical shock.

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Photos of Hand Tools and Power Tools

Tools
This may be a review lesson for some students and may include new information for others. A
wide variety of tools should be introduced at this time.

Hammers

Figure 1—Ball-peen hammer

Figure 2—Brass hammer

Figure 3—Rubber hammer

Figure 4—Plastic hammer

Figure 5—Dead blow hammer

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Screwdrivers

Slotted Phillips® Robertson® Torx®

Figure 6—Types of screwdrivers

Handle
Shank Ferrule
Blade Head
Tip

Figure 7—Parts of a screwdriver

Figure 8—Stubby screwdriver

Figure 9—Assorted screwdrivers

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Automotive Service Technician Hand Tools and Power Tools

Figure 10—Centre punch

Figure 11—Brass punch

Figure 12—Drift punches

Figure 13—Taper alignment punch

Files

End view Half-round file

End view Flat file

Figure 14—File types

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Point Edge Face Heel

Tang

Length

Figure 15—Parts of a file

Figure 16—Files with tapered and blunt end

Teeth of a File
The teeth of a file are cut before the file has been tempered and hardened. There are three
types of cuts: single, double and curved. As well, there are various grades of coarseness
including rough, bastard and smooth. Figure 13 shows the cuts and file grades.

Single-cut Double-cut Curved tooth

Rough cut Bastard cut Smooth cut

Figure 17—Types of file teeth and degrees of coarseness

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Metal ferrule

Wooden handle Plastic handle

Figure 18—File handles

Figure 19—Proper filing technique

Figure 20—Draw filing

Figure 21—Storing files

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Chisels

Figure 22—Cold chisel

Flat chisels

Diamond-point chisel

Cape chisel

Figure 23—Types of chisels

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Automotive Service Technician Hand Tools and Power Tools

Chisel
Workpiece

Stationary jaw

Level
Chisel

Figure 24—Correct use of chisel

Wrenches

Figure 25—Strap wrench

Figure 26—Combination wrench

Figure 27—Adjustable wrench

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Knurled nut
Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Figure 28—Stillson pattern pipe wrench

Figure 29—Flare nut wrench

Figure 30—Oil filter wrenches

Electric Drills

Figure 31—Cordless drill with rechargeable battery

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Angle Grinders

Figure 32—Electric angle grinders with grinding disks

Figure 33—Rotary drills (Dremel)

Figure 34—Metal shears

Figure 35—Aviation snips

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Air Tools

Figure 36—Pneumatic impact wrenches

Figure 37—Air-operated hammer/chisel

Figure 38—Air drill

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Sockets: Deep, Standard and Impact

Figure 39—Various socket wrenches

Figure 40—Spark plug socket wrench

Figure 41—Spark plug socket with rubber insert

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Hand Tools and Power Tools Automotive Service Technician

Figure 42—Socket driver set

Figure 43—Ratchets with different-sized drives: ¼”, ⅜”, ½”, ¾”

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Hacksaw

Figure 44—Hacksaw

Safety Goggles

Figure 45—Safety goggles

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