Category: Feature

When it comes to hand tools, there are a few questions that seem to pop up more frequently than others. Below are the five most common questions, along with some helpful answers.

📆 How do I know when a tool needs to be replaced?

In general, you should replace a tool when it starts to show signs of wear and tear. For instance, if the blades on your scissors are starting to get dull or if the handle on your hammer is starting to loosen, it’s time to get new tools.

🧼 How do I clean my hand tools?

Cleaning your hand tools is important to keep them in good condition and prevent rust. The best way to clean them is to use a mild soap and water solution. You can also use a wire brush to remove any dirt or debris.

🗃 How do I store my hand tools?

Storing your hand tools properly is important to prevent them from becoming damaged. The best way to store them is in a dry, cool place. A toolbox or cabinet is also a good option to keep them organized and protected.

🥇 What are the most essential hand tools?

The most essential hand tools depend on the project you’re working on. However, some essential hand tools include a hammer, screwdriver, tape measure, and level.

📚 What are the best hand tools for a beginner?

If you’re just getting started, the best hand tools to have are a basic set of screwdrivers, a hammer, and a set of pliers. These will help you tackle most projects.

Learning about hand tools and how to use them is a never-ending process. However, at Tsamouris we can help get started on the right foot with our high-quality tools from Swedish Bahco and Spanish Irimo. Check them at tsamourisfast.com.

Often, fasteners have to endure extreme temperatures, vibration, pressure, and shock. This is why choosing the correct size 📐 and material for a fastener is critical. Ideally, you want to select a fastener that will create a clamping force that prevents separation and movement of the clamped parts once external forces are applied.

Unfortunately, often, people oversize the fastener, which can lead to a joint with a low clamp load, high risk for failure, and difficulty tightening. Follow these steps when selecting the appropriate size fastener:

1️⃣ Determine the maximum load that will be placed on the joint
2️⃣ Calculate the clamping force that will be put on the fastener.
3️⃣ Choose the minimum bolt diameter to support that clamp load, ensuring a tight fit.
4️⃣ Secure the bolt effectively, and decide which tightening method would be most appropriate.

If you follow these steps, you can be confident that you are choosing a fastener that is appropriately sized for your needs.

How do you measure fastener size?

While calculating clamping force may be easy in theory, you can use an online 🧮 calculator. You might need to measure the diameter of screws and bolts yourself. To find the major diameter of bolts (the most commonly-used one), you need to measure the distance from the outer thread on one side to the outer thread on the other. This is called the major diameter and will usually be the proper bolt size. You can also measure from the bottom cavity of the threads from one side to the other to find the minor diameter. Different types of screws are measured differently.

If you have a screw that’s flat on the bottom (this is the most common type), measure from the bottom of the head to the type. This also applies to hex and hex washer head screws and 🔩 bolts. Self-drilling screws, meanwhile, are measured from the bottom of the head to the end of the drill point tip. Flathead, countersunk screws and oval head screws are usually measured from the point to the tip (the full screw).

Do you not know where to start? We are here to help. So reach out 📟 to us, and we can answer your questions for everything, everywhere, every time.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope 🛰 is a million miles away from Earth, observing the depths of the universe and traveling back in time to the time when stars began to form galaxies.

Its 18 gold-plated mirrors make up a system far more sensitive than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, which has succeeded as humanity’s most powerful scientific instrument for studying the formation of the universe and the distant worlds of our 🪐 galaxy.

But Webb, at a cost of about $10 billion, had one of the most problematic development schedules of any other space program, lasting more than two decades and costing several billion dollars more than the original budget—$800 million 💵 of that was partly due… to loose screws. And washers. And nuts.

Technicians discovered that screws fell out during a test-they put the solar shield through a vibration test, simulating vibrations twice as strong as expected during launch. When the test was over, technicians counted 20 loose screws out of the 1,000 needed to secure the thin material covering the solar shield.

These screws, half the thickness of a 🪙 dime, were designed to fit into a safety nut. But the tip of the screws could potentially scratch or tear the solar shield cover. Somewhere in the process, the technicians decided to add a washer to keep the screws from protruding too much. They didn’t realize, however, that the washer could prevent them from securing, and some screws were left with one less thread.

While these kinds of problems are not uncommon during testing for complex spacecraft, this error set the project back by a year and a half and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Whether you’re building the next James Webb or not, Tsamouris 🧑‍🚀 is here to help you with everything, everywhere, every time.

Regarding fasteners, proper lubrication and surface preparation are crucial to ensuring a solid connection. Here is what you need to know to get the best results:

🛝 Lubricants

The type of lubricant you use will depend on the application. For example, you will want to use a heat-resistant lubricant for screws subject to high temperatures. In general, however, the most important thing is to choose a lubricant that will not damage the fastener or the surface it is being installed. We lubricate threaded fasteners not only because it enables them to be removed later but also because it ensures consistent tightening.

Unfortunately, many tools we commonly use to tighten fasteners—such as torque wrenches—do not measure tension. This practice can lead to problems when preloading fasteners without proper precautions. Threaded fasteners work by preloading and 🤸‍♂️ stretching the bolt. Too much preload and the bolt may exceed its elastic limit and stretch; too little and the bolt may be subject to alternating forces and fatigue.

Most bolts fail due to fatigue caused by under-tightening. Applying a lubricant helps to ensure that the fastener is tightened to the proper tension by providing consistent friction between the threads—preventing galling, which can cause the fastener to seize up or break.

🥌 Surface Preparation

For the fastener to create a strong connection, it is important that both surfaces—the fastener and the surface it is being installed into—are clean and free of debris. Any dirt, dust, or grime can potentially weaken the connection. The best way to clean surfaces is with a solvent compatible with the fastener and the surface it is being positioned. Once the surfaces are clean, you will also want to ensure they are 🏜 dry before proceeding. If installing fasteners into metal surfaces, you may also want to use a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion and ensure a long-lasting connection.

With these tips in mind, you are well on creating robust and reliable fastener connections. Just be sure to take the time to prepare both surfaces and apply the appropriate lubricant properly, and you will be good to go.

What does it mean for a tool to be ⚡️ non-sparking? A non-sparking tool does not create sparks when it comes into contact with other materials—this is important for many industries with a fire or explosion risk, such as the 🛢 oil and gas industry.

Many types of non-sparking hand tools are available on the market, made from various materials, such as aluminium bronze, a solid and durable material. Other options include copper beryllium, copper aluminum alloys, and Monel metal. Tools are often manufactured from steel alloys. However, these alloys can create sparks 🪩 when they come into contact with other materials. In addition, non-sparking materials tend to have lower tensile strength than steel traditionally used to make tools—meaning that these tools have less strength, lower resistance to tearing, and can wear down more quickly than steel tools.

How to choose and maintain non-sparking tools? When choosing non-sparking hand tools, it is paramount to consider the specific application and the risks involved. For example, some materials may be more suitable for 💥 explosive environments than others. It is also necessary to consider the tool’s durability and how often it will need to be replaced. Non-sparking tools can generate sparks, called “cold ❄️ sparks.” Although these sparks have a low heat level, they do not eliminate the possibility of fires. In general, to reduce the risk of exposure and fire, one can:

🫧 Ensure that the non-sparking tools are kept clean and free from ferrous or other contaminants, which may increase sparking.
💨 Use local or mechanical ventilation systems to remove hazardous materials, dust, and vapors from the workspace.
📏 Select the right-sized tool for the task. The appropriate fit will help prevent the tool from slipping, reducing the chance of a spark.
🧨 Never use non-sparking hand tools in direct contact with acetylene, which may form explosive acetylides.
🥽 Non-sparking tools will need to be redressed more often.

Are you looking for some non-sparking tools for a project? Tsamouris is here to help. We stock an extensive collection of non-sparking hand tools so you can have everything, everywhere, every time.

Last month, the Elizabeth Line 🚇 opened in London 🇬🇧 after 13 years of construction. The project is truly massive, consisting of forty stops and 65 nine-car 200-meter long Class 345 trains. Be it in the tracks, signposts, door opening systems, motors, CCTV cameras, or station framing, millions of fasteners are holding it all together.

With as many as five million 🚶‍♀️🚶🚶‍♂️ passengers riding daily, safety, reliability, and security is the utmost priority. Public transit systems are prime targets for vandals, terrorists, and criminals—but specially designed security fasteners can make tampering and removal almost impossible.

These fasteners work either by being non-removable or having an uncontrollable drive system that makes it difficult or virtually impossible to remove without the matching driver tool. This makes infrastructure physically more resilient to attack, discouraging offenders from damaging it in the first place.

But public transit isn’t the only use for security hardware. At Tsamouris, we stock a range of 🔓 security screws and bits for solar panels to guarantee that what you construct stays constructed. All at an affordable price.

With the railway’s estimated 💶 €24 Billion budget, you could buy almost 37 billion of them.