Carpenters construct, erect, install, and repair structures and fixtures made from wood and other

materials. Carpenters are involved in many different kinds of construction, from the building of
highways and bridges to the installation of kitchen cabinets.

The complete list of essential tools is also provided below: 

Carpentry Hand Tools:

 Hammer
 Tape Measure
 Chalk Line
 Carpenter's Pencil
 Utility Knife
 Tin Snips
 Nail Puller
 Speed Square
 Framing Square
 Levels
 Wood Chisel (1 inch)

Essential Power Tools:

 Circular Saw
 Drill (3/8" to 1/2" chuck)
 Reciprocating Saw
 Extension Cords

Non-essential (but nice to have) Tools:

 Air Compressor
 Nail Guns (framing and decking)
 Air Hoses

You can frame the structure of an entire house with the above mentioned tools.
However, if you are planning to add wood siding, window and door trim, and
cornice, you might also add:

 Compound Miter Saw

 Table Saw
 Nail Gun (exterior finish nailer)

The tools mentioned so far should be sufficient to completely dry-in a residential

structure.  
Carpentry is a skilled trade in which the primary work
performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building
materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber
bridges, concrete formwork etc. Carpenters traditionally worked
with natural wood and did the rougher work such as framing, but
today many other materials are also used. Carpenters
traditionally worked with natural wood which has been prepared
by splitting(riving), hewing or sawing with a pit saw or sawmill
called lumber (American English) or timber (British English).
Today natural and engineered lumber and  other  building
materials  are  prepared by others and delivered to the job site.
Some materials are:
 Heavy timber or post and beam
 Engineered wood, dimensional lumber
 Stud, Joist, Rafter                                                 
 Sheathing, Sub flooring, Paneling
 Plywood, Shiplap, Tounge and Groove
 Laminate
 Moulding
 Glue, Stains, Sand Sealer
 Tool Pouch
 Combination Square
 T-Bevel
 Nails, Screw, GI Sheet
 Chalk
 Full PPE

Carpentry/Woodworking
There are specific requirements in the (Regulation for Industrial Establishments Reg.
851) and (Regulation for Construction Projects O. Reg. 213/91) made under
the Occupational Health and Safety Act that apply to many of the hazards mentioned in
this guideline (e.g. machine guarding and lockout).

General Precautions

1. Be aware of and follow all Municipal, Provincial and Federal codes, legislation and
regulations.

2. Inspect all equipment before using.

3. Keep all equipment in good repair.

4. Do not remove safety shields/devices.

5. Wear/use approved protective equipment at all times.

6. Remove rings, watches and loose clothing; suitably confine long hair.

7. Inspect work area for unsafe conditions, and remedy before beginning work.

8. Keep work areas in a clean and safe condition.

9. Follow all lockout/tag-out procedures as required.

Hand Tools

1. Keep all hand tools clean, sharp and in good repair

2. Use all hand tools for the purpose for which they were intended (i.e. a screwdriver
is not a chisel and vice-versa).

3. Do not carry sharp/pointed objects in pockets.

Power Tools

1. Make all adjustments and tighten all locking devices before attaching tool to
power supply.

2. Make sure tool is switched off before connecting to power supply.

3. Use a grounded outlet, grounded extension cords, and/or a Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter.

4. Operate all tools with all safety guards in place.

5. Use fence/guide, push-stick, appropriately.

6. Maintain appropriate safety margin between cutting edge and hands.

7. Keep blades/bits, etc. sharp.

8. Keep the tool and surrounding work area in a clean and safe condition.
9. Follow Manufacturer's maintenance instructions.

10. Handle all air-actuated devices with extreme caution.

11. Never carry a tool by the cord or hose.

12. Never yank the cord or the hose to disconnect it from the receptacle.

13. Keep cords and hoses away from heat, oil, and sharp edges.

14. Disconnect tools when not using them, before servicing and cleaning them, and
when changing accessories such as blades, bits, and cutters.

15. Secure work with clamps or a vise, freeing both hands to operate the tool.

16. Avoid accidental starting. Do not hold fingers on the switch button while carrying
a plugged-in tool.

17. Be sure to keep good footing and maintain good balance when operating power
tools.

Explosive-Actuated Fastening Tools

The (Regulations for Industrial Establishments Reg. 851) in sections 36 and 37 and the
(Regulation for Construction Projects O. Reg. 213/91) in sections 117-121 specify safe
operating procedures for explosive-actuated fastening tools.

1. One of the important factors in achieving safe, satisfactory use of explosive-

actuated fastening systems is operator training. Only trained and competent
operators shall use explosive-actuated tools.
2. All operators shall wear appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) (i.e. eye
and ear protection and/or face shields).
3. CSA Z166.1 (Power Actuated Tools – Performance Requirements) and CSA Z166.2
(Power Actuated Tools – Use and Handling) contain useful information about safe
operation and maintenance of explosive-actuated tools.

4. Do not use a tool in an explosive or flammable atmosphere.

5. Inspect the tool before using it to determine that it is clean, that all moving parts
operate freely, and that the barrel is free from obstructions and has the proper
shield, guard, and attachments recommended by the manufacturer.

6. Do not load the tool unless it is to be used immediately.

7. Do not leave a loaded tool unattended, especially where it would be available to

unauthorized persons.

8. Keep hands clear of the barrel end.

9. Never point the tool at anyone.

 Setting Out is the establishment of the marks and lines to define the position and level of the
elements for the construction work so that works may proceed with reference to them.

Setting out profile

a) Pegs: - The pegs have to be driven in 500 mm outside the final position of the
building.

Masonry Works

Masonry is used to indicate the art of building a structure in either

stones or bricks. The masonry wall is built of individual blocks of
materials such as stones, bricks, concrete, hollow blocks, cellular
concrete and laterite, usually in horizontal courses cemented together
with some form of mortar. The binding strength of mortar is usually
disregarded as far as the strength of the wall is concerned.

Masonry can be classified into the following categories:

1. Stone masonry
2. Brick masonry
3. Hollow block concrete masonry
4. Reinforced masonry
5. Composite masonry

Types of Masonry Wall

Masonry walls render strengths, lastingness to the structure, and help to maintain indoor
and outdoor temperature as well as it keeps protect the buildings from the outside world.
Depending on the motor mix materials, there are various types of Masonry Walls used in
building constructions.
Types or Categories:

 Load-bearing masonry wall

 Reinforced masonry wall
 Hollow/Cavity masonry wall
 Composite masonry wall
 Post-tensioned masonry wall

Stone masonry:- The construction of stones bonded together with mortar is

termed as stone masonry. Where the stones are available in an abundance
in nature, on cutting and dressing to the proper shape, they provide an
economical material for the construction of various building components such
as walls, columns, tootings, arches, beams, etc..

Types of stone masonry

a)  Rubble masonry
In rubble masonry, the blocks of stones that are used are either undressed or comparatively
roughly dressed. The masonry has wide joints since stones of irregular size are used.

i)   Random rubble

• Un-coursed

It is the roughest and the cheapest form of stonewalling. Since stones are not of uniform
shape and size, they are arranged with great care so as to distribute pressure over the
maximum  area and at the same time avoid long vertical joints.
 Fig. Stone masonry wall

• Built to course                                                                                

It is similar to un-coursed except that the work is roughly leveled up to form courses 30 to
45 cm thick.

Fig.1. Uncoursed and Built to course

ii) Square rubble

• Un-coursed 

Stones having straight beds and sides are arranged in an irregular pattern to give a good
appearance and avoid the formation of long, continuous joints.

• Built to course

Stones having straight bed and sides are leveled up to form courses of varying depth.

•     Regular course

Stones having straight beds and sides are leveled up to form courses of varying depth but
the height of stones in each course is the same.
 Fig2. Uncourced built
on course Regular coursed

iii)  Miscellaneous type rubble

. Polygonal rubble masonry
In this type, stones are hammer finished on the face to an irregular polygonal shape.

If stones are roughly shaped to form rough fitting, such a work is called rough picked work.
If stones are carefully shaped to form close fitting such a work is called close-picked work.

Related: How Concrete is Made ( New Research)

• Flint rubble masonry

In this type the main material is “flints or cobbles”  and is used that have  vary in width and
thickness from 7.5 cm to 15 cm and length vary from 15 cm to 30cm . The stones are
extremely bard but brittle.

The strength of such walls can be increased using a lacing course of thin long stones or
bricks at 1 to 2m vertical intervals.

Fig3. Polygonal Rubble Flint Rubble

masonry

iv) Dry rubble  masonry

In this masonry, as the name suggests the mortar is not used in the joints, therefore it is the
cheapest but more skilled manpower is required in construction. The use of the dry rubble
masonry is for non-load bearing walls like compound walls.

b)   Ashlar masonry
In ashlar masonry, square or rectangular blocks that are used are dressed and have an
extremely fine bed and end joints. 
i) Ashlar fine tooled
It is the finest stone masonry.  The beds, joints, and faces of the stones are chisel dressed
to remove all unevenness and obtain perfectly horizontal and vertical joints.

Fig4. Ashlar Fined tools

ii)  Ashlar rough tooled

The beds and sides are finely chisel dressed but the exposed face is dressed by rough
tooling.

Also read: Brick Masonry Construction, Lab Tests , Classes of brick, defects in brick

iii)  Ashlar rock faced.

The exposed face of the stones is not dressed but is kept as such to give rough facing.

iv)  Ashlar chamfered  

 It is a special type of ashlar rock-faced in which the strip provided around the perimeter of
the exposed face is chamfered at an angle of 45° to a depth of 25 mm.

Fig. 5. Ashlar Chamfered

v) Ashlar block in course

It is immediate between ashlar and rubble masonry. Faces of each stone are hammer
dressed but the vertical joints are not as straight and fine as in ashlar masonry.

Vi) Ashlar facing 

It is provided along with brick or concrete blocks to give a better appearance. The outer
faces of the stone are rough tooled and chamfered.
Types of stone used in stone masonry
a) Igneous stones
These stones are obtained from igneous rocks, formed from the cooling and solidification of
magma generated within the Earth at high temperatures during volcanic activity.

They are generally used for purposes that require strength and durability, such as
kerbstones, countertops, floorings, and breakwaters. The igneous stone ranges from very
soft rocks such as pumice and scoria to somewhat harder rocks such as tuff and hard rocks
such as granite and basalt.

b) Sedimentary stones
They are obtained from sedimentary rocks that are formed by accumulation and
cementation of mineral grains (sediments) transported by wind, water or ice to a basin or by
precipitation at a site. There are mainly two types of sedimentary stones used in masonry
work, limestone and sandstone. One of the sedimentary rocks is Limestone that is
composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of
calcium carbonate.

Limestone is the main construction material and used in various fields such as a building
material, as aggregate for the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as
toothpaste or paints, and as a chemical feedstock.

On the other hand, sandstone is an elastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-
sized minerals (mostly quartz and/or feldspar) or rock grains. It is relatively soft, making it
easy to change as the required shape.

 Typically used as flooring or paving material, it has also been used for artistic purposes to
create ornamental fountains and statues.

c) Metamorphic stones
They are obtained from metamorphic rocks, which are pre-existing rocks that have been
altered by great heat and/or pressure or by chemical conditions.  They have traditionally
been used for carving statues, and as facing in many Byzantine and Renaissance Italian
buildings. Slate and marble are metamorphic stones commonly used in the building
industry.

Slates are typically used for flooring, roofing, and countertops whereas marbles are suitable
for wall-cladding, roofing, flooring, and all other interior and exterior applications.

Requirements of stone
a)   Appearance  and general  structure: 
Stones used for face work should have homogeneous color, should be resistant to
weathering agencies and must be able to receive polish.

b) Weight:                 

Stones should be dense and less porous; good building stones should have a specific
gravity between 2.4 and 2.8. When used for domes,  roof coverings, etc., lighter varieties of
the stones are preferred.

c)   Hardness and toughness:

Stones used in floors and pavements should be hard enough to resist abrasive forces
caused due to wear and friction.  They should also be tough enough to withstand stresses
developed due to vibrations of machinery and moving loads over them.

d) Durability:  

Stones should possess natural durability to withstand the destructive effects of various
agents continuously operating on them. The durability of a stone depends upon the relation
between its chemical composition and the atmospheric surroundings.  The durability of the
stone also depends on the texture of the stone.  Crystalline homogeneous and close-
grained varieties of stones with dense structure should be selected for good works.  The
surface of a freshly broken stone should be uniform in texture, color, and hardness

e) Fire-resistance                                                                                                                     
                        The minerals composing the stone should be such that the shape of the
stone is preserved when there is fire. Limestone resists fire up to a temperature of 800°C.
Sandstone with silicates as binding material can resist fire very well.

f) Workability

    The stones should be such that they can be easily carved,    molded, cut and dressed.   
It is an important consideration from an economic point of view.   However,  this property of
stone as opposed to its strength, durability, and hardness. Hence, it is to be properly
correlated with respect to the situation in which the stone is to be used.

New For You: Underpinning Methods, Procedure, Use in Foundation Strengthening and

Repair

Specification of stone masonry

Followings are the specification of stone masonry and with Ashlar Masonry is as below:

a)  The mortar used in work shall have the strength of not less than 5 N/mm2 or 7.5 N/mm2
at 28 days specified.  Mortar shall be fluid, mixed thoroughly and then poured in the joints.

b)  All stratified stone possessing bedding planes shall be laid with the natural bed as nearly
as possible at right angles to the direction of load.  The natural bed shall be radial for use in
arch rings.
c) Except for dry rubble walling, all joints shall be sufficiently thick to prevent stone to stone
contact and the gap shall be completely filled with mortar.

d) Stones shall be clean and properly wetted before they are used so as to avoid sucking of
water from mortar.

e) The bed which is to receive the stone shall be cleaned, wetted and covered with a layer
of fresh mortar.

f) All stones shall be laid full in mortar both in bed and vertical joints and settled carefully in
place with a wooden mallet

immediately after placement and solidly embedded in a mortar before it has set.

g) Clean and wet chips and spalls shall be wedged into the mortar joints and bed whenever
necessary to avoid thick joint or bed of mortar.

h) Dressing of the stones shall be done before they are laid and as per the stipulated
requirement.

Batching is the process of measuring concrete mix ingredients either by volume or by mass

and introducing them into the mixture. Traditionally batching is done by volume but most
specifications require that batching be done by mass rather than volume.