Garage and Workshop Gear Guide

Book excerpt: The Garage and Workshop Gear Guide is a one-stop resource for garage gear know-how--one book that amateur and expert alike can go to for the facts, as well as a good helping of expert advice, on selecting tools without breaking the bank or wasting time. The book also offers straightforward, honest advice about how to evaluate and select tools according to particular needs. As entertaining as it is informative, Benford's handbook imparts practical wisdom on safety and tool care, making and testing tools, and assembling "tool kits" to perform various tasks such as restoration, motorcycle maintenance, body work fabrication, and mechanical repair. The Guide covers everything from safety gear and the "caste system" of tool quality to fasteners and "the tools that love them," such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and ratchets; clamps and vises; hammers, mallets, and "other persuaders"; cutting tools; electrical tools; air tools; measuring tools; welding equipment; lifts; workbenches and storage. This book is an essential resource for setting up an efficient, cost-effective, and enjoyable workspace for the amateur and professional mechanic or restorer.