Make DIY days a thing to relish by spring-cleaning your tool box into submission
We do like a Very Useful Thing, and what we like even more is a Thing that is Very Useful as well as Very Lovely. Toolboxes are an excellent example of something that should be truly useful but are infinitely improved by containing items that are lovely to hold, pretty to look at and give you a smug sense of satisfaction every time you lift the lid. Here are a few items that we think deserve a place in every toolbox.
Hammer
A ball hammer and a claw hammer are both useful, but if you’re only going for one, get the claw hammer so that you can pull old bits of wood apart as well as knock things into walls. A nice wooden handle that sits neatly in the palm of your hand is what you’re after, with a pleasingly cool, metal head that will sink nails into anything you like with ease.
Tape measure
A good metal measuring tape that locks solidly and then retracts smoothly with a satisfying thunk is a must for any toolbox, and especially handy for scoping out rooms for new items of furniture.
Jar of screws
Like a good button box, a screw jar really ought to be a little bit of history. Ideally, it should once have belonged to your Dad or Grandad and contain mostly screws that you have absolutely no idea of the heritage of but will one day be precisely the thing you need.
Socket set and wrench
By Golly, there’s little quite so satisfying as being able to shift an unshiftable bolt whenever you want to. And having a gleaming set of sockets so you always have exactly the size you need is really very pleasing indeed. A set of Allen keys is handy for the same reason.
A set of screwdrivers
Or at least a Phillips and a flathead and some of those teeny tiny screwdrivers you get in Christmas crackers that are good for essential spectacle maintenance.
Torch
A nice slim metal one, with a flash function, because that’s always fun, but mainly for finding things that have rolled under furniture.
Sandpaper selection
A few different grades are useful from 5 o’clock shadow through to pebble dash, to allow you to sand finely or roughly shave a few centimetres off fast.
Pliers (and long-nose pliers)
Useful for a hundred domestic difficulties for things that are stuck in, up and on things, things that are shut fast, wrenched open or just difficult to reach. A nice, heavy pair of pliers is a joy to have in your hand.
Putty knife
Look for one with a good bend on the metal so that you can get your putty neatly into any nook and cranny that needs filling.
Hack saw
A small hack saw is very handy for making adjustments to dowel, curtain poles and anything else that’s in desperate need of shortening (apart from your in-laws’ visits).
Stanley knife
Excellent for crafting as well as DIY. Look for a knife that fits snugly into your palm and has a pleasing weight to it.
Spirit level
It’s not a simple meeting of alcohol and physics. It’s an magic straightening bubble, worked by elves. We won’t have it any other way. Surely the most attractive item in any tool box. Get a nice wooden one with a lovely green bubble to help with hanging shelves and the like.
Stud detector
Great for helping you put up pictures, mirrors etc and very exciting too because they give you that feeling of metal detecting in your own home.
Duct tape
For temporarily sorting everything from leaks to slow punctures. We recommend Gorilla tape, or Duck tape. Because who’d want a tape without a gorilla or a duck on them when you could have one with?
Pencil
All pencils are not born equal. Don’t just stick an HB in there from the kitchen drawer. You’ll only end up borrowing it back next time you need to write the milkman a note. Get yourself a proper square-shaped carpenter’s pencil that won’t roll off surfaces and will make you feel very well-equipped indeed.
In our January issue, we are talking Cups of Tea with Louise Hames of Tinker and Fix, which sells very lovely things for your tool box, garden and more. Turn to page 30 to find out more about them.
