How to Choose and Use Pliers and Wrenches | Ask This Old House

Getting tight, and loose, with Richard Trethewey. (See below for tools and steps.)
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Tools List for How to Choose and Use Pliers and Wrenches:
- Grooved-joint pliers
- Combination wrench
- Adjustable wrench
- Pipe wrench
Steps for How to Choose and Use Pliers and Wrenches:
1. Grooved-joint pliers quickly adjust to grip several different sizes of hexagonal and square nuts and fasteners.
2. To prevent grooved-joint pliers from slipping, always grip the nut so that you're pulling the handle toward the pliers' smaller, adjustable jaw.
3. Combination wrenches come in a wide variety of sizes. Each has an open-end wrench on one end and a box wrench on the other.
4. An adjustable wrench features a cylindrical-shaped knurled nut that allows you to adjust the opening between the jaws.
5. Grip round pipes with a pipe wrench.
6. To avoid damaging the pipe, take a three-corner bite. Be sure the wrench contacts the pipe at the fixed heel (bottom) jaw, at the adjustable hook (top) jaw, and at the beam, which is the long section of the hook jaw.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Choose and Use Pliers and Wrenches | Ask This Old House
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