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Tools for DIY and Home Repairs - B

This page of our A to Z of tools for DIY and home repairs is for tools with names beginning with the letter 'B'.

• Backsaw - A small to medium size fine-toothed hand saw with a stiff steel or brass back used for accurate cutting.
• Basin wrench - Long-handled wrench designed for undoing the tap nuts under a basin when access is limited.
• Bath wrench Use one of these if you have trouble reaching the tap connector nuts under a bath. The head is self-adjusting and there is a tommy bar on the end to give good leverage.
• Belt sander Machine for removing old paint or finishing wood and metal.
• Bench hook - A device to hold work in place on a bench which is used while sawing.
• Bending spring - Long spring that fits inside or over copper pipes so they can be bent without collapsing the walls. Available in two sizes for bending 15 mm and 22 mm pipe. Only gentle bends should be attempted or the spring is liable to get stuck.
• Bevel - Angle ground on the blade of a chisel or plane. Also, the angle at which a saw file is held during sharpening.
• Bevel-edge chisel - Bevel-bladed chisel suitable for light woodworking.
• Blockplane - A tool specially designed for cutting the end grain of wood. Its blade set at a much lower angle than that of a smoothing plane.
• Blowlamp - Hand-held propane or butane gas canister with flame used for soldering work and softening old paint ready for stripping. Needs to be used with care.
• Bolster chisel - Wide, spade-shaped cold chisel designed for cutting bricks but often used for lifting floorboards.
• Bradawl - Small tool used to make starting holes for screws and nails and for piercing leather.
• Bricklayer's trowel - Professional bricklayer's trowels have one straight and one curved edge to the blade and are either left or right-handed. Trowels for DIY use often have both edges the same.
• Builder's level A long spirit level that is used to check the horizontal and vertical placing of bricks when laying them.
• Builder's square - It is very useful tool for setting out corners when laying bricks. You can make one yourself from three pieces of wood (one of 300mm, 400mm and 500mm). Construct a right angled triangle from the three pieces. Remember to check it against an accurate 90 degree angle.