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Hand tools practice questions

23 questions from the NCCER Core practice test.

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Hand tools practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

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Sample questions

Which hammer should be used to strike a cold chisel or a punch?

  1. Ball-peen hammer
  2. Claw hammer
  3. Tack hammer
  4. Wooden mallet
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A. Ball-peen hammer

Ball-peen hammers have hardened faces made for striking metal tools. A claw hammer face is made for nails and can chip when it hits hardened steel.

Reference: Hand tools: hammers and striking tools

The struck end of a cold chisel has spread out and curled over. What should be done before it is used again?

  1. Wrap the head tightly with electrical tape
  2. Strike it only with a much heavier hammer
  3. Heat the head with a torch to soften it
  4. Grind the mushroomed head back to shape
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D. Grind the mushroomed head back to shape

A mushroomed head can throw off sharp fragments when struck, so it is dressed on a grinder back to a slight chamfer. Tape does not hold steel chips, and heating ruins the tool's temper.

Reference: Hand tools: chisels and punches

Why is it poor practice to use a screwdriver as a pry bar or chisel?

  1. The handle will slowly lose its insulation rating
  2. The screwdriver will become permanently magnetized
  3. The tip or shank can break and injure the user
  4. The tip becomes too sharp to fit screws properly
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C. The tip or shank can break and injure the user

Screwdrivers are hardened to turn screws, not to take bending or hammer blows; the tip can snap and fly, and the damaged tip then slips out of screws. Magnetism has nothing to do with it.

Reference: Hand tools: screwdrivers; 29 CFR 1926.301

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