BISCUIT JOINER

A biscuit joiner (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels. An oval-shaped, highly dried and compressed wooden biscuit (beech or particle wood) is covered with glue, or glue is applied in the slot. The biscuit is immediately placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together. The wet glue expands the biscuit, further improving the bond.

Lamello Top biscuit joiner.

Lamello Top biscuit joiner with blade extended.

Edges of 16mm Medium-density fibreboard with a #0 biscuit, set up to make a right angle joint.

History

The biscuit joining system was invented in 1956 in Liestal, Switzerland by Hermann Steiner. Steiner opened his carpenter's shop in 1944, and, in the middle of the 1950s, while looking for a simple means of joining the recently introduced chipboard, invented (almost by accident) the now world-famous Lamello joining system. In the succeeding years there followed further developments such as the circular saw and the first stationary biscuit (plate) joining machine in 1956 followed by the first portable biscuit joiner for Lamello grooves in 1968. In 1969 the family operation was incorporated by the name of Lamello AG. Lamello continues to manufacture very high-end biscuit joiners such as the Lamello Top 20.

Several other companies such as Porter Cable, Dewalt and Makita also manufacture compatible biscuit joiners, including some models with interchangeable blades, enabling the user to cut both 4" and 2" biscuit slots.

Production

Biscuits are predominantly used in joining sheet goods such as plywood,particle board and medium-density fibreboard. They are sometimes used with solid wood, replacing mortise and tenon joints as they are easier to make and almost as strong. They are also used to align pieces of wood when joined edge-to-edge in making wider panels. It is important to use the same face when cutting the slots, so the boards are perfectly flush.

Biscuits are also used to align edges of workpieces, such as when forming a 90 degree angle between workpieces. The biscuit provides a quick means of getting a perfectly flush joint, while at the same time reinforcing the joint.

Typically, the machine will have an adjustable fence, so it can be set on an angle for joining mitered pieces.

Also, there are other types of specialty biscuits available, from metal connectors, used for removable panels, to hinges, making these portable machines even more flexible.

Usage

The workpieces are brought together and the user marks the location for the biscuits. Precise measurement is not required, as the biscuits are hidden when the pieces are assembled, so a quick pencil stroke that marks both pieces where they align is all that is required. The parts are separated and the machine is used to cut the slots in each piece. The machine has reference marks on the center line of the blade for easy alignment to the marks on the materials being joined.

The body of the machine with the blade is spring-loaded and in the normal position the blade is retracted. The operator aligns the machine and uses a firm pressure to push the body forward against the base plate to make the cut. The waste material is blown out of the slot on the right of the base plate.

Because the slots are slightly longer than the biscuits, it is still possible to slide the panels sideways after the joint is assembled (before the glue sets). This fact makes the biscuit joiner easy to use, because it does not require extreme accuracy or jigs to achieve perfect joints.

The depth of the cut can be altered by an adjustable stop, the smaller base can be rotated through 90 degrees and accessories are provided for altering the offset of the base to the blade (for use with thicker or thinner materials as required). Some models allow slots to be cut at angles other than 90° to the joining face, for example 45°, which greatly speeds up the assembly of things like cabinets.

Standard biscuit sizes

Size	Metric Biscuits † in mm (L x W x T)	Inch Biscuits † in inches (L x W x T)	Notes
#H9	38 x 12 x 3 mm‡		Uses a smaller cutter wheel 3 mm wide.
#0	47 x 15 x 4 mm‡	1-27/32" x 5/8" x 19/128"	Standard cutter width is 4 mm or 5/32".
#10	53 x 19 x 4 mm‡	2-1/8" x 3/4" x 19/128"
#20	56 x 23 x 4 mm‡	2-3/8" x    1" x 19/128"	One source uses 2-1/4" for length.
D	Furniture hinge	Depth of groove : 13mm	ONLY use on biscuit joiner with Six depth setting
S	Slide-in connector	Depth of groove : 14.7 mm	ONLY use on biscuit joiner with Six depth setting
S6	85 x 30 x 4 mm‡

note: Six depth settings of Biscuit joiner (Six size biscuits with No blade change ) includes #00,#10,#20,D,S,S6

† Biscuits may also be referred to as plates (as per the Lamello website).
‡ These data require clarification because the standard cutter width is 4 mm thus requiring the biscuit to be thinner. It is more likely that the thickness is 3.75 mm which would correspond well to the typical inch thickness (19/128" = 3.77 mm).

Note: The mm sizes were taken verbatim from the Lamello Catalogue. The inch sizes were taken verbatim from an article on plate joiner published in The Woodworker's Gazette several years ago. In general, the sizes appear to be consistent with each other given the typical tolerances used in woodworking. The usual caveats in dealing with tools and materials destined for US or European use are to be observed, of course. The most commonly used inch sizes used are #0, #10 and #20 hence their exclusive listing.

Sizes of Porter Cable biscuits

Size	Metric Biscuits in mm (L x W)	Inch Biscuits in inches (L x W)	Notes
#FF	30 X 13 mm	1-13/64" X 1/2"	FF = Face Frame for 1-1/2" width, and up.
#0	47 X 16 mm	1-21/32" X 5/8"
#10	52 X 20 mm	2-3/64" X 25/32" (~3/4")
#20	54 X 24 mm	2-9/32" (~2-1/4") X 15/16" (~1")

Note: The sizes were taken verbatim from the Porter-Cable website.

Detail biscuit sizes

Detail biscuits are smaller than standard biscuits and are typically used to join smaller pieces of wood together, and offer less structural support.

Size	Metric Biscuits in mm (L x W x T)	Inch Biscuits in inches (L x W x T)	Notes
R1	16 x 5.6 x 2.4 mm	5/8" x 7/32" x 3/32"
R2	19 x 7.1 x 2.4 mm	3/4" x 9/32" x 3/32"
R3	25.4 x 12.7 x 2.4 mm	1" x 1/2" x 3/32"

Blades and Depth

For most portable plate joiners, a nominal 4 inch or 100 mm diameter blade is used for the #0, #10, #20 biscuit cuts. The blade is set deeper for joining the larger biscuits. Most blades have 4, 6, or 8 teeth and fit a 7/8 inch or 22 mm arbor. The thickness of the blade is typically 0.156 to 0.160 inch or nominally 4 mm.

References

• Bruce Gray, "Testing Joints to the Breaking Point", Fine Woodworking magazine, No.148, April 2001.
• scoures : http://www.lamello.com/fileadmin/user_upload/mediacenter/0%20Katalog/Lamello_Catalogue_EN.pdf and http://allbiscuitjoinerreviews.com/biscuit-size-and-biscuit-type/.

- Wikipedia 

Diet for Blood Type A Positive

Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic physician, developed a diet based on blood types, which he describes in his book "Eat Right for Your Type." D’Adamo postulates that each blood type possesses inherent, genetically encoded characteristics that influence the type of diet best suited for the dieter. Based on this theory, each blood type -- A, B, AB or O -- operates best on a different diet. Research to support the blood type theory is lacking, however.

Diet for Blood Type A Positive Photo Credit Yulia_Davidovich/iStock/Getty Images

The Blood Type Diet Premise

D’Adamo theorizes that your blood type provides a distinctive marker for which foods are best for you, based on the diet of your ancestors with the same blood type. This means a nutritious diet for one blood type may include different foods than a nutritious diet for another blood type. Based on D’Adamo's theory, by eating the right foods based on your blood type, you can optimize your health and reduce the risk of developing certain diseases. D’Adamo's blood type recommendations are the same regardless of whether your blood type is positive or negative.

Recommended Type A Diet

D'Adamo recommends everyone with blood type A eat a mostly vegetarian diet. The bulk of the diet consists of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and other legumes. This doesn't mean that meat is completely off limits, just that it should make up a smaller part of your diet. He recommends that if you choose to eat meat or poultry, limit it to three servings or less per week. In addition, D'Adamo recommends limiting dairy and eggs to no more than four servings weekly.

Blood Type A Menu

On the blood type diet, a good breakfast if you're type A is whole-grain cereal, such as steel-cut oatmeal, along with fresh mixed fruit. Typical snacks for type A are foods such as fruit, nuts, seeds, rice cakes and peanut butter. For lunch, it's typical to have a large, hearty salad with lots of fresh vegetables. A typical dinner if your blood type is A is steamed broccoli, with whole-grain pasta and tofu, topped with pesto sauce.

Tips for All Blood Types

Almost all Americans can benefit from improving their eating habits, since the typical American diet is high in sodium, added sugar, saturated fat and processed foods. Regardless of your blood type, D'Adamo offers basic dietary tips for everyone to follow. He recommends choosing fresh, whole, natural foods as much as possible and reducing your intake of processed foods. The doctor also advises that you limit coffee, alcohol, chocolate and other such indulgences.

www.livestrong.com

Glycemic Index & Avocados

If your doctor or nutritionist advises you to choose low glycemic foods, your diet will need to include fresh, whole foods that do not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and enter your bloodstream as glucose, with a GI of 55 or less considered “low” and a GI of 70 or more “high.” A diet based on low GI foods like fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Avocados do not have a GI rating. Photo Credit olgakr/iStock/Getty Images

Glycemic Index of Avocados

Foods that contain more fat and protein than carbohydrate do not warrant a GI rating. For this reason, the international table of glycemic index and glycemic load, published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” in 2002, did not measure the glycemic index of avocados. According to the researchers, avocados are among the foods unlikely to have a significant impact on blood glucose, even when eaten in large quantities.

Avocado Nutrition

While avocados are low on the glycemic index, eating large portions will raise your fat and calorie counts. A serving of avocado is just one-fifth of a fruit, or about 1 ounce, so watch your portions. This amount supplies 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, most of which is heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Avocados are also a good source of satisfying fiber, with 2 grams in a serving. Top mixed greens with thinly sliced avocado and fresh tomato for a filling, low GI salad.

www.livestrong.com

How to Eat a Pomegranate Fruit

Fresh pomegranates are juicy and delicious, but they can be difficult to eat. According to Pomegranates.org there is a simple, three-step procedure to obtain the juicy seeds of the fruit. Pomegranates are available from September through to January. The fruit survives for long periods of time at room temperature when kept away from direct sunlight. Refrigerate the pomegranate to store it for even longer periods of time.

Pomegranate seeds are delicious on their own or mixed with yogurt.

 Photo Credit Pomegranate image by HengeHoG from Fotolia.com

Step 1

Cut off the top of the pomegranate, which is called the crown.

Step 2

Cut the pomegranate into sections.

Step 3

Fill a bowl with water and place the sections into the water.

Step 4

Allow the pomegranate to sit in the water briefly.

Step 5

Use your fingers to separate the juicy sacs from the skin.

Step 6

Discard the skin and strain the juice sacs from the water.

Step 7

Eat the seeds as they are, place them in a fruit salad, pair with yogurt or use in a dessert dish. Alternatively, eat pomegranates seeds with a savory dish or toss them on top of a salad.

Things You'll Need

• Pomegranate
• Knife
• Bowl
• Water

www.livestrong.com

JOINTER

A jointer (also known in the UK and Australia as a planer or surface planer, and sometimes also as a buzzer or flat top) is a woodworking machine, used to produce a flat surface along a board's length.

The jointer derives its name from its primary function of producing flat edges on boards prior to joining them edge-to-edge to produce wider boards. The use of this term probably arises from the name of a type of hand plane, the jointer plane, which is also used primarily for this purpose.

Italian surface planer

Design

Fundamentally, a jointer consists of two long, narrow parallel tables in a row with a cutter head recessed between them. This cutter head is typically driven by an electric induction motor (Older machines were driven by belts from line shafts). A moveable fence is normally set perpendicular to the tables, though some may be adjusted to various angles.

The two tables are referred to as the infeed (table from which the work piece is fed into the machine) and outfeed (table to which the work piece is fed as it leaves the machine). The work piece to be planed flat is placed on the infeed table and passed over the cutter head to the outfeed table.

The cutter head contains two or more knives which are honed to a very sharp edge. The knives are arranged radially in the cylindrical cutter head such that their cutting edges protrude from the cutter head so that they will come into contact with the board being cut as the cutter head spins. The cutter head's axis of rotation is parallel to the table surfaces and perpendicular to the feed direction. The knives cut into the board in the direction opposite to the feed.

Jointer.

Some, more expensive, jointer models contain a spiral, or helical, cutting head. This configuration has many individually mounted, self-indexing knives that can be rotated to a new edge when necessary. Other, older, models have cutter heads that are not cylindrical but instead square. This leaves a significantly larger open region below the level of the blade edges and creates a larger hazard as hands, etc., can be pulled in further and cut more deeply.

The infeed and outfeed tables can be raised or lowered independently of each other and in relation to the cutter head although the outfeed table is normally set so that it is level with the knives when at the top dead centre of the rotation of the cutter head. The infeed table is adjusted so that it is lower than the outfeed table and this gives the depth of cut.

Jointers for home workshops usually have a 4–6 inch (100–150mm) width of cut. Larger machines, often 8–16 inches (200–400mm), are used in industrial settings.

Operation

In operation, the board to be jointed is held with its face against the fence and the edge to be jointed resting on the infeed table. The board is fed across the cutter head and onto the outfeed table. The knives in the revolving cutter head remove an amount of material and the relationship of the two tables and the fence keeps the board oriented in such a way that the result is an edge which is flat along its length and perpendicular to the board's face.

How a jointer works.

A jointer may also be used to flatten the face of a board, in which case the sole focus is to produce a flat surface on the face of the board and the fence is not used. This procedure is often performed prior to edge jointing so that the board has a flat reference face for subsequent operations.

To straighten a piece of bowed timber, the guard is temporarily swung out of the way. The machine is switched on and the timber is slowly lowered to the machine table, with the concave side down. A few cuts are made out of the red section "A". The timber is turned end for end and the same procedure is done to the section "B". This is repeated as required with the operator sighting along the length of the timber from time to time to check on straightness of the timber. When the timber is almost straight, the guard is replaced and the last cut is made in the normal way.

Twisted material is treated in a similar way. The operator lays the timber on the bed of the machine and rocks it slowly from side to side to estimate the amount of twist. If there is, say, 20mm of twist in the board, he holds the board level and takes 10mm off one end, then repeats it for the other end.

Jointers are also used for making rebates (also known as rabbets in North America) in finished timber. The fence is set to the width of the rebate and the infeed table is set to the depth. A jointer that is used for rebating has the outside ends of its blades also sharpened and set with a small clearance from the cutter head.

Straightening a bowed board.

A jointer cannot be used to create a board of even thickness along its length. For this task, after jointing one face, a thickness planer is used.

Thickness planers and jointers are often combined into one machine, with the work piece passing underneath the same rotating blade for thicknessing, but in the opposite direction. In the US this is called a planer–thicknesser or over-and-under.

Linguistic note

"Planer" is the normal term in the UK and Australia for what is called a "jointer" in North America, where the former term refers exclusively to a thickness planer. Also some of the older woodworkers use the term "joiner".

References

1. ^ Joyce, Ernest (1987) [1970]. Peters, Alan, ed. The Technique of Furniture Making (4th ed.). London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-4407-X.

- Wikipedia 

JOINTER PLANE

The jointer plane (also known as the try plane or trying plane) is a type of hand plane used primarily to straighten the edges of boards in the operation known as jointing. A jointer plane may also be used to flatten the face of a board. Its long length is designed to 'ride over' the undulations of an uneven surface, skimming off the peaks, gradually creating a flat surface. In thicknessing or preparing rough stock, the jointer plane is usually preceded by the fore plane or jack plane and followed by the smoothing plane.

Jointer plane.

Jointer planes are typically 20 to 24 inches (510 to 610 mm) long.

References

1. ^ Schwarz, Christopher. "Understanding Bench Planes", Popular Woodworking Magazine, 08 October 2008, Retrieved on 22 April 2015

- Wikipedia

SCRUB PLANE

The scrub plane is a type of plane used to remove large amounts of wood from the surface of lumber, such as when eliminating cup or twist in the first stages of preparing rough stock, or when reducing the thickness of a board significantly. Scrub planes generally have a short soles, a relatively narrow but thick blade, a very wide mouth, and a deeply curved edge (of about a 3 inch radius) to make a deep, gouging cut.

A scrub plane (parts)

A scrub plane is generally used in diagonal strokes across the face of a board, rather than parallel to the length of the board (along the grain) as with most other bench planes. In thicknessing or preparing rough stock, the scrub plane is usually followed by the jack plane, jointer plane, then smoothing plane.

Its function in modern woodworking has been largely replaced by power tools such as the thickness planer. A scrub plane can still be useful for planing boards too wide to fit through a thickness planer.

- Wikipedia 

Vegetable Gardening for Dummies, 2 edition

Want to grow your own vegetables? You can do it the fun and easy way with this practical guide. From selecting the right spot to preparing the soil to harvesting, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows you how to successfully raise vegetables regardless of the size of your plot or your dietary needs.



You’ll discover how to plot your garden and get the soil in tip-top shape; select the types of vegetables you want to grow; plant the seeds properly; and care for them as they grow. You’ll also know the right time to pick your vegetables and the best ways to enjoy them. Plus, you’ll get tips on preserving foods grown at home.
* Expert advice on planting, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of your own vegetable garden
* Features environmentally friendly ways to combat pests in your garden
* Charlie Nardozzi is senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association; he’s also been the gardening expert on such programs as HGTV’s Today at Home and Way to Grow and the Discovery Channel’s Home Matters
Whether you have a green thumb or you’ve never grown a plant before, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition has all the information you need to create a healthy garden.

Visit web : http://www.baobabtek.org/vegetable-gardening-for-dummies/

TOOL

A tool is any physical item that can be used to achieve a goal, especially if the item is not consumed in the process. Tool use by humans dates back millions of years, and other animals are also known to employ simple tools.

A modern toolbox.

Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such as "instrument", "utensil", "implement", "machine", "device," or "apparatus". The set of tools needed to achieve a goal is "equipment". The knowledge of constructing, obtaining and using tools is technology.

History

Prehistoric stone tools over 10,000 years old, found in Les Combarelles cave, France

Anthropologists believe that the use of tools was an important step in the evolution of mankind. Because tools are used extensively by both humans and wild chimpanzees, it is widely assumed that the first routine use of tools took place prior to the divergence between the two species. These early tools, however, were likely made of perishable materials such as sticks, or consisted of unmodified stones that cannot be distinguished from other stones as tools.

Carpentry tools recovered from the wreck of a 16th-century sailing ship, the Mary Rose. From the top, a mallet, brace, plane, handle of a T-auger, handle of a gimlet, possible handle of a hammer and rule.

Stone artifacts only date back to about 2.5 million years ago. However, a 2010 study suggests the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis ate meat by carving animal carcasses with stone implements. This finding pushes back the earliest known use of stone tools among hominins to about 3.4 million years ago.

Finds of actual tools date back at least 2.6 million years in Ethiopia. One of the earliest distinguishable stone tool forms is the hand axe.

Up until recently, weapons found in digs were the only tools of “early man” that were studied and given importance. Now, more tools are recognized as culturally and historically relevant. As well as hunting, other activities required tools such as preparing food, “…nutting, leatherworking, grain harvesting and woodworking…” Included in this group are “flake stone tools".

Stone and metal knives.

Tools are the most important items that the ancient humans used to climb to the top of the food chain; by inventing tools, they were able to accomplish tasks that human bodies could not, such as using a spear or bow and arrow to kill prey, since their teeth were not sharp enough to pierce many animals' skins. “Man the hunter” as the catalyst for Hominin change has been questioned. Based on marks on the bones at archaeological sites, it is now more evident that pre-humans were scavenging off of other predators' carcasses rather than killing their own food.

Mechanical devices experienced a major expansion in their use in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome with the systematic employment of new energy sources, especially waterwheels. Their use expanded through the Dark Ages with the addition of windmills.

Machine tools occasioned a surge in producing new tools in the industrial revolution. Advocates of nanotechnology expect a similar surge as tools become microscopic in size.

An upholstery regulator.

Functions

One can classify tools according to their basic functions:

• Cutting and edge tools, such as the knife, scythe or sickle are wedge-shaped implements that produce a shearing force along a narrow face. Ideally, the edge of the tool needs to be harder than the material being cut or else the blade will become dulled with repeated use. But even resilient tools will require periodic sharpening, which is the process of removing deformation wear from the edge. Other examples of cutting tools include gouges and drill bits.
• Moving tools move large and tiny items. Many are levers which give the user a mechanical advantage. Examples of force-concentrating tools include the hammer which moves a nail, the maul which moves a stake, or a whip which moves flesh on a horse. These operate by applying physical compression to a surface. In the case of the screwdriver, the force is rotational and called torque. By contrast, an anvil concentrates force on an object being hammered by preventing it from moving away when struck. Writing implements deliver a fluid to a surface via compression to activate the ink cartridge. Grabbing and twisting nuts and bolts with pliers, a glove, a wrench etc. likewise move items by some kind of force.
• Tools that enact chemical changes, including temperature and ignition, such as lighters and blowtorches.
• Guiding, measuring and perception tools include the ruler, glasses, set square, sensors, straightedge, theodolite, microscope, monitor, clock, phone, printer
• Shaping tools, such as molds, jigs, trowels.
• Fastening tools, such as welders, rivet guns, nail guns, or glue guns.
• Information and data manipulation tools, such as computers, IDE, spreadsheets
• Simple machine tools, including the wheel, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw.

Some tools may be combinations of other tools. An alarm-clock is for example a combination of a measuring tool (the clock) and a perception tool (the alarm). This enables the alarm-clock to be a tool that falls outside of all the categories mentioned above.

There is some debate on whether to consider protective gear items as tools, because they do not directly help perform work, just protect the worker like ordinary clothing. They do meet the general definition of tools and in many cases are necessary for the completion of the work. Personal protective equipment includes such items as gloves, safety glasses, ear defenders and biohazard suits.

Tool substitution

Often, by design or coincidence, a tool may share key functional attributes with one or more other tools. In this case, some tools can substitute for other tools, either as a makeshift solution or as a matter of practical efficiency. "One tool does it all" is a motto of some importance for workers who cannot practically carry every specialized tool to the location of every work task; such as a carpenter who does not necessarily work in a shop all day and needs to do jobs in a customer's house. Tool substitution may be divided broadly into two classes: substitution "by-design", or "multi-purpose" , and substitution as makeshift. Substitution "by-design" would be tools that are designed specifically to accomplish multiple tasks using only that one tool.

Substitution as makeshift is when human ingenuity comes into play and a tool is used for its unintended purpose such as a mechanic using a long screw driver to separate a cars control arm from a ball joint instead of using a tuning fork. In many cases, the designed secondary functions of tools are not widely known. As an example of the former, many wood-cutting hand saws integrate a carpenter's square by incorporating a specially shaped handle that allows 90° and 45° angles to be marked by aligning the appropriate part of the handle with an edge and scribing along the back edge of the saw. The latter is illustrated by the saying "All tools can be used as hammers." Nearly all tools can be used to function as a hammer, even though very few tools are intentionally designed for it and even fewer work as well as the original.

Tools are also often used to substitute for many mechanical apparatuses, especially in older mechanical devices. In many cases a cheap tool could be used to occupy the place of a missing mechanical part. A window roller in a car could easily be replaced with a pair of vise-grips or regular pliers. A transmission shifter or ignition switch would be able to be replaced with a screw-driver. Again, these would be considered tools that are being used for their unintended purposes, substitution as makeshift. Tools such as a rotary tool would be considered the substitution "by-design", or "multi-purpose". This class of tools allows the use of one tool that has at least two different capabilities. "Multi-purpose" tools are basically multiple tools in one device/tool. Tools such as this are often power tools that come with many different attachments like a rotary tool does, so you could say that a power drill is a "multi-purpose" tool because you can do more than just one thing with a power drill.

Multi-use tools

A multi-tool is a hand tool that incorporates several tools into a single, portable device; the Swiss army knife represents one of the earliest examples. Other tools have a primary purpose but also incorporate other functionality - for example, lineman's pliers incorporate a gripper and cutter, and are often used as a hammer; and some hand saws,incorporate a carpenter's square in the right-angle between the blade's dull edge and the saw's handle. This would also be the category in which the "multi-purpose" tools since they are also multiple tools in one (multi-use and multi-purpose can be used interchangeably). These types of tools were specifically made to catch the eye of many different craftsman who traveled to do their work. To these workers these types of tools were revolutionary because they were one tool or one device that could do several different things. With this new revolution of tools the traveling craftsman would not have to carry so many tools with them to job sites, being that their space would be limited to the vehicle they were driving. The problem of having to deal with so many different tools was solved with the overtaking of multi-use tools.

Use by other animals

Observation has confirmed that a number of species can use tools including monkeys, apes, elephants, several birds and sea otters. Philosophers originally thought that only humans had the ability to maketools, until zoologists observed birds and monkeys making tools. Now the unique relationship of humans with tools is considered to be that we are the only species that uses tools to make other tools.

A Bonobo at the San Diego Zoo "fishing" for termites.

Tool metaphors

A telephone is a communication tool that interfaces between two people engaged in conversation at one level. It also interfaces between each user and the communication network at another level. It is in the domain of media and communications technology that a counter-intuitive aspect of our relationships with our tools first began to gain popular recognition. Marshall McLuhan famously said "We shape our tools. And then our tools shape us." McLuhan was referring to the fact that our social practices co-evolve with our use of new tools and the refinements we make to existing tools.

References
Notes

1. ^ Sam Lilley, Men, Machines and History: The Story of Tools and Machines in Relation to Social Progress, 1948 Cobbett Press.
2. ^ Whiten, A., J. Goodall, W. C. McGrew, T. Nishida, V. Reynolds, Y. Sugiyama, C. E. G. Tutin, R. W. Wrangham, and C. Boesch. 1999. Cultures in Chimpanzees. Nature 399:682-685. Panger, M. A., A. S. Brooks, B. G. Richmond, and B. Wood. 2002. Older than the Oldowan? Rethinking the emergence of hominin tool use. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 11:235-245.
3. ^ Jones, S., Martin, R. & Pilbeam, D., eds. (1994). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-32370-3. Also ISBN 0-521-46786-1 (paperback)
4. ^ McPherron, Shannon P.; Zeresenay Alemseged; Curtis W. Marean; Jonathan G. Wynn; Denne Reed; Denis Geraads; Rene Bobe; Hamdallah A. Bearat (2010). "Evidence for stone-tool-assisted consumption of animal tissues before 3.39 million years ago at Dikika, Ethiopia". Nature 466 (7308): 857–860. Bibcode: 2010Natur.466..857M doi:10.1038/nature09248. PMID 20703305.
5. ^ Semaw, S., M. J. Rogers, J. Quade, P. R. Renne, R. F. Butler, M. Domínguez-Rodrigo, D. Stout, W. S. Hart, T. Pickering, and S. W. Simpson. 2003. 2.6-Million-year-old stone tools and associated bones from OGS-6 and OGS-7, Gona, Afar, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution 45:169-177.
6. ^ Holmes, Bob. "Man's early hunting role in doubt", Newscientist.com. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
7. ^ Nanotechnology: Big Potential In Tiny Particles, David Whelan. Retrieved on November 6, 2006
8. ^ Will this Tiny Science Usher in the Next Industrial Revolution, Katrina C. Arabe. Retrieved on November 6, 2006
9. ^ Selection of tool diameter by New Caledonian crows Corvus moneduloides, Jackie Chappell and Alex Kacelnik November 29, 2003
10. ^ Calvin, William H. "The Throwing Madonna: Essays on the Brain".
11. ^ Host: Alan Alda (02-09-2005). "Chimp Minds". Scientific American Frontiers. Season 15. Episode 4http://www.pbs.org/saf/1504/resources/transcript.htm |transcripturl=missing title (help) PBS. Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. ^ "Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure: Chimpanzee".
13. ^ Bjorklund, David F.; Bering, Jesse M. (5 June 1997). "Big brains, slow development and social complexity:The development and evolutionary origins of social cognition". In Cooper, Cary L. International review of industrial and organizational psychology. Robertson, Ivan T. John Wiley and Sons. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-471-96111-6. Retrieved 10 July 2011.

External Links

•  The dictionary definition of tool at Wiktionary
•  Media related to Tools at Wikimedia Commons

- Wikipedia