Ollie Allen gets handy with Triton’s new range of woodworking hand tools.
Triton Tools has a new range of hand tools and I tested a few items from the range on site, including chisels, fast action adjustable clamps and the pocket hole jig.
These tools are pretty much a joiner and carpenter’s bread and butter when it comes to hand tools, especially on the type of projects I work on. I was fitting a job for a regular customer, a student landlord in the City, which involved modern plywood wall panelling, a cabinet to hide the boiler and some bespoke bath panelling.
The last crew of builders before our team’s renovation must have had a pasta chef on the job fitting the old boiler as the pipework looked like a bunch of spaghetti! I couldn’t wait to get the cladding on to disguise the unsightly chaos going on below that boiler, all still accessible for the annual maintenance with the turn of a few screws. It’s always the case of a trade-off between a complete replumb and rewire or the small cost to maintain a perfectly good boiler for a few more years and then invest when it finally gives up the ghost. Either way I had the chance to use my new Triton pocket hole jig when building the plywood cabinetry, using it makes the task of putting boxing and cabinets together so easy. The jig is perfect for sheet materials in 9/12/18mm boards and has the relevant length screws for each thickness so you don’t break through the surface.
Simple steps to get the hang of using the jig – you adjust the depths to suit the boards, clamp it to the surface and drill where you have marked, then add glue and the correct screw and you have a strong, hidden and square joint. Perfect for bespoke kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, MDF and plywood boxing in and lots more sheet material jobs that you come across on the job site during a property renovation.
Holding bespoke cabinets together are my now very trusty fast action adjustable clamps, in three sizes, a 400mm, 600mm and 800mm length I have had plenty of time to make sure these guys do the job, and boy I can say they hold things tight. The clamps have rubber end caps for protection of painted and laminated surfaces, they allow fine adjustment whilst still clamping tight and are lightweight and reliable – everything you need of a clamp, really. Another bonus, as they are Triton brand they are bright orange, so stand out nicely in the back of the van, perfect when I’m working on a tight deadline and don’t want to spend time searching for the standard ‘black metal clamps’ which like to hide in the depths of the van!
I wrapped up the project on site and carefully stowed all my Triton tools in the back of the van for the next job, all sat in pride of place and easy to recognise with their sharp orange branding and colours. It’s just a shame that after a few hours of having my hazard lights on that I ended up with a flat battery and had to call another orange branded company to come and give me a jump start! Next time I head out on a job I won’t just be packing my trusty new Triton hand tools but also the new set of jump leads I’ve just invested in, if only I needed to review vehicle accessories too!
