How tools actually work, and how to choose one
Find Tool Editorial Team 
A stud finder detects a change in whatever it is designed to sense behind the wall surface — usually a shift in density (for magnetic and capacitive models) or the presence of metal fasteners and edges. Most consumer models do not “see” wood directly; they infer a stud’s edges from an indirect signal, which is … Read more
A caliper measures length, depth and diameter over a wide range using sliding jaws, and reads to a moderate precision. A micrometer measures a much smaller range using a fine screw thread, and reads to a finer precision. Calipers are for general sizing; micrometers are for checking tight tolerances. What does a caliper actually measure? … Read more
What is a laser level? A laser level is a tool that projects a straight line, or a set of lines, using a laser diode instead of a bubble vial. Most models self-level within a small range using an internal pendulum, so a horizontal or vertical reference line appears on the wall without the user … Read more
A spirit level’s vial tells you the angle of the surface it’s resting on, relative to gravity. The bubble floats to the highest point of a slightly curved, liquid-filled tube. When it sits exactly between the two etched lines, the surface underneath is level (horizontal) or plumb (vertical) — nothing more, nothing less. How does … Read more
A try square is a hand tool for marking and checking 90° angles: a handle (the stock) held against an edge, with a fixed blade sticking out at right angles to it. You use it to mark a line square across timber or to check that a corner is truly square before you glue, screw … Read more
The hook on a tape measure is loose on purpose. It slides back and forth by a small, fixed amount so the tape reads accurately whether you are hooking it over an edge (a push measurement) or butting it against a surface (a pull measurement). That wobble is called end play, and it is a … Read more
Accuracy on a tape measure means how closely the printed markings match the true distance being measured, and how consistent those markings stay along the whole blade, over time, and after the hook has taken some knocks. It is not a single number stamped on the case — it is a mix of manufacturing tolerance, … Read more
A pipe wrench is a hand tool with a hinged, serrated jaw built to grip round pipe and fittings rather than the flat faces of a nut or bolt. Its jaw is deliberately loose and angled so that turning force makes it clamp down harder — the more you push, the tighter it bites. What … Read more
A torque wrench measures rotational force — how hard something is being twisted, not how tight it feels. It reads the turning effort applied to a fastener, in units like newton-metres or foot-pounds, and stops or signals once that effort reaches a chosen value. It does not measure clamping force directly, only the twist that … Read more
A bradawl is a simple pointed hand tool used to start holes for screws and nails, and to prick guide marks into wood before drilling or joinery work. Pushed and twisted by hand, it parts wood fibres rather than removing them, giving a screw or drill bit somewhere accurate to begin without splitting the timber. … Read more
About what you read here. Everything on Find Tool is general information and our own editorial opinion. We research carefully and we say when the evidence is unclear, but we can be wrong, things change, and no article can know your particular situation. Please do your own research and make your own judgement rather than treating anything here as the final word. Prices, products and specifications around tools and workshop equipment change constantly, and what suits one person will not suit another. Check current details yourself, and where a decision involves real money, safety or something you cannot undo, it is worth confirming with the manufacturer, or a qualified electrician or tradesperson before you act.