The A to Z Guide to Power Tool Names

Here is an extensive guide to power tool names and pictures to help identify them. Read my helpful guide, and you will learn about the different types of power tools available.

Power Tool Names and Pictures

Contents
1 Power Tool Names and Pictures
1.0.1 Air Compressor
1.0.2 Angle Grinder
1.0.3 Band Saw
1.0.4 Belt Sander
1.0.5 Bench Grinder
1.0.6 Biscuit Joiner
1.0.7 Chainsaw
1.0.8 Chop Saw
1.0.9 Circular Saw
1.0.10 Drill
1.0.10.1 Drill Press
1.0.11 Heat Gun
1.0.12 Impact Driver
1.0.13 Jointer
1.0.14 Jigsaw
1.0.15 Lathe
1.0.16 Miter Saw
1.0.17 Nail Gun
1.0.18 Random Orbital Sander
1.0.19 Reciprocating Saw
1.0.20 Rotary Saw
1.0.21 Router
1.0.22 Scroll Saw
1.0.23 Table Saw
1.0.24 Thickness Planer
1.0.25 Tile Cutting Saw
1.1 Related Tool:

AIR COMPRESSOR

Air compressors store air in a tank until it is needed. They are used to inflate things and power air tools. Compressors can vary in size from large units to small portable machines.

ANGLE GRINDER

An angle grinder is used to grind and polish metal. They use an electric motor or compressed air for power. Angle grinders use several types of discs and wire brushes to do the job.

BAND SAW

Band saws are used to cut wood or metal with a continuous blade stretched around two wheels. They are useful for cutting irregular shapes similar to a jigsaw.

BELT SANDER

Belt sanders come in two varieties: hand-held and stationary. They are both used to shape and smooth wood surfaces for finishing. Fun fact: belt sanders are used in power tool races.

BENCH GRINDER

The bench grinder is one of the most basic power tools. It consists of an electric motor with abrasive wheels attached at either end of the tool. Bench grinders are used to grind and shape metal materials as well as to sharpen blades. There are many types of wheels such as grinding, polishing and wire brush.

BISCUIT JOINER

Biscuit joiners are used to join two pieces of wood together. A small circular blade on the tool cuts a slot in the wood. Gluing a small wood biscuit into the slots holds the wood together.

CHAINSAW

A chainsaw is a portable saw which uses a rotating chain to cut wood. It is used to cut down trees and cutting logs for use as firewood. Sometimes they are even used to make ice sculptures!

CHOP SAW

Chop saws are used to cut hard materials like metals and concrete with an abrasive disc. There are table-top and hand-held chop saws available and are used quite a bit in construction.

CIRCULAR SAW

Circular saws are power saws which cut wood using a circular blade. Their use includes cutting wood, masonry, plastic, or metal. They are commonly found in woodworking shops.

DRILL

A drill is one of the most used power tools in the home shop. They are used to bore holes in various materials with a drill bit. Their most common use is in woodworking.

There are many types of power drills including:

• Hand-held drills
• Hammer drills
• Drill press
• Milling drills

Drill Press

A drill press is a stationary power tool used to bore holes in materials. The material is clamped onto a small surface and a lever is used to plunge the bit down. Most drill presses have an adjustable stop which stops the bit at the desired depth.

HEAT GUN

Heat guns emit a stream of hot air. They have many uses including shrinking heat shrink tubing, shrink film and desoldering.

IMPACT DRIVER

An impact driver is used to loosen or tighten bolts, nuts, and screws. They are available as battery-powered, air-powered and electric tools. Air-powered impact drivers produce lots of torque for use by mechanics.

JOINTER

Jointers are also known as jointer-planers. They are used in woodworking to plane off the length of a plank to create a flat surface. The planks are then glued together into panels.

JIGSAW

A jigsaw is a power-tool with a reciprocating saw blade used for cutting materials. It works similar to a bandsaw for cutting curves into the material. Jigsaws can cut wood or metal depending on the blade used.

LATHE

Lathes have a few uses in woodworking and metalworking to shape and smooth the workpiece. The piece of material is clamped into the lathe and is rotated at high speed. A tool can then be used to shape or smooth the material into the desired shape.

The most basic items produced are bowls and baseball bats but more intricate shapes are possible.

MITER SAW

A miter saw is a powered saw used for making crosscuts and miters onto wood boards. Miter saws can be set up to make cuts at various angles quickly. The desired angle can be locked into place for repeat cuts.

NAIL GUN

Nail guns are used to drive nails into wood using compressed air or battery power. They are a quick and easy way to drive nails and have replaced hammers on the job site for most work.

RANDOM ORBITAL SANDER

A random orbital sander is a hand-held power tool used for sanding and finishing wood. The sander spins the disc and moves it in small circles at the same time. This means the tool will not leave swirl marks in the wood when sanding.

RECIPROCATING SAW

Reciprocating saws are a type of power saw used in construction and demolition work. The blades used resemble jigsaw blades but larger in size and made for rough cutting.

ROTARY SAW

The rotary saw is used for making cuts in the material without needing a pilot hole. This tool was designed to make cut-outs in drywall for electrical outlets. People have even built home-made CNC machines with rotary tools!

ROUTER

Routers are used in woodworking to rout out an area on the material. The bit on the bottom of the tool spins at high speed removing material along its path.

There are a variety of router bits available to carve out designs on the edges of the wood. The profiles shown below are some of the possible designs a router can carve.

SCROLL SAW

A scroll saw is a small electric saw used to cut curves in wood and other materials. The blade uses a reciprocating action to cut the material. The blade itself is very small and can cut intricate curves and designs.

Designs such as the one pictured above are possible on a scroll saw.

TABLE SAW

Table saws are woodworking tools used to cut wood. The saw blade is circular and protrudes from the table surface. The blade can be angled and moved higher or lower for cutting. The fence on the table-top keeps the wood straight when cutting.

THICKNESS PLANER

A thickness planer is a woodworking machine used to trim boards on both sides to the desired thickness. The machine has two sets of cutting knives and rollers which draw the board through the machine. The thickness can be adjusted to the desired amount with a crank.

TILE CUTTING SAW

A tile saw is a specialized power tool used in the construction industry to cut ceramic tiles. It uses a special blade and cooling liquid to cut the delicate tiles to shape.