You will need a few construction tools in order to build ef­fectively. The following list should serve as a guide in buying the necessary tools: Shovel. Any good shovel should prove satisfactory. 8 lb. sledge.

16 02. hammer. This is about the right size for most people. For framing, a 20 02. hammer is some­times used, and a 13 02. for finishing. But most-people work better with the same hammer for all purposes, and a 16 oz. is the best all-around si2e. There are several good makes, but perhaps Stan­ley, Maydole, Estwing, and Vaughan are among the best. It pays to get a good hammer, as it is the one of most used construction tools on the job.

26" saw. The regular-sided saw is 26" long. For framing, about 8 points to the inch is best, but good work can be done with a finer saw if only one saw is to be bought. The finish saw should have about 11 points per inch. If you can afford it, the two saws should be bought as they are used a great deal.

Hand axe. Do not get one that is too heavy. You will find this kind of construction tools very useful. Keep it sharp.

Steel tape. The 50' size is long enough for most work and is not so heavy to carry around as the 100 ft. size. But most carpenters prefer the 100 ft. tapes.

Rule. The rolling 8 or 10 ft. size is the handiest, and should always be in one's pocket while he is working.

Pencil. Be sure to have a good supply of pencils on hand.

Steel framing square. This square has a blade 24" long and a tongue 16" long. It is used in much of the measuring and squaring in the framing of the house.

Try square. A small square that is very useful in cab­inet work. An adaptation of this square is called the combination square, in which the head slips along the blade to enable one to measure in tight places, and to set off a specific distance, will be found more useful than a regular try square.

Level. A level from 2' to 3' long will be adequate for building a house. Bricklayers use a level, called a plumb rule, that is 4' long.

Plumb bob. A stone can be used with a string if you wish, as you measure from the string anyway.

Planes. Perhaps a 14" jack plane is the most univer­sally used, as it will do almost any planing oper­ation, but if you can afford two planes, get an 18" fore plane and a 6" block plane.

Chisels. A chisel 1/4" wide, one that is 3/4" wide and a large heavy chisel should be all that you really need, but other sizes are also useful.

Wrecking Bar. A 30" bar will be found better than the usual 24" size. You do not expect to use it much, but it will come in handy.

Chalk Line. Get plenty of chalk line or other strong string in long lengths, as this will aid in getting a straight building job. Whenever you want any­thing straight, stretch a string. Get a few pieces of chalk to go with your line.

Hoe. You will need a large hoe for mixing mortar.

Trowel, Brick Hammer. You will need these if you lay blocks or brick. They are also very useful around concrete work.

Pick. You will not need this very much unless your soil is rocky or unusually hard. Why not borrow a pick if you need it?

Hand Box. Make a lightweight hand box to carry your construction tools around in. This will aid in keeping them together and should prevent losing them.

Nail apron or Carpenter's overalls. You will need something that has the right kind of pockets to carry nails in. Avoid putting too many in at one time and making the thing too heavy.

Sandpaper. When you get to the finish work, you will need sandpaper of several sizes. Garnet paper is the sharpest and cuts the fastest. You will need it in sizes of 1/2, 0, 00. Flint paper is cheaper and does not cut so fast, but the fine and very fine sizes will be very useful. When you are sanding paint, use the flint paper.

Brace and bits. You will need a brace and three or four bits. Sizes like 9/16, 3/4, and an expansion bit should give you enough so that you can get along.

Small construction tools that most people already have like pliers, screwdrivers, hack saws, wrenches, will come in very handy.

Power Saw. A small power saw will be found very helpful, and will save a great deal of labor; but one must be very careful in their use to avoid acci­dents. The portable electric hand saw is perhaps the most convenient for the average builder, as it can be taken to the place where the work is to be done, whereas the larger stationary models re­quire you to bring the work to them. You can get more accurate cutting from a larger saw with an arm that permits the saw to be brought out over the work. Some radial arm saws permit you to cut almost any angle on the end of a board, like the cuts of rafters, even the complicated cheek cuts which are compound miters. You have such a few of them, however, that they can easily be cut by hand in a short time. Most of your work will require only square cutting. The little portable saws can also be set to cut compound angles, but their accuracy will depend largely on the skill of the operator and may be slightly disappointing at times. A good sharp handsaw will do a lot of cut­ting in an hour if worked by a determined and sinewy hand. Where you buy the studding al­ready cut to length, and do not use sheathing or boxing on the outside of the house, there is hot so much sawing anyway.

Power Jointer. A 6" power jointer will save a lot of hand planing. You can use it to straighten some boards, plane others smooth, to help in fit­ting doors, making thresholds, etc. This will also be used in the cupboard work.

Electric Drill. The 1/2" size will be large enough to bore holes for electric wiring and plumbing. It can also be used to bore holes in brick or concrete if you use carboloy drill bits. The 1/4" size can be used for many things, but is hardly large enough for work on a house.

With wages the way they are, it does not take many hours of hard work saved to pay for a power tool or machine.

Here is just a word of caution for amateur build­ers regarding power construction tools, particularly these small portable electric hand saws. Treat them with respect and learn how to use them safely. Always keep the guard in place, looking before you turn on the switch to see that everything is ready for the saw to start. No amount of saving you may hope to make can compensate for the loss of a hand, a leg, or even of a finger, and they are not hard to saw off.

Many accidents result from falls. When you work at any height, take special precaution to see that all ladders are strong and in good condition, and that they rest squarely on the ground. If you build scaffolds be sure that they are substantial, well braced, and equipped with a strong hand rail. A fall can end your building work in a hurry. Select scaffold planks that do not have knots near the middle, testing them for strength by placing them on low supports and springing them up and down.

Construction tools can be handled safely, but it takes constant vigilance and a certain amount of informa­tion as to what is safe practice and what is danger­ous. Never take a chance. If a thing is at all dan­gerous, instead of doing it that way figure out a safe way of accomplishing the result you desire. You cut off a finger only once and it is gone forever. Take time to be safe. Never remove the guard from port­able hand saws. The switch should work freely and turn off automatically as soon as you release it. Be sure the saw is grounded electrically. They usually come with a triple plug or with a small wire insulated in green which should be connected to a ground somewhere. If you have an outlet with the triple plug, it is probably properly grounded. Arrange the boards so they will not bind or pinch the blade and cause the saw to jerk out of control. Keep the blade sharp and avoid cutting into nails or cement. Do not use the saw where you do not have good footing, or where something is liable to slip.

The electric hand saw saves a lot of work, but remember that a bad accident could stop the entire job very suddenly. Never use a cord that is frayed, or not otherwise in first class condition. These construction tools use a large current, so the cord must be larger than an ordinary lamp cord. Always pull the cord from the outlet before attempting to change the saw blade or making major adjustments, as an accidental start at the wrong time might be a serious mistake.

The larger saws that stay in one place and have the work brought to them are safer than the portable kind, but even these, not being vegetarian saws, should be used with care. It is safe to use power machinery, but a person must always be careful to use it properly and with caution.

One cause of accidents is hurry. Work with your construction tools as fast as you can without hurrying. That feeling of urgency that makes people step too heavily on the gas some­times carries over into the building work. Take enough time to be safe, for it will pay in the long run.