THE BENCH WORK TOOLS AND ITS USES

2.1 Introduction
Bench work has its own essential position in all engineering works. In the mechanized
workshops, where most of the work is carried out on an automatic machine, while
bench work has its own importance. The jobs can be finished to a fairly good degree
of accuracy through machining operation; they often require the hand operations to be
done on them to finish to the desired accuracy. A fitter’s work is unavoidable when
different parts are to be assembled in position after they have been finished.
Alignment of machine parts, bearings, engine slide valves and similar other works call
for a fitter’s work. Reconditioning and refitting of machines and machine parts cannot
be done without a skilled fitter. All the above types of works require the use of a large
number of hand tools and a fitter must have good working knowledge of all these
tools and instruments.

2.2 Filter’s vices

Vices are the most suitable and widely used tools for gripping different jobs in
position during various operations carried out in a fitting shop.

There are a fairly good number of different types of vices such as parallel jaw vice,
machine vice, hand vice and pipe vice.

From these, the parallel jaw vice is the most commonly used in general fitting work.
These vices are available in different trade sizes and the selection of a suitable size
will depend upon the maximum size of the work. The width of the jaws determines
the size of the vice.

In fixing it on the fitter’s bench it is held with the help of bolts passing through the
planks of the bench. The bolts are tightened by means of nuts and the vice is held
firmly on the bench. The jaws of the vice are usually kept overhanging the edge of the
bench.

2.2.1 Bench vice

It is the most commonly used vice sometimes also known as parallel jaw vice. It
essentially consists of a cast steel body, a movable jaw, a fixed jaw, both made of cast
steel, a handle, a square threaded screw and a nut all made of mild steel. A separate
cast steel plates known as jaw plates with teeth are fixed to the jaws by means of set
screws and they can be replaced when worn. The movement of the vice is caused by
the screw which passes through the nut fixed under the movable jaw. The screw is
provided with a collar inside to prevent it from coming out and handle at the outer
end. The width of the jaws suitable for common work varies from 80 to 140 mm and
the maximum opening being 95 to 180 mm.

Fig. 2.1 Bench vice

It is a cast iron plate having a square or rectangular top perfectly planed true and
square with adjacent machined faces. The top is finished true by means of grinding
and scrapping. This plate carries a cast iron base under it and the bottom surface of the
base is also machined true to keep the top surface of the plate in a perfect horizontal
plane.
 Fig. 2.2 Surface plate
2.4 ‘V’ –Block
A ‘V” block serves as a very useful support to the work in marking. It usually works
in conjunction with a U-clamp.

Round bar is placed longitudinally in the block and the screw in the clamp tightened.
Its specific use is in holding the round bars during marking and center drilling their
end faces, which are to be held between centers on the lathe. Also it is very suitable
for holding round bars in drilling operations when the axis of the drill is to be kept
normal to the axis of the bar.
 Fig. 2.3 V-Block
2.5 Simple Scribing Block

It is principal marking tool in a fitting shop and is made in various forms and sizes. It
consists of a cast iron sliding base fitted with a vertical steel rod. The marker is fitted
into an adjustable device carrying a knurled nut at one end. By means of the nut the
marker can be loosened or tightened to set it at any desired inclination, moved to and
fro inside the hole accommodating it or adjust its height along the vertical pillar.
Normally it is used in conjunction with either a surface plate or marking table. Its
specific use is in locating centers of round rods held in V-block, describing straight
lines on work held firmly in its position by means of a suitable device like angle plate
and also in drawing a number of lines parallel to a true surface.

2.6 Universal Surface Gauge

It consists of a cast base, perfectly planed at the top, bottom and all sides. Two guide
pins are provided at the rear end of the base which can be pressed down to project
below the base. These pins can be used against the edge of the surface plate or any
other finished surface for guiding the instrument during scribing.

A swivel bolt is provided at the top of the base in which the spindle is fitted. This
spindle can be swung and locked in any desired position by means of the adjusting
screw. The scriber is fitted in an adjustable screw on the spindle and is capable of
being adjusted at any inclination and height along the spindle. A rocker is provided at
the top of the base and it carries an adjusting screw at its rear end.
 Fig. 2.4 Simple scribing block and universal surface gauge
2.7 Try Square

It is better known as engineer’s try square and is a very common tool used for scribing
straight lines at right angles to a true surface or testing the trueness of mutually
normal surfaces. They are made in different sizes from the steel pieces.
 Fig. 2.5 Try square
It consists of a steel blade fitted into a steel stock of rectangular cross-section. They
are well hardened and tempered to suit the need. Both inner and outer surface of
the blade are kept truly at right angles to the corresponding surfaces of the stock.
2.8 Bevel Gauge

Whenever angles other than right angles are required to be tested or set and marked
sliding bevel square or bevel gauge is used.

It consists of a steel stock of rectangular cross-section carrying a slotted steel blade at

2.9 Files
Files of different types are the principal hand tools used by a fitter. All the files,
irrespective of their shape, size and grade, essentially consist of two main parts, viz., a
toothed blade and a pointed tang, which is fitted in a handle. Files are generally forged
out of high carbon steel, followed by cutting of teeth, hardening and tempering etc.
Common shapes of the files available are flat, hand, square, pillar, round, half round,
triangular, knife edge, etc.

These files are manufactured in different varieties and their classification is governed
by the following factors: effective length- i.e. excluding the length of tang, shape or
form of the cross-section, depth, spacing and cut of teeth

Length of the files varies according to the need but the most commonly used lengths
range from 10 cm to 30 cm and they cover almost all sorts of filing work done by
hand.

Length between 10 cm and 15 cm are generally used for fine work, between 15 cm
and 25 cm for medium sized work and above 25 cm for all general and large sized
jobs.

Square file which carried double cut teeth on all the four faces and is normally made
tapered for about one-third of its length near the end opposite to the tang.

Triangular file which normally carries single cut teeth on all the faces and is made
tapered towards the end for about two-third of its length near the tip. The cross-
section is an equilateral triangle.
 Fig. 2.6 Types of files
Teeth of the files may single cut or double cut. Single teeth are parallel and at angle
of 60ºto the center line of the file. Double cut files have two sets of teeth, the
overcut teeth are cut at angle of 60º and the uppercut at 75º to 80º to the centre
line. Files are also further classified according to the coarseness or spacing between
the rows of teeth.
1. Rough (R) with 10 to 4.5 cuts per 10 mm length
2. Bastard (B) with 18 to 6 cuts per 10 mm length
3. Second cut (SC) with 21 to 11 cuts per 10 mm length
4. Smooth (S) with 30 to 15 cuts per 10 mm length
5. Dead smooth (DS) with 35 to 28 cuts per 10 mm length
6. Super smooth (SS) with 63 to 40 cuts per 10 mm length
2.10 Scrapers

Scraping is a very important hand operation in bench work employed for obtaining a
fine surface finish on the work, particularly for removing convex spots from machined
surfaces, and the tools used for doing this operation are known as scrapers.

They vary in shape and size, depending upon the specific work for which they are
employed.

They are usually made from rejected old files. Such files are heated and bent to the
desired shape. They are fitted with a wooden handle.

2.11 Chisels

There are many verities of chisels used for chipping work by a fitter. Some very
commonly used forms are Flat, Cross-cut, Round nose and Diamond point.

All the chisels are forged from bar stock of carbon steel, to the desired shape and the
cutting edge ground to the correct angle.

The forging operation is followed by annealing, hardening and tempering to make

Full length of the chisel is never hardened, only a small length about the cutting edge
(say about 20 to 30 mm) is hardened.

The included angle at the cutting edge varies between 40 and 70, depending upon the
material on which it is to be used. Approximate values of cutting angles for common
materials are as follows:

Brass and copper 40

Wrought iron 50

Cast iron and general cutting work 60

Steel (cast) 70
A flat chisel is a general purpose chisel which is most widely used in cutting work,
chipping large surface, cutting metal sheets, rods, bar stocks and similar other
purposes. Since it cuts the metal in cold state it is also frequently known as cold
chisel.

A round nose chisel is used for drawing the eccentric hold back to correct centre
which has run off-centre during drilling operation. Another specific use of this type of
chisel is in cutting oil grooves and channels in bearings and pulley bushes and
cleaning small round corners.

A cross cut is a comparatively narrow chisel having its cutting edge slightly broader
than the blade. It is made to keep the blade free when the chisel is used to cut deep
groove into the metal. Normal widths of the cutting edge vary from 3 mm to 12 mm.
This chisel is used to cut parallel grooves on large surfaces, before chipping by means
of a flat chisel, cutting key ways, etc.

A diamond point chisel is a special purpose chisel used for chipping rough plates and
cutting cast iron pipes, cutting ‘V’ grooves, chipping sharp corners, squaring up
corners of previously cut slots and cleaning angles.
 Fig. 2.7 Types of chisel
2.12 Hammers

The hammer is one of the most widely used fitter’s tools. It is used for striking chisels
in chipping and cutting and the punch in marking.

All the hammers used in a fitting shop are similar in construction to the smith’s hand
hammers, such as ball peen, cross peen, straight peen, etc. The only difference lies in
weight. Hammers used in fitting work are comparatively lighter in weight than the
smith’s hand hammers. They normally weigh from 0.45 kg to 0.7 kg.

Ball peen hammer is the most commonly used hammer. The peen is ball shaped. It is
used for riveting, chipping, drawing and laying out. The weight of the hammer varies
from 0.11 to 0.91 kg (as per IS standards)..

Fig. 2.8 Hammers

Cross peen hammer resembles the ball peen hammer in shape except that its peen is in
wedge shape and at right angles to the eye. This hammer is used for bending and
hammering in the corners.

Straight peen hammer has a peen in line with the handle and is used for peening or
stretching the metal.
2.13 Hack-Saw

Desired lengths of bar stocks, rods, tubes, iron flats and metal sheets, etc. are always
required to be cut in fitting shop. Hack-saw is a common tool used for this purpose. It
consists of a metal frame, fitted with a wooden handle, carrying metal clips with
wing-nut at its end to hold. The clip carrying the wing nut is threaded so as to stretch
the blade to the desired extent. The frame can be either of fixed type, which can
accommodate the same length of blades or adjustable type which is capable of
accommodating different lengths of blades.

Hack saw blades are made of high carbon steel or low alloy steel. Hack saw blade is
the main part. Push type blades, those which cut in forward stroke only, are generally
used. In these, the teeth always point away from the operator. The blades in common
use are generally 0.7 mm thick, 12.7 mm wide and 20 cm to 30 long. About 5 to 7
teeth per cm length of blade from the course group and 8 to 12 teeth per cm from the
fine group of teeth.

Fig. 2.9 Different parts of a hack saw