Newsletter 2011-08-10 About Power Tools A power tool is a tool powered by an
electric motor, an internal combustion engine, a steam engine, compressed air,
direct burning of fuels and propellants, or even natural power sources like
wind or moving water. Power tools are classified as either stationary or
portable, where portable means handheld. They are used in industry, in
construction, and around the house for driving, drilling, cutting, shaping,
sanding, grinding, polishing, painting, and heating. Stationary power tools for
metalworking are usually called machine tools. The term machine tool is not
usually applied to stationary power tools for woodworking, although such usage
is occasionally heard, and in some cases, such as drill presses and bench
grinders, exactly the same tool is used for both woodworking and metalworking.
Stationary power tools are prized not
only for their speed, but for their accuracy. A table saw not only cuts faster
than a hand saw, but the cuts are smoother, straighter and more square than
even the most skilled man can do with a hand saw. Lathes produce truly round
objects that cannot be made in any other way.
Common power tools include the drill,
various types of saws, the router, the electric sander, and the lathe.
The term power tool is also used in a
more general sense, meaning a technique for greatly simplifying a complex or
difficult task.
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