Measure, Saw and Drill
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What you will learn
- 1Measure and mark a board with a tape measure and a pencil
- 2Clamp wood so your hands stay away from the blade
- 3Start and finish a hand-saw cut with an adult beside you
- 4Drill a hole with an adult in charge of the drill
- 5Get ready safely and put every tool away
Mini Lesson
You may already know the names of the main carpentry tools. Now you will use three of them for real: the tape measure, the hand saw and the drill. A grown-up stays beside you the whole time and is in charge of every cut and every hole. Good carpenters work slowly and check everything twice. A careful measure and a steady saw give you a piece that fits the first time.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- GET READY: put on safety glasses, tie back long hair and roll up or take off loose sleeves. Clear the bench so nothing is in your way.
- MEASURE: hook the end of the tape on the edge of the board, pull it straight and read the number. Then measure again to check - measure twice, cut once.
- MARK: make a small pencil line or a V at the number. Use a square to draw a straight line across the board.
- CLAMP: clamp the wood to the bench so it cannot move. Never hold the wood with your hand near the blade.
- SAW: use a hand saw only. Start on the waste side of the line with short, gentle strokes to make a groove, then use long, smooth strokes and let the saw do the work.
- PUT AWAY: when you finish, the adult checks the tools. Then you put every tool back in its place and sweep up the sawdust.
🔩 Drilling a Hole (the adult decides)
- PICK THE DRILL: a hand drill that you turn with a handle, or a power drill only if the adult says so and holds or guides it with you.
- MARK THE SPOT: draw a small pencil cross where the hole must go.
- PROTECT THE BENCH: clamp a scrap piece of wood under your board, so the drill goes into the scrap and not the table.
- DRILL STRAIGHT: keep the drill upright, push gently and keep your free hand well away from the bit.
An adult is in charge of every cutting and drilling job. Use a hand saw only - never a power saw. A power drill is used only if the adult says so and holds or guides it with you. Always wear safety glasses, tie back long hair and keep loose sleeves away from the tools. Never hold the wood near the blade - use a clamp.
Words to know
tape measure
A long ruler that rolls up, with a hook on the end to grip the edge of a board.
e.g. I hooked the tape measure on the edge and read 6 inches.
waste side
The side of the pencil line that you do not need, where the saw cuts.
e.g. We sawed on the waste side so the shelf stayed 6 inches long.
clamp
A tool that squeezes the wood tight to the bench so it cannot move.
e.g. The clamp held the board, so my hands stayed far from the blade.
stroke
One push and pull of the saw.
e.g. I started with short, gentle strokes to make a groove.
drill bit
The thin, twisted metal part of a drill that cuts the hole.
e.g. My grown-up chose a small drill bit for the hole.
safety glasses
Strong clear glasses that keep sawdust and chips out of your eyes.
e.g. I put on my safety glasses before the first cut.
💡 Handy Tip: saw on the waste side of your pencil line, not right on top of it. The blade turns a thin strip of wood into sawdust, so cutting beside the line keeps your piece the right length.
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