specialty deck tools

14 years ago

I've been having fun shopping for specialty tools that will make our deck building smoother. So far I've bought:

-post hole auger for a tractor (found a used one for $300: not much more than the rental of a manual one for a weekend)

-Bowrench

-Metal connector nailer (got a reconditioned Bostich on ebay for $150)

Has anyone used these "joist jaws"? They seem handy, but 50 bucks seems a bit much for something so simple. {{!gwi}}{{!gwi}}

And what about levels? I've found string levels (seems like the string would sag) post levels (we'll have a total of 51 posts between the frame, pergola, and railing), plus an 8-foot option (the longest one we currently own is only 2 feet). Which are the most useful? Do I need them all?

Batter boards: are home-made ones good enough? Any tips for your favorite design?

Any other tools you'd recommend? We've got the basic assortment of saws, drills, and nail guns that we need.

Comments (5)

sparks66
14 years ago
tools kick butt...below is a post I put together last year with my favorite tools

Here is a link that might be useful: toolz
brooklyndecks
14 years ago
I love my rotary laser lever with remote control. Nothing beats it for leveling posts. String (line) levels suck.

I retired my bowrench (anyone want to buy a used one?) in favor of the BoardBoss (I have 2 of them).

Makita impact driver for screwing.

Headcote trim screws and Smartbit for countersinking them.

I've considered joist jaws, but I just make my own jig.

An accurate post level is handy...a 2' level is useless...get a 6' or 8'

home made batter boards (do they sell commercial ones?)

good, strong stringline and a bunch of identical wood blocks. I like yellow string.

steve
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srercrcr
14 years ago
Buy a cheap laser line level, ditch the "last century" string level..Homemade batter boards are great.
weedyacres
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes, there are commercial batter boards: $119 for a set of 8 on amazon.com. If I planned to build more than one deck I might consider the investment. :-)

Steve: would you mind posting a photo of your home-made joist jaws?
brooklyndecks
14 years ago
weedy,

I make those jigs on the fly, then throw them away. A clamp, a piece of ipe, and a screw. I don't have any pics. It's not rocket science.