Tools for Working with Drywall: Master's Set
Drywall tools
drywall knife;
drywall drill (it is preferable to have an electric drywall drill);
drywall circular saw set (the set should include a drywall bit in different sizes);
knife-saw;
disk cutter;
drywall cutter;
small end plane;
needle roller;
drywall plane (edge plane);
cable;
level;
profile scissors;
impact driver;
drywall lifter or wedge;
measuring tape;
square and others
We will divide the tool list into electric equipment for drywall and hand tools
Photo 1 — Tools for Working with Drywall
Drywall tools
- drywall knife;
- drywall drill (it is preferable to have an electric drywall drill);
- drywall circular saw set (the set should include a drywall bit in different sizes);
- knife-saw;
- disk cutter;
- drywall cutter;
- small end plane;
- needle roller;
- drywall plane (edge plane);
- cable;
- level;
- profile scissors;
- impact driver;
- drywall lifter or wedge;
- measuring tape;
- square and others
We will divide the tool list into electric equipment for drywall and hand tools
Electric Tools for Drywall
- Drill. The efficiency of the work largely depends on this tool. If you think that screwing in one screw does not take much time, you are wrong: it may not be significant for a single screw, but when organizing the frame and fastening drywall panels throughout the entire room perimeter (especially if working on large areas), it is much faster and more efficient to handle the fastening task with a gas gun.
IMPORTANT! If you do not plan to professionally engage in renovations and work with large areas, there is no need to buy expensive tools: performing home repairs yourself can be limited to a small electric screwdriver.
Compare:
Drywall Drill DWP 4000 DEC Protool- power consumption: 400 W;
- speed (no load): 0 — 4,000 rpm;
- torque, hard/soft: 14/6 Nm;
- spindle thread: 1/4";
- weight with depth limiter: 1.5 kg;
- weight with magazine: 1.8 kg;
- price: $412.
Photo 2 — Drywall Drill DWP 4000 DEC Protool
Gas Mounting Gun Spit Pulsa 700 P- nail length, (mm): 15-40;
- energy of the shot, (J): 100;
- magazine capacity, (pcs): 20;
- rate of fire, (shots/sec): 2-3;
- automatic force adjustment: yes;
- stroke length adjustment: yes;
- voltage, (V): 6 (600 mA);
- battery type: NiMH;
- battery charging time: 1 hour;
- number of shots per charge: 1,500;
- gas tank capacity: 690;
- dimensions (length/width/height), mm: 383x295×109;
- noise level min/max, (dBA): 103/110;
- vibration on handle, (m/s²): 3.4;
- compatible nails: C6 | HC6 | CROCOWOOD CW6 | CG6;
- weight, (kg): 3.7 (with battery);
- price: $1,988.
Photo 3 — Gas Mounting Gun Spit Pulsa 700 P
IMPORTANT! The automatic method of screw fastening will reduce working time by four times! For such expensive equipment, rental is possible.
When using a standard drill with attachments, it is preferable to have a special bit for drywall work, which ensures careful screw tightening without damaging the surface of the material.
- Impact Driver. It is important that the impact driver has a triple mode, i.e., transition from drilling to impact and demolition modes. It is recommended to choose a lightweight impact driver with a comfortable handle for gripping.
- Electrical drill is convenient when it weighs little, and it is preferable that the tool has variable speed since profile mounting is often performed on metal bases.
- Grinder (angle grinder). For working with drywall, a 115-125 mm angle grinder is sufficient. Choose a tool that is comfortable to grip.
- Electric jigsaw is needed only when mounting drywall on wooden beams.
- Electric scissors are also recommended for those who will work with drywall in large volumes. It is more convenient to use sheet metal electric scissors (e.g., Makita JS1617).
Hand Tools
Photo 4 — Metal Shears
- Metal Shears. The selection of this tool deserves more attention, as almost all preparatory work will be done using it. Selection criteria: good steel and a reputable brand (e.g., Top tools 01A999, price $5).
- Measuring Tape. When selecting a tape measure, pay attention not only to the length but also to the thickness of the tape. A 5-meter tape with a blade width of 19-25 mm is convenient for work. It is preferable that the tape casing is rubberized and has a magnetic catch (e.g., STAYER GRAND 3412 – 10 m tape with a blade width of 25 mm, price $12.5).
- Drywall Knife. The standard width of such a knife is 18 mm. The knife must have segmented blades. There are knives with a screw locking mechanism, a locking system, and knives with a sliding lock. A knife made of metal frame, with a rubberized handle, and a screw locking mechanism is convenient for work.
- Drywall Knife-Saw must have good sharpening, double-row teeth, and a rubberized convenient handle (e.g., STAYER STANDART 1517, tooth spacing 3.5 mm, length 160 mm, price $4.5 or IRWIN drywall knife-saw, $13.7).
- Woodworker's Hammer (optimal weight 30-400 g), with a strong yet lightweight handle.
- Mounting Belt.
Photo 5 — Mounting Belt Allows You to Keep Most Required Tools Within Reach
- Level. For mounting drywall, levels of various lengths are used: from 60-80 cm to 220 cm, and in some cases, mini-levels up to 7 cm can also be used (preferably magnetic). For working with large areas, it is better to use a laser level.
Accompanying tools can include a marking string (used for wall and ceiling layout), squares (for aligning corners), pencils or construction markers, a cutter (used to fix metal profiles at bends), and other small tools.
Photo 6 — Accessories for Drywall Installation
Accessories for Drywall
The main list of accessories for drywall includes
- posts, guides, load-bearing profiles for drywall;
- cross-shaped brackets (drywall crabs) - this fastener is used for mounting drywall profiles in the same plane;
- P-shaped bracket (universal) is used with a suspension strap for mounting profiles to ceilings and walls;
- turning T-suspension with clamping for SD profile is designed for mounting the specified profiles to the ceiling;
- ceiling bracket - SD two-level connector;
- fasteners (butterflies for drywall or anchors for drywall) are used to connect dropper hooks and dropper loops (load capacity is 15 kg), an alternative can be dowels;
- spikes for drywall are produced in lengths of 125 mm, 250 mm, 500 mm and 1,000 mm, they are used for suspending profiled structures of suspended ceilings.
$ Cost of Accessories
The cost of accessories ranges from $0.1 per piece to $0.4 per piece.
When working with drywall, you may also need
- screws for drywall (dowel with impact screw of different lengths, metal screws and wood screws).
IMPORTANT! Metal dowels are used for mounting ceiling suspensions of the "Armstrong" type. In all other cases, it is better to use impact dowels. Impact dowel, also known as a dowel-nail, consists of a wedge-shaped dowel and a nail with a helical thread. For ceiling drywall structures, metal dowels MOLLI for hollow constructions may also be used.
- reinforcing tape or plastic mesh - "serpentine" (for proper joint leveling of panels, paper tape can also be used).
IMPORTANT! The branded paper tape for drywall is perforated, used when embedding joints of drywall panels. This tape has higher strength compared to serpentine tape, preventing cracks when embedding panel joints. The price of such tape is $6.5 (50 mm/150 m). It should be applied to panel joints after the primer has dried and the paper for drywall returns to its original color.
Photo 7 — Serpentine Tape for Reinforcing Panels at Joints
- finish materials (spackle, plaster) and tools for applying them (drill with mixing attachment, various sizes spatulas, etc.).
Finally - an educational video.
