INSIDE PLAID TIDINGS HOSTING SECRETS RICHARD’S CUTAWAYS MORE
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY TIEULI
Rafter square
For guiding
circular saws
when making
crosscuts.
Nailset
Saves wood
from errant
hammer
tracks when
nailing trim.
Ear plugs
To protect
against hearing
loss on noisy
job sites.
6-in-
screwdriver
Has two Phillips
bits, two flat
bits, and two
nut drivers.
Trim hammer
Tom drilled
holes in his
Hart Trimmer
to improve
his grip.
Combination
square
For marking the
reveals on door
and window
casings, among
other things.
Block plane
This bronze beauty
from Lie-Nielsen
Toolworks trims
edges to the
scribe line.
Compass
To draw
scribe lines
for matching
up mating
surfaces.
Glue
Tom uses Super
Glue as a quick
clamp. The
pocket’s crusty
buildup is
excess wood
glue that
he wipes off
his fingers.
Tom Silva has been joined at the hip with McGuire-
Nicholas full-grain leather tool belts for more
than 40 years; this is the third one TOH ’s general
contractor has owned. Tom says his fondness for
this model comes down to two features: its easy-
to-adjust, quick-release buckle and its five
relatively small pockets. “They’re just the right
size for the things I need, and can’t be overloaded
with extra stuff.” Here’s what they typically hold.
This old tool belt
40 YEARS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 THISOLDHOUSE.COM 11