What is the purpose of a torque wrench?

A torque wrench is a specialized tool designed to apply a specific amount of torque to fasteners, such as nuts and bolts. This is crucial in many carpentry and construction tasks where ensuring the correct tightness of fasteners is critical for safety and structural integrity. Over-tightening can strip threads or break fasteners, while under-tightening can lead to joint failures. Therefore, a torque wrench ensures that fasteners are tightened to the manufacturer's specifications, providing reliable and consistent results during assembly or installation processes.

The other options focus on different tasks; measuring lengths is done with measuring tools, cutting or shaping wood involves saws and other shaping tools, while checking levels and angles is performed with tools such as levels and squares. Each of these has its own distinct purpose, which does not overlap with the specific function of applying torque.