Confessions of a tool junkie

[Jurek]

You people are a bad influence...

They are.
I've just given Bezos my hard earned for that DeWalt kit.
Seriously thobut, if we were that bad we'd be saying things like Lamello and Festool to you.

You mean you bought the Black & Decker kit 

Have to say I was suprised to discover that B&D owned de Walt and has done since 1990

I've known that since B&D bought out Elu.
My first cordless was an Elu 9V.
B&D bought them out, painted them yellow and removed half of the windings  from the motor.
My (heavy) 9V Elu had considerably more grunt than did a 12V DeWalt of the time.
The NiCads for it became prohibitively expensive regardless of whether you bought the B&D or the DW batteries (they were interchangeable, but priced pointed as DIY or trade respectively).
Hence I ended up with Makita.

We had a fair bit of DW kit when I was working for The Science Museum.
It was regarded as disposable, or 'one way' when working overseas.

[Mrs Pingu]

You people are a bad influence...

They are.
I've just given Bezos my hard earned for that DeWalt set.
Seriously thobut, if we were that bad we'd be saying things like Lamello and Festool to you.

Champagne tastes, lemonade pockets 

[Mrs Pingu]

Well, this may seem rather 'dur' to most of you but I have just discovered that socket sets aren't just socket shaped. I had no idea you can get allen, torx, pozi etc fittings...
Every day's a school day.

You can even get 1/4" socket to 1/4" (or is it 6mm?) hex adaptors, so you can then use any bit from your bit driver set. I find this very useful.

As is the reverse.

J

My brain has only just understood what you said there....
So in theory I only need an adaptor and not a whole load of new bits. Need to go and measure what size our socket set is. It was a hand-me-down from my Dad so dog knows how old it is.

[grams]

My brain has only just understood what you said there....
So in theory I only need an adaptor and not a whole load of new bits. Need to go and measure what size our socket set is. It was a hand-me-down from my Dad so dog knows how old it is.

If it's got smaller sizes (below about 10mm) it'll be 1/4" drive. Above that 3/8". Most socket sets have both and an adapter. If you have anything for car wheel nuts (~18mm and up) it might also have 1/2" drive, which are also common on bike cassette tools and similar.

You can literally just use a 1/4" hex socket to drive hex screwdriver bits, although they lack the spring/magnet to stop the bit falling out. Likewise 4mm hex bits are common for electronics fettling, and a 4mm socket will work to drive them. My 4mm hex set includes a 4mm hex socket, which is - geometrically speaking - a very short extension.

[quixoticgeek]

I have one of these:

https://amazon.de/gp/product/B000S5IT7I/

When I ordered it I only got the bit with a 1 next to it.

I have since ordered bits to take 1/4" and 3/8" and 1/2" sockets into a hex driver bit, so I could use a wolf tooth components tool

J

[Mrs Pingu]

I've been for a rummage. It's a 3/8" ratchet but it does indeed have a converter to 1/4". Happy days...

[grams]

I've been for a rummage. It's a 3/8" ratchet but it does indeed have a converter to 1/4". Happy days...

The converter will soon become the most precious thing in the universe. And nowhere to be found.

[Mrs Pingu]

Probably doesn't matter as long I can still find the 1/4" socket though?

[grams]

I meant the adapter from 3/8” square drive to 1/4” square drive.

[Mrs Pingu]

Ah yes, if I want to use the teeny weeny sockets I guess.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Unlike my Wera tools, I have no use for a fractal vice - but I would love one.

It's rare for you to confess to not having a vice. 

[Kim]

I've been for a rummage. It's a 3/8" ratchet but it does indeed have a converter to 1/4". Happy days...

The converter will soon become the most precious thing in the universe. And nowhere to be found.

It'll be with the 10mm socket.

[Zipperhead]

Unlike my Wera tools, I have no use for a fractal vice - but I would love one.

It's rare for you to confess to not having a vice. 

Well, my toolbox contains many vices. But I've nothing wrinkly enough (yet) to require a fractal vice.

[andrewc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKFQ8B4cx64&t=2135s   "Making a £13000 turntable"


Building a plywood plinth from scratch, then veneering it and finally installing a classic Garrard 301 & fitting a £5k tonearm & £5k cartridge.   Very pretty.



Copied from my favourite music & hifi forum https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/making-a-£13-000-turntable-garrard-301-ikeda-tonearm-and-audionote-cartridge.263245/#post-4569801

[T42]

There's meat for a good sermon in that ^^^.

[pcolbeck]

Just bought a set of Stahlwille 13 series combination spanners off that Amazon as they were 2/3 the price they normally are. I will finally have a set of decent spanners that are all the same!

Now I only have to steel myself to throwing away some of the old junk ones ....

[Tim Hall]

Just bought a set of Stahlwille 13 series combination spanners off that Amazon as they were 2/3 the price they normally are. I will finally have a set of decent spanners that are all the same!

Now I only have to steel myself to throwing away some of the old junk ones ....

Send them to your local tool charity.

[quixoticgeek]

This weekend i realised i do not have any screwdrivers in this country. I've been using my leatherman with bit adapter for the last few years. And i have reached the limits i can achieve with that.

Tomorrow i shall go buy some screw drivers.

J

[T42]

Finally got one of these.  Been wanting one for years and stuck it on my wish list in hope but nobody ever obliged.  Mentioned it to MrsT a couple of weeks ago: "Oh, that's been on your wish list so long I decided you didn't want it".  Me: <squawk>

So now I have one.

[robgul]

Finally got one of these.  Been wanting one for years and stuck it on my wish list in hope but nobody ever obliged.  Mentioned it to MrsT a couple of weeks ago: "Oh, that's been on your wish list so long I decided you didn't want it".  Me: <squawk>

So now I have one.

That's the luxury aluminium one - she's too good to you!  - I have a £3 from Banggood plastic model

[hubner]

That looks like something that's nice to have but can do without.

[T42]

Well yes, but a lot handier than a try-square for squaring round a bit of timber.  Assuming it's square itself, of course.

[quixoticgeek]

I went to a tool shop to buy some screw drivers.

I left a little while later with 8 screwdrivers, a hammer, a file, a tape measure, and 2m of mild steel...

I also ordered another file which will arrive next week.

"What's the Dutch for a bastard mill file?" i not a question you expect to ask often...

J

[Ham]

Misdadiger ?

[pcolbeck]

Found out this week that no one makes their own in-house ratcheting spanners (except Gedore and theirs are a bit naff apparently) as the Taiwanese have a patent on the best mechanism. So I ordered some Facom ones instead of German ones given they are all made in Taiwan anyway and the Facom ones look pretty.