Author Topic: My favourite tool  (Read 24065 times)

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #25 on: 17 December, 2016, 10:45:38 am »
I must admit, those US woodworking programmes on the Discovery channel really annoyed me.  The guy had a workshop tool for everything.  I could make perfect dovetail joints if all I had to do was feed a piece of wood into a machine.  Try that with a chisel and a tenon saw, machine boy.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #26 on: 17 December, 2016, 11:05:43 am »
I too have lusted after a Woodrat.  Never did manage a dovetail by hand.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #27 on: 17 December, 2016, 11:27:05 am »
I must admit, those US woodworking programmes on the Discovery channel really annoyed me.  The guy had a workshop tool for everything.  I could make perfect dovetail joints if all I had to do was feed a piece of wood into a machine.  Try that with a chisel and a tenon saw, machine boy.

ISTR at least one programme where they took the toys away and Norm had to make the joints in the traditional way. The results were just as good . . .
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #28 on: 17 December, 2016, 11:46:49 am »
I used to love watching that some years ago now together with  the one with the Irish architect chap. When my FIL died the tools that were given away appalled me. By way of example a set of every timber box/bench plane size known to man. A theodolite that I did want, was nicked.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #29 on: 17 December, 2016, 02:25:55 pm »
I must admit, those US woodworking programmes on the Discovery channel really annoyed me.  The guy had a workshop tool for everything.  I could make perfect dovetail joints if all I had to do was feed a piece of wood into a machine.  Try that with a chisel and a tenon saw, machine boy.

ISTR at least one programme where they took the toys away and Norm had to make the joints in the traditional way. The results were just as good . . .

There's a great deal to be said for hand tools.  You don't get the noise and dust for one thing.  It's also a skill to get plane and chisel blades sharp enough for accurate work and the satisfaction as they cut cleanly.  I do mortice and tenons by hand tool.
Move Faster and Bake Things

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #30 on: 17 December, 2016, 02:27:06 pm »
1950's ( I lie, it's 1930's ) Record No.8 jointing plane with rosewood knob and handle........gets stuff flat and straight.

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #31 on: 17 December, 2016, 03:11:17 pm »
In reply to the OP, I don't think the jury will ever be 'in' on this one for me.

Way too many to choose from. I have them coming out of my ears.
My grandfather was a toolmaker for Metal Box. I inherited his tool making tools.
That was never going to end quietly....

If I had to choose, it'd probably be the tools I'd made myself. The satisfaction factor of using one of those, eclipses (did you see what I did there?) the satisfaction of using off the peg tools.
That could be  a knife, with a specific profile, to make an otherwise impossible cut on a lathe.
Or a mould for casting, when I had to produce consistent multiples of something.
If it wasn't a tool that I'd made myself, a Bridgeport would be pretty close to the top of the list.
Or box-jointed pliers. They are a thing of beauty. And I would love someone to explain to me how they are made.
Or my riffler files.
Or anything made by Moore & Wright.
Or Mitutoyo.
Or.... or... or...
Y'see - I knew this would just end up as a list.
And that's before I've moved onto the tools I have in the kitchen.

My list is pretty well identical, but has nowt to do with grandparents or parents, as I got it all myself.  My lathe is a great friend, and I too, would love a Bridgeport, and a workshop big enough to house it.   I've only got a squitty little Chinese milling machine, which had to be converted from gear to belt drive, because the noise level was dangerously high.  I tolerated it till it stripped a gear, then converted it.  I have a beautiful set of reamers, and also expanding reamers, which I rescued from a closed down college of engineering (they were going to be left in the building when it was demolished a a couple of months time).
Wombat

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #32 on: 17 December, 2016, 03:28:41 pm »
There's a great deal to be said for hand tools.  You don't get the noise and dust for one thing.  It's also a skill to get plane and chisel blades sharp enough for accurate work and the satisfaction as they cut cleanly.  I do mortice and tenons by hand tool.

Mid-90s I was given a Lurem combo circular saw/planer/spindle shaper.  Wondrous kit, all 300 kilos of it, but suddenly I went from a 5-minute set-up and 20 minutes of cutting to 20 minutes for set-up and 5 of cutting - and that with ear-muffs and safety glasses.  OK, I made a lot of furniture for the house, but the pieces I made before I had the combo were much more satisfying.  I sold the machine a few years ago.

That said, I do love routers, and there's a deal of skill involved in wielding them.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #33 on: 17 December, 2016, 03:44:17 pm »
Hand tools are also safe enough to let children have a go. Imagine giving a child a 3hp router to play with? There'd be body parts flying all over the place!

I love watching Paul Sellers videos Proper old skool woodworking  :)
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #34 on: 17 December, 2016, 03:49:22 pm »
I used to carry a Swiss Army or Leatherman in my pocket at all times, then the rules changed on flights and it's not worth the hassle any more. They tend to stay on the bedside table these days

My Leatherman Micra slipped unnoticed/unstopped by Security and forgotten by me when I visited my sister in Jerusalem last year (LHR-TLV on El-Al).

Don't know whether it was too small or my being in a wheelchair.

Put it in the suitcase for the return trip thobut.

These things are so handy for food packaging! (Though why that is so awkward is another matter!)

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #35 on: 17 December, 2016, 04:03:40 pm »
Hand tools are also safe enough to let children have a go. Imagine giving a child a 3hp router to play with? There'd be body parts flying all over the place!

A couple of daft nippers fencing with mortise chisels might change your mind.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #36 on: 17 December, 2016, 04:26:14 pm »
I mostly use tools to overcome my not very able handedness.  I theoretically know how to use tools for fettling but definitely don't have the dexterity these days for it.

I have a pair of very loose pliars for opening hot water bottles which I can't otherwise do.

At work my most useful tool is a stanley knife for opening obstinate packaging. I also have screwdrivers of regular and jewellers sizes and pliars just because..

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #37 on: 17 December, 2016, 07:06:33 pm »
The mini Boa-Constrictor (strap wrench) in the kitchen is a great Man Substitute for opening stubborn jars (also handy for removing sticky ES capped bulbs).
I gave one to a recently-widowed woman once.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #38 on: 17 December, 2016, 07:13:55 pm »
The mini Boa-Constrictor (strap wrench) in the kitchen is a great Man Substitute for opening stubborn jars (also handy for removing sticky ES capped bulbs).
I gave one to a recently-widowed woman once.

Aldi did a range of super-grippy work gloves a while ago, which are similarly useful.  Look like gardening gloves, but single-sided so ineffective as bramble protection, I find for jars they often give better results than the strap wrench.  The strap wrench remains undefeated when it comes to washing machine hoses, thobut.  Horrible things.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #39 on: 17 December, 2016, 07:52:51 pm »
Gloves cannot provide the lever-arm provided by a strap wrench.
I need leverage as strength fails.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #40 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:02:14 pm »
Indeed.  I've got plenty of arm strength, but sometimes grip fails me.  Barakta's somewhere in the middle, I think.


Anyway, just came across this, which seems relevant (if perhaps NSFW for language):

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BbDXdoM_Lkg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/BbDXdoM_Lkg&rel=1</a>
https://youtu.be/BbDXdoM_Lkg

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #41 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:06:27 pm »
Those wrenches are also good for jars which don't fit small hands, like those huge jars gherkins come in.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #42 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:09:53 pm »
Those wrenches are also good for jars which don't fit small hands, like those huge jars gherkins come in.

That's true.  Although IMHO where gherkins are concerned it's a feature.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #43 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:12:50 pm »
Those wrenches are also good for jars which don't fit small hands, like those huge jars gherkins come in.

Indeed. Mrs Elswood's pickled gherkins are the amongst the most frequent recipients of the Blue Boa's attention.

Sadly, I used to have a grip that was measured to be more powerful than many male colleagues.

Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #44 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:42:01 pm »
A professional set of quality Vernier Gauges, both the old work it out yourself and dial type. They way the slides, lightly lubricated & tight fitting smoothly slide past each other, the way the dial whizzes round then stops with super accurate precission, the smell of a bit of light industial oil, the........ sorry getting carried away there.

At the other end of the scale, a 3ft Wrecking Bar. Nothing beats the satisfaction of getting out a big bit of kit to move something that you can't otherwise shift.

Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #45 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:46:45 pm »
Indeed.  I've got plenty of arm strength, but sometimes grip fails me.  Barakta's somewhere in the middle, I think.


Anyway, just came across this, which seems relevant (if perhaps NSFW for language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbDXdoM_Lkg
https://youtu.be/BbDXdoM_Lkg
I see this as both of you asking for an arm-wrestle  :demon:

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #46 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:48:17 pm »
I see this as both of you asking for an arm-wrestle  :demon:

If barakta's involved it'll have to be a thumb war.  At which she has form for cheating.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #47 on: 17 December, 2016, 08:53:06 pm »
My favourite tools:

An old spoke  - good for clearing plugholes and other assorted pokey investigatory jobs.
A set of screwdrivers shaped like Allen keys. These were totally ace at moving some intransigent screws when we dismantled our alcove earlier in the year.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #48 on: 17 December, 2016, 10:42:47 pm »
Actually, my hand carving bonsai chisels and knives come pretty close, not due to my expert use, just the satisfaction and concentration and then a step back to see the result.

Usefulness though, plenty other candidates, even just the bench vice as a spare hand
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: My favourite tool
« Reply #49 on: 18 December, 2016, 09:13:30 am »
I have some nifty wooden sash planes too for making windows. I'd like a shed like this to make them in......