Any interest in starting a forum section for "Shop set ups" and or "Shop tools" that are decent, tried and true, maybe some not so much. I have always bought tools when I new they would pay for themselves and improve the quality of working smarter with good stuff. Sometimes working smarter with cheap stuff if only used occasionally.

I have also seen some pretty good ingenuity out of necessity set ups when looking at some projects guys work on that they rigged themselves as well.

Kick it around and speak up if interested in getting something going...

Keith

 

TOOLS




DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, "Oh, S---!"

SKILL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER:
An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race..

TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

SON OF A BITCH TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling "Son of a bitch" at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

 

^^ I have every one of these in my shop.

 

That is truly classic literature right there. Thx for the laugh!

 

That list by Peter Egan was first published in his Road & Track column in 1996. Here's the original.

http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/201...l-for-job.html

 

Thats some funny stuff...funny because its true. The moment before i get a blood blister using pliers i always think careful your one step away from pinching your skin...then nah i have a good grip on it...then ouch thats gonna leave a mark!!

anyways back in february i was starting a new project and i wanted a smaller cordless impact gun, my current offerings are an old ingorsol rand plug in unit or an air impact gun. Both arefine but heavy, corded (or airline) and sometimes are to large to access the fastener im interested in. I settled on the dewalt 894 w 5 AH batteries, its brushless which makes a big difference in battery life. I started w dewalt because i have other cordless tools from them and could use the batteries on m y other tools.The new impact is easily the best of the three its smaller lighter easier to use and seems more effective as well.

i dismantled 2 old motorcycles, a 25 yr old outdoor wooden playset and some misc stuff on one batterycharge ( several hours of work). One fastener broke allthe others came out and none were so stuck that that i couldnt work them out. Some were pretty stuck too.

besides being great at removing stuff the time saved is really unbeliveable. When you have one of those heavily rusted long threaded bolts that takes mucho energy to remove, this thing just spins it off w ease! Its easily one of my new favorite tools

one of my other new favorite tools is the dewalt 20v cordless chainsaw that i got at the same time Its also brushless and uses the same battery as above, again i got the 5 AH battery w it for extended run times. My other saw is a older husqavarna gas saw thats fantastic, but its loud and a little heavyand ive been known to climb a ladder and 1 arm the chainsaw while cutting limbs (not my own so far). So the dewalt is compared to that saw. First the dewalt is not a gas saw, the chain moves at a slower speed, the 12” bar isnt made for felling old growth forests, the drain the bar oil tank after use requirement is a PITA, but it is a great little saw. I dropped and limbed about 10 2-4” trees and one 8” tree w no issues on a single battery charge w more in the battery (but no more in me). Its quiet, i dont need any hearing protection to use it. It cuts great, i keep my saws sharp and this little saw buzzes thru the smaller stuff mentioned above w ease. I can hold it in one hand and cut stuff when needed. In short it wontreplace my gas saw but it makes a super nice compliment to it.

those are my recent favorite tools, both are a joy to use, and work well.

 

The small impacts are so nice cuz they hit and rotate at the fastener without having to hold pressure against the fastener a guy is trying to drive or loosen for sure.
I work for a small utility company and the lineman have been issued the battery operated chainsaws with good reviews for small limbing and one hand operation a big plus when the application fits. Thanks for the input. The thing with theses Lithium Batteries to know about, when it is done it is done no pre-warning make sure your back up is already in the charger.

 

There's already a top-notch tool forum at
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...isplay.php?f=4