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Tool Nerds, Questions and Tool Snobbery

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
How many tool boxes do you have? :rofl:

I got dibs on all duplicate tools.
Just two and a drawer set for the overflow.
The other day there was a bolt in a prick of a spot so I grabbed a 22mm from each set, it was then that I realised I have a problem.
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boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,839
6,145
Yakistan
I got to my in-laws house only to be told I needed to fix something under the counter. Needed a big philips screwdriver. Of course I don't have any tools with me. Quick trip to the pawn shop and I had a Fuller 314 for the costly sum of $1.00. It wasn't even used up yet. Score!
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
@HardtailHack I think you gotta try your hand at frame building. You are way too mechanically inclined and picky not to!
Nah I'm good, I wouldn't trust myself to weld a bike rack up, no way I'd do a bike.
I put new pistons and seals in the calipers on my first car and I was petrified that I was going to die every time I went to press the brake pedal for weeks afterwards.
I am hopefully going to try the TIG welder at work over Christmas, it would be nice to be able to TIG the aluminum repairs we have to do rather than relying on a spool gun. One of my riding buddies teaches welding for a living so I can always get help off him.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
God damn it, promised myself no tool purchasing this week. I don't have a jump pack for work and all the fake specs of the little jump packs annoy me.
I couldn't find a decent lithium battery without Chinese cells so I bought an American made AGM battery, some Italian made clamps, Aussie cable. I'm yet to get an anti zap thing because I can only find one non far east made item but it has alligator clamps on it which I don't want, I also don't know what is inside the anti zap things, cap and a diode????
Maybe there is some sort of semi precious stone in the box that aligns the e chakras.
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
542
350
The little jump packs are tanks. You probably should have gone that way. I wish I did, my agm don’t hold or even really take a charge anymore and it’s only like 8 years old.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
The little jump packs are tanks. You probably should have gone that way. I wish I did, my agm don’t hold or even really take a charge anymore and it’s only like 8 years old.
Yeah, but I am a crazy person and it shits me that lithium goes from Aus to China and back to Aus in battery form.
I was going to originally get a hybrid pack from BC but their 100% made in Italy claim is a load of shit.
I have gone with a pretty big 18AH Odyssey battery, I might add some supercaps to help with starting diesels. There's a roll of 35mm cable at home so that will get used, it'll be big enough for a short run.

EDIT- Finally ordered all the bits to make one of these-
It will be handy for seized bolts and maybe trying to harden some random tools.
DOUBLE EDIT- The guy that post that video is a dick, the PCB is completely different design and now my bits are basically useless.
 
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HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
I don't recommend tools much coz I buy weird stuff, but these are freaking awesome! Also I hate Amazon but the Aussie price for these things is pretty nuts!
Stolen from Reddit-
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They are longer than a normal spanner and the open end is fairly thin so it gets in to places that you'd want to put a spanner.
But, as they are thin you can't put huge load on the open end or it will spread, luckily there is a second end for hulk tight stuff.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
Got the jump start battery all done, a 13lb battery is less convenient than a little lithium one but I have seen a few recall notices on shop doors for lithium ones so I feel safe with this in the truck through Summer.
IMG_20221210_145556.jpg


EDIT- Ahhh poop, damn buyer accepted my offer on a Sylvac caliper.
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HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
A little while ago my boss gave me these Gearwrench ratchets for being a good boi. Only recently started using them, they are pretty damn handy and the handles are really nice, I hate chrome handles.
PXL_20221215_213032799~2.jpg

Our previous apprentice bought a full Gearwrench box and has had to warranty a few things but he has interesting ways of using tools at times.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
A little while ago my boss gave me these Gearwrench ratchets for being a good boi. Only recently started using them, they are pretty damn handy and the handles are really nice, I hate chrome handles.
View attachment 186353
Our previous apprentice bought a full Gearwrench box and has had to warranty a few things but he has interesting ways of using tools at times.
The higher end Gearwrench stuff is pretty darn good (read how they are surprisingly popular in Nascar boxes), but the lower end stuff can be shit. I have a few sets of 120xp ratcheting wrenches that are solid and precise, the same cannot be said for the reversible ratcheting wrench set I got from them.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
Car started to be a bit of a dickhead of late, idle has been erratic and has been missing a bit up to maybe 3k. So I popped in to work to do some testing, seems 22years is the lifespan of a crank angle sender.
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Had the scope out so I figured I'd check if the original alternator was doing anything silly, but it is still fine, I love the Japanese.
I'm a bit paranoid of my workplace getting broken 8n to so I grabbed my gear I couldn't live without, oddly enough it's all the electrical gear. I can deal with shit spanners and sockets but not meters and crimpers.
IMG_20221226_201527.jpg

The blue handled one is shit, I hate it but I can't find a better one.
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
20230103_080838_copy_1008x477.jpg


Very befitting of #snobbery. Worked for years just putting tools on the ground or wherever was convenient at the time, but finally decided to remedy that with a good tool belt. Pieced together a kit from Occidental, and added a Martinez M4 Ti hammer to the mix for extra spice.
 

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
View attachment 187182

Very befitting of #snobbery. Worked for years just putting tools on the ground or wherever was convenient at the time, but finally decided to remedy that with a good tool belt. Pieced together a kit from Occidental, and added a Martinez M4 Ti hammer to the mix for extra spice.
Matches your lipstick perfectly.


All joking aside, that is the cutest thing I've ever seen.
 

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
5,496
3,140
In the bathroom, fighting a battle
View attachment 187182

Very befitting of #snobbery. Worked for years just putting tools on the ground or wherever was convenient at the time, but finally decided to remedy that with a good tool belt. Pieced together a kit from Occidental, and added a Martinez M4 Ti hammer to the mix for extra spice.
No Martinez square? How will you possibly mark a 2x4 without a $320 carpenter's square?
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
No Martinez square? How will you possibly mark a 2x4 without a $320 carpenter's square?
I can somehow justify all manner of ridiculous tools, like a $250 hammer, but a $320 square is over the top even for me. I'll stick with my $20 Milwaukee/Empire squares :D
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
That Toob Bender looks all sorts of awesome!

I have gone quiet on tool purchases, nothing really needed at the moment, I ordered a mini munted screw remover from Japan and that's it.
1672831744914.png

Stolen image.
EDIT- I lie, ordered an amp clamp adaptor and I will sell off my current little one. This one will be more useful as it will connect to my multimeter and scope and fit in my current electrical man bag. Being able to use my phone to monitor the current draw whilst using a machine is handy.
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HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,630
5,443
Bought some used spanners, they are just a store's house brand but still seem very nicely made. I could have bought new Chinese ones for a bunch less but I'd rather buy used decent stuff.
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Had to fix my shitful Proform self powered timing light, how it made it to production I'll never know. It has two momentary buttons, one for torch and one for timing light, they aren't recessed properly so if the light goes in to a bag or in my case, sits in the truck's centre console it will keep turning itself on until it goes flat or breaks the switch.
Had to remove the switch and solder a jumper wire across, so now I'll just put the battery in when I want to use it.
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Poor soldering effort, ha, just realized I have a third hand in a drawer at work, oops.
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Put this speaker thing together for a mate ages ago but lost my piece of cardboard that told me which wires went where.
Had to borrow a signal generator and use the scope to work out which wires were the input and output because the crossoves I made were glued in backwards inside the enclosures.
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