FAQ - Tools for construction
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:58 pm
Tooling is a big issue for the fusor builder. The youngest here will most likely have little more that dad's drill and hand tools. Other, older, working guys might have a fairly decent cadre of tools on hand. Many may have a neighbor that has a lot of useful tools who might be enlisted in the fusor construction effort. There is always the high school shop class that might help out as well.
A good worker knows and recognizes a good tool when he wraps his paws around it. Name brand, U.S. made tools are always expensive and can last generations of hard use, being passed down grandfather, to father, to son. I have and use many of my grandfather's finest tools. He was a cabinet maker and used nothing but the best. He taught me a respect for tools, how to clean, oil, sharpen and maintain them. Alas, probably 1 in 50 reading this will have had my shepherding experience at the hands of a concerned grandfather.
The upshot is to buy quality if you can. The highest quality should be sought in non-powered hand tools that see common and constant use. (hammers, screw drivers, wrenchs, socket sets, squares, hand saws, etc. Money spent here will be well repaid later.
Power tools should also be of a good grade, at least. Makita is one of my favorites (Japan). These are of a first rank quality.
What follows is a tip for the relatively poor, very young person who is just barely making it. There is a vast range of Chi-Com, (mainland China), tool offerings in hundreds of stores across the land. These tools range from junk to tolerably well made items. None are suitable for the hard-working construction guy who can't have a tool crap out on him in the middle of a critical job, when in daily heavy use. However, for the occasional user, they are often quite sufficient and servicable until better tools can be acquired. They should be looked into as savings over a top brand US equivalent. Such savings can be over 80%!
Harbor freight is a great place to buy inexpensive tooling. It is 100% chi-com, of course, and you will not pass the tools down to your children, but for the price and particular service the average home owner might expect from them, they are great! I retain and use virtually 100% of all the freebie and 20% off coupons my wife cuts out for me. Harbor freight has had a great keyless chuck, variable speed, 3/8" hand drill for $19.95. I have taken 3 of their 20% off coupons on three occasions and now have three of them just laying around as backups and "rough use" drills against my $80.00 Makita. I currently have 10 of their 20% off coupons and about 30 free item coupons that expire over the next 4 months on hand! My normal routine is go in and grab a free item, then buy a $1.00 or $2.00 useful item or get a higher ticket item and use a 20% coupon to whack its price down. (note: one free item per customer per day with the purchase of any other item.)
With the above methodology, I have obtained, for free, about 20 of their really sweet multi-LED flashlights, over 15 of their free 25 foot tape measures, 6 of their free magnetic base parts bowls, 10 of their free 24 packs of AAA and AA dry cells, 4 or 5 of their free 6 different sized and type screwdriver sets, (in the trunks of my cars), 7 of their free fly and bug high voltage zappers and lastly, about 22 of their free 7 function LCD digital volt meters! I tend to go once every week since about 2013 for a freebie and some other goodie.
I own three lathes. One has a 6" 6 jaw chuck and an overbed swing of 10". I also have a great old K9 Southbend with a 6", 3 jaw chuck. In addition, I have a micro lathe used in my model railroad work. I would say 95% of my lathe work involves spinning and working something under 2" in diameter and under 6" long, often under 1" long! As such, I am always working right at the headstock/chuck with a small workpiece in a giant twirling 6" diameter chuck! I doubt if I have used any of the lathes' tailstocks in 8 years, save for boreing.
Harbor Freight has had a 3" overbed lathe with a 3 jaw chuck that can chuck up to a 1.5" diameter piece. It is well made and has a continuous, electronic variable speed motor. It comes with gears to allow threading. It is real nice and I have mulled over this $500.00+ lathe for the past 5 years, watching its price go from $490 to its current $569. About three months ago they had a super sale and for one day only, they offered a, first time ever, 25% off coupon!!!
I took this coupon and got my $143.00 savings. The little 15 inch bed lathe is in my lab now and I rarely turn on my big lathes anymore. I give this lathe a triple A rating if you are doing a ton of occasional small stuff, like me.
I find the same basic good stuff at Northern Tool and Equipment a bit over priced compared to Harbor Freight. They never give anything away for free, but do have sales and slaes flyers.
Richard Hull
A good worker knows and recognizes a good tool when he wraps his paws around it. Name brand, U.S. made tools are always expensive and can last generations of hard use, being passed down grandfather, to father, to son. I have and use many of my grandfather's finest tools. He was a cabinet maker and used nothing but the best. He taught me a respect for tools, how to clean, oil, sharpen and maintain them. Alas, probably 1 in 50 reading this will have had my shepherding experience at the hands of a concerned grandfather.
The upshot is to buy quality if you can. The highest quality should be sought in non-powered hand tools that see common and constant use. (hammers, screw drivers, wrenchs, socket sets, squares, hand saws, etc. Money spent here will be well repaid later.
Power tools should also be of a good grade, at least. Makita is one of my favorites (Japan). These are of a first rank quality.
What follows is a tip for the relatively poor, very young person who is just barely making it. There is a vast range of Chi-Com, (mainland China), tool offerings in hundreds of stores across the land. These tools range from junk to tolerably well made items. None are suitable for the hard-working construction guy who can't have a tool crap out on him in the middle of a critical job, when in daily heavy use. However, for the occasional user, they are often quite sufficient and servicable until better tools can be acquired. They should be looked into as savings over a top brand US equivalent. Such savings can be over 80%!
Harbor freight is a great place to buy inexpensive tooling. It is 100% chi-com, of course, and you will not pass the tools down to your children, but for the price and particular service the average home owner might expect from them, they are great! I retain and use virtually 100% of all the freebie and 20% off coupons my wife cuts out for me. Harbor freight has had a great keyless chuck, variable speed, 3/8" hand drill for $19.95. I have taken 3 of their 20% off coupons on three occasions and now have three of them just laying around as backups and "rough use" drills against my $80.00 Makita. I currently have 10 of their 20% off coupons and about 30 free item coupons that expire over the next 4 months on hand! My normal routine is go in and grab a free item, then buy a $1.00 or $2.00 useful item or get a higher ticket item and use a 20% coupon to whack its price down. (note: one free item per customer per day with the purchase of any other item.)
With the above methodology, I have obtained, for free, about 20 of their really sweet multi-LED flashlights, over 15 of their free 25 foot tape measures, 6 of their free magnetic base parts bowls, 10 of their free 24 packs of AAA and AA dry cells, 4 or 5 of their free 6 different sized and type screwdriver sets, (in the trunks of my cars), 7 of their free fly and bug high voltage zappers and lastly, about 22 of their free 7 function LCD digital volt meters! I tend to go once every week since about 2013 for a freebie and some other goodie.
I own three lathes. One has a 6" 6 jaw chuck and an overbed swing of 10". I also have a great old K9 Southbend with a 6", 3 jaw chuck. In addition, I have a micro lathe used in my model railroad work. I would say 95% of my lathe work involves spinning and working something under 2" in diameter and under 6" long, often under 1" long! As such, I am always working right at the headstock/chuck with a small workpiece in a giant twirling 6" diameter chuck! I doubt if I have used any of the lathes' tailstocks in 8 years, save for boreing.
Harbor Freight has had a 3" overbed lathe with a 3 jaw chuck that can chuck up to a 1.5" diameter piece. It is well made and has a continuous, electronic variable speed motor. It comes with gears to allow threading. It is real nice and I have mulled over this $500.00+ lathe for the past 5 years, watching its price go from $490 to its current $569. About three months ago they had a super sale and for one day only, they offered a, first time ever, 25% off coupon!!!
I took this coupon and got my $143.00 savings. The little 15 inch bed lathe is in my lab now and I rarely turn on my big lathes anymore. I give this lathe a triple A rating if you are doing a ton of occasional small stuff, like me.
I find the same basic good stuff at Northern Tool and Equipment a bit over priced compared to Harbor Freight. They never give anything away for free, but do have sales and slaes flyers.
Richard Hull