Toolfreaks Anonymous

[bantam5s]

I have not been happy with plasti dip.
I bought  some on Wednesday to try and am not impressed.
After about 12 coats on one pair it's still not all that thick, I don't like the surface feel, and It doesn't seem that durable because it could peel right off.

It doesn't feel like you've got proper vinyl grips,  it feels like it was dipped in latex and I don't really like it.


Maybe I should see what kind of colors the Flex seal liquid comes in, I'll bet I'd like that stuff better.

[anti-squirrel]

I understand what you're saying.  I haven't even tried finding Plastisol brand dip in a long time, but that's what I used the last time I dipped some handles.  Bought it at the local Ace 25 years ago and used it all up helping my father redo a bunch of his Xcelite pliers and some ES Tools ratchets.  I haven't looked at anything recently, but I do have a tub of FlexSeal (my wife loves it!) so next time we're doing a project I'll try it out.  Mayt also be worth trying bedliner stuff (the spray-on- I've had superb luck with that after scuffing the finish).

[bantam5s]

Some toolfreaks are crazy in a bad way, sure all toolfreaks are crazy in a way but some are worse.

Here we have 2 slightly different examples of the same ratchet.



Both are made in Taiwan,  but the difference is the Tone branded example on the bottom is stamped " JAPAN " ( not MADE IN JAPAN, like KTC and Engineer...ect does  ).

The top is a Blackhawk imported by S-B&D , Stanley has previously been in trouble with shady COO claims and since learned not to break these relstively strict laws.

If their offering says " MADE IN TAIWAN  " on the package that's where it's made, Japan is known for quality these days and they'd advertise that as a selling point if the Blackhawk ratchets were made there.

Anyways,  all the Japanese tool fans refuse to accept the obvious and won't hesitate to jump down your throat if you even think to call this ratchet out as not actually being made in JAPAN.
This ratchet being stamped " JAPAN " is like a worthless $5 gas station knife saying " MTECH USA " or " DUCK USA ",  the " USA " is noting the origin of the brand not the COO of the product.

They're well known as a great tool regardless of what brand is found on it, but the people who buy the TONE examples seem to desperately need to believe they're Japanese made.
I certainly would love to check one out if they were made in Japan, but they clearly aren't.

[anti-squirrel]

The "Made in xxxx" moniker versus the "xxxx" has been a sore spot for tool freaks for years.  Made in Japan, Made in China, Made in Taiwwan, Made in Malaysia, Hecho en Mexico, and Made in USA are all labels that come with expectations.  Interestingly, the best CPUs (computers are a tool for me, and overclocking to wreak the penultimate bit of performance used to be very important to me as well) I've bought were all Made in Malaysia.  I've owned a few Hecho en Maxico tools that were sort of roughly finished but seriously overbuilt and extremely well tempered.  I have a flex handle (often called "breaker bar" in the US) that generally wears a 30" long thick-wall aluminum pipe for yoinking on very stubborn hardware.  Likewise, I've ended up with "gifts" of tools that come from pretty much all over the globe that were not worth the packing container- though most had the dreaded "Made in China" label.

I have a tendency to favor MilSurp/DRMO tools, but after 8 years active duty, I can also state with certainty I ran into a few stinkers- even while on active duty (I'm looking at you, ProAmerica, with your flaking razor sharp chrome-plating!).  But when it comes to precision tools (micrometers, calipers, snap-gauges, diffraction lenses, flat table, etc), I can add that precision equipment that comes from Switzerland, the UK, Japan, or the US is still worth every ¢ paid. 

A special note goes to my oddball Wentworth spanners- can't find them anywhere, so I absolutely treasure the ones I have.

[bantam5s]

Interesting,  I've got 2 large Proamerica wrench sets that are flawless with zero issues.
They're a lot like the 60's-70's thorsen wrenches.


As far as the Breaker bar vs flex handle thing, you can see in old catalogs...ect that breaker bar didn't used to be as standard of a term as it is today.
These days most call them a breaker bar, but WRIGHT tool still lists theirs as a Flex handle.
Proto calls their a " hinge handle ".
It's kind if like the whole ratchet vs ratchet handle thing.
Basically everybody just calls them / lists them as a ratchet, but ratchet handle was once common terminology.


There's also the whole spinner handle vs driver handle thing, but mostly it's just ignorance in people.
Some tool companies who just import and don't actually make tools do get it wrong though.
They are two different tools, a spinner handle can be used on a ratchet while a driver handle cannot.
In my opinion driver handles are an absolutely terrible waste of materials and a pointless tool.
Why would you want a driver handle that can't fit on your ratchet when you can have a much more useful spinner handle that does ?

I have both the WRIGHT tool 2441 driver handle and 2442 spinner handle because for some strange reason Wright actually makes both, I have no clue why they'd even bother with the 2441 though.

The reason I have both is because a lot of distributors will use the stock photos interchangeably, or will use one photo with the model number photoshopped off and it is very easy to order the wrong one.
I almost ordered the 2441 3 times because if it.
When I first ordered the wrong one I figured the tool had recently changed and the stock photos were just not updated yet.
About a year later I learned that they actually made both a 2441 driver handle and 2442 spinner handle , I ordered one from a distributor but realized they too had some stock photo issues and it was the wrong tool so I canceled my order.
The 3rd time I ordered the wrong one again, but quickly realized my mistake and was able to get it sorted out because they had both in stock at the same price.

[HunterWhite]

Breaker bar?
Did you say breaker bar?

I just got this one. I think that I can get 500 foot pounds with this thing!

Capri Tools 3/4 in. Drive 40 in. Extended Leverage Breaker Bar

Hunter

[anti-squirrel]

Interesting,  I've got 2 large Proamerica wrench sets that are flawless with zero issues.
They're a lot like the 60's-70's thorsen wrenches.


As far as the Breaker bar vs flex handle thing, you can see in old catalogs...ect that breaker bar didn't used to be as standard of a term as it is today.
These days most call them a breaker bar, but WRIGHT tool still lists theirs as a Flex handle.
Proto calls their a " hinge handle ".
It's kind if like the whole ratchet vs ratchet handle thing.
Basically everybody just calls them / lists them as a ratchet, but ratchet handle was once common terminology.


There's also the whole spinner handle vs driver handle thing, but mostly it's just ignorance in people.
Some tool companies who just import and don't actually make tools do get it wrong though.
They are two different tools, a spinner handle can be used on a ratchet while a driver handle cannot.
In my opinion driver handles are an absolutely terrible waste of materials and a pointless tool.
Why would you want a driver handle that can't fit on your ratchet when you can have a much more useful spinner handle that does ?

I have both the WRIGHT tool 2441 driver handle and 2442 spinner handle because for some strange reason Wright actually makes both, I have no clue why they'd even bother with the 2441 though.

The reason I have both is because a lot of distributors will use the stock photos interchangeably, or will use one photo with the model number photoshopped off and it is very easy to order the wrong one.
I almost ordered the 2441 3 times because if it.
When I first ordered the wrong one I figured the tool had recently changed and the stock photos were just not updated yet.
About a year later I learned that they actually made both a 2441 driver handle and 2442 spinner handle , I ordered one from a distributor but realized they too had some stock photo issues and it was the wrong tool so I canceled my order.
The 3rd time I ordered the wrong one again, but quickly realized my mistake and was able to get it sorted out because they had both in stock at the same price.

David, don't get me wrong, I love ProAmeric wrenches.  But our sub got a batch of poorly-chromed wrenches and they were murder on your hands with the chrome flaking off.  Gnarly slivers and chrome-plating splinters.  Our Supply guy learned his lesson REALLY QUICK and ordered polished, not plated tools from then on. 

You're one of the few people under 50 that know what a flex handle is, versus a breaker-bar- that PROVES you are a tool freak.    Now as far as spinners versus drivers, both have their uses, especially in 1/4" drive working on electronic boards and dealing with standoffs.  I have a good collection of both (mainly Xcelite), along with some really nice sets of nutdrivers.  Some were inherited, but I spent enough time changing out circuit boards at Sears to need them all.  The spinners are good when you need to apply more torque to specific values like 37 inch-pounds (just slip the deflecting beam torque wrench in the end and have at it).  They definitely have their uses!

Another tool you don't see much anymore are speed-handles for sockets.  Back when I was working for Miller Door (local company out of Chesapeake VA) installing/replacing garage doors, I worked on MANY wood doors using square nuts on threaded stud as well as self-tapping lag bolts.  The impact wrenches we used often had too much "oomph" for older wood doors, so I'd break out the spinner handles- they work much like a swing brace and can make certain jobs far easier.

I liken it to scrapers versus planes versus draw knives and hoop shaves.  They all perform in similar manners, all require some know-how to use, and all work amazingly well.  And yet if you ask the average Joe, they may know their grandfather had a hand plane, but they're unfamiliar with the others.  Or a nail-set versus a center-punch versus a pick.  Most folks cannot tell them apart.  Hah, don't even get me started on hammers!  A lot of the current generation of construction workers under 30 cannot tell the different types of claw hammers apart- and that's before you get into cross-pein, drilling, and sledgehammers.

Speaking of- I recently used a star-drill and drilling for the first time in more than 2 decades.  My wife was surprised I broke out hand-tools for a couple lead concrete inserts, but I didn't have enough room for my hammer drill since my SDS bits just weren't long enough to clear the interference- and I didn't want to buy 2-foot-long $$$$ bits for 2 stinking holes.

Perhaps one of the more oddball tools I use frequently are my offset spinner screwdrivers.  I usually bring several to the junkyard- when a random comes by and asks to borrow a screwdriver, it is what I offer.  Most people look at them with dismay.

[bantam5s]

I love speeders, so much that I actually made a compact speeder for my 1/4 drive set.
Took an extra long Harbor freight extension, bent it to shape, then I cut a groove around the female end and attached a set screw drill bit stop as the spinning cap.

One of these days I need to make another with a nicer more professional looking cap possibly with a bearing.
This one works fine though, doesn't look terrible, and It cost less than $10 to make.



Those Klein rapi-drive screwdrivers are cool, but I've always wished somebody would make a speeder bit driver.
Craftsman had the mach series bit driver that operates like the Klein, but it also has this gimmicky folding handle T position and stil wasn't the same as a 2 hand operated Speeder.

[bantam5s]

I just finished making this simple tool that has a very specific area of use.
What this tool does should be pretty obvious,  but what it's utilized for maybe not.



Normally they typically have a base , but I designed mine to be held in my bench vise while I'm using it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

A special note goes to my oddball Wentworth spanners- can't find them anywhere, so I absolutely treasure the ones I have.

Did someone mention British Wentworth?
I have a set of spanners and sockets.
Necessity for working on old British Motorcycles. 
Cool thing about Wentworth... The size on the tool is the size of the actual bolt size it fits... Not the size of the hex head of the bolt.

[Hoosier Daddy]

For example... The wrench on the left fits a 1/2" hex head size (SAE)... the spanner on the right fits a 1/2" actual sized  bolt (Wentworth)

[Hoosier Daddy]

Oh... I also have "speed handles" in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive... If you don't have a compressor with air tools available... they are priceless for "quick work". 

[bantam5s]

Oh... I also have "speed handles" in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive... If you don't have a compressor with air tools available... they are priceless for "quick work". 

Or cordless battery powered these days.
I still go with speeders.

[anti-squirrel]

Speed-handles are sublime, and like I said, I used them extensively on old wood garage doors with 8-point sockets.  I've also found a swing-brace with good bits are superb for drilling holes in metals.  I don't think it possible to go too fast using a swing-brace when drilling metal.  A little cutting fluid and sharp bits and you're making LONG curly shavings.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Ryobi, Milwaukee, and Ego cordless tools.  But when working on wood projects, I'm as likely to reach for speed-handles and swing-braces as I am the cordless stuff.  And when there's no power available (such as when we first started working on our shed on our property) it is just about the only resource once the batteries are dead.

[bantam5s]

" order now while supplies last they said ".

Apparently Chapman is discontinuing the classic black driver handle here


And has kindly informed me via email that I should buy one before they switch to these new black and yellow handles.

Well I already have the black one, and I like the new ones better anyways.
I won't be rushing to order another of the one I already have, but will definitely be ordering the new handle here soon.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the black handle, but the new one is a basically q copy of the Stanley 100 plus handles that is one of my absolute favorites.

[bantam5s]

I should probably get a better picture, but here's some of my US made 1/4" ratchet collection and how I store them.


There's a few not seen in this picture, and the main users in my WTIGHT general purpose 1/4" drive tool kit.

[nced]

Can anyone tell me what this is for?
*Hint*
It is automotive and has a 9/16 box end on the bottom.

Decades ago my Chevy Camaro with a 307 V8 engine had the distributor mounted in the back of the engine between the valve covers and the hold down bolt was positioned under the distributor. To adjust the engine timing this bolt needed to be loosened so the distributor could be rotated so the timing light could show the proper distributor alignment, then the adjustment bolt could be tightened. I'm guessing that the wrench pictures was for something similar..........

[bantam5s]

Btw that homemade wooden tool from my previous post is a stitching pony for leather work.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Can anyone tell me what this is for?
*Hint*
It is automotive and has a 9/16 box end on the bottom.

Decades ago my Chevy Camaro with a 307 V8 engine had the distributor mounted in the back of the engine between the valve covers and the hold down bolt was positioned under the distributor. To adjust the engine timing this bolt needed to be loosened so the distributor could be rotated so the timing light could show the proper distributor alignment, then the adjustment bolt could be tightened. I'm guessing that the wrench pictures was for something similar..........

DING DING DING!
Ed's got it...  It is a distributor wrench.
 They came in a variety of shapes for different engine designs.

[anti-squirrel]

I spent some time on lunch shaping a broken handle for an 8lb hammer.  The wood is old and very-straight-grained hickory, never mind it is tight grain.  I will re-use handles as much as possible, and I have a good 28 inches of wood left to work with.

I have a 6-pound head in need of a handle, but I'm more inclined to use the 8-pounder since the 6 really isn't that much useful than my 4-pounders.  The heads are both Chinese, but they were free and the steel is darn good for hammering stuff.

I have several distributor wrenches (350SBC, 351 Ford, and a couple where the paint marker rubbed off), but I modified a basin wrench years ago to work with 3/8"-drive crow's feet- one tool, several multi-use attachments.  Less big stuff to store.