Showing posts with label Workshop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workshop. Show all posts

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Tools Explained

From the shop building and basement workshop there is this.....

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 sh*t'

ANGLE GRINDER:
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.

MOLE-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.

OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for setting on fire various flammable objects in your shop. 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 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.

STANLEY 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.

ADJUSTABLE SPANNER:
aka "Another hammer", aka "the Swedish Nut Lathe", aka "Crescent Wrench". Commonly used as a one size fits all wrench, usually results in rounding off nut heads before the use of pliers. Will randomly adjust size between bolts, resulting in busted knuckles, curse words, and multiple threats to any inanimate objects within the immediate vicinity.

BASTARD TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Bastard' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

 

Monday, November 26, 2018

Mr. Fix-It

The First Mate and his wife were discussing Instant Pot and Crock Pot recipes last weekend.  I explained that my trusty Rival Crock Pot still worked but that the handle previously attached to the lid could no long hold a repeated glue fix under the duress of heat and steam. There was no longer a means to affix the handle to the lid.  It had been rendered useless.

After discussing options for replacement or a fix I proceeded to drill-out the soft, white metal fastener.

And replaced it with an odd wooden drawer-pull, a threaded bolt and a star-washer.


Bingo!  Temporary fix from odds and ends found in the workshop.


It's not likely a permanent fix - but it is stylish.....

Monday, June 5, 2017

A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place

Here's one for the old organizational chart.

It took a rain day last week to check this off of the list of chores - assembled an inexpensive metal shelf unit and further organized the basement workshop.  This would be the basement workshop that sports the cool, new LED workshop lighting to better see everything.


Now I got my workbench back since all of the clutter is off of it and either discarded or put in its proper place. 

click on images to enlarge

As evidence of the utility of this organization The Frau asked if perhaps I had a three foot length of small chain that she could use for an outdoor project.  I did.  And I knew exactly where to find it.  With the other lengths of small chain in the used hardware section. 

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Monday, March 7, 2016

The Workshop


Basement workshop is almost complete.  Tools unpacked, sorted, organized along with duplicates given away to good homes or charity.

Cordless power tools need to be returned, a pile of hardware moved, shop vac and the Ryobi table saw installed.

Progress.