Do you still use any tools that you made in shop class?

Reeltor said:
I was reading 2volts post on the tool maker's clamps that he made. http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/toolmaker-clamps.54532/#post-463629

Very nice write-up and shop made tools BTW. I noticed RandyM's post on cleaning up a set of clamps that he made in shop class and wondered if anyone else still uses tools that they made in Jr. or High School shop class?

I have 2 hand forged cold chisels that are my go to tools when a chisel is needed. These were made somewhere around 1969 +/- a year or so. Other tools that were made in Jr. High are long gone, tool maker's clamps and several light hammers come to mind.

Anyone else using old tools that were made in shop?

Mike
Click to expand...
I still use a center punch and drill sharpening gauge, the first things we made at tech.
 
Looking at MozamPete's tool box reminded me that we had to make one in the 8th grade, that and tool caddies. The tool box is long gone, I do have 3 or 4 of the tool caddies that I pulled out of the trash that other guys didn't want. I still use them to carry tools from the garage to where I'm working and keep one with some electrical repair items in it. I guess they sell new plastic ones, I like the sheet metal ones, I put a magnetic tray from harbor freight on the handle to hold screws/nuts/bolts when taking something apart. I wish I had a box and pan brake (or is it break, I can never remember) to do some sheet metal work, it would come in handy; but not at what they cost today. Even used they are about the same as a new mill.

I for one am enjoying the photos 1++
 
Unfortunately I didn't participate in my high school shop operations.
My student peers seemed to enjoy burning text books with the OA torch, playing ninja with tools, and sabotaging other students projects, etc.
I quickly abandoned HS shop as a dangerous place.
I wish it had been different both then and now.

Daryl
MN
 
In 7th grade shop (about 50 years ago now) we made a chisel and a center punch (forged), a Micky Mouse face in aluminum (cast), and a dust pan (sheet metal/bending/soldering). That's about all I can remember. I still use the dustpan all the time.
 
I didn't get to go to high school (or middle school) at all. At that age, I was on my way to the South Pole and had access to all of the ship's tooling. My father taught me carpentry, the Coast Guard taught me machinery, and I taught me electrical. I do have a number of tools from those days, most for model building when I didn't have the cash for store-bought equipment. The most useful would be a homemade hemostat(?) used for rigging model sailing ships. I will concede that the overall design, and concept, was from another sailer that also built models. He taught me as well, I suppose. Most everything I have from those days is small so it would be easy to transport. Too much Jack London as a kid, I guess.
 
Dad would never let me or my brothers take metal shop in school. We learned in our shop at home back then. He made me take drafting classes and such. Somewhere in the attic I have a small "watchmakers" lathe I built modeled off of a unimat lathe but a little bit bigger. Have a few other things around here I made too in my high school days at home. Ken
 
I don't have any tools THAT OLD anymore! But.. I do use several that my kids made! My youngest daughter made several better than I could buy! She rebuilds her own engines, you name it. (She just got done changing the engine to a bigger one in her husbands truck)
 
Hi Mike,
All my measuring tools I have as an apprentice are here, some were remplaced by more modern ones, the fantastic big Tesa caliper screen for tired eyes in place of my old with 5mm. screen for example, at time those tools were a biiiig part of my money, and now as an independent worker since(saying I pay myself the tools I use), when I broke(despite a simple 12mm. mill) or loose something it's a real drama…:rolleyes:
 
We had to make our own set of parallels to use. Unfortunately they are long gone. That was back in 1982 by they way. :rolleyes:
 
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