Which Tools To Make, Which Tools To Buy?

TOOLMASTER said:
Make the ones you can't buy
buy the ones you can't make
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Clearly. But that's an answer to a different question. What I'm asking is which tools are not worth the time (generally speaking) to make, and which are not worth the money to buy?
 
intjonmiller said:
I'm pretty sure the rule is just don't use 6-32. It's just a terrible thread
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My current project has 6 4-40 tapped holes and 4 5-40 tapped holes. The 4 40s are for 3/16 flathead screws, the 5 40s are for 1/8 set screws. none of the holes go through, only at most 1/4 deep, need bottom tapped. I find I can do only one unit at a time, gotta get away from potential broken taps for a while.
 
intjonmiller said:
Clearly. But that's an answer to a different question. What I'm asking is which tools are not worth the time (generally speaking) to make, and which are not worth the money to buy?
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Good question but no one answer fits all or even most. As a hobbyist, time doing something I enjoy has value only when compared to spending the time doing something else. Some of my friends have more money than time and see it differently.
 
I understand the philosophy behind both my question and the range of possible answers. Again, I'm looking at this practically and pragmatically. I'm sorry if I did not express that well.
 
I only buy tools if they're cheap, or I can't make them in a reasonable amount of time with what I have.
 
Generally I buy if the tool is available at a reasonable price. In some cases I will buy a tool to use as a basis for something that I can modify for a specific purpose. A good example of this is my 4th axis for my mill. It's a lot of work to build a rotary table, but I was able to buy a good one cheap and then hang a motor on it. The cost including my time spent was a small fraction of a factory built 4th axis.

I build if I need a tool or machine and what I need is not available, but in general I will buy if I can find it on the shelf.
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I know this is old but I wanted to chip in.

I actually bought my lathe & mill for the ability to make those tools I need once. I build if it's something I need & it'll only take a few hours to save me a trip to town. If I have to make a trip to town I'm out a whole day. Price usually has nothing to do with it & I can usually by it cheaper then I can make it. However there is a few things like the hub puller for my car. It cost around $400 for the KIA tool that took me a few hours to out together out of scrap. Total cost was a few hours of work.

I end up building tools I can't buy. I buy when I know ahead of time I need them & can order then to my door or I might pay a higher then I fell is fair if I don't have the skill to do it myself.
 
For me, it's a hobby so I make a lot of my own tooling just for the enjoyment of making my own tooling! Flustered Like right now, I'm making some collets. I've got a Kearney & Trecker NMTB50 collet head for my horizontal mill. When I got it, it only had one collet - 1". Well, it takes B&S #21 collets which I don't think have been made in years and are fairly rare when you look to buy some. I've made collets before with pretty good luck, so I'm making a set out of B7 material that I had on hand. It's a heat treated material that has good tensile strength and a little hardness. Reminds me a little of brake die. Now, will they be as good as hardened and ground manufactured ones? Of coarse not. But, for my limited use I'm sure they will be just fine! And all they will end up costing me is the electricity to run my lathe and mill. Hey, I just enjoy making them!

Ted
 
I'm a pre-beginner. I'm still trying to set up my lathe. So take my thoughts FWIW.

That said, when I did work in factory, I thought it was pretty cool that the tool makers were getting use out of their apprentice projects from decades prior. Vises and clamps and such. Maybe look at the standard apprentice projects?
 
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