# Dont buy it until you have a job for it?



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

Don't buy it until you have a job for it seems to be the mantra of the modern machinist. In normal times that is the best way to avoid tying up money in tooling you might never use. This thought process presupposes that the things we might buy will be avaliable.

As one of those crazy prepper types I believe a time may come when we might not have near instant access to any tool we can imagine. That is why I am willing to tie up some money in cutters  and tooling I might not have a job for right now. No need to talk me out of it. It's pretty much done anyway. Lol! Humor me!

I only stock up on things that I can either get insanely cheap for great quality or it's worth paying full price because it is absolutely necessary.  Most of the tooling I bought is USA, European, or quality Asian.

I've stocked up on basic tooling like carbide lathe and mill inserts and endmills and enough hss lathe toolbits to last a lifetime.

I bought lots of reamers surplus for $5 lb. Lots of to size, under, over, and odd sizes that snuck in my stock. I have complete sets of metric from 3 to 13 and 1/8 to 1/2 and a sae over under set. I'm looking to grow my larger reamers above 1/2".

I bought SD drills from 33/64" to 1". Mostly USA made but NOS on Ebay.

I bought a complete set of Woodruff key seat cutters from 202 to 1200's. These do come in handy for all sorts of crazy projects.

I bought annular cutters from 3/4 to 2" in 32nds increments. Almost all Chinese but they cut beautifully.

I bought keyway broaches from 1/8 to 3/4" and 3mm to 18mm.

I bought corner rounding endmills in several standard sizes.

I bought 60° dovetail cutters

I bought  a T-slot set.

I bought a taper reamer set along with single reamers so I have 7/0 to 10. I also bought taper pins to go with it. 

I have both metric and standard capscrew counterbores up to 5/8 and 14mm. 

I know there is some stuff I'm missing that I have on hand.

I have a nearly complete set of MT2 shank drill bits from 1/2 to 7/8.

I need a few Shell mills but I'm just looking for deals.

I have lots of solid carbide boring bars and quality insert holders for the lathe.

What type of cutting tools am I missing?


----------



## benmychree (Nov 28, 2021)

I have nearly all that and more, but I had a machine shop for 35 years, and looted it before I sold it; can't have too much tooling!


----------



## sdelivery (Nov 28, 2021)

I think it is a good idea.
Tools that can make weapons will be a  target.
Quality of some of the new tooling doesn't compare to decades old stock.
Being able to sharpen what you do have is important as well.
Material is also becoming harder to get. 
You should have some keystock
As well as some drops of various materials.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

sdelivery said:


> I think it is a good idea.
> Tools that can make weapons will be a  target.
> Quality of some of the new tooling doesn't compare to decades old stock.
> Being able to sharpen what you do have is important as well.
> ...



I bought a set of metric and standard keys as well as standard key stock. 

I bought woodruff keys in an assortment. 

I'm looking at buying a drill sharpener to do the smaller drills I am not good at doing by hand. 

I'm buying steel, aluminum, and brass as I find deals on it.


----------



## Superburban (Nov 28, 2021)

Batmanacw said:


> As one of those crazy prepper types I believe a time may come when we might not have near instant access to any tool we can imagine. That is why I am willing to tie up some money in cutters  and tooling I might not have a job for right now. No need to talk me out of it. It's pretty much done anyway. Lol! Humor me!


I am not sure that may be so crazy after all. I was watching one of those crazy videos from a third world country, where they spend the time to rewire an alternator. Stuff like that may be a lost art, or close to it here. But the way parts are getting so hard to come by, it may not be far off until we see labor costs being back to a small part of the overall cost of a repair.


----------



## Technical Ted (Nov 28, 2021)

I was raised on a small farm and believe in the saying "You have to make hay when the sun shines". I'm constantly checking out eBay and FaceBook MarketPlace for deals. I buy new when a sales flyer has a good deal too. I don't care if I have an immediate need for a tool, if the right thing comes along for the right price and I feel it would be a good thing to have in the shop. I like having things on hand.... I hate to have to put a project on hold until an order comes in and then you're paying full price for things instead of getting them while they are on sale or up for a great deal used. 

Most things I buy I feel I can turn around and sell for more than I buy them for. And, since I'm a tool-a-holic like most of us here, I enjoy the process!

Ted


----------



## Superburban (Nov 28, 2021)

Technical Ted said:


> Most things I buy I feel I can turn around and sell for more than I buy them for. And, since I'm a tool-a-holic like most of us here, I enjoy the process!
> 
> Ted


Yes, I hit yard sales a lot. If it is cheap, I will pick it up to have on hand. If it is something I could sue now, I may pay more. Old American made tools, for a buck or less, I will consider.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

Superburban said:


> I am not sure that may be so crazy after all. I was watching one of those crazy videos from a third world country, where they spend the time to rewire an alternator. Stuff like that may be a lost art, or close to it here. But the way parts are getting so hard to come by, it may not be far off until we see labor costs being back to a small part of the overall cost of a repair.



Your post expresses exactly why I started putting emphasis on building my machine up as much as possible right now. 

Those Pakistani truck videos are a glimpse into our future.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

Superburban said:


> Yes, I hit yard sales a lot. If it is cheap, I will pick it up to have on hand. If it is something I could sue now, I may pay more. Old American made tools, for a buck or less, I will consider.



I go to weekend flea markets all summer long and get tons of crazy good deals. I enjoy the treasure hunt too.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

I bought a 5" x 15" piece of what turned out to be O2 tool steel for $40 just because it was cheap.


----------



## sdelivery (Nov 28, 2021)

Roundstock?
I have collected quite a bit of various materials myself but can sometimes be in the right spot so I have nothing into it.
Be aware of the materials around you sometimes people don't realize what things are made of.


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 28, 2021)

Batmanacw said:


> Don't buy it until you have a job for it seems to be the mantra of the modern machinist. In normal times that is the best way to avoid tying up money in tooling you might never use. This thought process presupposes that the things we might buy will be avaliable.
> 
> As one of those crazy prepper types I believe a time may come when we might not have near instant access to any tool we can imagine. That is why I am willing to tie up some money in cutters  and tooling I might not have a job for right now. No need to talk me out of it. It's pretty much done anyway. Lol! Humor me!
> 
> ...


well damn... did you put them in the what did you buy???
maybe do a review of some of them?

haha... now you dun done it...


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 28, 2021)

Superburban said:


> I am not sure that may be so crazy after all. I was watching one of those crazy videos from a third world country, where they spend the time to rewire an alternator. Stuff like that may be a lost art, or close to it here. But the way parts are getting so hard to come by, it may not be far off until we see labor costs being back to a small part of the overall cost of a repair.


let me hijack this by saying the lack of parts to repair also leads to tons of waste in our landfills. that and stupid packaging.
and stupid designs.

my old craftsman shop vac had a filter cap that you resused... now the current filters they build them in... tons more crap in the trash...

if you could get half the parts you need and could repair  we would be in better shape...


----------



## jwmay (Nov 28, 2021)

Batmanacw said:


> Don't buy it until you have a job for it seems to be the mantra of the modern machinist. In normal times that is the best way to avoid tying up money in tooling you might never use. This thought process presupposes that the things we might buy will be avaliable


Yeah I still think everything I need will be available if/when I need it. 
Actually your list is so long I can't even remember half of it. So the thing that causes me more problems than anything is breaking little drill bits and not having a replacement. Oh and not having a decent METRIC drill index. Actually maybe better would be to get a number, letter, fractional, and metric drill index. Did you say that?


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

jwmay said:


> Yeah I still think everything I need will be available if/when I need it.
> Actually your list is so long I can't even remember half of it. So the thing that causes me more problems than anything is breaking little drill bits and not having a replacement. Oh and not having a decent METRIC drill index. Actually maybe better would be to get a number, letter, fractional, and metric drill index. Did you say that?



I have two 118 piece standard sets and a cheap metric set. I'm going to spring for a nicer metric set someday. 

With supply chains causing havoc everywhere I can't be sure of anything.


----------



## Shootymacshootface (Nov 28, 2021)

I have bought an excessive amount of tooling, for a home shop. The reasoning is that I don't want to have to buy anything after I retire. Also, my son is a full time machinist and he does side work in my shop. He uses my tools and has brought a lot of tooling in that I would have never thought of getting.
 I am very fortunate to a great used tool dealer somewhat close by. He puts a lot of effort in to getting good stuff for his business, and we are on a first name basis!
Here is a glimpse of the machining side of my garage.


----------



## Janderso (Nov 28, 2021)

Shootymacshootface said:


> I have bought an excessive amount of tooling, for a home shop. The reasoning is that I don't want to have to buy anything after I retire. Also, my son is a full time machinist and he does side work in my shop. He uses my tools and has brought a lot of tooling in that I would have never thought of getting.
> I am very fortunate to a great used tool dealer somewhat close by. He puts a lot of effort in to getting good stuff for his business, and we are on a first name basis!
> Here is a glimpse of the machining side of my garage.
> View attachment 386765
> ...


I love your shop and I like the layout.
Looks a lot like mine, cozy 

I'm finally to the point where I might consider only buying it when I need it.
When you are a tool nut, it's very fulfilling to own tools and machine tools.


----------



## Bi11Hudson (Nov 28, 2021)

As a rule, I don't consider myself a prepper as such. Others may say different. . . Being stuck in a wheelchair puts a lot of things in a new perspective for me. I do have a good stock of machine tooling and a fair supply of wood working tools. In both cases, tooling that is better than my own poor skills. But what I do have is the *knowledge* to use anything I have, even if I don't have the immediate skill, Should the need arise, I can build the skills, especially those that have been lost from not being used. My particular interest is in manual hand tools for wood working. And tons of nails and screws. Of course, I have tons of machine screws as well.

Power tools are nice, hell I couldn't get by much without them. But *consider if the power is off*. I'm an old man and have a small source of income, for now.  But even that hangs by a thread, the power bill is almost as much as I can pay. Those hand tools may be put to use yet. But I still scour sales, yard sales, Craig's List, eBay, and the like for things that I could possibly use one day. Never mind whether or not I know *how* to use it, but do I know what it is. That;s what matters here.

All of this aside, I am, or was, a master electrician. But an "old school" motor and controls electrician. And have a stash of relays, timers, fittings, brushes, and the like. I know how to modify brushes so a motor will work again. And, worst case, can rewind small motors. But all that comes to naught if the power is off. Unless I can fabricate something to make the power. That's where the machine work and carpentry comes into play. I know a lot about "old school" electric gizmos. Things that haven't been used for a hundred years. They still work, just require a lot of monitoring and upkeep. Despite my chair, that's where I shine. *Knowledge* of how to build and take care of such machines.

Bottom line, I concur wholeheartedly with the premise behind this post. Set things in place so you have what you need, when (not if) you need it.

.


----------



## Shootymacshootface (Nov 28, 2021)

Janderso said:


> I love your shop and I like the layout.
> Looks a lot like mine, cozy
> 
> I'm finally to the point where I might consider only buying it when I need it.
> When you are a tool nut, it's very fulfilling to own tools and machine tools.


Thanks Jeff, it's definitely a tight area. My son wants a Robodrill. If we get that, I'll lose the entire garage.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 28, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> As a rule, I don't consider myself a prepper as such. Others may say different. . . Being stuck in a wheelchair puts a lot of things in a new perspective for me. I do have a good stock of machine tooling and a fair supply of wood working tools. In both cases, tooling that is better than my own poor skills. But what I do have is the *knowledge* to use anything I have, even if I don't have the immediate skill, Should the need arise, I can build the skills, especially those that have been lost from not being used. My particular interest is in manual hand tools for wood working. And tons of nails and screws. Of course, I have tons of machine screws as well.
> 
> Power tools are nice, hell I couldn't get by much without them. But *consider if the power is off*. I'm an old man and have a small source of income, for now.  But even that hangs by a thread, the power bill is almost as much as I can pay. Those hand tools may be put to use yet. But I still scour sales, yard sales, Craig's List, eBay, and the like for things that I could possibly use one day. Never mind whether or not I know *how* to use it, but do I know what it is. That;s what matters here.
> 
> ...


You would be invaluable in a long term situation.


----------



## Bi11Hudson (Nov 28, 2021)

Batmanacw said:


> You would be invaluable in a long term situation.


Yeah, so would be most of the people on this board. The key is to find someone that will feed us in exchange.
.


----------



## Superburban (Nov 28, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> if you could get half the parts you need and could repair  we would be in better shape...


I agree, I watch those videos, and wonder how they get the parts they use. I imagine if you look, you may find a commentator for a starter, but they seem to have the right one so easy.  Heck, I had a heard time finding brushes for the alt in my 97 Dodge van. I take it they figure there is less time and cost in swapping an alt, then taking it to someone to test and fix it.


----------



## Bi11Hudson (Nov 29, 2021)

*Aside*, not really on any topic
Brushes, especially for small motors, are easy to *make*. Consider where the name "brush" came from. In the '20s, they were actually copper brushes. The carbon brushes of today are lossy, very high resistance. In the old days, copper was used because it was the same material as the commutator. Brass was avoided because it was harder. It _could_ be used in a pinch, but would cause wear on the comm or slip rings of an alternator. Maybe to make the motor run while you make a copper brush.

Copper brushes are easy to make. I use a fine copper mesh from Hobby Lobby, or maybe it was Michaels. . . A very fine mesh, like window screen but maybe 40 or 50 to the inch. In the "old days" there was a mesh screen in a carburator. And in external filters with glass bowls. That is how fine the mesh needs to be. Cut a strip a little wider than the brush is long. Roll into a cylinder as tight as possible, then with a piece of 1X2 on a hard smooth surface, roll it tighter. Trim with scissors then roll it tighter. Repeat. I roll on a piece of Nr 40 drill rod. Toward the end, remove the center rod and roll it tighter.

Trim to length and remove any loose whiskers with scissors or nail clippers. The finished brush can be unrolled a layer or two to make it a smooth fit in the holder. A spring from a ball point pen makes a good spring. One from a "crack head lighter" can be used if a stronger spring is needed. But requires a piece of brass as a "push plate". The wire can be soldered to the brush or to a push plate. The solder is kept away from the "live" end toward the commutator. The usual method to retain the brush is a steel pin. Larger motors could use a piece of coat hanger wire. Usually steel, the retainers may be any material, they are not an "active" part of the circuit, although they are "live".

The point here is to make unusual parts from unusual materials. I used making a brush because I have done so many times for small motors. Making a replacemant part the whole point is to make the machine "go". How pretty it is usually is a matter of manufactoring with the fewest parts and lowest man hours. Repair has been factored out of the equation. The repairman makes it "go", not being too concerned with appearance.

For what its' worth, I prefer Chrysler alternators for making "stuff". With only 2 wires, they are easy to modify. The newer regulators are a pain, what with a transistor circuit. Now adays I have to wind my own voltage coil to make the relay.
.


----------



## C-Bag (Nov 29, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> if you could get half the parts you need and could repair we would be in better shape...


^THIS! Case in point my neighbor asked me where to get rid of what looked like a brand new Craftsman weed eater. I asked him what was wrong and he said the pull start didn’t work. I took it apart and one of the cheap sheetmetal  pawl’s was gone. He went to order it and their website was a stupid mess. Took 6wks to get and was wrong. He told them that and they said that’s all they had and don’t bother sending the wrong part back. So both went into the trash.


----------



## Janderso (Nov 29, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> All of this aside, I am, or was, a master electrician. But an "old school" motor and controls electrician. And have a stash of relays, timers, fittings, brushes, and the like. I know how to modify brushes so a motor will work again. And, worst case, can rewind small motors. But all that comes to naught if the power is off. Unless I can fabricate something to make the power. That's where the machine work and carpentry comes into play. I know a lot about "old school" electric gizmos. Things that haven't been used for a hundred years. They still work, just require a lot of monitoring and upkeep. Despite my chair, that's where I shine. *Knowledge* of how to build and take care of such machines.


Bill,
I found out the hard way that electricians like you, are not all inclusive when it comes to networking, electronic hardware and communications equipment, electric motor controls and motor wiring to residential and commercial applications.

I'm fortunate to have a friend that just retired because his work truck with plenty of tooling and equipment was stolen.
He says, I'm 71, I'm not going to start over.
Anyway, he does it all. 
You would know more than me but I've struggled to find a replacement who understands the full spectrum of your trade. We call one guy for the lighting, 3 phase equipment etc.
We have another guy who runs the camera/video wiring and equipment to our dealer management system and network wiring and hardware needs.
This is probably more common these days.


----------



## rabler (Nov 29, 2021)

Batmanacw said:


> Don't buy it until you have a job for it seems to be the mantra of the modern machinist. In normal times that is the best way to avoid tying up money in tooling you might never use. This thought process presupposes that the things we might buy will be avaliable.
> 
> As one of those crazy prepper types I believe a time may come when we might not have near instant access to any tool we can imagine. That is why I am willing to tie up some money in cutters and tooling I might not have a job for right now. No need to talk me out of it. It's pretty much done anyway. Lol! Humor me!



As far as machine tools, I buy things I want, or things I might need when the price is good.  I tend to buy metals from the local dealer in 20' sticks even when I only need 6", although with recent prices I've bought some odd pieces online.  Having a stock of things is convenient, I dislike waiting, having to order, etc.  I've never regretted stocking up on metals, woods, etc.  I don't do so out of any sense of oncoming doom, but out of a sense of independence, and impatience.   The more I can do for myself the happier I am.  If things really go down hill, I have a tractor and 20 acres that could be planted, and 10 acres of trees that will supply plenty of firewood.  But that is more from a sense of independence and enjoying country life.   I don't need plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.  I do a fair amount of my own veterinary work on our horses, although trimming feet is getting harder as the years start to take their toll.   

Being able to make, or repair, or modify things is just part of that.  I figure it will keep me entertained, and serve me well regardless of the circumstances.


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 29, 2021)

Janderso said:


> Bill,
> 
> I'm fortunate to have a friend that just retired because his work truck with plenty of tooling and equipment was stolen.
> He says, I'm 71, I'm not going to start over.


Bastards stealing this guys truck. I have heard this story over and over. People are so disappointing, so many think they are entitled to someone elses property.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 29, 2021)

rabler said:


> As far as machine tools, I buy things I want, or things I might need when the price is good.  I tend to buy metals from the local dealer in 20' sticks even when I only need 6", although with recent prices I've bought some odd pieces online.  Having a stock of things is convenient, I dislike waiting, having to order, etc.  I've never regretted stocking up on metals, woods, etc.  I don't do so out of any sense of oncoming doom, but out of a sense of independence, and impatience.   The more I can do for myself the happier I am.  If things really go down hill, I have a tractor and 20 acres that could be planted, and 10 acres of trees that will supply plenty of firewood.  But that is more from a sense of independence and enjoying country life.   I don't need plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.  I do a fair amount of my own veterinary work on our horses, although trimming feet is getting harder as the years start to take their toll.
> 
> Being able to make, or repair, or modify things is just part of that.  I figure it will keep me entertained, and serve me well regardless of the circumstances.



My Sister and her husband have a good size dairy farm. My BIL is pretty good at fixing things but he knows what I can do and he wants to push work my way any chance he gets....and he wants to pay well to help build the shop. I won't argue. 

The last job I did for him he threw and extra few hundred at me to go buy surplus steel before prices go up again. He knows as supply chains tighten he will be put in a bind over and over. He can afford to pay for the parts but he keeps hitting walls. I geared my machine shop toward these types of issues.


----------



## Bi11Hudson (Nov 29, 2021)

From a professional perspective, I have considered myself as "the guy that makes the machine go". I have held this concept for many years, long before the "inter-net" existed. Further, I have had the pleasure of making a living my entire life by having "fun". At the bottom line, that's what this site is about, some guy (or gal) who enjoys getting his hands dirty *making something*. That something may be to make a particular machine go, or to build a hobby device, or just to prove it can be done. That's why in my area of interest I have such a stash of old, busted power tools. When I need an armature to repair a drill, the one from that obsolete jig saw might well fit. It becomes a matter of modifying the drive end to fit and making new bearings, again to fit. 

By today's "standards", the division between an electrician, a wireman, and an electronics technician has become so blurred, the simplist way to express the idea is to use the shortest and easiest to say word, electrician. I was fortunate that at the age of 17, when I went through military training for EMA (basic electrical) I scored number 3 out of 50 odd students. That as a grammar school dropout. My choices for duty station were the sailing ship Eagle and a couple of Stateside shore stations. My choice was a 1940s era ship that went to the South Pole. That choice was at the bottom of the list and I chose it to learn more "archaic" electrical systems. Plus the opportunity for "adventure". I found both and to this day am quite satisfied with that choice. Doing (and learning) whatever it took to make the machine(s) go. Electrical, a little machine work, a little diesel engine theory, a little navigation, a little of this, a little of that. 

The same concept applies to a "machinist". To the general public, a machinist might be an automotive mechanic, a true machinist, or even a woodworker that has home made metal tools. A machinist today, to the general public, is anyone that can use a screwdriver to open a can of paint. To have a lathe and a mill, *one just must be a master* of that craft. End of "rant".  . .

.


----------



## homebrewed (Nov 29, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> Yeah, so would be most of the people on this board. The key is to find someone that will feed us in exchange.
> .


I have a small machine shop in the basement and a large garden in back.  All set, you say?  BUT I wouldn't want to prepare the soil without the small diesel tractor.....always some fly in the ointment.  Biodiesel, anyone? .


----------



## Aaron_W (Nov 29, 2021)

I don't buy just because I can but I'm always watching for a deal on something I want. Used even lightly is much cheaper than buying new, so that is my excuse. I got a nice Taiwan made 6" rotary table for $150 which was less than a lot of the cheap ebay 4" rotary tables.



homebrewed said:


> I have a small machine shop in the basement and a large garden in back.  All set, you say?  BUT I wouldn't want to prepare the soil without the small diesel tractor.....always some fly in the ointment.  Biodiesel, anyone? .



Convert it to run on wood chips. Do it now while you can still order everything online.  

https://makezine.com/2010/06/24/lost-knowledge-wood-gas-vehicles/


----------



## JPMacG (Nov 29, 2021)

As purely a hobbyist, I purchase only those things I need at the moment.   If I were to stock up on supplies for each of my half dozen various hobbies I would need a storage building.   When I was working for a large aerospace company we assigned a yearly cost for storage.  Generally if parts/supplies/insturments were not needed for an known upcoming program they would be trashed, as it was more costly to keep them than to replace them.


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 29, 2021)

JPMacG said:


> As purely a hobbyist, I purchase only those things I need at the moment.   If I were to stock up on supplies for each of my half dozen various hobbies I would need a storage building.   When I was working for a large aerospace company we assigned a yearly cost for storage.  Generally if parts/supplies/insturments were not needed for an known upcoming program they would be trashed, as it was more costly to keep them than to replace them.


did they allow you to pick the trash?  Or were they one of those companies that had a hard line on that.


----------



## JPMacG (Nov 29, 2021)

LOL... no.  It went to a bonded surplus company for pennies on the dollar.  At one time direct employee sales were allowed but then management became concerned with liability.


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 29, 2021)

JPMacG said:


> LOL... no.  It went to a bonded surplus company for pennies on the dollar.  At one time direct employee sales were allowed but then management became concerned with liability.


A** hats.  I guess they don't know the good will / morale it creates to allow employees to be able to buy it on the cheap.


----------



## Ischgl99 (Nov 29, 2021)

It’s also an accounting issue. If they throw it out, they write off the value of the stock on their books.  If they sell it to employees, they have to track how much and what it was sold for and can only write off the difference, what the employees paid becomes revenue.  Most companies don’t want to go through that effort and prefer to either throw it out completely, or sell to a single company to keep the accounting simple.


----------



## Bi11Hudson (Nov 29, 2021)

Aaron_W said:


> Convert it to run on wood chips. Do it now while you can still order everything online.


I'm not sure how "producer gas" could be used in a diesel engine. I know it works (well sorta) in a gasoline engine. Anything carburated?. . . For those that don't know, producer gas is the colloquial term for carbon *mon*oxide, which is indeed flammable in the proper conditions. Which is another unstated reason to have a detector (or three) in your residence. A gasoline engine will run at around 60% capacity on producer gas. But to convert a diesel? ? ? ? A valid premise nonetheless.

.


----------



## Superburban (Nov 29, 2021)

I think one of our problems that is starting to come to light, is we drifted away from commonality in parts. 

When I joined the Military back in 1981, the stock of spare parts for the transportation company would fit in the back of a 2&1/2 ton truck. When I got out in 2004, the parts for the same transportation company took over two tractor trailers. In 81, the trucks and trailers took a lot of the same parts. by 2004, the tractors took different tires and rims then the trailers. Both had different tail lights that needed the whole assembly swapped, not just drop in a new bulb. some trucks now have radios, so they have a different alternator then the others.

Same thing with cars now days. Back in the 80's, many parts were the same, for the manufacturer, and used for many years. Alternators, Dodge used the same few models from the early 70's, to the late 80's. by 2006, they were pretty much model, and year specific. Now so much is computerized, if you do not have the right part, forget it. Think you are going to fix it yourself? forget it. Replace many parts, and you have to access the computer to let it know. 

Seems like half the time I go to Orileys, I get the same answer, We will order it, it will be in tomorrow.


----------



## jwmay (Nov 29, 2021)

Having to do with the previous posters thought: I've often wished I could replace my current car with the exact same car with fewer miles. I hate having to learn everything all over again every time I buy a new old car. Lol


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 30, 2021)

Last night I was lamenting the fact that I don't have a transfer punch set so I went looking.... There is no quality step between $15 Chinese crap and extremely expensive $90 American made. I bought the American made set but damn that hurt... what the heck?

I want to buy a metric set but American made is way more money than the Standard set.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 30, 2021)

This set of Alvord Polk taper pin reamers today. No 0 to 10. I already had the 7/0 to 2/0. I'm really looking forward to using them on future projects. I really don't care for roll pins for alignment anyway. Lol. The rest of the taper pins should be here in a couple days.


----------



## woodchucker (Nov 30, 2021)

I have a bunch of smaller taper reamers. I too like using them. And because I bought them I use them.  But roll pins have their place too.  And being hardened sometimes the best choice.


----------



## sdelivery (Nov 30, 2021)

Roll pins are a cheap alternative to taper pins...
They cost less and the hole diameter is less critical, not to mention the cost of the reamer and taper pins
 It eliminated the additional skilled labor.
They are not as strong.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 30, 2021)

sdelivery said:


> Roll pins are a cheap alternative to taper pins...
> They cost less and the hole diameter is less critical, not to mention the cost of the reamer and taper pins
> It eliminated the additional skilled labor.
> They are not as strong.



I've got lots of roll pins and I've used them for decades. I like taper pins for locating parts precisely. They were used in lots of old equipment that I may someday have to repair. It's just another great option in the stable.


----------



## sdelivery (Nov 30, 2021)

The reason they were used in the past is the incredible holding power of a taper yet easily removed.
Besides being solid they make the item rigid, motion less. Screws can be tight but the assembly still move under load.
Typically used for ball screw or acme screw mounting.
Another benefit is being able to realign the part and reream the assembly with minimal effort while maintaining the easy to remove and reseat pin.
Yes I am a taper pin fan.
I use them instead of roll pins if I can, obviously they many applications where they better suited than taper pins.


----------



## Batmanacw (Nov 30, 2021)

sdelivery said:


> The reason they were used in the past is the incredible holding power of a taper yet easily removed.
> Besides being solid they make the item rigid, motion less. Screws can be tight but the assembly still move under load.
> Typically used for ball screw or acme screw mounting.
> Another benefit is being able to realign the part and reream the assembly with minimal effort while maintaining the easy to remove and reseat pin.
> ...


Well said.


----------



## Winegrower (Nov 30, 2021)

In terms of easy to remove, the Takisawa uses taper pins that are threaded on the stick out end, with a nut installed.   To remove, you just stick a few washers under the nut, tighten a bit and pop, out it comes.

I had not seen that before.


----------



## sdelivery (Dec 1, 2021)

I like those too. lol 
better than cleaning out a threaded hole


----------



## Batmanacw (Dec 4, 2021)

Well, fellas. I bought 5 sets of Heimann transfer screws off Ebay for $37 shipped. 10-24, 10-32, 1/4-20, 5/16-18, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13. I'm working on metric sizes now but they are pricey if you go American and I'm on a Chinese budget.... if anyone knows the PRM brand let me know if they are any good.





I also bought Spellmaco standard transfer punches. They cost a fortune at $79 shipped. Went Shars on the metric set.


----------



## Kevin T (Dec 6, 2021)

In response to the OP. Lately I usually make due with what I have and then along the way order what I could have used to make the job easier which always arrives after I MacGyver my way through! Then if I "ever" do the same part/operation again it will be easier...is my motto.


----------



## Batmanacw (Dec 6, 2021)

Kevin T said:


> In response to the OP. Lately I usually make due with what I have and then along the way order what I could have used to make the job easier which always arrives after I MacGyver my way through! Then if I "ever" do the same part again it will be easier...is my motto.


I spent the last 25 years doing things the hard way. Lol. I make good money at my day job so I'm splurging a bit.


----------



## tq60 (Dec 6, 2021)

We are cheap...

Proud of it.

Collect things as we find them and are the local supply almost.

Broke the log splitter last week, built it from scrap rr track and other items, made a plate to weldup to change attachment of ram from welded to bolted, from same scrap we built the sled on it.

We did jut buy a rotary table/index with 6 inch 3 jaw and tail stock because we needed one years ago and gave up on finding one at estate sale.



Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk


----------



## Batmanacw (Dec 6, 2021)

tq60 said:


> We are cheap...
> 
> Proud of it.
> 
> ...


Tons of my tooling was bought surplus at $5 lb. My more recent purchased have been good deals on Ebay. I'm pretty cheap myself.


----------

