# This Really Has To Stop.....i'll Be Broke Sooner Than Later.



## lowlife (May 2, 2015)

Soooooooo.

In the last 3 days I have bought

Edge finder
Center finder
Parallels
Mahr test indicator (used)
Indicol
Couple of different arbors
2" travel indicator
Enco (French made) Boring head (used)
115 pc cobalt Cleveland twist drill set

A month or so ago I bought a New Miller TIG welder.

I'm not really sure if I want to learn to machine or just addicted to buying tools? While I did get a good price ( I felt) on nearly everything my mother never told me about this!?!
Got beat out at an auction or 3 on a rotary table and at one time close to the end of the auction I was sitting on 6 yes 6 kurt vises. Thank God I became the first runner up in most all of them!

I wonder if my mom wants a piece of metal (Modern art) with a bunch of random holes drilled in it for Mothers Day?


----------



## kd4gij (May 3, 2015)

To late you have the disease now and there is no knowen cure for it. The only treatment is buying bore tools. Welcume to the clube.


----------



## coolidge (May 3, 2015)

Ahahaha it has only just begun my friend. Now let me see here in the last year I purchased a...12x36 lathe, 6 jaw Bison SetTru chuck, 3 jaw PBA SetRight chuck, link belts, Aloris QCTP w/4 tool holders, 6 more tool holders, keyless chuck, magnetic indicator holder, boring bars and inserts, indexible tool holders and inserts, more inserts, various center drills and cobalt drill bits, more inserts, more indexible tool holders, Starrett master precision level, DRO, Mitutoyo 1 and 2 inch mic, depth mic, China test indicator which broke so then a Mitutoyo test indicator, dial indicator, all manner of brass, aluminum, and steel stock, a big ass stainless toolbox to hold all the stuff, various components for a drop coolant system I have yet to assemble, indexible threading tool holder and inserts, parting tool, indexible parting tool which I mangled, then an Aloris indexible parting tool.

Ugh I have to machine the T nut for the Aloris QCTP so...milling machine, Kurt vise, ER32 collet set and tool holder, end mills, face mill and inserts, more inserts, Albreicht keyless chuck, VFD, Leeson motor, $900 worth of electrical panel components and controls, cable carrier and cables and cords, Lincoln 210MP welder and a stack of steel for the mill stand, StrongHand welding table, gloves, helmet, about a dozen clamps, TurnPro metal bandsaw, another DRO, center finder indicator, Kurt parallels, work stops, clamping kit, precision square set...

Well you get the picture.


----------



## rafe (May 3, 2015)

Every once in a while I sell one of my bargains to see if I really got a good deal!! No ,that's not true , but I do think about selling one or two, to see if I made a good deal. And I watch other people pay more than I did , so it's got to be a good deal right? And I could sell them for more! And maybe some day I will sell them for more...yeah that's it! Meanwhile I put them to good use....And ,no I don't see it stopping anytime soon......I just got a really good deal on......................


----------



## stupoty (May 3, 2015)

You know what you realy nead is .......



Stuart


----------



## GCM (May 3, 2015)

Hello,
My name is Gert. I am a self trained machinist and I am addicted to tools ;-)


----------



## T Bredehoft (May 3, 2015)

Lowlife...Just keep in mind, when you crash, we're all waiting to scavenge your accumulation, don't forget us.


----------



## lowlife (May 3, 2015)

Ahhhh so much to look forward too?

TB I'd like to get a track day at Mid Ohio, never been on the track except for the vintage motorcycle days and anything below 140 doesn't count. 

I need to sell some stuff to buy more stuff, That is how is spose to go right? Anyone want a motorcycle? How about an older operational 250 lb floor sander? Anything else you guys want to buy I been collecting for 52 years on the same farm for 4 generations. I've really been eyeing up stuff that I "really need"! My lathe and mill cupboard looks really bare!!!


----------



## T Bredehoft (May 3, 2015)

I've never even driven past Mid-Ohio.   My kids (30 years ago) used to talk about going, but never did. Our loss, I guess.


----------



## rafe (May 3, 2015)

I might have room for a Motorcycle, don't know much about them though...Almost got one once the guy wanted 300 for it it was laverta yoga or something like that ...it was orange ugly as hell


----------



## Dawner (May 4, 2015)

lowlife said:


> Soooooooo.
> 
> In the last 3 days I have bought
> 
> ...



Words to live by:
"Where there is a will... there is a jealous relative" ALSO "He who dies with the most tools... still dies!" ( By the way I've got tools... that can fix tools.)


----------



## Joe Harlan (May 4, 2015)

lowlife said:


> Ahhhh so much to look forward too?
> 
> TB I'd like to get a track day at Mid Ohio, never been on the track except for the vintage motorcycle days and anything below 140 doesn't count.
> 
> I need to sell some stuff to buy more stuff, That is how is spose to go right? Anyone want a motorcycle? How about an older operational 250 lb floor sander? Anything else you guys want to buy I been collecting for 52 years on the same farm for 4 generations. I've really been eyeing up stuff that I "really need"! My lathe and mill cupboard looks really bare!!!


I have engineered a few cars at Mid-Ohio and once took the Mid-Ohio driving school to get a better feel for setting up cars there.  I plan to race there in 2016 for a national championship. All I can say to you is if you are easily addicted to things, there is no cure for a racecar addiction. If you really must do it then spend the money right and do the 3 day comp school. They have some of the best instructors in the country there.  As far as the tool thing. I am no help there I need to add on more space to my shop to get any work done.


----------



## preludelinux (May 4, 2015)

And I am just getting started. I have a ton of tools but no machinist tools. Keep looking at all the more things to collect buy build and find a place to go. There is no cure for tool addiction it just leads to more addictions  next you will be building your tools ..


----------



## lowlife (May 5, 2015)

I'm hoping to build m own tools someday.

Sadly the racecar addition bit me over 3 decades ago......... half of what I plan to do with my new machine shop toys is feed the addiction


----------



## Millbo (May 6, 2015)

Soon you'll be buying stuff for machines you want but don't have...cause eventually you'll need it right?...LOL


----------



## chips&more (May 6, 2015)

It’s a vicious circle of life. You will never stop buying, now that you have the bug. Then it becomes an inheritance nightmare!


----------



## taycat (May 6, 2015)

chips&more said:


> It’s a vicious circle of life. You will never stop buying, now that you have the bug. Then it becomes an inheritance nightmare!



don't have that worry, sat down while back whilst doing will and asked all 6 kids if they want anything in particular leaving to them.
quick as lightening my 6yr old girl said your tools and i will punch anyone else that tries getting them.
mind you she is my shadow and only realises mum is around when i am at work.


----------



## rustwa (May 7, 2015)

I must have 300 lbs of smallish drill bits and yet I never pass the opportunity to get more if the price is right nor do I throw them away ever. Drill bits and wrenches seem to be my addiction. 
My father is realizing his mortality and has recently asked my brother and I what tools we wanted when he passes to which we both replied, "All of them! "


----------



## barrydc1 (May 7, 2015)

Yeah, My name is Barry, a I am a tool-a-holic too.  My wife hasn't left me yet, but I wouldn't blame her if she did.  I'm not even going to tell you all the things I bought in the last year, and I don't even make money at machining.  I just make things for myself that I could have bought for 1/1,000,000th the price of all the tools I needed to make it, and think, "Wow, this is soo cool that I can make things for half of what they cost!  Now where have all our savings gone, Dear?" But maybe some day I'll start making money with all these things.  Does anybody know how to do that?


----------



## kvt (May 7, 2015)

While in the military,   you only got so much weight allowance to ship your house hold goods from one place to the next.   Now what is more important,   A chair for the living room or a tool,,   I always picked the tool.   Also learned what the different tools were called in different places,   Found little out of the way places to find old tools,   I don't have a problem,   I just like tools.  
The other thing is trying to explain it all to the insurance company when you come home and find you have been ripped off,  Lucky enough,   I had just move and still had photos of all the tools,  But they still did not want to believe me.


----------



## sanddan (May 7, 2015)

Why buy a $10 part when you can use $10,000 worth of tools to make it yourself?

If you love to buy tools, machining is the gift that just keeps on giving. I always need SOMETHING I don't have to finish a project.


----------



## kingmt01 (May 8, 2015)

kd4gij said:


> To late you have the disease now and there is no knowen cure for it. The only treatment is buying bore tools. Welcume to the clube.



There is a sure cure found for this. It is called being broke. Once you are broke you won't buy anymore. Now you stand a good chance at relapse when you get more money tho.


----------



## John Hasler (May 8, 2015)

kingmt01 said:


> There is a sure cure found for this. It is called being broke. Once you are broke you won't buy anymore.



Won't stop you from scrounging stuff for free, though, and it makes it hard to get rid of stuff that just might come in handy some day.


----------



## kvt (May 8, 2015)

Being broke just make you scrounge harder, and go back to the old barter systems,   What do you need for that,  I can do this.   It does not cure it,  makes you find different ways to feed it.,   in fact there was a thread on here something about one guys creative ways to fund his requirements.


----------



## kingmt01 (May 8, 2015)

Scrounging isn't buying & is all good. I all that being green cause it makes me sound like a better person.

I always end up in the hole every time I trade so I try not to.


----------



## Matt Irvine (May 9, 2015)

You know your buying to much, when you have brand new Mitutoyo 50-300 inside mics, and 0-150 Depth mics still in the pagage on your bedside table!


----------



## coolidge (May 9, 2015)

Guys it could be worse, one forum member is addicted to buying machines, I think he purchased 3 mills and 3 lathes in the last 2 years


----------



## GA Gyro (May 11, 2015)

coolidge said:


> Guys it could be worse, one forum member is addicted to buying machines, I think he purchased 3 mills and 3 lathes in the last 2 years



I 'wish' I had the resources (and space) for that... I would definitely re-furb them and find them good homes...


----------



## Andre (May 11, 2015)

If your profile picture (autox, it looks like) represents your other hobby, you'll find it's very much like car parts; once you start you never stop. Especially on a BMW.  Various friends have fallen into that hole and it doesn't let you go! Metalworking is no different.


----------



## Andre (May 11, 2015)

GA Gyro said:


> I 'wish' I had the resources (and space) for that... I would definitely re-furb them and find them good homes...



That's a little easier said than done  I had plans to rebuild my mill and lathe....I got into the trim on my mill and never found time, interest, or money to finish it.....


----------



## A618fan2 (May 12, 2015)

I'm a noob here -  but it feels like home already!  I just keep telling myself it's (tool gathering) not a problem - it's a hobby.  It's cheaper than travel, occasionally produces something useful, and keeps me off the streets  

John


----------



## Rob Robinson (May 19, 2015)

"The difference between the man who"can", and the man who "can't is tools"
When someone asks "how'd you do that in amazement of something you've done. Reply. "Manual dexterity and applied knowledge".


----------



## middle.road (May 19, 2015)

Rob Robinson said:


> "The difference between the man who"can", and the man who "can't is tools"
> When someone asks "how'd you do that in amazement of something you've done. Reply. "Manual dexterity and applied knowledge".



Definitely 'Knowledge' & experience. I have always enjoyed discovering a different way of performing a task with limited tools and/or equipment.


----------



## kingmt01 (May 19, 2015)

I enjoy making tools. I can't afford to buy many. Seems every time I go to make a tool I have to make a tool to make it. I do but some cheap tools to use for parts to make what I want. Kinda like a parts kit.


----------



## george wilson (May 19, 2015)

If I were in the military(grew up in the Coast Guard),they would certainly give me a dishonorable discharge after seeing what it cost to move ME!!!!


----------



## kvt (May 19, 2015)

Glad I retired before getting into some of this stuff,  I would not be able to afford to move,  the military, now charge you as much if not more than a moving company if you exceed your weight allowance.   My garage would almost do that by it self.


----------



## spongerich (May 23, 2015)

lowlife said:


> Soooooooo.
> 
> In the last 3 days I have bought
> 
> ...



That's all?

Last weekend I bought pretty much an entire machine shop from a old tool and die maker who is headed into a nursing home... I got a Logan Lathe, KO Lee Tool and Cutter Grinder, Walker Turner drill press, Benchmaster milling machine (vertical and horizontal), 2 tool boxes and literally a ton of tools and tooling.  Filled my SUV 3 times.   And I already own 3 milling machines, a lathe, 2 drill presses, a shaper, a die grinder, 4 band saws 4 bench grinders, a cutoff saw and a polishing lathe... not to mention a table saw, a jointer, a planer and a wood lathe.

Oh... and you'd better start buying tool boxes.  You're gonna need a place to put all those tools you'll be buying.



	

		
			
		

		
	
.


	

		
			
		

		
	
.


	

		
			
		

		
	
.


----------



## kingmt01 (May 23, 2015)

Nice


----------



## tmarks11 (Jun 22, 2015)

coolidge said:


> Ahahaha it has only just begun my friend. Now let me see here in the last year I purchased a....



STOP!  Warning, do not read Coolidge's post, because next thing you know, a full on tool-buying war will start.

And Coolidge will have won before you fired an opening salvo...



Although in the last year I purchased a Grizzly 13x40 lathe, Tormach 1100 cnc mill, mill vise, 5C chuck, 5C collets, assorted cutting tools... so I am catching up.

The problem is once you purchase machinery, you realize that all the cool things you want to do just require you to buy one more endmill or insert or reamer.... and than another one...



george wilson said:


> If I were in the military(grew up in the Coast Guard),they would certainly give me a dishonorable discharge after seeing what it cost to move ME!!!!


Nope.  They will just charge you the price of moving above your allotted weight..  12000-17000#.  I just retired from the military (hence my tool buying frenzy)... I had to move myself for my last three moves to avoid paying big $$$.


----------



## coolidge (Jun 22, 2015)

tmarks11 said:


> STOP!  Warning, do not read Coolidge's post, because next thing you know, a full on tool-buying war will start.
> 
> And Coolidge will have won before you fired an opening salvo...



...rotary table and back plate, dividing plates, tailstock, mill power feed, quill stop, cap screw counter bores, corner rounding end mills, 6 flute carbide counter sinks, taps and dies, TIG welder, TIG welder cooler, TIG antifreeze, tungsten, filler rods steel and stainless, quality flow meter, tank of Argon, bench grinder for grinding tungsten...


----------



## Nick Fahrney (Jun 23, 2015)

Would you sell the benchmaster?


----------



## 6mmBR (Jul 12, 2015)

I retired July 2014. I then got the bug to do woodworking, and has a couple of tools. I started acquiring tools, Craigslist was very good to me, some new, some used. This year I decided to add metal working to the mix. My new lathe came this past Monday, a Grizzly G0752 10" x 22". I'm getting an order ready for tooling and holders, etc. Still eyeing up a mill, probably the Grizzly G0704. Then I'll have to buy tools for it. 

On the plus side, I only need a thickness planer for the woodworking side and I'll be good to go there. Now to find space to put it all. The dust collection for wood is the biggest pain. I have 2 - 2 car garages; one attached and one in the back yard. I'd still like to put a shed in for all of the lawn stuff and storage. Then I think I would use the back garage for both shop setups. 

My wife said she thinks I like accumulating tools, rather than working with them. She may have a point.


----------



## HACKMASTER (Jul 14, 2015)

Just hope when you die your wife does not sell your tools for what you told her you paid for them.


----------



## gnerdalot (Jan 2, 2016)

Reviving old thread - I searched for "Enco addiction" and landed here.  I got bit at Christmas - Santa brought me a 6" Vertex rotary table.  I've been bit with this bug before - 1993 community college - classitis.  I was addicted to the hope of success, not the results.  I dropped a few before realizing signing up != passing and actually learning.

Same bug bit me 10 years ago when I changed careers into programming.  Books - lots of books.  But did I read them all? No..  So wife kept asking me "are you even reading all those books??"  She helped me focus, so I selected a few good books and resolved to buy AFTER I read those books.  Well reading led to coding led to a couple more purchases, else it stopped cause I've yet to finish those books.

Machining - I used a Bridgeport a few times at my old job (Sun Microsystems) and ever since then craved for that XY table ability.   Got drill press + cheap XY but that did not satiate me.
So finally got a micro mill a few months back.  I've already wanted a larger machine - and wife is ok - after we buy a house.

So over this last Christmas - I discovered Enco.  Oh... the shiny search and O1 steel, endcutters and tooling.  Now wife and I have an agreement - we get an allowance, overages must be approved.  So this keeps me in check and Craigslisting ( and its fun too ).  Else I've gotten a few "allowance advances" for odds and ends.

The only fix I have for wanting tooling is actually using it.   But then I am back looking ... "I need a ________".  Oh and instead of lusting at Enco last night, I spend time reading my recently acquired 1967 Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers.  I find actually using my tools and making no money at this is a good reminder "it's a hobby".  But sure is fun.

My brother has been bit, but the poison has not yet taken effect.  I give it a few months.


----------



## gnerdalot (Jan 2, 2016)

and since getting the micromill, I have a caliper on my desk or nightstand.


----------



## kingmt01 (Jan 2, 2016)

It never ends. Every time I put something in the mill or in the lathe I find I don't have the right tool & have to make the tool first only to find I need to make/buy a tool to make it. Wife is pretty understanding most of the time.


----------



## mzayd3 (Jan 2, 2016)

Gnerdalot- I like your use of code terminology and syntax in your post!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## tmarks11 (Jan 2, 2016)

gnerdalot said:


> ...So over this last Christmas - I discovered Enco...



Key piece of knowledge about Enco... they have a 20% off sale about every other week.  20% + free shipping about every 6 weeks (25% about twice a year).  So if you need something, put it in the cart and wait for a week or so...

Unless I need a tool right this moment, I generally wait for something to show up in their sales catalog, and then wait for the coupon.   You can save some serious bucks that way.


----------



## great white (Jan 2, 2016)

rafe said:


> I might have room for a Motorcycle, don't know much about them though...Almost got one once the guy wanted 300 for it it was laverta yoga or something like that ...it was orange ugly as hell


Aw lawdy!

A Laverda Jota for 300 bucks!

I'd fall all over myself to stuff three bills in the guys hands and get the hell out of there before he changed his mind....


----------



## barrydc1 (Jan 2, 2016)

I wrote a note on this thread when it first came up....I have bad news.  It never goes away!  I still can't tell you (because I don't even try to keep track anymore) what I bought last week.  I can tell you that I did make a $300 precision gyroscope for my grand daughter for less than $50.  What's it all really worth, well the wife is pretty happy right now about the gifts!


----------



## Charles Spencer (Jan 3, 2016)

I am happy to report that I kept my reverse New Year's resolution that I made.

I resolved not to buy any more tools in 2015 and kept it.  It wasn't easy but I did it.

I made that resolution at 5:30 PM on 31 December.


----------



## 4GSR (Jan 4, 2016)

My New Years Resolution was broke yesterday when I bought another tool that I don't need ....


----------



## ogberi (Jan 4, 2016)

Hmmm...

A month or so ago, my buddy gave me a nice Craftsman arc welder. (free!)
A week or two after that, he dropped off a Snap On YA2001A plasma cutter (Free!)
A few weeks ago two arbors for my little Atlas horizontal mill showed up.
Today there was a box from Little Machine Shop on my doorstep, containing:
  A set of telescoping bore gauges
  A center gauge to speed up setups for threading & grinding the tool
  A set of 22 indicator tips for those various hard-to-get-at places that need indicated
  A nice 6" dial caliper (mechanical, because there's no batteries to change!)
  A 3" screwless vice that has "blemishes"...that I haven't been able to find yet...

Tomorrow I go check out some tools I saw on CL, though due to some unexpected bills rearing their ugly heads, I won't have that much money to spend...Still, I hope that I can score a few good tools.   

 Oh, and on New Year's day, I bought a new 2 ton engine hoist from Horrible Fright with the 25% off coupon.  So that I can move my machine shop into the garage.  

For now, I'm saving my pennies to buy a Bridgeport or similar vertical mill.  Gonna need a lot of pennies....


----------



## planeflyer21 (Jan 4, 2016)

4gsr said:


> My New Years Resolution was broke yesterday when I bought another tool that I don't need ....



Several years ago the only resolution I have been making is to spend every last penny on tools, guns, and off-roading.  Somehow I'm able to keep spending.


----------

