Tool of the Day

[Dhal22]

Pair of Starrett plumb bobs — would you call that a “brace of bobs”

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Both steel and about 5-1/2” long, the one on the right weighs in at 283 grams, the one on the left 330 grams. And the extra weight isn’t because of the line. The hollow body is threaded with a plug about halfway down, and below the plug is the compartment filled with liquid mercury. You can feel it slosh back and forth when you rock the bob, and I always imagine if James Bond ever needed a plumb bob it would be the one with a secret pocket full of mercury!

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-frank

Those were THE plumb bob before lasers. The sloshing mercury would stop a swaying plumb in a moment.

 

[Hawkeye]

I still remember those horrid dental drills. They were so slow the vibration was painful. If I found one at a garage sale, I'd grab it.

One dental item I had, up until my house fire, was the reflector light. I had modified it to use a halogen tube (250 W, IIRC). The glass reflector sent all the heat out the back and didn't send any down on your head. Very handy for fine work.

 

[gr8legs]

I still remember those horrid dental drills. They were so slow the vibration was painful. If I found one at a garage sale, I'd grab it.

One dental item I had, up until my house fire, was the reflector light. I had modified it to use a halogen tube (250 W, IIRC). The glass reflector sent all the heat out the back and didn't send any down on your head. Very handy for fine work.

Yeah, my first dental experience was with those and it was miserable.

Then my dentist got the Williams air turbine but used it only for the 'rough in' drilling, shifting back to the low speed belt drive he was more comfortable with for the 'finishing touches'. Always a relief when he swung that baby away meaning he was done drilling.

And I have a dental reflector light or three - two in the craft room above the sewing machines and one I don't have room for in the workshop - yet. Definitely a good light source for fine work!

Stu

We decorated the house in 'art medico-dental' and one of the living room chairs is a 40's vintage Ritter dental chair. Remarkably comfortable / adjustable if you disregard the first time you sat in one!

 

[Bi11Hudson]

I do mostly model building and electronics so don't expect anyone to recognise more than about half of what's here. This is just the model building bench, there are the parts bins, the "machine shops", the "mechanic shops", the carpentry and cabinet shops, et al. Plus my model trains. . . Essentially the whole house is full. I don't lay claim to being a "master" of anything, except possibly electrician 40 years back.

Materials worked with are mostly small, 0.015 to 0.050 music wire, 0.013 and 0.006 brass shim stock, 0.025 styrene sheet, and appropriately sized "structural shapes" in brass. Dead center of the photo is a 6" pair of pliers to give scale to many of the items. At the bottom, slightly left of center, between the yellow can of soldering flux and an orange bottle of glue are racks for small screwdrivers and for taps. The taps can only be seen clearly if the photo is enlarged waayyy up. Size 2/0-90 to 4-48. . .

Oh, and the o'scope to the lower right. It ain't much, I hope you can see it.

 

[Dhal22]

View attachment 327695

I do mostly model building and electronics so don't expect anyone to recognise more than about half of what's here. This is just the model building bench, there are the parts bins, the "machine shops", the "mechanic shops", the carpentry and cabinet shops, et al. Plus my model trains. . . Essentially the whole house is full. I don't lay claim to being a "master" of anything, except possibly electrician 40 years back.

Materials worked with are mostly small, 0.015 to 0.050 music wire, 0.013 and 0.006 brass shim stock, 0.025 styrene sheet, and appropriately sized "structural shapes" in brass. Dead center of the photo is a 6" pair of pliers to give scale to many of the items. At the bottom, slightly left of center, between the yellow can of soldering flux and an orange bottle of glue are racks for small screwdrivers and for taps. The taps can only be seen clearly if the photo is enlarged waayyy up. Size 2/0-90 to 4-48. . .

Oh, and the o'scope to the lower right. It ain't much, I hope you can see it.

I mostly build models as well, models that fly. Here is a view of my Byrne's sander and mini table saw. Both very accurate and well made.

 

[hman]

Let's see ... Plastruct (and other) solvent cement, CA glue, several R/C servos, Stay Clean flux, PC board edge connectors, heat shrink tubing, dental mirror, hemostats, an Xacto razor saw...

Yup! Got me some o' them same goodies, myself.