Tools/Machines Used More Than Expected?

[RaisedByWolves]

Agreed.

Several years ago, someone in my neighborhood put one of these out on their curb for free: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/craftsman-1hp-sander-351-22638.322329/

It was completely covered under about a quarter inch of greasy filth (can’t imagine what they used it for) but when I cleaned and lubed it, and put new belts on, it worked great. Haven’t had any trouble with it at all, and I use it constantly.

A belt in front of a flat platen is often more useful than a grinder wheel, and cloth belts don’t need truing! Very handy.

I would (and do) pick a belt sander over a wheel for most jobs.

Im trying to convince my coworkers to try sharpening drill bits on the belt vs the wheel, but they dont get it.

A flat surface is going to give you a more true grind every time, full stop.

 

[Rex Walters]

until they got 5S'ed.

That was a new one to me and I speak and even read Japanese.

I’ve heard of “triple S” (to, uh … “relieve oneself, shower, and shave” after travel), and I know “file 13”, “round file”, and 86 for trashing something, but 5S was a new one.

Totally with you on buying used and wear blocks!

 

[RaisedByWolves]

That was a new one to me and I speak and even read Japanese.

I’ve heard of “triple S” (to, uh … “relieve oneself, shower, and shave” after travel), and I know “file 13”, “round file”, and 86 for trashing something, but 5S was a new one.

Totally with you on buying used and wear blocks!

5S rules state if you haven't used it in the last (Insert arbitrary time frame) you S-Can it and buy new when needed.

Wash rinse, repeat.


I rebuilt 18 assembly fixtures for our assembly lines that were constantly in for repairs due to cheap build quality. Ie bost bronze sleeves where linear bearings should have been used. My initial proposal was to use new 2" A2 rod to remake the slide ways and install linear bearings, with a 1.5 week turn around time per unit. This was deemed too expensive, so I changed it to turning and hardening the original shafts, hardening with Casenit and extended the turn around to two weeks due to the extra work.

That got the OK (Can you even buy Casenit anymore?) and after 7-8 months the job was done successfully.

A little too successfully I guess, as the ones that were upgraded never came in for repairs again. They sat on a pallet high up on a shelf and suddenly one day they were gone.

They got 5S'ed and the numbskulls didn't even have the presence of mind to change out the ones on the line for brand new fixtures that were on the shelf before tossing them.


Kinds sucked to see all my hard work thrown out, but it was a fun project anyway. The hollow shafts went into the heat treat oven in a container of Casenit at 1800* F. When they had soaked and came up to temperature they had to be removed from the now red hot liquid Casenit and quenched in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

This sounded like a bomb going off and threw water to the ceiling 18' above. They then got straightened and ground to size on the lathe .

If safety ever saw this they would have **** kittens.

 

[Rex Walters]

Can you even buy Casenit anymore?

I think Kasenit is no longer available, but Rose Mill still makes Cherry Red.

 

[woodchucker]

I hate stacking blocks.

We were probably talking past each other, but I had a guy tell me that because my mismatched set was missing one wear block and the .1008 block it was useless.

The wear blocks are what keeps your set nice and I can pick one up used for my used set along with the missing block. Other blocks have issues, but to think my coworker passed up an expensive set of blocks for an anvil mike because the block set was not perfect boggled my mind.

The situation was a guy in the shop died and had no family to take his tools. The company said to split them up equitably or we take possession, which means they would sit in storage until they got 5S'ed.

what do you consider the wear block, the .108? I don't use the same block on the end...
That may explain why I had a 0.108 and a 0.050 block in a tool box I got. Wear blocks?

 

[Eyerelief]

8” pedestal grinder for me. My old Delta has a buffing pad on one side and a 8” wire wheel on the other. I’m constantly reminded of how much I use it when I am switching out the wire wheel for a stone. Seriously considering buying another unit for spinning the stones.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

what do you consider the wear block, the .108? I don't use the same block on the end...
That may explain why I had a 0.108 and a 0.050 block in a tool box I got. Wear blocks?

Yes.

Traditionally in good sets there are two .050 or .100 blocks that go on the outside of the stack to take any wear or abuse from doing setups or crashes ect. You figure out your stack to include these blocks when doing your math. A 2.5" stack would include the blocks to make a stack 2.400 or 2.300 depending on the thickness of your sets wear blocks, then the wear blocks are included on the ends of the stack.

These are cheap to replace and protect the rest of your set from wear.

The .1008 is just a block that is missing from my set from the top row, not a wear block. These are .1001-.1009 and used to get the finest resolution of your set via compounding the tenths place (.0001) if needed.

 

[JPMacG]

Used every day: 6" dial caliper
Used frequently: Dremel tool with cutoff wheels
Used more than I expected: pin gauges, Jo-Blocks
Used less than I expected: micrometers

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Used every day: 6" dial caliper
Used frequently: Dremel tool with cutoff wheels
Used more than I expected: pin gauges, Jo-Blocks
Used less than I expected: micrometers

I'm going to let everyone in on my dirty little secret.

Ever since I got a pair of digital calipers at work, I really only break out the mics if I need accuracy below .0005.

The Mitutoyo digitals do have their faults, but once you learn them they can be really accurate to use.

Then there's the tricks you can use to make measurements overall easier.

 

[woodchucker]

I'm going to let everyone in on my dirty little secret.

Ever since I got a pair of digital calipers at work, I really only break out the mics if I need accuracy below .0005.

The Mitutoyo digitals do have their faults, but once you learn them they can be really accurate to use.

Then there's the tricks you can use to make measurements overall easier.

That's blasphemous. Off to the gallows.