What Did You Buy Today?

[GrifterGuru]

listed as a bicycle repair tool.

Maybe because it looks a LOT like a bell-crank for an internal geared rear hub...

Nice add-on for a dial indicator and one I keep meaning to sort out for my own dial indicator.

 

[ChazzC]

On a serious note, why not MAKE the ball if you have a radius tool and the stock? Could make some from steel/ally/bronze/copper et-al in any size based on what stock you have to hand.

Yes, but at $5 (and free shipping if you add to another order – I have baskets accumulating stuff at McM, Bolt-Depot, Grainger and Zoro; when I actually need something in the basket I place the order and fortunately most of these suppliers have the option of adding a note to each item so I can remember why I wanted something) it's not worth the time & effort that can be spent on other activities.

 

[GrifterGuru]

Yes, but at $5

See, that is where I, personally, have an issue. Why spend money on something I can make and possibly learn a few things whilst doing it. Sure, it may take a while, but rather spend that time making it which is faster than waiting for it to "drop through the letterbox" (UK term) as-it-were.

I refuse to spend money "just because it is easier". I think that is referred to as being "financially sensible" or is it "fiscal sensibility" these days?

 

[WobblyHand]

See, that is where I, personally, have an issue. Why spend money on something I can make and possibly learn a few things whilst doing it. Sure, it may take a while, but rather spend that time making it which is faster than waiting for it to "drop through the letterbox" (UK term) as-it-were.

I refuse to spend money "just because it is easier". I think that is referred to as being "financially sensible" or is it "fiscal sensibility" these days?

We all have some level of sensibility on this. Sometimes you just can't buy what you want so you need to make it. That's easy to justify. At the other end of the spectrum is stuff that is a bit difficult to make at your skill set and the materials are a lot more costly than to buy it outright. (Economy of scale?) Then you have to ponder, do I need this side diversion right now or not? Can I afford the time? Sometimes the diversion can be very rewarding, picking up new skills along the way. Other times, the sensible thing to do is just to spend the money. It's a personal decision and we all approach it differently.

 

[GrifterGuru]

We all have some level of sensibility on this. Sometimes you just can't buy what you want so you need to make it. That's easy to justify. At the other end of the spectrum is stuff that is a bit difficult to make at your skill set and the materials are a lot more costly than to buy it outright. (Economy of scale?) Then you have to ponder, do I need this side diversion right now or not? Can I afford the time? Sometimes the diversion can be very rewarding, picking up new skills along the way. Other times, the sensible thing to do is just to spend the money. It's a personal decision and we all approach it differently.

@WobblyHand

That is fair comment and steeped in sensibility and I agree, sometimes we lack the skills, tools, time, material or funds.

In the end, it comes down to a decision tree that helps us make that decision based on prevailing circumstances.

 

[JustBen]

Nice. I've had that same one for years, bought it in 1999. Probably use it every 5 years!

I'd like to fit a stepper drive to make a digital rotary table out of it, someday...

haha. That is funny. A stepper driver would be really neat.

 

[dkemppai]

Why spend money on something I can make and possibly learn a few things whilst doing it. ...I refuse to spend money "just because it is easier".

My preference it is to make everything I can.

However, what is actually made varies based on the rate of return on my investment (time and materials). It's the economy of making something yourself, compared to just buying it outright.

Some projects have a really great 'bang for the buck'. Those are easy.

Some projects offer little to no return on investment, and those are harder to justify. (Unless you're laying around doing nothing, and have time to spare)

Some are just stupid to make. Something that you can buy for $10, but needs $20 in materials. Someone else has already applied the economy of scale to that project, just buy it!

Applying this approach, it's easy to decide what to buy vs. what to make.

I completely understand wanting to make everything. I question anyone who says it's the best use of their time to do so.

 

[GrifterGuru]

I completely understand wanting to make everything. I question anyone who says it's the best use of their time to do so.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I have nothing BUT time. My job is at home but takes up so little time it is laughable given it is 3 hours or less in every 24 hour period.

Therefore, I have plenty of time to get things done or start/continue/finish a project or "odd job".

No, I will not make everything. As you say Economy of scale and if cheaper to buy than make, so be it, that is the chosen route.

 

[SouthernChap]

Eh, it's very easy to get into a 'call-stack' like chain of sub-projects of sub-projects that takes ages to go down and come back up from to the original project.

Sometimes that experience speaks to the very essence of who we are and what has drawn some of us as individuals to this hobby. We emerge from the labyrinth of making tools/fixtures to make other tools/fixtures to enable other operations to make tools/fixtures, blinking in the sunlight of the original 'surface' project and nod and mutter to ourselves 'good job; well done"

Sometimes, we just want to get on and say to ourselves: "Fekk this!" and reach for the phone/tablet/laptop and just spend the money on the damn tool.

Sometimes, we pick the wrong route, waste time and/or money and wish soneone had stopped us from even starting! :***** slap:

Eh, if I'm still breathing at the end of the day, I figure I'm ahead.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Sometimes I do projects just because they offer an opportunity to figure something new out. Sometimes I learns how to better plan my order of operations. AND sometimes its just about figuring out why I should not have done it to start with....