What Did You Buy Today?

[dkemppai]

U.S. company, but tools from all over:
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I don't mean to imply anything other than clarifying: the few Tekton tools I have are excellent!

The Joys of a global economy... I agree, I'm very happy with Tekton tools. I love the impact socket sets I have from them. Enough that I've been buying more when I need something.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Yeah...for about 20 seconds and then my brain takes another look at its list of cool (sometimes even regularly useful) things that will fit in my 'English-sized' work shop and then I chuckle ruefully to myself.

That said, there aren't many items in my shop left now that have been gathering dust. Apart from a couple of 6" Abwood vices that were too big for my mill table and a Tapmatic 90x which was in a lot from Charter Auctions that I thought might be handy, but when I received was way too big for my mill, I've used pretty much every tool I have in there.

There are two missing capabilities left on my 'required' list and those are an air compressor and a smallish arbor press. The latter I have a line on something 'old iron' but I need to chase up Charter Auctions to see if they've nudged the seller into making the decision about my offer yet. The former will have to wait until next year, when the effect of my past spending sins has abated a bit!

Obviously I'd like a surface grinder, because who doesn't, a smallish shaper, because they're charming little machines, a quality drill press as drilling backup for my mill, one of those little benchtop BCA jig borers for very accurate small hole drilling, and a few other things besides, but being an Englishman with an English garage as a workshop, I can't really fit any of those in!

I had a chance to pick up a pristine atlas 7” (.15M) shaper years back.

I’m talking pristine paint, clean crisp corners on all nuts, original cloth covered cord in good condition, the stand….

I went to buy something else, and I mentioned this sitting in a corner. Guy offered it to me for $400 and I declined so he cut that price in half!

I still walked but kick myself often about this, even though I know I would have sold it by now.

 

[Mauzinette]

I log on to this page every other day or so. Have any of you ever felt like.... My shop is now complete? I have everything that is needed?

I am terrified of this moment, because it would only mean that I’ve stopped improving.

 

[Shiseiji]

U.S. company, but tools from all over:
. . .
I don't mean to imply anything other than clarifying: the few Tekton tools I have are excellent!

Good point. I did go around with them a few years back over a hose reel. I couldn't match the thread for the lead hose fitting, even purchased a Parker fluid thread identification kit trying to figure it out. Turns out it was British Standard Pipe (BSP)/ Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) 19 tpi, also referred as “G” thread.

Re-reading the Parker information booklet, they provided extensive information on the threads & standard, but choose not to include the 19 tpi in the provided thread gauge. 18 then 20 tpi. Very disappointing for what I paid for the kit. Tekton was clueless.

 

[Shiseiji]

Purchased one of these....

View attachment 514312
@SouthernChap I have an idea you will know what these goodies are for and where they will end up

I used one to hold balance caps for a static phase converter.

I found making changes to the mount points on the back side of the grid and then screwing it back in to the case after I'd mounted it to be a PIA. I think I broke down and got a screw starter. Try to get it just as you want it on the bench. YMMV

 

[Shiseiji]

I had a chance to pick up a pristine atlas 7” (.15M) shaper years back.

They are just fun in a hobby shop. Often can just let it go and wait for the sound to change. Good excuse to learn single point tool grinding as they don't play well with carbide. Next project on mine is a 55° dovetail.

 

[coolidge]

Thinking about buying some wheels. I saw this photo on FB Market place and thought, that's brilliant!

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I think (and I'll admit to not knowing for sure) that the name "jig borer", at least in the UK, is used for drilling machines that are particularly precise.

From everything I've read about the BCA Mk 3* (Tony Griffiths' site, various UK model engineering forum posts, et al) these little machines were capable of some very fine precision.

Ostensibly, the Mk 3 especially could be used for light milling too, which might be handy, if true, for working on smaller precision parts, if my Deckel was already setup for something else!


*although I see that on the "BCA Jig Borer - Two Original Examples" on lathes.co.uk, someone's mounted a drill chuck in the spindle of one of them; these machines were supplied with Lorch collets for a reason

I am getting the Surface grinder from a friend who is retired and turning loose of some of his equipment and preparing the rest for his Son. The price is right.

 

[brino]

I am getting the Surface grinder from a friend who is retired and turning loose of some of his equipment and preparing the rest for his Son. The price is right.

Hopefully father (and son?) still get occasional use or decent consideration in having grinding jobs done.
Brian

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Bought some metal from an auction. There’s that plus a whole bunch more