-
Welcome back Guest! Did you know you can mentor other members here at H-M? If not, please check out our Relaunch of Hobby Machinist Mentoring Program!
What Did You Buy Today?
- Thread starter darkzero
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Messages
- 6,832
Hey now, that's not Amazon packing material... so, you gonna tell us where to find that crazy deal?
Edit: Okay, looks like All Industrial with a coupon... not bad! I'm in!
That' s the place. Use Subscribe10 for 10% off.
it's always nice to have several holder in arms reach
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2022
- Messages
- 498
I bought a mill! It’s an Astra L4 (I think, maybe L2). Astra seems to be the UK branded CST. I really couldn’t find much about it on the internet, but at the price I paid it has to be worth it. It’s a horizontal and vertical mill. Seems to have had an easy life and came with a bunch of tooling. It’s being delivered on Monday. I’ll probably make a thread about it so at least there’ll be some info for anyone who may Google about this model in the future.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2021
- Messages
- 716
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2020
- Messages
- 542
Wiss scissors. It all started at a garage sale I purchased the top pair for $2, thinking I got a great deal. The remorse set in later at home as I tried to adjust the tension, I couldn't get it right ( I think the hinge bolt may be missing a washer or something) I any case they won't cut well over the length of the blade. So I decided I would purchase new, very happy with my purchase, they work great.. maybe just a tad large ... a person can always use two pair one for the office one for the shop... so purchased the the bottom pair and they are awesome. Moral of the story always check out your $2 garage sale items carefully mine cost me $120 
. Later today I will post the top ones for free in the buy and sell area you just have to pay postage.
. Later today I will post the top ones for free in the buy and sell area you just have to pay postage.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,415
Just for fun, I looked for Wiss scissors on Amazon. They all seem to be under or near $40 a pair. If you spent $120 on two pair, I think you may have paid too much.
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
- Messages
- 2,632
I've been really delinquent on posting tools for the day. Probably missed a few but these are over the last several months.
Couple of rolls of sandpaper off eBay for around $10 a roll
A bunch of 1/4" carbide end mill with radiused corners. I've got a job on the Tormach that is pretty rough on end mills, my poor programming of the tool path. Instead of spiraling the cutter (I think the term is adaptive cutting) while travelling around the blank, it's programmed to just plow on through. The program really does a job on the corners of the end mill. I've heard really good things about corner radius end mills, will give these a try. Of course, modifying the program would be a smarter move, on my "list of good intentions".
Click-bait TOTAL FAIL! I've got an upcoming project to organize my combo wrenches which will require cutting a bunch of 10-24 & 1/4-20 threaded rod to length. I saw a video for this chamfer tool, but my results weren't even close to the video. It's supposed to work like a pencil sharpener on rod/cut-off bolt stock. Nope, doesn't even make a chip. The problem is there's no back-relief on them. They work as well as grinding a drill bit with no relief. I guess they "work" if all you want to do is heat up the end of a rod. Total waste of money; inserted directly into the trash. I like the concept, might end up being a POTD to made something using some carbide inserts. At least it was only around $5.
Problem is the cutting edge is not proud of the meat of the tool.
My hope was to either bandsaw or bolt-cut threaded rod and clean up the ends. No go with this POC.
M12 1/2" drill. I have a few 3/8" drive but no 1/2", tired of dragging a cord. Got it for around $65 off eBay.
Frivolous eBay purchase of a bunch of 10-24 thread-forming taps. The lot was $0.99 plus $9 shipping. I've had pretty good luck with thread-forming taps, but probably won't wear these out in my lifetime.
A number of my project involve cutting 16, 18 or 20 gauge sheet metal. I like having at least 1 1/2 teeth in contact with the work to keep from hammering the blade. I have some 1/4" 32 tpi stock, but usually have a 1/2" blade on my DoAll band saw. Picked up about 90' of 1/2" 32 tpi stock so I can swap to a really fine blade without having to change the saw's blade guides. Somewhere around $30 off eBay or ~$4 per 10' blade.
I've got a Harbor Freight 7x12 horizontal band saw which takes 3/4" x 93" blades. Found a coil 100' coil of 3/4" 14-tpi stock off eBay for $30 including shipping. Should be a lifetime supply. I'd prefer bi-metal, but this roll will make up 12 blades for less than the cost of 1 ready-made blade.
My DoAll's blade welder can go up to 1" though the widest I'd welded was 1/2". The only adjustment is current (?) through a pot. I usually "develop" the weld by starting with 2" pieces of blade stock, just easier to handle.
I don't know what's proper for blade position when welding blades. My preference is to put the teeth against the stop instead of the back of the blade. Doing it this way keeps my fingers off the teeth when pushing the blade up to the stops. I pull the weld lever to do the heavy work, then hit the anneal button several times to anneal the blade. Remove the blade, dress it on the blade grinder, then re-anneal (annealing below).
I figure if the blade weld doesn't snap when coiled into a "three-sie", it'll hold fine on the larger diameter wheels. No issues on the DoAll welding 3/4" wide stock.
Thanks for looking, Bruce
Couple of rolls of sandpaper off eBay for around $10 a roll
A bunch of 1/4" carbide end mill with radiused corners. I've got a job on the Tormach that is pretty rough on end mills, my poor programming of the tool path. Instead of spiraling the cutter (I think the term is adaptive cutting) while travelling around the blank, it's programmed to just plow on through. The program really does a job on the corners of the end mill. I've heard really good things about corner radius end mills, will give these a try. Of course, modifying the program would be a smarter move, on my "list of good intentions".
Click-bait TOTAL FAIL! I've got an upcoming project to organize my combo wrenches which will require cutting a bunch of 10-24 & 1/4-20 threaded rod to length. I saw a video for this chamfer tool, but my results weren't even close to the video. It's supposed to work like a pencil sharpener on rod/cut-off bolt stock. Nope, doesn't even make a chip. The problem is there's no back-relief on them. They work as well as grinding a drill bit with no relief. I guess they "work" if all you want to do is heat up the end of a rod. Total waste of money; inserted directly into the trash. I like the concept, might end up being a POTD to made something using some carbide inserts. At least it was only around $5.
Problem is the cutting edge is not proud of the meat of the tool.
My hope was to either bandsaw or bolt-cut threaded rod and clean up the ends. No go with this POC.
M12 1/2" drill. I have a few 3/8" drive but no 1/2", tired of dragging a cord. Got it for around $65 off eBay.
Frivolous eBay purchase of a bunch of 10-24 thread-forming taps. The lot was $0.99 plus $9 shipping. I've had pretty good luck with thread-forming taps, but probably won't wear these out in my lifetime.
A number of my project involve cutting 16, 18 or 20 gauge sheet metal. I like having at least 1 1/2 teeth in contact with the work to keep from hammering the blade. I have some 1/4" 32 tpi stock, but usually have a 1/2" blade on my DoAll band saw. Picked up about 90' of 1/2" 32 tpi stock so I can swap to a really fine blade without having to change the saw's blade guides. Somewhere around $30 off eBay or ~$4 per 10' blade.
I've got a Harbor Freight 7x12 horizontal band saw which takes 3/4" x 93" blades. Found a coil 100' coil of 3/4" 14-tpi stock off eBay for $30 including shipping. Should be a lifetime supply. I'd prefer bi-metal, but this roll will make up 12 blades for less than the cost of 1 ready-made blade.
My DoAll's blade welder can go up to 1" though the widest I'd welded was 1/2". The only adjustment is current (?) through a pot. I usually "develop" the weld by starting with 2" pieces of blade stock, just easier to handle.
I don't know what's proper for blade position when welding blades. My preference is to put the teeth against the stop instead of the back of the blade. Doing it this way keeps my fingers off the teeth when pushing the blade up to the stops. I pull the weld lever to do the heavy work, then hit the anneal button several times to anneal the blade. Remove the blade, dress it on the blade grinder, then re-anneal (annealing below).
I figure if the blade weld doesn't snap when coiled into a "three-sie", it'll hold fine on the larger diameter wheels. No issues on the DoAll welding 3/4" wide stock.
Thanks for looking, Bruce
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2015
- Messages
- 4,169
I keep looking for a USA made 20-Tons hydraulic press at a decent price but so far nothing available locally…
This one (Harbor Freight) showed up two days ago and the owner agreed to hold it for me until today…
Also got a bunch of open combo wrenches and one end open wrenches…
When I got there he had the press with three hydraulic bottles… two air driven (12 and 20-Tons) and the stock 20-Tons manual bottle…
200.00 for all. Not a smoking you-suck deal, but a fair one….
A bunch of larger wrenches…
China wrenches, largest one is 2”
USA
German (well, one in this group is from Japan)
He had a few other stuff for sale… I might need to go back…
This one (Harbor Freight) showed up two days ago and the owner agreed to hold it for me until today…
Also got a bunch of open combo wrenches and one end open wrenches…
When I got there he had the press with three hydraulic bottles… two air driven (12 and 20-Tons) and the stock 20-Tons manual bottle…
200.00 for all. Not a smoking you-suck deal, but a fair one….
A bunch of larger wrenches…
China wrenches, largest one is 2”
USA
German (well, one in this group is from Japan)
He had a few other stuff for sale… I might need to go back…
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2013
- Messages
- 4,394
This is what 200lb of steel and cast iron looks like 
And this is what $200 of shopping looks like
Pizza was yummy though!
And this is what $200 of shopping looks like
Pizza was yummy though!