What Did You Buy Today?

[PHPaul]

That adds a whole new definition to 'Go BIG or go home!"

I picked up a tiny HF 440# 'winch'. Hopefully going to be able to figure out how to mount it over the mill and lathe with 8.5' ceiling...
Now what do I do with the two 1/2t chain hoists that are sitting in the shed?

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My winch

I mounted mine to barn door track. The track is suspended via all-thread through 2x4's spread across 4 trusses. Not ideal, but plenty for anything that winch will pick up in my experience.

 

[BGHansen]

Recent pick ups from tool sales and eBay.


Crimp tool and ferrules for wiring based on a recommendation off this site. Ferrules slip over multi-strand wire and get crimped. Keeps from having that one loose strand when cramming wire into a hole.



Picked up some thread mills for my Tormach 1100. Should be pretty set at this point, have multiples from a #8 sized up to 3/4".




More Tormach tooling; carbide engravers



Picked up some generic ER20 collets for a tension/compression tapping head.



Picked up 4 Tormach TTS ER32 collet tool holders and a variety of ER32 collets off eBay. I have around 40 ER20 collet tool holders for my Tormach 1100, but had just one ER32 holder. The ER20 only goes up to 1/2", the ER32's go to 3/4".



Picked up more ER20 collets for the Tormach; 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" (those seem to be the "go to" sizes).



Picked up an import 2" boring head for the Tormach. Had a machinable TTS arbor waiting for a project . . .



Some random lengths of ~3 1/2" Delrin.



Measuring tools I'm probably never use . . . Really good deal on some metric gauge blocks that range from 100 mm (~4") to 350 mm (~14")



Just what everyone needs, a 20" long gauge block. Actually, I found this one and the 350 mm one from the set above to be pretty useful for tramming in a vise on the mill. They have a perfect surface for sweeping with a dial test indicator, no bouncing of the needle. Plus, my Tormach as two 6" vises, the long gauge blocks work great for getting the two vises trammed to each other.



Definitely an impulse buy. I have never used a micrometer bigger than 3". My personal preference is the mechanical digital ones (like Fowler's EZ-Read). Couldn't pass up the $100 deal on this Fowler 6" - 12" set off eBay.

 

[C-Bag]

Some more Japanese tools & more Amazon International orders, this time from Germany & the UK.

I love OLFA products. Been looking for one of these for a while, they were discontinued. Not only did I find one, I found more than one & brand new. Model 68B in Japan & CS-2 in other countries. Extruded alumnium handle, double blade. Other blade is a saw. These were replaced by the CS-5 model.

Got me some LBD blades, these have twice the amount off break off sections than normal blades. Looks like these aren't sold in the US. I normally use the LBB black ultra sharp blades.

Also a new cutting mat (my first OLFA) & a 6 pack of the saw blades for cheap. These 2 I got in the US though, locally & on ebay.

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I also love Olfa. I'm not sure what you're cutting but have you ever tried Olfa rotary cutters? I have one of the big ones and a big Olfa mat that I'm due to replace. That will be my third. I found rotary cutters when I was doing a lot of padding for fruit packing equipment. Foam padding with nylon cover bonded to it. If your knife blade was at all old it would make a mess of the cuts. Rotary went through it like a hot knife through butter. Lasts a long time and makes super clean cuts, only use my utility knife for destructive stuff now. Most of what I cut now is heavy leather and the rotary is the only way to go.

 

[darkzero]

I also love Olfa. I'm not sure what you're cutting but have you ever tried Olfa rotary cutters? I have one of the big ones and a big Olfa mat that I'm due to replace. That will be my third. I found rotary cutters when I was doing a lot of padding for fruit packing equipment. Foam padding with nylon cover bonded to it. If your knife blade was at all old it would make a mess of the cuts. Rotary went through it like a hot knife through butter. Lasts a long time and makes super clean cuts, only use my utility knife for destructive stuff now. Most of what I cut now is heavy leather and the rotary is the only way to go.

I do have an Olfa rotary cutter that a customer/friend gave me 15+ yrs ago along with replacement blades. Sadly I don't think I've ever used it, been sitting in my tool box ever since. Technically that would be the first Olfa I ever owned but long before I developed a love for the brand. I should dig it out & give it a try. Thanks

I do have an Olfa circle cutter that uses the circular blades. It works quite well.

 

[C-Bag]

I didn't know they make a circle cutter! You would think it would use a reg blade not a rotary blade. How does it work? Do they carry it like Michaels?

 

[darkzero]

They do make another model that uses a regular style blade but it's not the same size as say a #11 style Xacto blade. My guess is cause of the size of the blade is too long for the cutter. I forget why I choose this one over the other. I do remember the other one costs less.

I'm not sure if they sell it at Michael's or Joann's. Never noticed them but then again I never really looked for them. Was at Joann's a few days ago & didn't see them there. I purchased mine on ebay for less than what the other costs new on Amazon.

It works just like a compass. Adjust the length, center is a pin that you press into the material & spin the unit holding the black knob which rotates. The rotary cutter has a blade guard too to protect it when not in use.

 

[C-Bag]

My problem with reg blades is the added drag. And in a circle cutter that already has both hands tied up I just feel like I need a third hand. As long as I don't ding the rotary blade I can strop them back to life on the backside of the belt on my belt sander. The grit side just rolls the blad over. The hard part to get used to is how incredibly sharp a rotary blade is, they are easily as sharp as an Exacto. I'm going to have to keep that circle cutter in mind. I don't do gasket work anymore so I'm not sure if/when I'd need it but just the cool factor puts it on the radar.

 

[DavidR8]

I had to bump up the value of an Amazon book order to get free next day shipping. Merry Christmas to me!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nogoingback]

Bought some lathe tools and brass bar stock from a machinist selling stuff out of his garage. Got a great deal on
the stuff, but the bonus came when I walked into his shop: he had FOUR old Rivett lathes in there. Three are operational
and one is in the process of restoration. He has tooling and accessories for all of them and uses them regularly. I've seen
pics of them, but never seen one up close. Awesome looking machines. Sorry about no pics, but I didn't feel comfortable
taking pics of his shop. But he was a nice guy and great to talk with. Made my day.

 

[darkzero]

Got me some new/new to me Mitutoyo calipers. The Absolute Coolant Proof models are my favorite ones. When I found out that they updated them (don't like the new ones) I set out to find me the older ones but newer than what I had been using. Found me 2 of them in excellent condition & 1 brand new. Think I got carried away & got too many but these should last me the rest of my years on this planet.




In the pic below, the one on top is the model I have been using. Had 2 of the same exact model, 1 in the shop & 1 in my work room where I used to work on custom flashlights. I just sold one of them. 2 generations older than the ones I just got, used 2 batteries instead of 1 but they were still not battery eaters. The bottom one is the first one I'll be using out of the 3 I got, other 2 will going into storage.

The bottom one has carbide jaws which I had no idea existed & apparently are really expensive new. Also has SPC data output which doesn't matter to me though. And I paid the least for these out of the 3. (I'm happy!)