What Did You Buy Today?

[pontiac428]

I am amazed of how small and lightweight the new welders are...

Microprocessor-controlled high-amperage solid-state transistors are a freaking miracle-of-technology!

Hmm, too many hyphens.

 

[682bear]

We (my wife, youngest daughter, and I) are in Hendersonville, NC today and tomorrow. We went to the Fall Harvest Days festival at the Western NC Agriculture Center this afternoon. The festival includes a farm equipment and stationary engine show, tractor pull, and swap meet...

I spent most of the afternoon browsing through the various vendors' booths... I didn't buy much... but I did find an old Mitutoyo test indicator...



It needs cleaning, but works well...

We will be back there tomorrow morning to browse some more and see the tractor pull before starting on the 5 hour drive back home...

-Bear

 

[Papa Charlie]

Is it that simple? I was reluctant to raise the tracks thinking I had to change and move the spring... if it is just getting the larger radius track... I will do that as well!!

Here is a photo where you can see how low the tracks are...

View attachment 423348

That is all it took on my garage. May need a different bracket for the radius. Give you garage dealer a call and talk to them. But unless something has changed dramatically in the last15 years about garage door track, that should do it.

 

[Gnpenning]

Is it that simple? I was reluctant to raise the tracks thinking I had to change and move the spring... if it is just getting the larger radius track... I will do that as well!!

Here is a photo where you can see how low the tracks are...

View attachment 423348

Technically you should use high lift drums which require longer cables and different springs do to the increased height you are lifting the door and holding more of the weight of the door when opened.

How often and how you use the door will dictate what corners you can cut and the level it will effect you.

Agreed, check with your local door company.

 

[erikmannie]

I am being paid $700 labor for an easy machining job which will take me about 20 hours (making 8 quantity SS brackets for a fence). I spent *almost all* of the money on an order from Aloris:

1 of these:

Turning and Facing Holder CXA-1

www.aloris.com

2 of these:

Boring Bar Holder CXA-100

www.aloris.com

1 of these:

SGIH 26-4C-CX7 CUT-OFF BLADE

SGIH 26-4C-CX7 CUT-OFF BLADE

www.aloris.com

20 of these (which go into parting/grooving blade above):

GT Style Aloris Wedge-Grip Carbide Cut-Off Insert GTN-4P-A6

and 10 of these (which go in an Aloris boring bar):

Carbide Inserts for Mini Swivel-Cartridge Tool Holder ATPG-642-A6*

www.aloris.com

With this order (which was 20% off as is usually the case on Aloris’ website), I *have to be done buying tools*! I need to switch gears & transition to retirement (and hopefully not Worker’s Comp) from my day job, starting with paying off a whopping $40K in consumer debt (100% of which was for quality tools & equipment). You can’t retire when you have that on your shoulders!

 

[pontiac428]

Today, after months of searching and sleeping badly on the lumps in my cash-stuffed mattress, I pulled the good trigger on a Miller Dynasty 280 DX TIG machine to replace my venerable yet basic late '70s Miller Dialarc HF.

Well, shoot. The seller is waffling on me over his listing- he thinks since I got a second chance offer on an auction, that he can keep the dang water cooler because he didn't get his asking price on the live auction. Rules are rules, man! This makes the THIRD deal I've paid in full for, and the seller weaseled out. So in another 24 hours, I'll be back on my search if he doesn't see the light.

eBay, Craigslist, you get what you pay for...

There is a solid Dynasty 350 up quasi-locally that hasn't sold in the last two months. Maybe I'll go kick the tires on that one. I had enough money set aside before the pandemic, inflation, insert-crisis-name-here crisis event, now I need DOUBLE that to buy new from Miller. Hey, my money was worth something when I made it, why isn't it now?

 

[Larry42]

my money was worth something when I made it, why isn't it now?

I'd comment on why but it's not permitted on this site. Lets just say some other institution has been spending your $!

a whopping $40K in consumer debt

Ouch! With the direction interest rates are going, the pain is likely to get much greater.

 

[pontiac428]

starting with paying off a whopping $40K in consumer debt (100% of which was for quality tools & equipment).

Erik, as much as I don't want to admit it, by front loading your machine purchases on credit you may have come out ahead, because you bought a lot at the old prices instead of saving, waiting, and paying today's prices. Who would have thunk it?

 

[erikmannie]

Erik, as much as I don't want to admit it, by front loading your machine purchases on credit you may have come out ahead, because you bought a lot at the old prices instead of saving, waiting, and paying today's prices. Who would have thunk it?

It is funny that you should mention this because, after I read about your Miller Dynasty search, I looked at how much a new Dynasty 210DX costs nowadays.

I am aware of the “finance about half the cost of equipment just before inflation kicks in”, but I can’t take credit for it because it was dumb luck.

Now I have to figure out a way to be *austere* even though I have been impulsive ever since my “scrimp & save” best friend got killed in a car accident when he was 19 years old. The lesson I took from that is to “get while the getting is good”. Maybe that was wrong, but I have thought about it a lot & I always come to the same conclusion.

 

[pontiac428]

You and I have that in common, my best friend died at 25. I get it, you can't always count on getting enough tomorrows. He was famously tight with his money, and I had no problem enabling him by giving him the keys to my cargo container shop and tools.

On a better note, the stuff we invest in should run and last the rest of our days and then some. I find solace in that!