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I've been collecting tools for 20 years now. I'm one of those guys people consider "handy". Half of that is having more tools than a screwdriver, pliers and a hammer (if my father-in-law is reading this Yes Norm, I mean you!)
Some tools, like a set of sockets are just obligatory. Some tools aren't so obviously useful. Of the ones that are a little more esoteric, here are my favorites.
1. Dremel. Also called a rotary tool. You can cut with it, carve with it, polish with it, or start a fire with it. I've done all 4. It's like a die grinder without the 100 pounds of air compressor.
2. Chain saw. You show me a guy that doesn't either own or want to own a chain saw and I'll show you a guy that whistles show tunes while going to the bathroom. You can cut trees with it, or cut trees with it, or...well you get the idea. Commonly known as "The most dangerous tool known to man."
3. BFH. Not too big like a 12 pound sledge, not too small like a big framing hammer...more like a 2 pound "engineer's hammer". What kinda engineer uses one of these? Either a civil engineer, or the kind that drives a train I guess. Useful for anything from busting out concrete to banging on the end of a cheater bar...which brings us to.
4. Big cheater bar. Personally I keep a 4 foot piece of heavy wall 2" steel pipe around. Works great when slid over the end of a 1/2" ratchet. Shirley Temple could've taken the lug nuts off of Big Foot if she had my cheater bar.
5. Torch. Propane good. MIP better. Oxygen Acetylene best. Personally I have all 3. You can solder pipe. You can heat up a stuck bolt. You can melt off undercoating. You can light the pilot on your water heater (I wouldn't recommend the Oxygen Acetylene for that one though). Mr. T likes to weld with a cutting torch. That's not really relevant to this post, but I always find it humorous when I watch the A-Team.
6. Sawzall. If you buy an old house, a sawzall ought to come with it. Can be used to cut wood, metal, or flesh. I've used it for all 3, and have the scars and the emergency room chart to prove it.
7. Curved Pry Bar/Nail Puller. Excellent tool for the application of force to anything from an 80 year old barn nail to a crank shaft sprocket. Mines about 14 inches long, and has 2 business ends and a secondary nail puller hole.
8. Spray paint. Not exactly a tool, but extremely useful for everything from laying out the corners of landscaping to touching up your gas grill. I bet I've got 75 cans of spray paint. Everything from etching primer to liquid chrome and everything in between. Any job I do on anything eventually uses spray paint and -
9. PB Blaster. As recommended by VMF. This stuff makes WD-40 look like water. Amazing as a penetrating oil to remove rusted fasteners. Maybe even better as a lubricant. Tip of the day...those of you with pneumatic tools that occasionally use a sand paper roll on a rubber mandrel...next time lube the mandrel up with PB Blaster before you try to put the cartridge roll on. I now enjoy changing rolls. Before it was almost impossible!
10. Drop Light. A good drop light is indispensable as a light and as an extension cord. If you don't have one get one. If you do have one get a better one. I like the florescent ones, because they don't burn you when the fall off whatever you have them hooked to and land on your forehead. No, I don't have any scars to prove that one because my drop light is florescent.
Someone posted the other day. "Tools are like a woman, you should always get the best one you can."
Amen brother.
Phil
'65 Convertible (with many mods.)
http://www.blueriver.net/~finite/Pony.htm
Some tools, like a set of sockets are just obligatory. Some tools aren't so obviously useful. Of the ones that are a little more esoteric, here are my favorites.
1. Dremel. Also called a rotary tool. You can cut with it, carve with it, polish with it, or start a fire with it. I've done all 4. It's like a die grinder without the 100 pounds of air compressor.
2. Chain saw. You show me a guy that doesn't either own or want to own a chain saw and I'll show you a guy that whistles show tunes while going to the bathroom. You can cut trees with it, or cut trees with it, or...well you get the idea. Commonly known as "The most dangerous tool known to man."
3. BFH. Not too big like a 12 pound sledge, not too small like a big framing hammer...more like a 2 pound "engineer's hammer". What kinda engineer uses one of these? Either a civil engineer, or the kind that drives a train I guess. Useful for anything from busting out concrete to banging on the end of a cheater bar...which brings us to.
4. Big cheater bar. Personally I keep a 4 foot piece of heavy wall 2" steel pipe around. Works great when slid over the end of a 1/2" ratchet. Shirley Temple could've taken the lug nuts off of Big Foot if she had my cheater bar.
5. Torch. Propane good. MIP better. Oxygen Acetylene best. Personally I have all 3. You can solder pipe. You can heat up a stuck bolt. You can melt off undercoating. You can light the pilot on your water heater (I wouldn't recommend the Oxygen Acetylene for that one though). Mr. T likes to weld with a cutting torch. That's not really relevant to this post, but I always find it humorous when I watch the A-Team.
6. Sawzall. If you buy an old house, a sawzall ought to come with it. Can be used to cut wood, metal, or flesh. I've used it for all 3, and have the scars and the emergency room chart to prove it.
7. Curved Pry Bar/Nail Puller. Excellent tool for the application of force to anything from an 80 year old barn nail to a crank shaft sprocket. Mines about 14 inches long, and has 2 business ends and a secondary nail puller hole.
8. Spray paint. Not exactly a tool, but extremely useful for everything from laying out the corners of landscaping to touching up your gas grill. I bet I've got 75 cans of spray paint. Everything from etching primer to liquid chrome and everything in between. Any job I do on anything eventually uses spray paint and -
9. PB Blaster. As recommended by VMF. This stuff makes WD-40 look like water. Amazing as a penetrating oil to remove rusted fasteners. Maybe even better as a lubricant. Tip of the day...those of you with pneumatic tools that occasionally use a sand paper roll on a rubber mandrel...next time lube the mandrel up with PB Blaster before you try to put the cartridge roll on. I now enjoy changing rolls. Before it was almost impossible!
10. Drop Light. A good drop light is indispensable as a light and as an extension cord. If you don't have one get one. If you do have one get a better one. I like the florescent ones, because they don't burn you when the fall off whatever you have them hooked to and land on your forehead. No, I don't have any scars to prove that one because my drop light is florescent.
Someone posted the other day. "Tools are like a woman, you should always get the best one you can."
Amen brother.
Phil
'65 Convertible (with many mods.)
http://www.blueriver.net/~finite/Pony.htm
