Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Jack Guzman from Maine

One of my most used tools is a common folding razor knife. I carry it on me always. I started using one back when I was doing carpentry full time. Now all the work I do is in my shop building chairs and repairing furniture. I find myself using the knife many times throughout my work day.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Pete in Holland MI

I have a set of transfer punches too, and use them frequently. They don't have to be an expensive set. They can be had for $20 or so.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

I have those transfer punches as well, Lance.

It's the marking tools that we cannot do without. They are the way we find precision.

I cannot do without blue tape (so many uses), this Stanley knife for striking lines and transferring dovetails (I sharpen the blade freehand on a diamond stone) ...

... and a cutting gauge (I especially like the wheel gauges for their fine lines) ... transfer lines rather than measure them ...

Lastly, a small double square ... great for checking square and as a depth gauge ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Barry Irby

I have a General 142 dial caliper and use it frequently. It reads out in hundredths and 64ths. It's not a "fine" device by any stretch, but I use it a lot with no fear of damaging it. I can replace it for about $20.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

ebd

For me, a tilt box is essential for precision set up of table saw, band saw, jointer, and drill press.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

jessecloud

Always have a very unglamorous 6 six steel rule in my shop apron pocket, most widely useful tool I own.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Buckaroo

Derek, what does/is RossMoyne & WA 6148.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

William Duffield

1) 4" double square with a 4R rule. I like the squares built be PEC. Their 6" 4R double square is almost as useful, but a little less convenient.

2) P500 Pentel Pilot gel pen, black. I buy these by the dozen.

3) Stanley #62 24" fully brass bound boxwood 4-fold rule. I particularly like the architectural scales included on this one.

4) Mini Cree LED Flashlight, in machined aluminum with 1 AA cell. I usually buy these in 5-packs, either black or desert camo, and give them away to anyone who needs to see better. Current batch is labeled Mikafin, but the Chinese brand name is not important.

These are all so useful that I always carry them in my pocket, whether I'm in the shop or out.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Where did you see that, Buckaroo?

Regards from Perth

Derek

question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Where have you used transfer punches?

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Buckaroo

On the screen, looking fer you in that country.

Many decades ago/past I considered going/living in your country,

SO WHAT IS IT, RODE,STREET,VILLAGE/????

plum tickled u answered/??? me.

answer.....

roger lance

Anywhere precision was desired.....like this lamp stand that I was making when I made my post. It's in two parts with the bottom section about 2" in thickness.....the screws pass through it into the top section. The screw holes are too narrow and long for a pencil......and a 16p nail might not do.....but, the proper size transfer punch was perfect.

More later........

Re: question

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Use them to centre screw holes in hinges. Or find the centre of any hole, and at depth.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: answer.....

roger lance

Like Arnold.....my bodybuilding days are behind me. This project did allow for the use of a weight though.....

Floor mat in fornt of bench...

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

.....and especially under vise. The 3rd most important reason is comfortable to stand on. First is drawer fronts falling out of vise are not dented on their corners, and 2nd, tools that drop edge first (always) just bounce off the mat.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

Jim Dillon

Roger, here, hopefully, is a pic of my "secret weapon" - a deck of playing cards. I use them for shims as well as under the backside of a chisel when cleaving the end of dowels used to reinforce cabinet door joints to protect the underlying wood.. They also serve to align cabinet doors during the fitting process to mark mortises for hinges. The cards also work well to fine-tune adjustments when using the TS sled for repetitive cut-offs, finger-joints etc. Many other uses, but my aging mind can't recall them right now . Thanks for posting a very interesting question. Jim

Re: question

James

Mostly what I've seen them used for was to mark where to drill the holes for mounting motors and machines. Since their sized in 64ths you can get just the right size to fit in the mounting hole and all your holes would be centered and you wouldn't have to drill oversized holes to get your mounting bolts to go in.

I bought a set from Harbor Freight, and being an innovative person cause I don't know how to do it right in the first place, I've found so many other uses for them. Setting up jigs and fences I used them as spacers. That is a good one.

One time I used the 3/8" to wrap a rod around tight and then used processively larger ones between the coils to separate the coils just right. Worked beautiful!

Get yourself a set, Bill. You might be amazed at what you'll use them for.

Re: Unglamorous.....but, almost essential.....

James

I'll have to mention …. double sided tape!

Did a demo at the wood club on many uses of it once.

adding to the shim list.....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I save motel key cards for this task and keep an envelop of strips of various thickness plastic sheet, for example from bubble packs.

That is a good one...

1-2-3 block

CJ in MPLS

Spacer, square, stop block, assembly aid, etc.

Re: 1-2-3 block

William Duffield

Although 1-2-3 blocks are not at the top of my utility list, I also find them very useful, especially in a matched pair, with a set of setup blocks.

Re: 1-2-3 block

CJ in MPLS

Today I was shooting very small drawer sides. As I was bringing the 'wild' edge into parallel relation with the reference edge and the dimension of the piece down to fit the drawer pocket, I used the 1-2-3 block to keep the draw side square to the fence. My fingers hurt, but it worked.

Question

ebd

A google search yeilded these costing a few to many hundreds of dollars. Harbor Freight sells a set for $11. Are the HF ones useless?