Tools! - Crimpin ain't easy but it is necessary.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Tools! - Crimpin ain't easy but it is necessary.

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Maxwedge posted:

I can keep mine in my car for emergencies

I really don't recommend keeping that in passenger compartment or trunk of a car. If that top or regulator ever gives out or breaks off it will basically turn into a rocket and immedietly fog every window in the car. So even if it doesn't shoot around/through the car and hit you, you won't be able to see where you are going to stop. On top of all of that if you can't get out of the car you could suffocate.

Not likely to happen, but why take the chance by having that thing rolling around in your trunk?

# ¿ Mar 5, 2008 18:28

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:18

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Crazed_Capybara_Rider posted:

OEM brand Infrared Thermometer with LASER POINTER

I don't really know why I bought this but now I know how hot/cold everything is. And it's always fun to play with a laser pointer. It's got some nice range, -31 to +689 F

It was only like 20 bucks too.

Where did you get that for $20? I want one of those bad, the fact that it doesn't actually touch anything makes it twice as useful since you can also use it in the kitchen.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2008 14:29

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

I agree that fluorescents are the best way to go. My garage is probably about 20'x25' and had three bulbs in it when I moved in. I added one 4' dual bulb fluorescent and it is all I ever need. It is still a little dark near the front but I am pretty much never working in the front. And there isn't enough room to hang one above the garage door there, but one light in the back was enough for pretty much any job, and I have a drop light for close up/under car work.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2008 14:03

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

I just got a pneumatic cut off tool at harbor freight for $7. That's so cheap it doesn't even make sense, the loving wheels to go with it were more than the tool.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 22:20

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Splizwarf posted:

Makes sense to me.

I'm sure neither the discs or the tool will last long, but for $7 even if I only get one or two uses out of it I got my moneys worth.

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 22:25

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

I use a saftey razor too, I think my monthly shaving costs are about $0.25

I can't believe people ever went away from these things, disposable razors are a heist.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2011 15:34

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

I need to buy a more powerful impact gun and also need an air drill. I found this guy in my town who rebuilds them, which one do you guys think is the best value? I've used the Blue Point and it was great, and my father in law has a similar snap on, but I have no experience with the Mac.

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/tls/2747365055.html

# ¿ Dec 15, 2011 21:14

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Has anyone used the 800lb transmission jack from Harbor Freight?
http://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-capacity-transmission-jack-3185.html

I did a transmission rebuild this time last year and told myself if I ever did another I'd buy a purpose built jack. Well now I need to do a clutch job on my Jeep and I'm thinking about picking it up with my 20% off coupon. Any horror stories or praises for it?

# ¿ Oct 11, 2012 18:09

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

I like Harbor Freight, and I'm glad it's around because it's fun to buy things you could never otherwise justify. There are a couple of rules you have to follow though, or you will actually end up spending more money in the long run because you'll end up buying the same tool over and over.

Rule the first: Be aware that power tools of any form have a 50%+ chance of immediate and catastrophic failure. I had a pneumatic drill die on its second use the other day, I bought it knowing I wouldn't use it all that often but I was still surprised at how fast that happened. I�m in the market for a MIG welder right now and HF isn't even being considered. I know how that would end, best case scenario I save a few hundred dollars and get a handful of low duty cycle uses out of it only to have it fail within a couple years and I�m right back to where I am now. I�d rather pony up the cash for a Lincoln or Miller and just be done with it.

Rule the second: Be honest with yourself about how much you will use the tool. I have a pipe wrench that costs like $5 from there and it�s shown no sign of fatigue in the few times I've used it. If I were a plumber I�d feel much more confident on the jobsite with a Ridged, but for my needs this is fine. Precision instruments are doubly so. I�d have no problem paying exponentially more for a Fluke multimeter if I were an electrician using it every day, but for a guy who just needs to find a blown fuse a couple times a year why not get the $4 HF special? I am a machinist, and didn't think twice about dumping money into a Mitotoyo micrometer that I use constantly, but I also didn't have a problem getting a stand for it from HF. I guess the point is you don�t need the brand name unless you are giving it the kind of abuse that made that brand name famous for withstanding.

# ¿ Nov 15, 2012 18:56

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

For $150 that would make a nice light-medium duty arc welding table.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2013 02:38

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Have any of you ever added another port to the tank on your air compressor? I need air on the other side of my garage so I'm going to run steel hard lines. Right now the only port is the one coming off the regulator. I'd like to just leave that one as is for running low pressure air tools on that side of the garage, and then have a full port ball valve coming directly off the tank so the lines hard lines will have full volume tank pressure.

I'll probably put a ceiling mounted air reel off of the lines on the way and a regulator on the other end, but for now I just need to figure out a way to get another outlet on the air receptacle. I have a 135 amp mig, but I'm not sure if there is a trick to welding those in a way that they won't explode under high pressure.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 20:46

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

slidebite posted:

Can tee it before the regulator? Welding a pressure vessel is pretty specialized and regulated pretty much everywhere as far as I know.

Not that you're going to have an inspector knocking on your garage door, but if something did happen and it was because of a weld you might have issues.

Yeah it's just threaded brass running to the regulator, but it's only 1/4" which isn't ideal for very long runs. I called the local specialty welders and they said they have done it a bunch, could do it for $75.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 21:20

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

slidebite posted:

$75 is cheap enough so I'd say go for it. Is it possible the bung on the tank for the regulator actually bigger than 1/4 and just reduced? I've seen that before too. The OEMs like to save a few bucks and go to 1/4 hardware.

It's 1/4" right out of the tank. It's just a lovely little 35 gal single stage. I keep wishing the drat thing would die so I can replace it with a real compressor.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 22:05

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

oxbrain posted:

Don't weld your tank and don't run full pressure air in the pipes, both are dangerous and completely unnecessary. 1/4npt will flow way more than enough for what you need. You can use whatever size pipe you want, they don't have to match size.

If you're having issues with flow replace the regulator.

I've run ~140psi line pressure in every shop I've worked in and never encountered a problem. If it's installed correctly it should be perfectly safe, what are your concerns? As for welding the tank, I don't think I would chance it myself, but if I had it professionally welded and pressure tested it should be fine, that is how they are manufactured after all.

IOwnCalculus posted:

Yeah, if you're going to drop $75 to weld it, put that $75 towards one you actually want to keep!

You're probably right, but it still works fine, it's just really noisy and a bit undersized. I have been waiting to run these lines the right way till it died but it just keeps kicking.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2014 01:08

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Rhyno posted:

I really like those bucket bag things.

That's where all my plumbing tools live, I wouldn't trust a can of primer or glue to be stored in a bag. It's really nice to be able to toss wet tools or fittings in there and not worry about them leaking though to the floor. I use a canvas bag for my electrical tools though, climbing ladders with a bulky bucket seems like a terrible idea.

# ¿ May 9, 2014 15:50

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Unless you are putting it under a bench or on a mezzanine or something I think the horizontals are a terrible waste of real estate. If height isn't a restriction you could get a 60 gallon upright for the same price and it would run far less often. I'm in the market for a new compressor now and this is the one I'm looking at:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_54284-1126-VT6362_4294795218__?productId=3370356&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

It's cheap and big enough to run a blast cabinet or whatever I want. I also really like that it has a 3/4" fitting right off the tank so I can run pipe right up to a ceiling mounted hose reel. I'm also thinking about adding a refrigeration dryer inline since piston compressors make so much water, harbor freight has one for $350 after coupon.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2015 16:42

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

While on the topic of Knipex, I need some electronics diagonals for through hole circuit board work. They seem to make like 30 different kinds and they vary greatly in price. Does anyone have a logical breakdown of how these things are codified?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2015 13:02

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 04:18

tonedef131: Sep 3, 2003

Safety Dance posted:

I just broke the cardinal rule of toolbuying and got an 8 gallon Harbor Freight air compressor. This one: http://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-69667.html

It's for my hackerspace, and we wanted to stay around a hundred bucks.

We put oil in it and ran it through the break in (run for 30 minutes with the valves open). Now it looks like the drain valve at the bottom is broken. It won't close. It screws and unscrews, but air just comes out.

I have a warranty on the compressor, but it's a minimum of 1.5 hours driving to and from the nearest Harbor Freight. Is there a cheap drain valve I can order on Amazon that I can pop in there?

e. Looks like yes. Will this work? http://www.amazon.com/PowerMate-Vx-072-0001RP-Drain-Valve/dp/B008JVM5JG/ref=pd_sim_469_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=07HGGDMMQ2WA4XACYYQE

The first thing I do when I get a new compressor is take off the drain cock and throw it away. They are hard to reach and get stuck all the time. I put a brass elbow in place of it with a brass nipple as long as it takes to get to the outside of the tank, then a ball valve. This makes it so easy to drain that you can do it every time you're done using it.

You probably won't want to in a smaller portable one like that, but I made a little pvc manifold that goes through the wall that mine is hooked into so it just shoots outside.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2015 13:37

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Tools! - Crimpin ain't easy but it is necessary.