OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Collectables Spanners Wenches and Manuals

I clean my quality tools with a rag before I put them away. I have a tool cleaning spray I got from Bunnings years ago made by the WD40 company. It has an interesting smell.

I usually give my tools a clean every 10 years or so, but maybe that is stretching the truth a bit.

Doesn't the grit wear away the faces of the tool where it grips? That's my main reason I clean them after each use. There is supposed to be a thin layer of hard steel before it becomes prone to wear.

Never noticed MF and I guess it is a bit late for me to find out and if something I have wears out I know it has well and truly earned its keep because all my tools get a good workout. Not many tools I have bought over the years have not paid for themselves many times over. Some tools I have bought over the years for one particular job but I always figure the cost of the tool against what money I can save by having that tool.

You could sell those Metrinch metal tools for at least the nominal price you paid for them -they look new including the packaging. Do they get much use??
Where did you buy them?

Just makes sense to cleanup you tools instead having to reach into a tool box full dirty grease. Unless you like reaching to used oil pans noodling (hand fishing) for tools.

I agree AVB, I heave plenty of chances to get my hands dirty after grabbing the tools.

If my tools get dumped in oil they get cleaned but I try to avoid that happening

The set I have were bought for me by my brother-in-law when he worked for an Adelaide Distributorship called "A.E.Bakers", which no longer exist.

Yes they have had minimal use as they are a last port of call tool for when my Sidchrome, Metric, AF, BSW, BS, or W stuff didn't do the job.

These stay in the lower drawer of my Roller Cabinet, but mentioned all of my tools are looked after much the same, even my hammers lead a very sheltered life.

Cheers,
BB.

I bought mine as primary tools. Funny enough, when I went to undo some tiny nuts off a speaker, non of the Metrinch 14"dr sockets would do it. It took an AF from my el cheapo $8.00 1/4/3/8 combination set to do it.
Another time the Metrinch let me down again with a badly rounded 3/8 bolt on a Victa. It took one of my rarely used Super Wrench set to undo it successfully. You remember that topic don't you?

Very last choice spanner ?????...................... a set of vice grips.

Don't know about that as I find them used all over the place. It seems to be whenever the one trying to do repairs don't have the right they reach for the vise grips. I have replaced no telling how many screws on account of this.

Here I do take good care of my tools as they are my living. I however do break some every so often as they do eventually wear out.

They have gotten me out of trouble many many times -oh BTW my dad found my first vice grips on the road about 30 years ago and I still have them.
They do a number on screw heads though, that's for sure. You usually can't use them again after turning to the VG.
Here's some more of my metal tools. The offset ring spanners I bought at Aldi for $10 (made in India) and the 1/4 dr metric socket and bit set $24.00 at Aldi. Very well made Taiwan made set. Both reside in the boot of my car.

When I refer to using a set of Vice Grips as a last resort, I must stress whatever fastener I use it on is already buggered by a previous operator and is going to be replaced after it is finally removed.

I always find myself using VG's on stuff that others have butchered previously.

Cheers,
BB.

PS. MF, I'm a Sidchrome / Snap-On kinda guy.

BB, That what all us good techs prefer to do I would think. Here they see more use than they need to be, but those DIYers keep using the wrong tools. Even when they use they just don't know how shock screw to loosen it, so they just mess it up, especially the cross point screws. The tool here that cops the most wear and damage is my brass hammer, but it is meant to get damaged.

I reckon after 30 yrs I should buy some new vise grips.

Hi AVB,

I can't remember the last time I used a steel headed hammer. I'm either using a Copper faced or plastic assembly hammer for most things as there's no damage done to the product and the hammer faces are easily replaceable as that's what they are designed to have done.

Cheers,
BB.

Most of my problems are getting things a part with out damage which why the 2 lb brass hammer gets a workout. I do consider the hammer expendable.

Once I get things a part enough then its the other pullers and presses that get used. I didn't think the 12 ton press would get that much use but it does. My biggest there is having the right anvils for the press. Most are shop made ones due the type work I need to do.

Same here AVB when I bought my 12 ton press many years ago, I thought I was only going to use it for pressing apart and pressing crankshafts back together but it gets very regular use and I couldn't operate without it these days

A press is a must nowadays. Gathering all the toys that go with a press which takes time to gather is the hard part. I've got a bucket full of pipe off cuts that continue to get me out of the proverbial along with many press plates from various Servex Presses that I've had association with over the years.

Cheers,
BB.

BB, For me it seems that I never have a particular arbor I need. Unlike you I don't yet have a bucket of pipe off cuts, all I got is the press and the two press plates that came with. Everything else is shop made as almost everything around here is automotive related and not easily converted to a small engine shop needs or at least not for my needs.

Now of course I do use a lot my deep well impact sockets for the smaller stuff but there still bearings that are more picky. I usually use an old bearing that is lightly ground so it doesn't stick while pressing in a new bearing if I having to press the outer bearing part in place. Now I have one that I had made for changing idler pulley standoff bushings as have fewer different idlers just they have different standoffs.

But I agree it does takes time to find the right one even when you got them stored one particular place. I got one tool cabinet dedicated just for this which makes it a little easier.

I am thinking about a metal lathe as I am getting to be a pest for the local machinist on some my projects. Besides I kinda want to keep some my designs secret from the local competing shops.