Tools and Shop Talk - Opinions, Thoughts, Reviews, B.S., etc.

AssBurns

will wheel for beer
Staff member
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
7,959
Age
31
Location
Yucaipa, CA
Swag makes some killer upgrades for that
I was eye balling those earlier. Gonna see how it does without the kit on some 1.75” x .120” DOM tomorrow. If it’s a pain in the ass, I’m gonna buy the upgrade for spacing the rollers out more. Not sure I need the bottle jack upgrade for this since I’ll literally use it maybe once a year.
 

Stairgod

Two bad decisions away from buying a bulldozer
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
2,440
Yeah fuck rolling tube without this kit. Just ordered the kit after 30 minutes of rolling and barely getting anywhere. Gonna borrow my buddies roller to finish this project since this is a fat waste of time and energy haha
Was gonna say tube that size was a bit optimistic but didn't want to shit on your parade
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2019
Messages
249
Age
27
Jealous! Now how did you manage to find room in the garage for that beauty?
Not sure honestly. I rotated that filing cabinet and just happened to fit there. I still have to rotate it to use it which sucks but I got a wheeled stand coming for it.
 

Stairgod

Two bad decisions away from buying a bulldozer
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
2,440
Any lathe nerds in here?
Turning a t case input shaft for a DIY doubler(Ranger t case). Have a weird shoulder that seems harder than the rest of the shaft. About a thou thicker in that area. My Southbend 9" lathe sucks and has some slop in the carriage, but have never run into this before.
20210817_205736.jpg

@FreshSeaBass ??
 
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Stairgod

Two bad decisions away from buying a bulldozer
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
2,440
20210817_191323.jpg

Looks to be right about where the bearing used to sit
 
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
119
Location
dirtyjerz
Any lathe nerds in here?
Turning a t case input shaft for a DIY doubler(Ranger t case). Have a weird shoulder that seems harder than the rest of the shaft. About a thou thicker in that area. My Southbend 9" lathe sucks and has some slop in the carriage, but have never run into this before.
View attachment 50113
no machinist just spitballin. maybe you found out how deep the heat treat tempering went?
 
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
119
Location
dirtyjerz
Anyone have Japanese tools? I'm starting to look into them. Been looking at some Engineer INC. pliers (available direct to US as Vampliers with a bit of a markup) and Koken for some stuff.
https://precisehandtools.com/pliers-screw-removal/
https://kokenusa.com/
Nepros seems great too but i'm more impressed with the koken stuff, way more options even multiple grades and designs of some stuff and i like the website a little better.
Never really see bad quality stuff from Japan if any kind of thought/engineering is involved. Always somewhere between 'as good as it gets' and at least acceptable of the term quality. 'cept maybe nissan past 20 years :p:rofl:
 

kasnerd

Danny's Red Headed Step Child
Joined
Aug 15, 2019
Messages
4,791
https://toolguyd.com/will-sk-hand-tools-be-made-in-usa-or-china/
well i used to be a big fan of SK, not crazy quality but always solid and okayish price and a local place stocked and warrantied them. Guess we'll see how long that lasts.

Fuck SK...bought new stuff a few years ago. Chrome plating was shit, went through 3x sets of brake line wrenches to fine ONE wrench that didn't have missing spots of chrome and rusting.

great-grandfather was an aircraft assembly mechanic. used mac, snap and sk...sk no more, the others are still good. The brand was resurrected a few years ago but its a zombie piece of shit compared to before.

Bought their socket set and the 12mm flared out and is totally soft...missed or bad heat treating before chrome.

Gearwrench if anyone is looking for affordable quality.
 
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Blender

Swiftie
Joined
Oct 4, 2018
Messages
2,772
Location
Chandler, AZ
Anyone have Japanese tools? I'm starting to look into them. Been looking at some Engineer INC. pliers (available direct to US as Vampliers with a bit of a markup) and Koken for some stuff.
https://precisehandtools.com/pliers-screw-removal/
https://kokenusa.com/
Nepros seems great too but i'm more impressed with the koken stuff, way more options even multiple grades and designs of some stuff and i like the website a little better.
Never really see bad quality stuff from Japan if any kind of thought/engineering is involved. Always somewhere between 'as good as it gets' and at least acceptable of the term quality. 'cept maybe nissan past 20 years :p:rofl:

Work sent me a bunch of Engineer brand crimpers. They're the simple type. They all work well, but 26awg wire isn't really much of a test. Only a year old, so no idea on lifespan.
 

Arcticelf

Head BFH Operator at Gray Man Fab
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
1,167
Location
DelCo PA
Fuck SK...bought new stuff a few years ago. Chrome plating was shit, went through 3x sets of brake line wrenches to fine ONE wrench that didn't have missing spots of chrome and rusting.

great-grandfather was a aircraft assembly mechanic. used mac, snap and sk...sk no more, the others are still good. The brand was resurrected a few years ago but its a zombie piece of shit compared to before.

Bought their socket set and the 12mm flared out and is totally soft...missed or bad heat treating before chrome.

Gearwrench if anyone is looking for affordable quality.

I have a couple gear wrench box/open wrenches. So far I'm impressed.
 

AssBurns

will wheel for beer
Staff member
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
7,959
Age
31
Location
Yucaipa, CA
I have a couple gear wrench box/open wrenches. So far I'm impressed.
I got the SK X-Frame wrenches and I’m very happy. I’ve had Gearwrench flex to the point the jaws open up and slip off the nut, but the X-Frames hold up to abuse better for sure.
 
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