What is your favourite “unusual tool that you find useful” ?

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What is your favourite “unusual tool that you find useful” ?

Home Forums Workshop Tools and Tooling What is your favourite “unusual tool that you find useful” ?

  • This topic has 29 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 6 June 2021 at 12:47 by Robert Atkinson 2.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 30 total)
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  • #548224
    John Smith 47
    Participant
      @johnsmith47

      Hi All

      OK, I'll go first.

      He is my favourite "unusual tool that I find useful":

      It is a binocular dissection microscope, in case any of you were wondering.

      USE:
      It's a simple but amazingly powerful bit of kit that I originally got second hand. We used them a lot at university. In truth I now only use it rather occasionally, as I've started using "Clip On Flip Up Magnifying Reading Glasses" which make you look a bit nuts but are super-useful.  I tend to use "+1.0" or "+2.0"…

      …But when you need to see what's REALLY going on when you are working at a small scale – e.g. when you need to do some precision fettling, or what's happening to the blade of your knife, or checking something for micro-cracks, or even remove a pesky splinter from your finger…. nothing else comes close!

      Being binocular, everything really 'pops' into 3D and you can work for long periods of time if required…

      J

      PS In an age of digital everything, it's a refreshing change to use something that is 100% NON-digital! Lovely bit of kit.

      Edited By John Smith 47 on 04/06/2021 00:39:36

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      #20320
      John Smith 47
      Participant
        @johnsmith47
        #548232
        Luker
        Participant
          @luker

          Looking forward to this thread!

          Here's mine: Its a V-block set that can be used as an angle as well…

          angle and v-block.jpg

          #548242
          James Alford
          Participant
            @jamesalford67616

            Old bicycle spokes. It is amazing how often I seem to use one for "something".

            James.

            #548245
            Ady1
            Participant
              @ady1

              A steel safe

              When I bought the house the owner said do you want it

              I said yes. Then thought what a dummy I was to do that.

              Now it's an anvil, a welding bench, has a big 5 inch multi-angle vice attached to it and the front door frame is a 2 ton hydraulic press frame

              #548248
              John Smith 47
              Participant
                @johnsmith47

                Ady1 – that's crying out for a photo!

                #548252
                Chris Bradbury
                Participant
                  @chrisbradbury76252

                  A small Swiss Army penknife that is on my keyring. I use it everyday from letter opening to peeling fruit. It has a pair of tweezers that are brilliant for splinter removal.

                  #548262
                  Steve Skelton 1
                  Participant
                    @steveskelton1

                    Leatherman Crunch – the ones with "Mole" type locking on the plier jaws. Has got me out of trouble on numerous occasions.

                    #548267
                    old mart
                    Participant
                      @oldmart

                      In the workshop. I have a magnet on a 2 foot long handle, and a smaller one on a telescopic handle.

                      #548284
                      Ady1
                      Participant
                        @ady1

                        When it was clean and new

                        It is no longer clean and new…

                        dscf3109.jpg

                        Edited By Ady1 on 04/06/2021 13:26:05

                        #548306
                        Bo’sun
                        Participant
                          @bosun58570
                          Posted by James Alford on 04/06/2021 09:12:14:

                          Old bicycle spokes. It is amazing how often I seem to use one for "something".

                          James.

                          I agree James, especially the stainless steel ones. Just be aware that some are "double butted" with 2mm dia. ends and a thinner, around 1.8mm, centre section. I kept some non-stainless ones years ago and they just went stupidly rusty.

                          #548311
                          old mart
                          Participant
                            @oldmart

                            The DT Swiss stainless bike spokes are stronger and harder than the stainless spokes from the 50's and 60's, but not so hard that they won't run through a thread rolling tool if their length needs adjusting. I have a stock of them which gets raided for little jobs occasionally.

                            Do you have a key for your safe, Ady?

                            Edited By old mart on 04/06/2021 16:14:58

                            #548315
                            Robert Atkinson 2
                            Participant
                              @robertatkinson2

                              Ice Hockey pucks. They are useful as:

                              Bench blocks -Easily cut or drilled to hold small parts while fling or drilling – non marking
                              Hand "mallet" for tapping items into position
                              Jacking pad under trolley jack – stops marking and is anti-slip.
                              backing when center-popping / drilling / shaping thin material
                              Vibration damper eg when milling etc

                              Cheap enough to be disposable.

                              Robert G8RPI.

                              #548316
                              larry phelan 1
                              Participant
                                @larryphelan1

                                I dinna know a Scotsman to refuse anything, and rightly so !

                                #548317
                                SillyOldDuffer
                                Moderator
                                  @sillyoldduffer

                                  dsc06457.jpg

                                  #548318
                                  Ady1
                                  Participant
                                    @ady1
                                    Posted by old mart on 04/06/2021 16:13:53:

                                    Do you have a key for your safe, Ady?

                                    Around somewhere upstairs

                                    You could actually cut into the back in about 5 minutes flat with an angle grinder

                                    Its a legal safe and they are mainly used as a fire/catastrophic event protection box, the front area frame is 1-2 inches of steel but the rest of the box is pretty weedy 2-5 mm plate, the bottom is probably somewhere inbetween

                                    Weighs about 200+kgs, if it was a proper one it would be nearer half a ton

                                    #548320
                                    Nick Wheeler
                                    Participant
                                      @nickwheeler
                                      Posted by Robert Atkinson 2 on 04/06/2021 17:04:57:

                                      Ice Hockey pucks. They are useful as:

                                      Bench blocks -Easily cut or drilled to hold small parts while fling or drilling – non marking
                                      Hand "mallet" for tapping items into position
                                      Jacking pad under trolley jack – stops marking and is anti-slip.
                                      backing when center-popping / drilling / shaping thin material
                                      Vibration damper eg when milling etc

                                      Cheap enough to be disposable.

                                      Robert G8RPI.

                                      And a pair of them screwed to a chunk of motorcycle tyre make a good bell silencer:

                                      Silencer.jpg

                                      you can just see the cross cut in the bottom that fits over the ball of the clapper. The whole thing is then rotated to silence the bell when needed. Works well on small bells!

                                      #548336
                                      old mart
                                      Participant
                                        @oldmart
                                        Posted by old mart on 04/06/2021 11:52:21:

                                        In the workshop. I have a magnet on a 2 foot long handle, and a smaller one on a telescopic handle.

                                        Iforgot to add my latest telescopic magnet with built in light from Lidl.

                                        _igp2784.jpg

                                        #548347
                                        Nick Wheeler
                                        Participant
                                          @nickwheeler
                                          Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 04/06/2021 10:57:03:

                                          Leatherman Crunch – the ones with "Mole" type locking on the plier jaws. Has got me out of trouble on numerous occasions.

                                          I think the Wave is the best value and most useful tool I've ever bought. It was so essential when I worked as a recovery driver that I couldn't be without it, even after breaking a couple of blades. When I stopped doing that job, I sent it back, and got a new one by return of post. Considering that all three blades were broken due to abuse – like prying off a damaged Krooklok – I thought that was exceptional service.

                                          #548350
                                          Neil Wyatt
                                          Moderator
                                            @neilwyatt

                                            QCTP Knurling Tool

                                            My crude but effective knurling tool!

                                            #548353
                                            Mick B1
                                            Participant
                                              @mickb1

                                              Neil said in the Magic Parallel MoleGrip thread that he used a little adjustable when having to use the long arm of a hex key to reach a socket-head screw.

                                              I use a silver steel extension rod I made 20-odd years ago for a drill as an extension lever for the short arm of a hex key when I need to use the long arm to turn a socket screw. I use it whenever I'm mounting or dismounting the Myford vertical slide on my Warco lathe, which is very often.

                                              I can't even get the long arm of the hex key into the screw head concentrically 'cos of the vice on the slide, so I use a ball-ended hex key. Be aware that not all hex keys sold as ball-ended really are. The Lidl variant I have doesn't really work at the 8 or 10 degree angle I have to use – the Rolson does, and has worn well.

                                              #548365
                                              Luker
                                              Participant
                                                @luker

                                                Press stick; used for center finding and assembly aid. Also good to stick charts to workshop walls..

                                                20210605_083531.jpg20210605_083450.jpg

                                                #548382
                                                Nigel Graham 2
                                                Participant
                                                  @nigelgraham2

                                                  One I had but lost many years ago, and bought from a filling-station shop. It was a screw-grip comprising a plastic tubular clip with claws, that slipped onto a screwdriver to hold the screw – same task as Luker's "Press-stick".

                                                  '

                                                  Currently though, not one but two child's beach spades!

                                                  The smaller, bright yellow (helps deter the workshop elves from attempting to hide it), polythene, about 8" long, is ideal with an old paint-brush for cleaning the lathe chip-trays – the reason I bought it.

                                                  The other is much longer and less useful in the workshop though it will reach the distant recesses of the Harrison lathe's tray. Its handle of real woood and blade of real steel show the age of this family hand-me-down. Indeed it may have been new to me originally, some 60 years ago. The handle top broke aeons ago – well, it was a plastic moulding after all. Its main uses are in the garden – anything from clearing cats' little gifts from the lawn, via planting seedlings to giving dead frogs a respectful interrment.

                                                  #548435
                                                  David George 1
                                                  Participant
                                                    @davidgeorge1

                                                    I made this centering and trameling attachment as an apprentice. Wouldn't be without it. And a hole punch plate that I use for making shims, washers and holes in gaskets with a series of punches through a mild steel plate into a hardened block with holes from 3/4 to 1/8 inches with hardened punches wuth a beveled cutting edge.

                                                    20210605_085733.jpg

                                                    20210605_090425.jpg

                                                    20210605_115628.jpg

                                                    David

                                                    #548439
                                                    Robert Atkinson 2
                                                    Participant
                                                      @robertatkinson2
                                                      Posted by Nicholas Wheeler 1 on 04/06/2021 20:37:34:

                                                      Posted by Steve Skelton 1 on 04/06/2021 10:57:03:

                                                      Leatherman Crunch – the ones with "Mole" type locking on the plier jaws. Has got me out of trouble on numerous occasions.

                                                      I think the Wave is the best value and most useful tool I've ever bought. It was so essential when I worked as a recovery driver that I couldn't be without it, even after breaking a couple of blades. When I stopped doing that job, I sent it back, and got a new one by return of post. Considering that all three blades were broken due to abuse – like prying off a damaged Krooklok – I thought that was exceptional service.

                                                      I have had a leatherman of one sort or another on me pretty much every day since 1996. Normally two, one being a Micra. Pretty much the only time I don't have one since 2001 is when flying on commercial aircraft. Since 2018 I've been carrying a Style PS when flying as it is generally considered OK. Current daily carry is a Charge TI. I didn't list this as I don't consider it unusual, more essential.

                                                      There is one potential issue though. As it has locking blades, even though they are under 3", it is illegal to carry one in a public place without good reason. Ultimately the courts decide if your reason is good.
                                                      To avoid any doubt I cut the locking tabs off the two knife blades on the one I carry.

                                                      Robert G8RPI.

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