Workshop Purchase (wish)list

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Rooossone on 26/05/2023 19:53:57:What would you order of priority be?

Edited By Rooossone on 26/05/2023 19:57:09

Top of the list for me is the one thing not on yours or anyone else's: time.

You don't think it's important until you haven't got it.

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

Bill I couldn’t agree more, time is the most important.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Time – Really one has little control over that. Spending money may lengthen the time just a little bit before you meet the Grim Reaper.

I have also become aware that others are only too happy to make use of your time.

JA

[ChrisLHParticipant @chrislh]

Sets of letter and number stamps.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

A hobby grade horizontal bandsaw that can be flipped up to use vertically would be high on my list too. Makes life soooo much easier when you can just chop off bits of stock ready to mount in the lathe or mill etc. And for cutting up bits and pieces to weld together. Which brings to the next big thing, a welder of some sort. Just a cheap stick (arc) welder or a little gasless wire welder is all that is needed. But so handy for fabricating everything from benches to special tools.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I don’t think a soldering/brazing torch is on Rooossone’s list, though Dave usefully adds it for him.

If you’re planning to do any silver soldering/brazing or go even further and attempt bronze brazing, make sure you get a suitably beefy brazing torch and burners, which are what are needed for the big and, frankly, not so big, jobs. Both Sievert and Bullfinch offer a good range of torches and burners. Some of their burners are big enough to put a serious volume of heat into a job.

While we’re on the subject, I’d like to explode the Internet myth that seems to have caught on in some circles (and even with people who should know better), apparently as a result of a misinterpretation of this video, that the only air-fuel (as opposed to oxy-fuel) torch you can successfully bronze braze with is the Bullfinch 4100 Autotorch [with an appropriate burner].

This is simply not true, and there is nothing magically different about the Bullfinch Autotorch to explain why it can bronze braze and other air-fuel torches can’t.

The only critical thing is getting sufficient heat into the work to get it up to the high temperature (considerably higher than for silver soldering/brazing) that is needed for bronze brazing. There are countless air-fuel set-ups that can do this as long as the volume of heat your torch is putting into the work can get it up to the required temperature for the bronze rod to flow.

Though an oxy-fuel torch makes bronze-brazing easier, it is certainly not always necessary. For probably well over half of the bronze brazing jobs I’ve done I’ve not even bothered cracking out my oxy-fuel equipment, but just reached for a suitably sized burner to go on my Sievert Pro-86, Sievert Pro-88, or Bullfinch Standard torch handle.

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Afternoon friends,

Thanks for a the great discussion I've enjoyed seeing people spend my money!

Ketan, those drills look like they will do the job just as fine, I will see about updating my list with cheaper stuff as I go.

As for time. Yes, I know I'm getting in to this game later than one should have but I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I can dedicate both, time and money into this sport! I know we are in this mortal coil but for a limited time so I'm going hard to do it right and set myself up properly as early as possible. I'm a big time thinker and I like to have goals and plans set, if not only to have a better idea on how to deviate when said plan needs adjusting.

In software development I liken my approach here to Agile methodology, have an idea of the big things and size/prioritize those, pick a few to tackle break them down into their atomic tasks decide how to execute and move things along, you can get to points and pick other big stuff to keep things going and unlocking more opportunity/flexibility, dropping jobs in and out of the plan as you go and never getting overwhelmed by the big picture. I've always got planned smaller jobs I can do and I always have bigger jobs I can start breaking down and queuing up

The majority of the stuff I'm buying will outlast me and passed down to my nephew, the lucky sod.

I do have a oxy / Map gas combo burner that i haven't messed with yet. I should add a propane/butane burner setup to the list as well. I've got a portable camping stove that I've seen used to get heat into work.

I think I have settled on my next focus, welding. I'm going to pull the trigger in June on buying a welder and learning the art via a project I've cooked up specifically to learn how to weld. More on this in a different thread shortly. The Welder I was looking at buying was from ScrewFix here. I was only looking to use the gasless flux core. I did a bit of reading up and watched a few people on youtube last night, I think it's well within my capability with a fair amount of practice (I wasn't very good when I had a quick go as a young kid). Especially if i do a bit more studying in the meantime.

I am surprised nobody has mentioned machinist handbook or any other things like a zeus book etc. I definitely would like a hard copy of something laying around. What do you all have in yours hard copy wise?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Can't remember the last time I looked at Machinists handbook but must be a few years ago. Zeuz maytbe a couple of times a year as it's quicker than Google when in the shed.

If you have a traction engine as your goal then register with Traction Talk forum as it can take a while to get accepted and read through the many build threads in the model section there.

[Maurice TaylorParticipant @mauricetaylor82093]

Hi, I presume you have a 16 amp socket installed for this welder ,the instructions mention do not connect to a 13 amp plug.
This subject has been discussed before on the forum.

Maurice

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Just registered on there. Thanks for the tip!

[Anonymous]

I have three copies of Machinery's Handbook from the 1930s, 1940s and 1990s, and refer to them regularly. I never look at my Zeus, not even sure where it is.

Andrew

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Instead of splurging on Machinery's Handbook, buy The Metalworker's Data Book(#24 in the Workshop Practice Series) for under a tenner. It's better laid out, and contains most, if not all of the data you're likely to need.

Making up your own exercises to teach yourself new things is a treacherous path to go down, especially if you don't have a mentor available. There are plenty of existing and well-proven projects to do the job.

[Author]

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