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Tools you waited too long to acquire

CWret said:
A tool I didn’t know i needed. It is great. On sale for $10. I tried it and it is absolutely awesome.
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I confess I've always turned my nose up at both kinds.

This is what I have used for 50 years. I still have it and it still works just as well today as it did when I got it. It can also be mounted in a fixture to dress bigger wheels or surface grinder wheels.

It is sorta like @Ironman 's diamond drills but purpose made.

Diamond Dresser Single Point Grinding Wheel Tapered Point Tool 2.00 Carat - 1/2 Inch x 6 Inch https://a.co/d/2kSP3Co

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Janger said:
Is this a tool I actually want? I just watched a youtube video commercial (ah hem I mean review) for one of those Vevor deals - this time a burnishing machine. It looks pretty appealing on the never quite solved removing mill scale problem. Cleaning up sheet metal and stock for welding and painting is what I'm interested in. I'm not going to post links to that commercial. Does anybody actually have one? The Vevor one I mean. I've seen other brands which seem like premium tools and premium priced so I never considered it. How long do the wheels last? Do they just load up and stop working? Is it faster than using a grinder which I loathe?. If anybody has experience with the vevor one or anything else similar please comment.


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Princess auto has theirs coming on sale in January for $129.99.......
 
CWret said:
Kids say I’m difficult (impossible) to buy for.
This year i gave them a list.
Worked well. :)
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That would make me smile in Christmas Day.

Questions:

The sphere ended telescopic gauges, I guess these are more accurate than the standard ones? IIRC my cheap telescopic gauges have rounded tips, but spherical seems better.

In what situation will you use the triangular plates?
 
slow-poke said:
The sphere ended telescopic gauges, I guess these are more accurate than the standard ones?
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Not sure if i understand your question - but here goes- I’m new to both of these measuring tools. They are designed to measure the ID of a hole. The small sphere ended set is for holes 1/8” to 1/2” and the sideways telescope set is for 5/16” to 6” diameter holes. So I played with them and measured the ID of a piston wrist pin using the largest sphere type and the smallest telescopic type. I compared that to callipers and got surprisingly similar numbers.
(0.463 to 0.469”). This range is mostly from the ID hole variation not the type of tool being used. (Note: I was able to determine that the wrist pin ID is a bit egg shaped and also a bit larger in the middle than at both ends). The callipers can’t show hole diameter variations deep inside the hole (but both of the expanding tools did and gave similar values). I like the way the sphere type can slowly be expanded (whereas the telescope type springs outward abruptly.
These are knock-off and inexpensive China noname (from Amazon).
Certainly not precision instruments like Mitutoyo would offer. But just fine for me.

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slow-poke said:
In what situation will you use the triangular plates?
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Previously i have used a small plastic triangle to set a part on a 45degree angle in the milling vise. These will be: easier to use; more accurate; have 30 and 60 degrees as well as just 45; and i can use a small magnet (as a third hand) to hold the triangle while holding the part at the same time as tighten the vise.
 
140mower said:
Princess auto has theirs coming on sale in January for $129.99.......
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What’s the consensus on Power Fist tools? I’ve been quite impressed with their Pro Point series but always think of Power Fist as being “one off job tools that I can’t imagine I’ll need again”
 
Princess Auto, Harbor Freight have several level of tools now (ie more profits), as with all their tools its buyer beware and if you are smart generally you save a bundle and get great tools cheap.

Between Power Fist and Pro Point its about finish, quality is very similar, the newest line is better but you pay.

The best approach is buyer beware, gem or trash! To date following this approach I'm batting 99% on get quality (though rough looking).
 
I have a Princess Auto very close by and consequently buy far too much stuff there. They have at least three lines that I can think of just off the top of my head, Power Fist, Pro Point, and Titan. By and large I think their stuff is pretty decent quality but there are exceptions, eg I recently bought an 8 inch Titan bench grinder that I consider a waste of money. For the most part I trust the quality of their stuff more than the stuff at Crappy Tire.

In conclusion I would say each item should be considered on its own merits. Don't trust a general rule of thumb. Buyer beware as @Degen already stated.
 
2 tools I waited way too long to acquire are mechanics tools. I work in aviation and mainly on a type of plane where it seems ease of maintenance was an afterthought. The two tools are very long needle nose pliers and a flex head ratchet. I worked for the first 20 to 25 years without them. Now I'm surprised how often I reach for them as my first choice. I'm especially happy with the long needle nose pliers. Putting in cotter pins and bending them 7 inches inside a hole behind a couple of hydraulic lines is much easier now than it used to be. I now have 3 flex head ratchets. The large one is nice some times when working on the tractor.
 
Agreed - there are lots of tools I didn’t know i needed until after I’d finally bought them. I don’t have a flex head 1/2” ratchet yet, but the 3/8” and 1/4” get used frequently.
The long needle nose rarely come out - but they are smile makers when being used.
 

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Last edited:
Not sure if this counts, not really a tool, going to make not buy.
Covers for the mill table, they'll make cleaning up much more probable.
Oh yeh, a tool too but still going to make it. A belt sander, had Jers plans since they first came out.

Happy new year all,
John
 
StevSmar said:
What’s the consensus on Power Fist tools? I’ve been quite impressed with their Pro Point series but always think of Power Fist as being “one off job tools that I can’t imagine I’ll need again”
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I have found them to be ok. There are some junky tools so if I really need quality, I step up the more costly Pro point. One Powerfist tool I am very impressed with is their 14 inch drycut saw blades. I have been spending $180 each on Tenryu saw blades and they have a short life and become a toothless wonder. So one Princess sale day I decided to try this "junk" out. The blade is still cutting a year later but due to me cutting oddball stuff that came loose in the vise, it is missing a few molars. The saw is a Pro-Point.
 
jorogi said:
Not sure if this counts, not really a tool, going to make not buy.
Covers for the mill table, they'll make cleaning up much more probable.
Oh yeh, a tool too but still going to make it. A belt sander, had Jers plans since they first came out.

Happy new year all,
John
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I am using a magnetic sign that I cut into shape. It works well but very small chips will cling and have to be wiped with a rag.
 
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