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Tool Christmas Tools

Tool
FatherWes said:
I picked up a 5 inch vise for my mill from Vevor. Looking forward to making use of it.

I also bought myself one of these:
View attachment 56875
In-line ignition testor. Put it in series with a spark plug and it lights up if there's spark.
After all these years trying to test for a spark while holding the plug wire with a screw driver and trying (usually unsuccessfully) to not get zapped while simultaneously pulling on a recoil starter or trying to kick start.
Only about $10, but decades overdue.
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Back in the 70’s they said to use neon bulbs with the wires wrapped around the plug wire, myself I use to just hold on to it to check for spark i never tried the new at that time electronic ignition coils though or the Acel Supercoils. In auto shop at school we sometimes grabbed the plug wire letting the juice flow through our bodies only to place a finger on someone’s neck to complete the circuit.
 
Tom O said:
I’m waiting for the battery operated Vegimatic “ it slices it dices it even makes Julian fries! “
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When I was a kid my brother told my Mom that he knew what she was getting for Christmas and wouldn't tell her but it started with Veg and ended with Imatic
 
Tom O said:
...myself I use to just hold on to it to check for spark...
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My grandfather apparently was known for grabbing onto a spark plug/wire of the old magneto driven tractor engines to check for misses. It was said he'd sit there & shake for a second or two, then grab the next one. I can't imagine...
 
The worse one I ever did was at school they had one of the spark plug testers where it could be observed sparking under pressure or not. I grabbed the spark plug test lead looking at buddy saying push the Button sending the spark down my arm searching for ground unfortunately the closest thing to the steel table was as “ Tiny Tim “ would sing My Ding-A-Ling.
 
On the electric shock stories, we had an electric fence near the house for the SWMBO's horse. Two grandsons were out playing near this fence, the older one was told repeatedly "don't touch". half hour later thru an open window we heard some screams, then we hear the older one trying to get his younger brother to touch the wire. :D
 
I got a nice unexpected Christmas "tool" this past weekend. A nice full face Respirator and welding shield. Only had to work a couple 12's overnight in a very tight place, wearing a tyvek suit, replating a boiler feed shute (garbage) to get it.......3 guys in a space the size of about 2 std bathtubs (aprx 34"x14') end to end, access only via 19" dia hatch. We could crouch under the ledge heading to the burner to cut plates and material or to get by each other (otherwise it was get prison comfy and slide past each other). Fun job. Can't wait to do the other boiler next shutdown :D.

Should come in handy when I finish my belt grinder. I was looking at buying one a while back, so it actually is a nice bonus.

I think I'm recovered from switching over, and my sleep hangover is minimal today, so I might get some shop time. My scafold casters showed up yesterday, so I might get started on my McGyver 1 pound gantry. I drew it up last night, and it should be a pretty straight forward build using material I have on hand.
 
I would tell the younger guys,” take care of your eyes, ears, lungs, you get one set, they have to last a life time! No fun without any of them”.
As we learn in time, 1 hearing aid now, lungs a bit messed up, a bit wonky from day 1. Brain, have two, 1 missing, the other looking for #1! Eyes, was legally blind, have been somewhat rebuilt, now see great beyond 3 feet!
 
I've always been good with glasses, not so much with ears when I was younger but am now for the last 15 years or so. Lungs was always an afterthought until the covid years when we had to wear n95's to flatten the curve....I noticed how much better I felt after doing a bunch of grinding (surface or angle), so the habit of wearing one stuck with me after that. I bought a nice 3m half mask with the quick release latch and almost always wear it whenever I pick up an angle grinder or run a surface grinder now.

I will say, the one very noticeable difference between working my entire life non union automotive, vs now (union energy sector) is the access to proper and quality PPE. You want nice glasses, we'll get those for you, ear plugs, same. Gloves? what size and type? Everything is supplied and plentiful, and not wearing it is not an option or you'll get walked off the site. I've always just bought my own stuff over the years because company stuff has always been the cheapest crappiest stuff they could get away with buying and I was tired of fighting about it. Not anymore, I'm getting spoiled........

I did have to shave though......The first time my daughter has ever seen me without at least a mustache and She's 10. She didn't like it at first, but she says I look younger now without all that grey on my face lol.

The younger guys I work with are mostly early to mid 20's and they're good with all the other PPE, but very lax about ear protection. I try to tell them about the joys of tinnitus, but i'm just another "old guy" rambling.....You can lead a horse to water.......same as I was back then.
 
Bandit said:
I would tell the younger guys,” take care of your eyes, ears, lungs, you get one set, they have to last a life time! No fun without any of them”.
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I would add nose (sense of smell) to that list, and my wife would add boy parts.
 
Yeah, I got the tinnitus too, though wife says I say “what” a lot less with the hearing aid. Wished I had known what the ears would be like with no hearing protection when I was much younger. But young, and knew most every thing once aponatime!
 
Dan Dubeau said:
I got a nice unexpected Christmas "tool" this past weekend. A nice full face Respirator and welding shield. Only had to work a couple 12's overnight in a very tight place, wearing a tyvek suit, replating a boiler feed shute (garbage) to get it.......3 guys in a space the size of about 2 std bathtubs (aprx 34"x14') end to end, access only via 19" dia hatch. We could crouch under the ledge heading to the burner to cut plates and material or to get by each other (otherwise it was get prison comfy and slide past each other). Fun job. Can't wait to do the other boiler next shutdown :D.

Should come in handy when I finish my belt grinder. I was looking at buying one a while back, so it actually is a nice bonus.

I think I'm recovered from switching over, and my sleep hangover is minimal today, so I might get some shop time. My scafold casters showed up yesterday, so I might get started on my McGyver 1 pound gantry. I drew it up last night, and it should be a pretty straight forward build using material I have on hand.
Click to expand...
I picked up a full face respirator five or six years back, lightly used. Four Irish guys living in a basement, had all been working polishing stone cladding, all quit and sold their gear.

Even with a full beard, I find I get a decent seal for nuisance dust. It looks like it’s sorted for now, but I had to get fit-tested for potential asbestos exposure at the Centre Block site in Ottawa, first time I’d been clean shaven in about ten years as well.

IMG_1210.jpeg
Cutting out an internal sheet steel ‘roof’ that had rotted out. Was less concerned about the dust than stuff getting around my glasses.
 
Bandit said:
Yeah, I got the tinnitus too, though wife says I say “what” a lot less with the hearing aid. Wished I had known what the ears would be like with no hearing protection when I was much younger. But young, and knew most every thing once aponatime!
Click to expand...

I have raging tinnitus, but it definitely gets worse as the day progresses. by the time 10pm rolls around I am functionally 100% deaf in the left ear. I asked about how effective a hearing aid would be and was told not very, and in order to hear above the tinnitus the volume would have to be set so high it would further damage the hearing.
 
Cutting in confined spaces is the worst. No real way to protect yourself from everything unless you're in a leather mummy bag, and stuff is flying in every direction. I was laying on my side cutting the mustache plate off the feed table and had a couple extra welding gloves draped over my head for protection from the plasma sparks. Note to self, pack welding leathers and a hood next time.....Every job I get sent to (all different so far), I end up buying new tools and gear afterwards.....I'm going to need to add airbags or helper springs to my little honda fit....

I hate regular safety googles, and wish there was something more comfortable and effective at staying clear and sealed all around, yet small in profile. We have to wear Spoggles (foggles) at the cement plants, but after 2 minutes of actually working in them you can't see shit. I've tried about 5 or 6 different types and they all suck. Most everybody just cuts the foam out, or trims it back so it looks like it's still there, but you need to make sure you turn your head away when the safety guy walks past.....I want to find some of those old Dale Earnhardt racing googles, I think they'd be perfect :D.
 
On one job a few years back some goof from one of the construction management firms directed the safety nazis to decree that everyone on site must wear safety glasses on site at all times or be escorted off site. That lasted about a week, the 2 first aid girls were spending all their time flushing eyes and filling in forms. They complained that all the issues were coming from the fact that they site was dusty and blustery and crap was getting blown around the glasses into the eyes. The rule was changed to require safety glasses commensurate with safety. The girls went about their regular duties. At no time was common sense ever mentioned.
 
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