I don't think the words fibre laser and inexpensive can be used in the same sentence.
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Tools you waited too long to acquire
- Thread starter slow-poke
- Start date
Tom O
Ultra Member
You’re putting this up because my Son threw out all the cardboard boxes yesterday.
What I want to know is how you knew!
I'm sooooo impressed! Right down to the wire hung part!
We keep the big cardboard here to use as spontaneous forts for the grandkids or drippy stuff like lawn mowers, atvs, boats, cars, and some machinery.
But the first chance I get I'm setting some away for a small spray booth!
I love It!!!
@Janger - Nice custom fab paint booth. I have a similar product from the same manufacturer. Expensive but free delivery.
Dust containment for the miter saw.
@Susquatch - best part of the new fridge we got last month was to watch the grandkids have fun with the box- best fort ever!
Dust containment for the miter saw.
@Susquatch - best part of the new fridge we got last month was to watch the grandkids have fun with the box- best fort ever!
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NEW TOOL TODAY!!!
Doesn’t get much better- the big smile from a ‘new tool day’ usually lasts for days or weeks. I still smile at my mill purchase from nearly a year ago.
Today I got a 18v Milwaukee, variable speed, rapid stop, disc grinder (2889-20, in pic below I’m pointing out the rapid stop and variable speed). I’ve only just tried it out - but the only descriptive word that comes to mind is ‘awesome’.
In my previous post (#126 above) I described my various grinders, including 2 Metabos. This new battery grinder is a terrific addition to my corder grinders (fyi - i also have several die grinders, a DeWalt battery and a couple of air powered).
The Milwaukee weighs in at 5.9 or 5.0 lb with either a 5Ah or 2Ah battery. The variable speed Metabo (the smaller Metabo in the pic) is 4.8 lb but feels heavier than the 5.9 lb Milwaukee because the battery powered grinder is so much better balanced.
Previously i said I’d never buy another grinder that wasn’t variable speed and soft start. It is easier to control and therefore safer. I now add that it must be rapid stop.
Marvellous.
Doesn’t get much better- the big smile from a ‘new tool day’ usually lasts for days or weeks. I still smile at my mill purchase from nearly a year ago.
Today I got a 18v Milwaukee, variable speed, rapid stop, disc grinder (2889-20, in pic below I’m pointing out the rapid stop and variable speed). I’ve only just tried it out - but the only descriptive word that comes to mind is ‘awesome’.
In my previous post (#126 above) I described my various grinders, including 2 Metabos. This new battery grinder is a terrific addition to my corder grinders (fyi - i also have several die grinders, a DeWalt battery and a couple of air powered).
The Milwaukee weighs in at 5.9 or 5.0 lb with either a 5Ah or 2Ah battery. The variable speed Metabo (the smaller Metabo in the pic) is 4.8 lb but feels heavier than the 5.9 lb Milwaukee because the battery powered grinder is so much better balanced.
Previously i said I’d never buy another grinder that wasn’t variable speed and soft start. It is easier to control and therefore safer. I now add that it must be rapid stop.
Marvellous.
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Greenlee chassis punch. I usually cut holes in sheet metal using a step bit, but had a bunch of 1/2" NPT (22mm) holes to do for the electrical panel on my new bandsaw. Decided to buy a single 1/2" knockout punch from Amazon. Absolute piece of crap. The 3/8"-24 UNF thread on the punch is cut way oversize, so the pull up bolt strips after two holes. Thought it might just be the Chinesium bolts, so tried a nice F593 304 bolt I had in stock. Same result, stripped on the second hole. Not one to give up easy, next attempt using a Grade 8 bolt. It lasted three holes.
Enough of this crap, went and found a real set of Greenlee punches. No idea how old they are, but they're in a leather pouch. I know the set at my old business is in a green plastic tray, and it's at least 25 years old, so I'm guessing the leather-wrapped set could be old enough to have voted for Joe Clark.
First try with the Greenlee demonstrated to me why I should have bought them instead of trying to save some money.
Look at the points on the Amazon punch. Four holes in 18ga steel, eight holes in 0.030" aluminum. Dull. Compare to the points on the Greenlee. No idea how many holes done by the Greenlee, but the points are still sharp.
Amazon $20 for a single cutter, Greenlee $40 for the set.
Enough of this crap, went and found a real set of Greenlee punches. No idea how old they are, but they're in a leather pouch. I know the set at my old business is in a green plastic tray, and it's at least 25 years old, so I'm guessing the leather-wrapped set could be old enough to have voted for Joe Clark.
First try with the Greenlee demonstrated to me why I should have bought them instead of trying to save some money.
Look at the points on the Amazon punch. Four holes in 18ga steel, eight holes in 0.030" aluminum. Dull. Compare to the points on the Greenlee. No idea how many holes done by the Greenlee, but the points are still sharp.
Amazon $20 for a single cutter, Greenlee $40 for the set.
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How long does the Milwaukee take to stop @CWret ?
Tool - Angle grinders. Most dangerous tool in the shop?
Here is my video on angle grinders. Is it the most dangerous tool? This isn’t advice - just my observations. Use your own sense please and take care of yourself. What else should you be on the lookout for?
canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
That’s a great idea!
@whydontu What do you think is wrong with the chinese ones? Clearances & fit? Hardness? Sharpness? something else?
Right off the bat the female thread on the die is way too big, maybe only 25% depth of thread. The die is probably hardened, but likely not too well. It kind of smooshes its’ way through the metal.
To get a decent cut, I had to use a socket and 1/2” breaker bar with the Chinese cutter, and put some heavy-duty torque into it to get it through 0.030” aluminum. The Greenlee has a small square head bolt, and I could get it to cut nicely in the same material using just a 7/16” open-end wrench.
Clearance between punch and die seems tighter on the Greenlee.
Cutting edges on the Greenlee are visibly sharper, but of course I didn’t take pictures of the Chinese one before I used it. I suspect they were crap edges from new, like @jcdammeyer s countersink bits.
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I was introduced to greenlee punches about 45 years ago. They are amazing. They shear the sheet metal in the conventional way but do so progressively. The points cut first against a very firm anvil and then as the metal shears away, adjacent edges take up the slack shearing along till the full circumference is sheared.
To do the job easily, the angles, edges, and anvil must all be perfect. The device I saw in the first photos tries to shear too much at once instead of progressively. Thus the forces required to do so skyrocket and the result is...... As noted.
Everyone who cuts holes in sheet metal should have a set of greenlee punches. Or at least a few of the standard sizes.
Re Milwaukee grinder
@Janger - short answer: it stops in less than 2 seconds as advertised. Substantially faster when compared to a non breaking grinder under similar conditions.
long answer: my non breaking grinder stops in 6 seconds with a heavy disc and 5 seconds with a light cut-off disc. About one second faster for either disc if it is left in contact with the material so that there is a slight load on it.
The breaking grinder max is 2 seconds with the heavy disc and slightly quicker with the smaller cut-off disc. With either disc it is a quarter second quicker to stop if under load. Interesting thing about the breaking grinder is that (with either disc) it seems to coast for about 1 second and then the break comes on and it stops rather abruptly.
@Janger - short answer: it stops in less than 2 seconds as advertised. Substantially faster when compared to a non breaking grinder under similar conditions.
long answer: my non breaking grinder stops in 6 seconds with a heavy disc and 5 seconds with a light cut-off disc. About one second faster for either disc if it is left in contact with the material so that there is a slight load on it.
The breaking grinder max is 2 seconds with the heavy disc and slightly quicker with the smaller cut-off disc. With either disc it is a quarter second quicker to stop if under load. Interesting thing about the breaking grinder is that (with either disc) it seems to coast for about 1 second and then the break comes on and it stops rather abruptly.
Chicken lights
Forum Pony Express Driver
I want a better laser thermometer. Read good reviews on Fluke 62's, kinda pricy at $180-ish. Snap on was $250 and that's even worse. Klein has good reviews and looks to be about $80.
Anyone got any experience with one or the other, or a better idea?
Anyone got any experience with one or the other, or a better idea?
That stripped bolt suggests crap metal, which seems oh so common. Like the socket head cap screws where the head twists off before they are tight. Frustrating is they get 95% if right and then cut costs do some stupid like use garbage steel and make the whole thing not worth buying.
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I've a cheapo Canadian Tire one, not super accurate. However I'm not convinced inaccuracy is because its CT, but rather the limitations of temperature measurement by infrared measurement. iirc, the laser is just to aim it, they are measuring temp by sensing infrared radiation......so proximity and colour of the item factor it.
If I'm wrong and the expensive ones really are dead on, I'd probably splurge for one. Super handy around the shop
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Temperature measurement is one of those parameters that varies all over the map anyway. So I don't have a good one and I don't feel a great need for a good one.
I have a cheapo from Princess Auto. It has worked just fine for my needs for about 15 years.
You prolly can't go wrong with the mainstream stuff but it's a lot of coin for something you won't use very often. I know a few guys who are happy with the Klein. Plus you can get it from Amazon and return it if you are not happy!
SomeGuy
Hobbyist
Have you considered a thermal camera instead? FAR more useful than a little laser thermometer. I have the Seek Reveal Pro - really good bang/buck for a 320x240 sensor. I rarely grab my cheapo Canadian Tire laser thing anymore.
@Chicken lights - Mcgyver is right (as usual). The laser is just for aiming. And other factors affect the measurement.
But his response make me realize that a little more info would be useful to help you decide what to buy.
Temperature is driven by heat transfer which in turn is a balance between heat in and heat out and heat capacity of the material. Different materials transfer heat at different rates and color affects radiant heat out. That's why I said it varies all over the map.
While the exact temp might be extremely important when your baby has a fever, it really isn't that important when you are measuring the temperature of a bearing by measuring the metal next to it. It's more important to know what is normal operating temp and be able to say that it is suddenly a lot hotter than it should be. In practice, we can't really measure a bearing temp without specialized instrumentation, we can only measure the temp near it on the housing. The bearing might be a lot hotter. So even a really accurate device will usually be wrong. In other words, it's not the exact number that matters as much as its relative temp under certain circumstances. If you buy an inexpensive unit that is consistent and you recognize that it might not be right, you might still be way better off than the guy using the $2000 tool who doesn't know its limitations.
Wow. I searched on Amazon and thought, yeah, I can afford that. Then I realized I was looking at the price for the screen protector! $729 .... don't need it that badly
Chicken lights
Forum Pony Express Driver
https://www.consumeranalysis.com/guides/best-ir-thermometer/
The biggest standout for me was "emissivity" and the cheap ones having one laser versus two lasers. The better ones have an adjustable "emissivity" control.
I dunno but it made sense to at least go middle ground, away from the cheaper ones