Tools you waited too long to acquire

[CWret]

Magnetic sheets for mill cover:

Have a look at my post #153 above for a picture (in this thread).
They work well. I have a couple of sizes so i can: move the vise; or use them with the rotary table; or dividing head. Spares are kept handy stuck on the side of the storage cabinet. Painted them blue to match the mill.
Got them on Amazon.

Amazon.ca

Happy New Year
We finally got some snow, this is last night, at front door.

Attachments​

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[Ironman]

OK

 

[Ironman]

Magnetic sheets for mill cover:

Have a look at my post #153 above for a picture (in this thread).
They work well. I have a couple of sizes so i can: move the vise; or use them with the rotary table; or dividing head. Spares are kept handy stuck on the side of the storage cabinet. Painted them blue to match the mill.
Happy New Year
We finally got some snow, this is last night, at front door.

Man, that is some blue, for sure

 

[jorogi]

Magnetic sheets for mill cover:

Have a look at my post #153 above for a picture (in this thread).
They work well. I have a couple of sizes so i can: move the vise; or use them with the rotary table; or dividing head. Spares are kept handy stuck on the side of the storage cabinet. Painted them blue to match the mill.
Got them on Amazon.

Amazon.ca

Happy New Year
We finally got some snow, this is last night, at front door.

Attachments​

• 

I would like those if all I did was non ferrous but I work mostly with steel and loathe magnetism.

John

 

[Susquatch]

OK

Sorry Ironman, I mistakenly thought you meant way covers and wondered how you did that. My bad for putting you to that trouble. I'm truly sorry for that. I'll try harder in future - which isn't getting any easier as the years pass by.

 

[Upnorth]

Picture?

The magnetic sign material they use at sign shops to make the ones that stick on cars and are removeable is what I use. Easy to cut to any shape and just lay it on top of your mill table.

 

[Ironman]

Sorry Ironman, I mistakenly thought you meant way covers and wondered how you did that. My bad for putting you to that trouble. I'm truly sorry for that. I'll try harder in future - which isn't getting any easier as the years pass by.

My machine has steel way covers. When I had a BusyBee knee mill I found the only thing that worked was a big silicon cookie sheet. All the chinese accordion cover things would sooner or later have a hole melted through them by hot chips. And don't worry about mistakes...now I know you are human not AI

 

[CWret]

I found the only thing that worked was a big silicon cookie sheet.

I really like the magnetic sign sheets- but the silicone baking sheets sound like something I should try. Thanks, great idea. They would: give good protection; be easy to cut to shape; are non magnetic; are inexpensive, and heat resistant.

 

[Ironman]

I am very late to the group that has tap sockets. Its hard to believe I didn't know about them earlier. Ya, they fit the OP's question perfectly. Wish I bought them 60 years ago. At least I can claim ignorance. Can't do that for a band saw. That's just plain stubborn cheap stupidity.

I had been told that using an impact wrench on big threading taps was the way to go with a guy repairing a D6. I thought yeah, right, that'll shatter them fast enough.
So yesterday for the first time I had 22 holes to tap at 1/4x28 for grease nipples. I got brave and drove the tap wrench with my Milwaukee impact driver with a adapter to 3/8.
Wow.
I'm going to buy a set of those tap sockets at Princess on Wednesday.

 

[Ironman]

I really like the magnetic sign sheets- but the silicone baking sheets sound like something I should try. Thanks, great idea. They would: give good protection; be easy to cut to shape; are non magnetic; are inexpensive, and heat resistant.

Well, I held them in place with magnets

 

[CWret]

Well, I held them in place with magnets

Even better.

 

[Ironman]

cookie sheets

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=silicone+sheets+for+baking&crid=29RVKMOY41SD1&sprefix=silicon+sheet%2Caps%2C232&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_6_13

 

[jorogi]

Okay, so second post on this subject. Today however it is a tool and one I have wanted for a long time. 3 years ago I arranged to buy an 8" Gorton rotary table for my I 22 Gorton Mastermill from Lance Baltzy in Florida. Keith Rucker had shot a video at his place and there was a 2 second shot of it on the floor in a barn. Alas it just wasn't meant to be, Lance is one heck of busy guy and dealing with this must have been just too much to get done. So since then I have been looking for another one. Didn't want Chineesium and finding industrial stuff on this island can be really tough. Then Justin1 pops up the other day in the spotted thread with this 10" table in Parksville, 2 and a half hours up the highway from here and no ferry boats in the way.

I went up today and picked it up from Steve. Steve moved into a downsize and went to a small bench top style King mill so didn't need this size RT any more. I mentioned this site to him and hopefully he'll pop up, nice guy and he's the real deal, not a hack like me. He also has a YouTube channel with some vids I'll certainly be checking out, he's Mr Modify on YouTube.
So when I go to post this up I double checked to see who spotted this RT and it was Justin1,( thank you very much Sir). So today Justin1 helped me, John, to get a RT but.......in another post today it looks like Justin1 got himself a RT too, and wait for it....... he got it from a John ! Now just how cool is that, trippy or what. Maybe the 60's were just too good to me.
Now as I have been rather blathering on here I'll go on a bit more for the guys on the island. Steve lives on the north side of Parksville so the dear and lovely and I had to come back south through town. It was lunch time so I asked "McD's or find an Asian soup bowl ". So we drove slowly through town trying to spot a hole in the wall and as we neared the end of town we started looking for a spot to spin round to head back to Ronnies. And there it was, the hole in the wall. At first glance I thought it was a derelict building but the windows weren't boarded, there was a lit neon "open" sign and best yet there was a full parking lot. The Mekong River Restaurant. We went in, inside the building showed its age but was neat and clean, the owner took care of us and we had a fabulous bowl of hot and sour soup and a sweet and sour pork plate. Absolutely delicious and the sort of local mom and pop outfit I love to support, they're getting so scarce with all the industrial food chains being dumped on us all the time. So if you're up that way, maybe drop in and give them a try or slip it into your plans if your trip takes you near.
Today has been one of those rare days where I can't help but think that with all the crap in this world now, I'm a pretty lucky guy to be here and and have what I have. It's a great warm feeling.

Cheers all,
John

 

[DavidR8]

Okay, so second post on this subject. Today however it is a tool and one I have wanted for a long time. 3 years ago I arranged to buy an 8" Gorton rotary table for my I 22 Gorton Mastermill from Lance Baltzy in Florida. Keith Rucker had shot a video at his place and there was a 2 second shot of it on the floor in a barn. Alas it just wasn't meant to be, Lance is one heck of busy guy and dealing with this must have been just too much to get done. So since then I have been looking for another one. Didn't want Chineesium and finding industrial stuff on this island can be really tough. Then Justin1 pops up the other day in the spotted thread with this 10" table in Parksville, 2 and a half hours up the highway from here and no ferry boats in the way.

View attachment 42510

I went up today and picked it up from Steve. Steve moved into a downsize and went to a small bench top style King mill so didn't need this size RT any more. I mentioned this site to him and hopefully he'll pop up, nice guy and he's the real deal, not a hack like me. He also has a YouTube channel with some vids I'll certainly be checking out, he's Mr Modify on YouTube.
So when I go to post this up I double checked to see who spotted this RT and it was Justin1,( thank you very much Sir). So today Justin1 helped me, John, to get a RT but.......in another post today it looks like Justin1 got himself a RT too, and wait for it....... he got it from a John ! Now just how cool is that, trippy or what. Maybe the 60's were just too good to me.
Now as I have been rather blathering on here I'll go on a bit more for the guys on the island. Steve lives on the north side of Parksville so the dear and lovely and I had to come back south through town. It was lunch time so I asked "McD's or find an Asian soup bowl ". So we drove slowly through town trying to spot a hole in the wall and as we neared the end of town we started looking for a spot to spin round to head back to Ronnies. And there it was, the hole in the wall. At first glance I thought it was a derelict building but the windows weren't boarded, there was a lit neon "open" sign and best yet there was a full parking lot. The Mekong River Restaurant. We went in, inside the building showed its age but was neat and clean, the owner took care of us and we had a fabulous bowl of hot and sour soup and a sweet and sour pork plate. Absolutely delicious and the sort of local mom and pop outfit I love to support, they're getting so scarce with all the industrial food chains being dumped on us all the time. So if you're up that way, maybe drop in and give them a try or slip it into your plans if your trip takes you near.
Today has been one of those rare days where I can't help but think that with all the crap in this world now, I'm a pretty lucky guy to be here and and have what I have. It's a great warm feeling.

Cheers all,
John

We spent a week in Parksville and loved the Mekong!
Congrats on the rotary table!

 

[Tom O]

I’m getting tired of the dead caliper batteries so I have bought this Metric/ Imperial dial caliper to check out.

 

[FatherWes]

I bought the same 6”/150mm caliper, for the same reason.
I have a very nice Staedtler electronic caliper. Seems like the batteries are dead every time I go to use it (and you have to remove two tiny Phillips head screws to undo the battery cover, so removing the batteries after each use to preserve them is a pain).
I’ve only used the new dial caliper a couple times and it works perfectly. I almost forget it has the metric scale. Caught myself reading the imperial scale and started to do a math conversion!

 

[Canadium]

I've had one of these for several years also for same reason and really love it. My most frequently used measuring tool. Have been considering getting another because I use/like it so much.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I've wanted to stumble across a dirt cheap dual scale vernier for the same reason. Not a huge fan of dials, even though I have, and use a couple. But it would be nice to have an off grid caliper that reads both. I'd just prefer very nears for that.

 

[Susquatch]

I have one of these and I rather like it. It does metric, imperial, AND FRACTIONS. It isn't the greatest caliper ever made, but it serves a very useful purpose and mine in still working after 5 years or so on the same batteries.

VINCA DCLA-0605 Quality Electronic Digital Caliper Inch/Metric/Fractions

Amazon.ca

 

[CWret]

VINCA DCLA-0605 Quality Electronic Digital Caliper Inch/Metric/Fractions

I have a similar one, a Titan from PAuto i believe. I’ve had it for several years. It was on sale and fairly cheap as I recall. Nice to measure something and then switch between mm, inch, fractions and use it as an instant conversion calculator. It also turns itself off after a few minutes and it starts up automatically when you move the slide - a great battery saver.
The other electronic one (in the middle of the picture) was a ‘free gift’ that was included with an AliExpress purchase. It looks like a twin to the Titan but no fractions or auto on/off. The battery life on both is quite good.
All 3 in the picture have pretty good accuracy (checked by measuring all sides of a 1-2-3 block). I’ve had the bottom vernier one for a couple dozen years and never had to replace a battery. Nice that all of them measure in Imp and metric. I thought all callipers did that. The electronic ones are so easy to use that the vernier one only gets used to scribe a lay-out line.