Minor Tool Gloat

[Russell Svenningsen]

I have inherited several of my late grandfather's tools. An Atlas drill press, a BEaver wood lathe, a metal lathe, many planes, chisels, and a TON of hardware(you never know how valuable 5 milk crates full of baby-food jars with hardware in them are until you start looking and sorting!). Included was an old air compressor, with the original hose. I have been using that thing for a long time. I love those tools, and will never get rid of them. Heck, I don't think I have the constitution to move those lathes one more time!

Lately,the compressor has been giving me fits. Leaking air, bad fittings, you name it. I have teflon-taped and duct-taped the daylights out of that thing. Turning the hose coupling "just so", tapping the motor, etc. Finally, the pump gave up the ghost last weekend. Not bad for a 40 year-old compressor, eh? I went out and bought the PC pancake compressor/brad/finish-nail gun kit. What a difference! It's a bit loud, but I plan to remedy that with it's own dedicated insulated box in a corner. The nailers are great as well! I'm not used to working with a "set-it and forget-it" compressor! What a pleasure!

I also splurged and bought a new 12" disk sander. But, if any of you guys talk to my wife......it's ALWAYS been there!

Got it?

;) ,
Russ

[Chris Padilla]

Sounds nice, Russ, but we require vast sums of bytes of graphic images to quench our visual thirsts! ;)

[Jim Becker]

Always nice to hear about new tools and Chris is correct...feed our addiction to images!

BTW, make sure that cabinet is vented unless you want that pancake to last considerably shorter than its rated life! Heat kills. If you baffle the vent, you'll cut most of the sound while allowing air in. Besides...it needs to draw the air from "somewhere" to fill the tank! (frequently...)

[Russell Svenningsen]

Pics will follow tonight, I promise! It would be a good time to take a few pics of the shop in general. You have to promise not to laugh! It's just a small shop, with tons of stuff packed in it!

And to think my beautiful bride asked me, some 3 years ago, after I purchased my first "big" item(a Jet 6" jointer), next to the TS, of course........."Where will the car go?"

"Cars? We don't need no stinkin' cars!"

Pics tonight,
Russ

[Brad Risley]

Don't forget the old tank will give you extra storage capacity with only a few fitting.

[Todd Burch]

Yes Russell, maintenance-free or maintenance-low tools are nice. I have several of my Grandfather's tools too. Same feelings towards them that you have.

The tons of hardware is nice, but it gets to a point that it gets in the way and clutters up the place. I've started decumulating (is that a word?) hardware that I haven't touched in years.

[Tyler Howell]

Ain't nothing like tools with history espescially if you know the stories. All that BS&T (blood, sweat & tears) adds something really special to the new projects.;)