Your Toolbox

Having two rolling tool chests from Harbor Freight is very helpful in keeping my projects moving along. With all the draws I keep my tools organized and readily available. Reduces the searching for my tools. At $150.00 a pop with their coupons, I think they are a very good purchase.

 

As for the tools....where do I start? They are all great.

 

Paul Goodness

All of the above.

Except:

"Absolutely essential is a three-pronged pushbutton screw starter"

Custom fabricator, motorcycle builder, restorer and mechanic, woodworker and metal fabricator.

And I never thought of that one.
At my age, I definitely need to put that one on my "must get" list.
Still learning something new everyday.

Fred

 According to Lee, "work on a project until done, making a total mess, then clean up the room and put everything back in its place when done"

 

THIS is the key to fast and efficient shop work.  A place for everything, and everything in it it's place.  When the shop is cleaned up, and there is an empty hook, that is the time to look for the missing tool.

A set of Craftsman Pro screwdrivers (Made in USA). Get loads of use out of these.

Bought them back from the States. 

 

On the subject of those 12V Li-ion driver's check out the Milwaukee one. I have one I use for work. Had it for about 3 years I reckon it's better than the Bosch.

 

 

As far as what I use to keep benchwork subroadbed things rolling,  foundation tools are:

 

Table saw

Chop saw

drill press

router table

12" disk sander

5" disk sander

18v drill motor

Angle drill motor

jig saw

 

Buy yous tools for the duration of use.  If it is just for one project then Harbor Freight may work for you, work fast before the warrantee runs out then sell the tools.  Very bad experience here w/ HF power tools!!

 

If you want something to last I recommend better name brands.

 

IMO, only Bosch for jig saws.

floor model drill press.

Milwaukee/Bosch hand tools

12v & 18v battery guns

Ridgid angle head drill motor

Bosch table saw

Biesemeyer fence

I prefer to avoid Craftsman and Black and Decker (which now owns other major brands like PC, Dewalt, Stanley, etc)

Really nice task light

Jigs and fixtures for the repeatable tasks.

decent power circuits

One very patient and supportive spouse, or a very skilled counselor or a very good attorney.

multiple air filters for friable and collectors for table and floor sawdust,

plus hoards of squeeze, spring and bar clamps.

 

A photo collection of what these tools can do:  www.curvedbenchwork.net

 

I have a small collection of screwdrivers; both phillips and flat head and some needle nose pliers.

I bought a dremel tool for light sanding or grinding of the track and use a regular 3/8 electric drill for drilling holes in the plywood tables. A hacksaw is another good tool for use with tubular track.

I don't care much for the battery operated tools , as the replacement batteries cost almost as much as a new battery operated tool kit. Plus the battery operated drills I had the battery packs kept going out in the middle of a project, so it's all 120 volt electric cord drills for me and 25 foot extension cords.

Don't forget a vacuum for cleaning up! The wife gets upset if I don't clean up my mess. I found a large shop vacuum in the trash in my neighborhood, needed an electric cord and a new filter, so now I have a really strong vacuum cleaner.

 

Lee Fritz

The 3 things I can't do without are my band saw, drill press and mini-lathe, wish I had a mini-mill.  2 other "things" are Dremel w/bits and assorted dental tools.

 

I have a small phillips screwdriver and a pair of sharp-pointed tweezers that seem to always be nearby.

 

Oh...one of those head-mounted magnifying goggles and a good light source.

I operate like Lee does, except with fewer power tools, and I am a slob...having tools

and materials spread across three work tables, one of which gets cleaned off at the end of a project to make room for the next.  It is all trapped in a defined space, so I will eventually find it.  I worked in a "papermill", huge volumes of documents came across, or to my desk, some to remain for some time.  But I had occasion to visit the offices of two different lawyers, who had tons of paper everywhere.  I came away grinning, with a superiority complex. 

I think it was in an editorial of Model Railroader magazine, that the editor visited

the workshop of a modeler who had been providing exquisite scratchbuilt brass

locomotives for their pages.  The editor said he went into the home expecting

a machine shop, and was suprised to see the workshop was a dark corner of the

basement with parts turned, chucked in an electric drill, and all made by hand. 

"I don't care much for the battery operated tools , as the replacement batteries cost almost as much as a new battery operated tool kit. Plus the battery operated drills I had the battery packs kept going out in the middle of a project, so it's all 120 volt electric cord drills for me and 25 foot extension cords"

 

Six years ago, I bought a Black & Decker 14.4 volt Firestorm cordless drill.  It came with two rechargeable batteries, but I have been using only one since purchase.  Last month, the original one would not hold a charge.  So, out came the spare, charged it up, and it works fine.  I hope I can get another six years out of this spare.  Twelve years out of a cordless drill isn't too bad. 

I really appreciate all the comments and pictures. It's obvious to me the biggest obstacle I have is the need for a band saw or similar type bench top saw. Thank you for all the inputs. Terry

The best thing I did was get organized. These were my tool boxes:

 

 

 

My tools were split among all these boxes. Whenever I couldn't find something, off to Lowe's or Home Depot for a purchase.

 

For Father's Day my family bought me a rolling tool chest.

 

 

 

 

Then, I started emptying my boxes.....

 

 

 

I'm going to save a fortune just by not buying duplicates!

 

Peter

I have better than 3 prior generations of tools in my shop, some of which only Roy Underhill might be able to identify,   I'll confess that I have not used the spokeshave bits recently, but they are up on the shelf nice and sharp next to the frow.

 

Just picked up a 4th drill press this weekend - variable speed that handles down to a #80 and up to an 1/8".

 

 

It was mention about a ban saw.  This small Craftman saw from Sears is a good start. 


I also found a bench Belt/Disk sander to be very useful.
Bottom shelf next to the soccer ball.


The shop vac pictured, and garbage can may be the most important items in any work area.
Good lighting another important part of a work area.



Bench Vice.

 

I use my frow all the time; doesn't everybody?

I use it just about as much as I use my Grandfather's left-handed broad axe to square up timbers, which is only slightly more than I use the mortising axe

Thank you for the additional posts. I've learned a lot and need to head to the hardware store! Terry