# Tools you shouldn't have bought



## mklotz (Jan 14, 2009)

When I was starting out in this hobby, long before the Internet and information mines like this forum, I bought tools I thought would be useful for what I intended to do.

It didn't take long to realize just how dumb that approach can be and I quickly relaxed into buying tools only when I had an immediate application or, preferably, making the tools I needed when I needed them.

I'm guessing I'm not alone here, so... What tools have you bought (as opposed to been given or inherited) that, in retrospect, you now think were an ill-advised purchase?

Let's try to limit the discussion to metalworking tools. While woodworking and fishing gadgets offer a rich field for this sort of question, let's stick to things that may help the metalworking newbies avoid naive shopping sprees.


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## putputman (Jan 14, 2009)

I can think of one (there are probaly more) that I purchase and only use once with very little success. 
I thought I just had to have a right angle head for my milling machine. Bought it on Ebay and paid too much for it. 
Someday it will be on Ebay again.


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## jack404 (Jan 14, 2009)

El cheapo drill doctor knock offs

dont get em!!

spend $100 USD and buy a decent one.

i have 2 cheapies here  both useless one worse than useless

i bought a good one for $149 USD + $30USD delivery to Oz

never had a issue it does the job and dont try to re-engineer the drills


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## jack404 (Jan 14, 2009)

oh and slitting saw arbours

make em, dont buy em

( i bought my first one , saw what it was when it arrived and i've made my own since)

 a 20-30 min job , costs nothing ( if you have offcuts) and gives satisfaction every time you use it.

cheers again

jack


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## Loose nut (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm starting to think that the El cheap'o tool post grinder I just bought is a useless POS, other then that everything is good. My best buy was the original Darex drill sharpener (not the drill doctor) can't live with out it, it can put a better edge on a new brand name drill bit then the factory does.


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## cfellows (Jan 14, 2009)

I bought a Dumore toolpost grinder at the flea market 10 years ago for $20. Great price, good tool, but I seldom use it.

End mill sharpening jig. Used it once.

Metal Bender from Harbor Freight. Have never used it.

Taper attachment for my Logan Lathe. Requires some additional pieces and I've never used it.

Delta mortiser, ought it new for $260 and rarely use it.

Numerous gears, leadscrews, ball earings, electric motors, not bought for any particular project, but just because they were available and cheap. 

Buy or build as you need it, not because it has an attractive price or looks neat!

Chuck


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## ksouers (Jan 14, 2009)

I bought a clone Indicol indicator holder for tramming the mill. What a flimsy piece of junk. 
I made out better when I made my own copy of a Zero-It. It's quite rigid and was good practice for me.

Plastic parallelogram-type protractor. The metal ones with a swing arm work much better for quick setups and checks.

I'm sure I could find a couple more things if I go searching through the junk drawer.


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## Philjoe5 (Jan 14, 2009)

I bought a tailstock dieholder (el super cheapo), used it a few times and realized it was probably off-center so I made my own which works great.

I bought a few 1/2" brazed carbide toolbits, then realized I couldn't get them centered in my toolposts.

I bought a matched set of 1-2-3 blocks and I think they sat on the shelf for almost a year before I realized how useful they can be. That taught me a good lesson. Don't discount the usefulness of any tool. If you can manage to live long enough, with some help and assistance from the more knowledgeable folks on this forum, who knows, you might discover some use for that widget you bought.

Oh let's not forget the cutoff saw... I bought a cheap Harbor Freight model but put some good quality cutoff disks on it. I remember cutting (grinding?)my way through a piece of CRS only to find I had work hardened the end. Replaced that with a bandsaw and have never looked back. I know some folks swear by these cutoffs but hey, some folks like yogurt too! 

Cheers,
Phil


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## lugnut (Jan 15, 2009)

Ain't no such thing ;D
Mel


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## steamer (Jan 15, 2009)

Cheap scissor knurling tool, with knurls that had their axles riveted on!

Knurls run out .030".......Lets just say the result is not pretty.....I'll start over and make my own.


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## shred (Jan 15, 2009)

Full size tool and cutter grinder. I like it and use it (not for sharpening tools or cutters though) and it was cheap, but it's pretty big (700 lbs, 6x24 table) and I could use the space more effectively with something else.

Tailstock 3-jaw chuck. Hey it was on sale at HF . Never use it.


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## mklotz (Jan 15, 2009)

shred  said:
			
		

> Tailstock 3-jaw chuck. Hey it was on sale at HF . Never use it.



Does it freewheel? (If not, mount it on a cheap live center.) Nice if you want to support large diameter pipe shapes while turning the exterior. Of course, if you do that as infrequently as I do, a homemade cat's head will work as well.

Actually, that sounds exactly like something I would have been tempted to buy years ago before I learned about cat's heads.


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## dwentz (Jan 15, 2009)

Cheap drill chucks, have had to upgrade all of them. 
Cheap Carbide tooling, Never did hold up well, buy the good stuff or use HSS
Im with you on only buying tooling that you need today, not that you think you might need in the future. I have lots of stuff I have acquired over the years that never gets used. It just takes up space in the shop, and I usually forget that I had it when I need it anyway.

Just because I need a tool that I do not have on hand does not force me to stop working on the project or in the shop. I just move on to the next step if I can. I also try to keep 2 or 3 projects in progress, so I just move on to the next while I wait for the parts. It is also nice to have another project to move on to when you are stuck, or need to think about a problem.

Dale


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## rleete (Jan 15, 2009)

What are cat's heads?


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## mklotz (Jan 15, 2009)

rleete  said:
			
		

> What are cat's heads?



That thing at the opposite end of a cat from the tail.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

There are (at least) two forms of cat's head...

Say you need to use a steady rest on a long piece of non-cylindrical (e.g., square) stock you're turning.

Take a tube that fits over the stock and drill and tap four holes at each end spaced at 90 degree intervals. Slip this over the stock, adjust the eight screws to center stock therein and apply steady rest to cat's head.

Say you need to turn the outside or outboard end of a large pipe and don't have a big enough bull center. 

Take a cylindrical chunk small enough to fit into pipe and centerdrill both ends. Drill and tap for eight screws as above. Slip into pipe, expand screws to grip interior of pipe and apply TS live center to centerdrilled hole.

I believe the name comes from the fact that the protruding screws somewhat resemble the whiskers on a cat's face. Alternatively, it may derive from the cathead used on sailing ships as a place to secure anchor lifting gear.

GIYF. Look around and you should be able to find a picture.


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## rleete (Jan 15, 2009)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> That thing at the opposite end of a cat from the tail.
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist.



I kinda expected it.  ;D

I've seen them before, just never heard them called that.


Persoanlly, I have very few things I regret buying. A side benefit of being a super cheapskate.


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## John S (Jan 15, 2009)

Everybody's ideas will vary, what's one man's meat is another man's poison.
I have three different type of cathead steadies and would be dead in the water without them but I do a lot of welded repaired shaft work.

Worse buy I made after thinking it would be good was one of those Blake co-ax indicators for picking up the centre of a bore.
They work fine, no problem with the piece of gear but it's the operation of it 

Take cutter out of mill.

Wind table right down 6 to 8"

Fit Blake and indicate to find centre.

Remove Blake.

Wing back up 6 to 8"

Replace cutter.

Ring doc up for elbow and shoulder transplant.

JS.


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## mklotz (Jan 15, 2009)

John,

What, no "sock puppet" nym? I've been ROFLMAO over that thread and the rest of the daytime TV drama over there. I'm so glad I left - best thing I ever did for my blood pressure.

I have similar thoughts about the Blake (although I have an import knockoff someone gave me). I have found, though, that they're nice to get the TS recentered. Of course, I don't offset it anymore for tapers - use a boring head - so I guess it's worthless for that too.


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## shred (Jan 15, 2009)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> Does it freewheel? (If not, mount it on a cheap live center.) Nice if you want to support large diameter pipe shapes while turning the exterior. Of course, if you do that as infrequently as I do, a homemade cat's head will work as well.
> 
> Actually, that sounds exactly like something I would have been tempted to buy years ago before I learned about cat's heads.


Were it more than a 2" diameter chuck, I might do that.. Likewise I rarely work on large long pipes, so I'll probably just convert the taper to something I can grab easily in a vice or what all and use it as a workholder for hand work.

I can always find a use for whatever junk I buy, but it might not be the 'official' use.


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## jpaul (Jan 15, 2009)

I am a tool junkie. I have to fight myself everytime I receive the machinery catalogs.

I have noticed that the tools I own, that I rarely use, get lost in my shop or forgotten of. This is particularly true if I own another tool that is adaptable to several uses and consequently frequent used. Example:

I think that I have an adjustable angle block (somewhere). But I know exactly where to find my protractors, sine bar, and calculator.


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## mklotz (Jan 15, 2009)

You mean like this, Paul?







When I was young and innocent (sometime in the early Jurassic), I thought this thing was so neat that everyone needed one.

While it has a vernier, the marks are so broad that setting it with any accuracy demands an exterior reference (and, if you've got a reference, why use this?). The lock screw makes the thing move when you tighten it. With the V for part mounting, you've got to faff around with 45 degree compensations for most jobs. And it isn't heavy enough to anchor even a small boat.

Save your money and buy angle blocks and a sine bar. This thing is a shiny paperweight.


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## John S (Jan 15, 2009)

Hey Marv, those things are brilliant



I have one I use it for ............. you know I can't remember............

JS


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## Lew Hartswick (Jan 15, 2009)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> I have one I use it for ............. you know I can't remember............
> JS



A paper weight on your desk, maybe? 
  ...lew...


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## jack404 (Jan 15, 2009)

adjustable angle block ...
I actually use mine a heap, but maybe thats just me and the work i do ( indexing barrels and sights and stock screws )
I have a half hex. insert made to take hexagonal shapes that i work with often

( not cheap!)

i did buy a cheap one once that moved when you tryed to lock it up but i tossed it fast.
if they move there are useless..

sine holders are the same , if they slip, send it back or toss it, its not worth the heart ache or temper tantrums that result.

jack


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## cfellows (Jan 15, 2009)

Oh yeah, forgot, I bought a Lincoln Procut 25 plasma cutter for over $1100. My idea was to cut out spoke patterns in flywheel's with it. Although it cuts great, it's not much use without guides or templates to get nice straight and repeatable cuts. I've never really used it for any of my projects. But I'm going to some day.

Chuck


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## McNeillMachine (Jan 15, 2009)

1) Hollow chisel mortiser. 225 bucks.

2) 115 pc set of drill bits for 29 bucks. ("They'll be good enough." - They weren't.)

3) Indexable stub acme thread cutter. Just HAD to cut a stub acme thread for a project instead of a 60 deg. 125 bucks. 

4) 4 inch face mill off ebay. somehow I thought my BP could handle that. Maybe if I take a 2 thou DOC, but thats it. 40 bucks, plus cutters, plus arbor. prolly 200 total.

Not terrible for 6 years, but still.


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## BillH (Jan 15, 2009)

I bought a T handle Hex set at Harborfreight one day. I could take the smaller ones and wrap them around my finger! Must of been made out of lead.


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## Mike N (Jan 15, 2009)

BillH  said:
			
		

> I bought a T handle Hex set at Harborfreight one day. I could take the smaller ones and wrap them around my finger! Must of been made out of lead.



I bought a Metric & standard set of these to, junk!
In fact tomorrow I going to throw them out!


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## shred (Jan 15, 2009)

Mike N  said:
			
		

> I bought a Metric & standard set of these to, junk!
> In fact tomorrow I going to throw them out!


I have a couple sets of the multi-colored ones and they do ok for me. They're a little soft, but I don't lean on them much and grind them back when they do wear. Cheap enough to dedicate a set to a particular machine which is how I deploy them; I have a better set for general purpose and heavy-duty uses.

I'll be sure to inspect any new sets thoroughly before buying.


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## BobWarfield (Jan 15, 2009)

I actually kept a record the first couple of years, so I know exactly what I bought and didn't use. Here is a start on the list:

- Center Test Wobbler (tried it once, much preferred a DTI)

- Used Bison 6 1/4" 3-jaw Chuck (turned out to be too big for my lathe, but it was a heck of a deal, DOH!)

- Vibration dampening machine feet (I like making them out of Hockey pucks better!)

- Stainless Steel Protractor (I have yet to need to measure an angle of any kind. I set up angles, but that is different. I use my angle blocks)

- Pin Gage Set (Another fabulous deal, but never use 'em)

- Live center set (An import set. I found a nice used Royal before I ever had a chance to use the imports, and have stuck with it)

- Brown & Sharp Radius Gages

- Starrett Adjustable Parallels (Pretty sure these will get used, but so far I have found my planer gage is what I reach for first)

- Lathe dogs (I have a driven center arrangement I prefer)

- 8 Pc Expanding Arbor Set (Hey, they were cheap!)

- Starrett Taper Gage No 269B

The list goes on for quite some while. Can't resist an eBay deal!

OTOH, I hadn't looked at the list in a while and had to mark several things early in the list that I had finally gotten around to using.

Cheers,

BW


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## jack404 (Jan 16, 2009)

Mike N  said:
			
		

> I bought a Metric & standard set of these to, junk!
> In fact tomorrow I going to throw them out!



if they are bigger sizes give em to your local gun nut

bored out and a barrel liner in place they make a a ripper .38 derringer 

 ;D

jack


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## potman (Jan 16, 2009)

Well.... OK... I'll admit it.

I'm beginning to regret buying my lathe. 

It's a neat old Southbend that will be pretty cool as soon as I:

Dismantle and clean
De-rust
Paint
Assemble
Mount motor
Mount jackshaft
Adjust and align
Buy tooling

I probably would have been better off spending more money on a new machine. If I had then I could actually be turning thingys instead of just thinking about turning thingys.

There, I feel better already.

earl...


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## rleete (Jan 16, 2009)

potman,

Console yourself with the fact that when you are done, you will have a nicer machine. Plus, having a Chinese lathe, you'd have to work on it anyway. Cleaning, adjusting, making improvements, etc. Not quite as involved as rebuilding a SB, but it will never be the machine the SB is, either.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jan 16, 2009)

I don't have any tools that I shouldn't have bought. I do however have a tailstock that works with my 2 position rotary table that I have not had an opportunity to use yet!! ;D ;D Some of the tools I intitially purchased have had to wait for my machining ability to reach the point where I was capable of using them.---Brian


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## shred (Jan 16, 2009)

potman  said:
			
		

> Well.... OK... I'll admit it.
> 
> I'm beginning to regret buying my lathe.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I know that one. The old machines are great when they're going, but I know more than one newbie that still has a parts machine and no made parts after a year or two of ownership.. the stock advice of many internet 'gurus' to anybody asking "what lathe should I buy?" to hunt around and wait for some old American iron to show up isn't necessarily the best answer for many (I see this in other areas too, and it frustrates me there as well). In the long run it should come out ok though.


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## rake60 (Jan 16, 2009)

I can't think of any tools I regret owning.
I did make a very dumb buy once.
An amazing deal on a full set of new 3/8" brazed tool bits 
from an eBay vendor. At least it would have been a great 
deal if the carbide had been properly brazed to the tools.
It popped off of 7 out of 10 of the tools with their very
first use. 
 :

Rick


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## jihe (Jan 16, 2009)

Been thinking about this since the thread started. I've regretted lots of purchases, but never a tool! Of course I have tools that have not yet found their use, but I am pretty confident they will. 

My philosophy has always been that it's better to have a bad Chinese tool made for the purpose than no tool at all. That has saved me many times.

I have a slow decision process though, and have regretted lots of tool purchases i did NOT do. And sometimes, when I discovered that I used a tool often that I just bought for safety, I have regretted I didn't buy a better version right away.


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## baldrocker (Jan 16, 2009)

Potman
Been there still doing it. Make a simple chuff chuff first.
If its like mine it will be bloody awful but with luck will run.
This will give you all the incentive you need to persevere
also teach you what is needed to bring your lathe up to scratch.
The gradual improvement in your lathe plus the knowledge that
no-one knows it better than you is worth the wait. Don't worry about the
shift from making engines to making tools worry you, the urge to
make engines will return.
BR


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## kvom (Jan 16, 2009)

I have a fair number of mechanics tools that I bought but have never used. So far I have bought very little for machining other than the machines themselves. I did buy a "Mighty Mag" with a DI on eBay; the magnet is fine but the DI is crap (lens cover knocked off in shipping, and the needle is bent).


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## artrans (Jan 16, 2009)

I no one think i am need 100% happy with band saws you no i have a love hate relation ship with them to get them to cut straight i swear you can spend a live time trying and adjusting it a tool that seem to take a lot of maintenance. I confess i am bit of a tool junkie how ever shred i would respectively dis agree with you on the new vs Sb I have both Sb and the china brands and there is no way to compare the Sb is hands down far better then the china brand you take just the tail stock on the south bend I swear you can almost retract the total tail stock to zero with one good spin 30 years from now I do not think the china brand will do that. also if the day comes god forbid you need to sell the machines a south bent or some other older brand will always have a better resell value china brand may not. I new the saying new is new but any china brand will never ever beat a 10ee or a myford or a logan or a south bend in my opinion.


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## Holescreek (Jan 16, 2009)

> I am a tool junkie. I have to fight myself everytime I receive the machinery catalogs.



I get bummed out when the catalogs arrive. There's nothing left in them that I want. -Mike


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## shred (Jan 16, 2009)

artrans  said:
			
		

> I no one think i am need 100% happy with band saws you no i have a love hate relation ship with them to get them to cut straight i swear you can spend a live time trying and adjusting it a tool that seem to take a lot of maintenance. I confess i am bit of a tool junkie how ever shred i would respectively dis agree with you on the new vs Sb I have both Sb and the china brands and there is no way to compare the Sb is hands down far better then the china brand


I agree a decent SB is a better machine (though this topic is approaching one of the major forum no-nos). I still prefer the feel of my wobbly old 1936 Sheldon to a brand new, far more precise, 12x36. But my point is _any_ working lathe, even a cheap one, is far far better for a newbie that wants to make things than the nicest SB that needs a few parts and pieces oh and a total rebuild just to turn a part or waiting a year or more to turn up ready-to-run at a reasonable price. If they discover they aren't serious, they're only out $400 if they pitch a 7x into the lake instead of reselling it. If they are serious, they'll burn through far more than $400 worth of tooling, time and stock learning what they need to know to appreciate a bigger machine when one does turn up.


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## kustomkb (Jan 16, 2009)

The only times I have regretted buying tools is when I cheaped out on quality thinking "I'll only need it once"

Well the quality ensures there won't be a second time! :-[


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## rleete (Jan 16, 2009)

Shred, I hear ya. I would have loved a nice full sized lathe. But money dictated getting a chinese machine or rebuilding an old workhorse. That would have resulted in never making anything and a partially disassembled old lathe. This way, I'm at least learning to use something.

Maybe after I get some experience, I'll find and restore an older, larger lathe. For a first timer, it's probably a better choice to get a cheap-o that runs. I have no illusions that there are better machines out there, and have no problem with criticisms of the cheaper lathes, mills, etc. Hey, you get what you pay for. But it works out of the box, and sometimes that is more important than absolute accuracy.


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## Stan (Jan 17, 2009)

I have many tools sitting in boxes that have never been used but I wouldn't say I shouldn't have bought them. If you can buy ten new endmills from Boeing for $5.00, why wait until you need one. When you need it, one import costs that much and is of lower quality. Almost all of my Starrett measuring tools and most of my tooling came from yard sales. flea markets or surplus stores, not when I needed it, but when it was available at the right price.


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## John S (Jan 17, 2009)

Round here it's know as Magpie Fever 

JS.


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