The beginners tool box

[terrywerm]

Terry, the coffee mug is great and fits me to a tee! Where did you find it?

Dave

Found it on www.spreadshirt.com They have a "product builder" tool there where you can select a coffee mug, then add a design to it from the ones they have, plus you can add custom text if you like. You can get the text shown on the mug on t-shirts also. They've got a whole bunch of machinist related stuff there.

 

[gus]

A pair of stainless steel engineer's square from China. Paid S$10 for both from a local hardware shop.. Moisture in my three open sided balcony workshop would rust any regular traditional squares. Squares is a must when marking out.

( Would love to hijack that toolmakers chest. Chronos UK and Arceuro UK won't ship to Far East. May end up making my own)

 

[gus]

I will start with a tool box that is redily availble in the USA and I believe to be a good bang for the buck especially if you have a coupon .


Name Eight Drawer Wood Tool Chest
SKU 94538
Brand Windsor Design
Drawers 8
Material Wood
Shipping Volume 2.992
Overall dimensions: 20" L x 10-1/2" W x 16" H
Shipping Weight: 20.65 lbs.
Import from China

Manufacturer Warranty Detail 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! If for ANY reason you are not satisfied with this item, you may return it within 90 days for a full refund or replacement.

regular price $99.99
my price after coupon$ 59.99 40% discount.
This is advertised as hardwood with a walnut stain.
The box appears to be solid wood if there is any laminate it is well hidden. drawer bottoms masonite type material with IMHO a few too many staples holding then in. As far as walnut finish I am not seeing it looks more maple color to me.
The hardware is advertised as chrome plated. It is there and looks good . The knobs on the display model appeared to be turned aluminum and had a home /shop made appearance. The single handle on the box is on the top a modem version of the handle on top of my vintage union box. There is no lid support in the till. Something that can be added like I did on my Travers import box. The item description mentions single key locking. this is a normal feature for such a box, but not true. this box has two locks each with a pair off keys, one for the till and a second lock for the drawer covers. There is an ugly do not remove this label label inside the drawer cover with the box serial number on it. The box is felt lined the Mrs says the felt is thin, not something I noticed.
I mentioned drawer bottoms.In comparison my vintage union has tin plate steel for drawer bottoms. My Travers import box has thin ply wood that is captured by the drawer frame. My son's Grizzly box has masonite held with one staple . Remove the staple slide out the drawer bottom and replace with something better.The drawer bottoms on this one will slide out after removing the one staple per inch of drawer. arg.

If you want Gershner Quality and can afford it buy a Gershner. if you want a value priced import to hold your hobby tools this is IMHO a good value. Add a lid support ,replace the drawer bottoms with aluminum or tinplate steel and you will have a pretty nice box.


Harbor Freight stock Photo

Thanks for reading. normal disclaimer no affiliations Yada Yada. caravat Emptor I inspected the condition of my box before leaving the store parking lot . I recommend the same for any similar purchase.
Tin

Hi Tin,
Been trying very hard to buy one of this.
UK vendors won't ship to Singapore.:wall::wall::wall:
Looks like I have to make my own again.
Will try Harbour Freight.

 

[Alchymist]

Hi Tin,
Been trying very hard to buy one of this.
UK vendors won't ship to Singapore.:wall::wall::wall:
Looks like I have to make my own again.
Will try Harbour Freight.

Harbor Freight has them here in the US, don't know why they couldn't order you one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/eight-drawer-wood-tool-chest-94538.html

 

[Lykle]

Hi Tin,
Been trying very hard to buy one of this.
UK vendors won't ship to Singapore.
Looks like I have to make my own again.

I designed my own to be made via Ponoko.

From 5 mm plywood, double skinned. Only trouble is, I have not been able to have them lasered yet as I am lacking the funds.
But it looks like it will work and the nice thing is, they will simply snap together, so basically you are shipping a flat packed tool chest.

I even included the laser cut felt sheets or leather, for the covering of the drawers.
Ah well, one day I will "print" them and post a pic.

Lykle

 

[dnalot]

Tin has advised us to read all the sticky's and so I have been reviewing them all. Could not help noticing this one "Starter tool Chest" didn't show the first thing that went in mine.

Mark T

 

[Tin Falcon]

This could be handy as well antibacterial anti fungal skin ointment helps small cuts heal



Tin

 

[aarggh]

Tea Tree Oil is a fantastic balm, another one that we've found extremely good for irritations and dermatitis/eczema (damn that's a stupid word!) type rashes is Emu Oil. Works a treat.

cheers, Ian

 

[DanP]

There should also be some Elbow grease for clean-up after the project is finished.

 

[moya034]

Being that I'm new to the world of machining, and am now in the process of getting a shop together... keep the ideas coming! Good suggestions here.

 

[Tin Falcon]

You need taps and dies.
1) you need to decide what standard.
a) 2-56 to 1/4 -20
b) BA standard threads
c) metric

The temptation here is to buy a set. The problem is all sets I have seen are 4 flute taps. 4 flute taps are great for chasing threads .The problem with 4 flute taps is you have to continually interrupt the cut to break the chip.

spiral point taps are made for though holes and can be run in under power.They push the chips ahead of the tap
spiral flute taps bring the chips up and out ,are designed for blind holes and again can be run in under power.
forming taps create no chip run in by power fast and need a larger than normal tap drill.

Dies form male threads taps form female threads.

Tin

 

[Wizard69]

Taps are an interesting discussion.

One issue with the cheaper tap and die sets is that they are often carbon steel. At least in the lower cost variant they are. You then have to decide if carbon steel makes sense. Old gun smiths for example liked carbon steel because one could often remove broken tap with a hammer and punch. I tend to prefer HSS steel is I believe they are less brittle.

Since in this business we are already working with small easy to break taps there is some logic in preferring two flute or thread forming taps. Either way a tapping stand or the various approaches to guide blocks are a smart investment. There is nothing worst than breaking off a tap in a project that is nearly complete. So for the beginner it is advisable to practice tapping some, to get the hang of it, before moving on to a project.

Beyond that LUBE! The right tapping fluid can work wonders here. Especially if the material is difficult to cut. I'd go so far as to recommend a can of tapping fluid specific to each type of material you are likely to have to run a tap into. If properly used, a can will last for years if not decades in a home shop. Even so any lube is better than no lube.

You need taps and dies.
1) you need to decide what standard.
a) 2-56 to 1/4 -20
b) BA standard threads
c) metric

The temptation here is to buy a set. The problem is all sets I have seen are 4 flute taps. 4 flute taps are great for chasing threads .The problem with 4 flute taps is you have to continually interrupt the cut to break the chip.

spiral point taps are made for though holes and can be run in under power.They push the chips ahead of the tap
spiral flute taps bring the chips up and out ,are designed for blind holes and again can be run in under power.
forming taps create no chip run in by power fast and need a larger than normal tap drill.

Dies form male threads taps form female threads.

Tin

 

[moya034]

I've always believed even if you aren't a machinist, and just a mechanic, taps and dies are an indispensable part of any toolbox.

The info regarding spiral point taps was news to me. My Pop-Pop taught me about breaking the chips while tapping back in my early teenage years.

What are good brand names to look for in drills/taps/dies and what vendors do you use for them? I've been frustrated by the quality of the crap that I can buy locally.

Also, it was my (probably misinformed) impression that most machinists would rather cut external threads on a lathe then use a die. Is this not true, or does it depend on the circumstances?

 

[Tin Falcon]

Cleveland and greenfield tap and die are the good old made in usa brands OSG is also very good.

A good set of drill bits for not huge money can be had here

Screw machine drill bits
these are made in usa.

screw machine bits are nice for small machines with limited Z travel.
Tin

 

[Wizard69]

I've always believed even if you aren't a machinist, and just a mechanic, taps and dies are an indispensable part of any toolbox.

I still have many taps in my tool box from working in a foundry 30 years ago. They are as you say indispensable.

The info regarding spiral point taps was news to me. My Pop-Pop taught me about breaking the chips while tapping back in my early teenage years.

A good spiral point tap is suppose to push the chips forwards. I've had occasions where "breaking the chips" helps with a spiral point tap. Often I believe that is an issue of working in the lube though.

What are good brand names to look for in drills/taps/dies and what vendors do you use for them? I've been frustrated by the quality of the crap that I can buy locally.

This I understand 100%. If you want to buy locally you will have to find a solid industrial supplier. Most big cities have them. However I find it much easier these days to get on line and order form one of the big houses. Examples would be:

1. Travers
2. Enco
3. MSC
4. Mc Master-Carr
5. & etc

There are many more to choose from. Realize that these guys sell cheap crap too, you get what you pay for.

Also, it was my (probably misinformed) impression that most machinists would rather cut external threads on a lathe then use a die. Is this not true, or does it depend on the circumstances?

Like everything in life it depends. Some guys will start the threads on a lathe and finish with a die.

 

[Alchymist]

I've always believed even if you aren't a machinist, and just a mechanic, taps and dies are an indispensable part of any toolbox.

The info regarding spiral point taps was news to me. My Pop-Pop taught me about breaking the chips while tapping back in my early teenage years.

What are good brand names to look for in drills/taps/dies and what vendors do you use for them? I've been frustrated by the quality of the crap that I can buy locally.

Also, it was my (probably misinformed) impression that most machinists would rather cut external threads on a lathe then use a die. Is this not true, or does it depend on the circumstances?

Have had pretty good luck with Irwin and Brubaker taps.

 

[moya034]

Thanks for the info!

Like everything in life it depends. Some guys will start the threads on a lathe and finish with a die.

This makes sense. I've always found it a little harder to cut good external threads with a die then internal threads with a tap. I can see where starting the process on a lathe would give the die a running start, so to speak, making for more accurate threads with less chance of "rocking" the die back and forth. Finishing with the die would clearly be faster then completing the cut on the lathe.

 

[Tin Falcon]

As of 8-3-13 I moved the emu stories to the break room. so folks can focus on tool choices.
If anyone want to exchange further Emu stories feel free to post them to that thread.
Tin

 

[wakeup]

Taps and dies.....I always look for high speed steel with a ground thread. The ground thread bit is the important bit. In the workshop I have a few carbon steel taps with machined (milled?) flutes. Without exception they have large burrs which would completely stuff up any thread. Most of the threads I generate tend to be fairly small and with a fine thread, in aluminium alloy. I recently spent over $30 buying, what I thought was a M4 x 0.5 Dormer HSS/GT die only to find that it had burrs bigger than the thread form. It wasn't made by Dormer. Sadly I made this discovery only after getting rid of the receipt.
cheers
Bill

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have been looking at my tool box and looking at the tools here. and I see a few things that could easily be added here. I will be kind and just add a couple so others can still contribute.
A handy tool that comes to mind is a a silver pencil. This is a tool I learned of in USAF Aircraft Structural repair school aka sheet metal school. The silver pencil is the only tool allowed for use to layout aluminum for aircraft repair. the carbon left behind by a regular pencil can case problems.
This pencil is also used by welders as the line does not burn off.

Mine are marketed through the Hobart welding supply chain and purchased through Tractor supply.

$ 9. xx for a lead holder with 6 leads
Photo from fleetfarm.com

I like the plastic lead holder with the relacement leads. but staples .com has silver streak welding pencils fro $7.99 a dozen.

The advantage of the wood ones is they are cheaper and you have spares in case you brake one or get it to close to hot work.

Silver-Streak® Red-Riter® Welder's Pencil is economical and has high-strength.

Available colors: Red and silver
Marks resistant to torch flames; will not rub off or burn off like soapstone
Highly visible marks illuminate when cutting or welding
Durable marks will not scratch or abrade metal surfaces
Hexagonal shape reduces barrel roll unlike competitive brands
Sharpen with any standard pencil sharpener
Economical, high-strength pencil is ideal for marking all types of metal surfaces – even oily, rusty or wet surfaces
Physical State: Flat Silver Solid
Specific Gravity: >1
Shape: Hexagonal

Tin