Tools I would like to have

Advert

New Replies

Report Bug

Help/FAQs

Tools I would like to have

This topic has 86 replies, 49 voices, and was last updated 28 October 2016 at 11:49 by not done it yet.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 87 total)

1 2 3 4 →

Author

Posts
24 October 2016 at 10:17 #262672
Tim Stevens
Participant
@timstevens64731
A few ideas for the tool industry, to make my toolkit more useful:

1. Socket spanners to fit the square ends of taps.
This would enable me to use my extensions, ratchets, etc to get into awkward places.

2. Hacksaw blades with teeth for wood – ideally on the Japanese pull-saw pattern.
This would mean that a travelling toolkit would need only an extra blade or two, not a complete saw.

3. A BA thread gauge, to check the TPI of mystery fasteners.
Nothing in the Whitworth, Unified or Metric gauges will match, usually

Anyone got other ideas?

Regards, Tim
Advert

24 October 2016 at 10:17 #18239
Tim Stevens
Participant
@timstevens64731
24 October 2016 at 10:21 #262674
Ian Parkin
Participant
@ianparkin39383
Tim

I have a set of square sockets just for taps

not easy in this country but on ebay in usa

actually they are now

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LASER-6058-TAP-SOCKET-SET-HOLDER-MAGNETIC-SQUARE-SOCKETS-IDEAL-FOR-TIGHT-SPACES-/361347529245?hash=item5421fdba1d:g:92EAAOSwu4BVsO7l

Junior hacksaw blades are available with tooth form suitable for wood not seen 12 " ones though

Surely easy to make a thread plate for ba threads to test unknowns

Edited By Ian Parkin on 24/10/2016 10:23:03
24 October 2016 at 10:36 #262679
MW
Participant
@mw27036
Posted by Tim Stevens on 24/10/2016 10:17:49:

A few ideas for the tool industry, to make my toolkit more useful:

1. Socket spanners to fit the square ends of taps.
This would enable me to use my extensions, ratchets, etc to get into awkward places.

2. Hacksaw blades with teeth for wood – ideally on the Japanese pull-saw pattern.
This would mean that a travelling toolkit would need only an extra blade or two, not a complete saw.

3. A BA thread gauge, to check the TPI of mystery fasteners.
Nothing in the Whitworth, Unified or Metric gauges will match, usually

Anyone got other ideas?

Regards, Tim

Hi Tim,

Some general comments;

1. I would usually disagree with this suggestion because it could encourage a bad habit of applying too much force unevenly (which could cause a breakage). However i too have had trouble getting into awkward places where i need a tap wrench but not the space to turn it. (i have a long reach tap wrench from arc which you may find a useful purchase)

2. Generally speaking you can get away with a 24 tpi blade for brass/copper to use on wood. I actually find a hacksaw easier to use on things like mdf rather than a woodsaw.

3. I thought BA was like a "pre metric scale" in preparation for decimalization? So long as you could identify the pitch there would be no need to have a special threadform gauge.

Any other ideas would be some long handled spanners so i can stop hitting my hand on the side of the mill when i undo the taper on the drawbar of my mill!

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 24/10/2016 10:44:09
24 October 2016 at 11:12 #262686
Geoff Theasby
Participant
@geofftheasby
I have a 1/4 inch socket set, only cheap, but it does the job. Checking just now, a 3/16 inch socket fits a 2BA tap. My metric set is in the garage, or I would check further, and I am not suitably attired to go outside, people would talk…

Geoff
24 October 2016 at 12:25 #262695
Zebethyal
Participant
@zebethyal
1. Socket spanners to fit the square ends of taps.

This would enable me to use my extensions, ratchets, etc to get into awkward places.

8 piece sets available as:
- Laser part number 6058 on UK Ebay for around £18.00
- Snap-On / Blue Point part number TDL8 for around £70.00
24 October 2016 at 12:35 #262698
Tim Stevens
Participant
@timstevens64731
Regarding a BA thread gauge, Michael Walters says:

So long as you could identify the pitch there would be no need to have a special threadform gauge.

Exactly, but how do I identify the pitch? If I had a full set of BA taps I could make a set of gauges, but indeed, if I had a set of taps I wouldn't need the gauges, would I?

BA is indeed a 'metric' thread but it is unique in having pitches, in millimetres:

1, 0.9, 0.81, 0.73, 0.66, 0.59, 0.53, 0.48, 0.43 and so on. Only the first (0BA) is common with a metric series.

Cheers, Tim
24 October 2016 at 12:58 #262703
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
All the suggestions could of course be made by yourself though a saw blade is a bit tedious. Perhaps welding suitable ends onto a bit of bandsaw blade would do. I've not seen a junior hacksaw wood blade – could you be meaning a coping saw blade?
I have a nice little 1/4 in socket set that has BA, AF, and Metric so can usually find one to fit a square.

I have made one spanner with the hex cranked to half the usual angle for a particularly awkward nut with no clearance for a socket either. (the one underneath the Boxford head) I wonder if a fully variable design is possible without being bulky.

A BA pitch gauge could be easily moulded in plastic – It would make a nice publicity giveaway for some company at the next MEX.
24 October 2016 at 14:06 #262711
Nigel McBurney 1
Participant
@nigelmcburney1
snap on tools make tapping chucks (available in the UK)which hold the the square end of a tap securely over a range of sizes and have a normal square drive socket at the other end ,I have two sizes and only use occasionally but can be very useful,I made an adapter for the larger one using the taper shank of an old 3mt drill so that I could hold taps in the tailstock of my lathe without the taps slipping as they do when holding them in jacobs chuck.
24 October 2016 at 14:24 #262714
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Tim Stevens on 24/10/2016 10:17:49:

A few ideas for the tool industry, to make my toolkit more useful:

3. A BA thread gauge, to check the TPI of mystery fasteners.

.

They were available, Tim

**LINK**

http://www.mqs.co.uk/moore-wright-798-moore-wright-screw-pitch-gauges-type-ba-british-association-number-of-blades-12-threads-per-inch-0ba-1ba-2ba-3ba-4ba-5ba-6ba-7ba-8ba-9ba-10ba-type-47-5-degrees.html

But so were a lot of things …

MichaelG.
24 October 2016 at 14:27 #262715
Swarf, Mostly!
Participant
@swarfmostly
Posted by Tim Stevens on 24/10/2016 10:17:49:

A few ideas for the tool industry, to make my toolkit more useful:

1. Socket spanners to fit the square ends of taps.
This would enable me to use my extensions, ratchets, etc to get into awkward places.

2. Hacksaw blades with teeth for wood – ideally on the Japanese pull-saw pattern.
This would mean that a travelling toolkit would need only an extra blade or two, not a complete saw.

3. A BA thread gauge, to check the TPI of mystery fasteners.
Nothing in the Whitworth, Unified or Metric gauges will match, usually

Anyone got other ideas?

Regards, Tim

Hi there, Tim,

I'll pass on your items #1 & #2 but for item #3 you need Moore & Wright Screw Pitch Gauge, No. 798, British Association. It has leaves from 0 BA down to 10 BA plus a grinding gauge for 47½°.

I bought mine many years ago and it might since have been 'rationalised' out of the product range of whoever owns M&W this week! But there must be a few about on the second-hand market. One man's 'obsolete' is another man's 'comes in handy'!!!

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!
24 October 2016 at 14:33 #262717
roy entwistle
Participant
@royentwistle24699
Tim I recently bought 12 in Hacksaw blades for wood Similar teeth to a bow saw Sorry I can't remember where but they are out there
24 October 2016 at 15:11 #262726
Keith Long
Participant
@keithlong89920
Posted by roy entwistle on 24/10/2016 14:33:52:

Tim I recently bought 12 in Hacksaw blades for wood Similar teeth to a bow saw Sorry I can't remember where but they are out there

Possibly Aldi? They were recently selling a hacksaw frame with 3 blades, 18 & 24 tpi for metal plus a 4 tpi that was very like a small bow saw blade. Haven't seen the blades separately yet, but out there somewhere.
24 October 2016 at 16:30 #262739
davidk
Participant
@davidk
Chronos seem to be doing a BA screw pitch gauge:

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/info-SPBA.html

Regards

David
24 October 2016 at 16:38 #262742
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
A hacksaw with a 90 degree bend for working in corners.

A left handed screwdriver for those awkward screws that go the wrong way.

Putting on tool.

Inverted lathe that allows trouble-free parting off from the front.

Extra large centre punch to make sure the dot covers the right place.

Fluteless drill for materials that grab.

Optivisor for short-sighted people that makes things look further away.

A set of GO – NO GO – OH GO ON THAT WILL DO gauges.

Neil
24 October 2016 at 16:49 #262748
MW
Participant
@mw27036
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 24/10/2016 16:38:23:

Putting on tool…

Optivisor for short-sighted people that makes things look further away…

Neil

Hi Neil,

Like you, i am short sighted as well and find it annoying when it comes to saftey goggles, as it often means i need two sets of headgear as opposed to one. I did have some "prescription saftey glasses" made up for me at an old co. i used to work for. But i lost them somehow, so now i have to make do with looking like a scuba diver.

There is a company that does them if you can provide the data on your focal requirements. I usually ask for this after a check up at the opticians, might be time to go and get one anyway!

Can you describe this "putting on tool"? I'm thinking of something that holds screws for you but maybe i'm on the wrong track?

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 24/10/2016 16:51:12
24 October 2016 at 16:51 #262750
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Michael a putting on tool will replace metal you have removed by mistake, Neil needs one more than most
24 October 2016 at 16:57 #262753
MW
Participant
@mw27036
Posted by JasonB on 24/10/2016 16:51:45:

Michael a putting on tool will replace metal you have removed by mistake, Neil needs one more than most

oh!.. I'm not quite with it with the jokes sometimes!..

Michael W
24 October 2016 at 17:00 #262754
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Ian, the nearest I have seen to the saw blade you desire are the Turbocut framesaw blades, unfortunately 400mm is the shortest I know of but it would not be impossible to grind a bit off and add a suitable hole. Thes e are meant to go in the traditional european framesaws but can't see why they would not work in a hacksaw.
24 October 2016 at 17:07 #262755
davidk
Participant
@davidk
"A putting on tool will replace metal you have removed by mistake, Neil needs one more than most"

So that explains why Southam started off as a 7 1/4" gauge design, and ended up 3 1/2" gauge!…
24 October 2016 at 17:11 #262757
Thor 🇳🇴
Participant
@thor
Jason, Neil isn't the only one that might need a "putting on tool", I often wish I had one. I guess my excuse is that I'm much older.

Thor
24 October 2016 at 17:12 #262758
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I have one it's called a welder
24 October 2016 at 17:17 #262764
norman valentine
Participant
@normanvalentine78682
Neil, I am left handed, I know that you are joking re the left hand screwdriver but left handed screws (woodscrews) would make life easier for left handed people. When a screw is tight I find that using my left hand is far more difficult than using my right hand. It appears to be that the muscles that you use when twisting your wrist 'outwards' are stronger than the muscles used for twisting 'inwards'. I have learned to cope with stupid right handed scissors but I am grateful for electric screwdrivers.

Edited By norman valentine on 24/10/2016 17:18:26
24 October 2016 at 17:26 #262765
Frances IoM
Participant
@francesiom58905
Neil
“A set of GO – NO GO – OH GO ON THAT WILL DO gauges.” – my father used to joke that the 10/6d he spent on licence for same was the best investment he ever made!
24 October 2016 at 19:17 #262785
Nick Hulme
Participant
@nickhulme30114
Posted by JasonB on 24/10/2016 17:12:53:

I have one it's called a welder

Have you found any wooden wire for that yet? 😀
Author

Posts