The Beauty of Tools

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

That's proper nice that is….we've got some competition…

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

I agree with Clive Hartland about Stahlwille Exceptional quality and not just for sockets/spanners/ ratchets and torque wrenches, even their screw drivers. Stahlwille tools are used heavily in the Aviation / Oil and Gas sectors, although they will pop up in a lot of "well heeled " car/ lorry mechanics toolchest.

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Interestingly I worked in the aviation sector before moving into oil and gas. I have not seen many Stahlwille tools, but the ones I have are superb.

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

Carl , I suppose it comes down to what companies you have worked for. Certainly the Helicopters firms round here, Bristow and Bond are predominantly Stahlwille. as are Boeing, Drill Quip , Wetherford, Siemens , GE ect. Just depends on the company I feel. Certainly wonderful tools, pleasure to use.

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by Raymond Anderson on 05/01/2017 13:40:33:

Carl , I suppose it comes down to what companies you have worked for. Certainly the Helicopters firms round here, Bristow and Bond are predominantly Stahlwille. as are Boeing, Drill Quip , Wetherford, Siemens , GE ect. Just depends on the company I feel. Certainly wonderful tools, pleasure to use.

My father used to deal with westland helicopters, don't think he ever had an interest in tools though!

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Posted by Raymond Anderson on 05/01/2017 13:40:33:

Carl , I suppose it comes down to what companies you have worked for. Certainly the Helicopters firms round here, Bristow and Bond are predominantly Stahlwille. as are Boeing, Drill Quip , Wetherford, Siemens , GE ect. Just depends on the company I feel. Certainly wonderful tools, pleasure to use.

True. I was in the Royal Air Force so it was nearly all Britool with some of the more specialist aircraft engineering tools being made by various exotic manufacturers. Now if you want tools to drool over…

My time in the oil and gas industry has proven to me without shadow of doubt that most that work within it wouldn't know a good tool if it smacked them in the mouth and knocked all their teeth out.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Carl Wilson 4 on 05/01/2017 06:45:48:

That's proper nice that is….we've got some competition…

Fight! Fight!……….

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

Most in the oil and gas probably would not bother about who make the tools, but then again they are not the ones buying them ! It's the firm that buys them. When one of the Cousins who worked at Boeing in Seattle was over visiting [ a few years back ] noticed I had a few Stahlwille Sockets he mentioned that they are the only Torque wrench / Socket supplier to Boeing. I certainly don't drool over them, or any other tool. but there is something about a high quality tool that just feels right. . Even the wood butchers on site have had arguments about "hammers " Estwing v Vaughan

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

In the military I was taught to look after tools and revere them. So I definitely do drool over them!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Raymond Anderson on 05/01/2017 16:33:38:

Even the wood butchers on site have had arguments about "hammers " Estwing v Vaughan

My steplad got a new hammer and for weeks afterwards he would randomly say 'Estwing' when he thought no-one could hear

Each of the 'gangers' had their own favourite brand for power tools (he's into Makita, the gaffer Hitachi, Festool is also rated…)

Neil

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 05/01/2017 16:57:35:

Posted by Raymond Anderson on 05/01/2017 16:33:38:

Even the wood butchers on site have had arguments about "hammers " Estwing v Vaughan

My steplad got a new hammer and for weeks afterwards he would randomly say 'Estwing' when he thought no-one could hear

Each of the 'gangers' had their own favourite brand for power tools (he's into Makita, the gaffer Hitachi, Festool is also rated…)

Neil

If 'gangers' are the tradesmen that fit out houses etc I doubt they would kit themselves out with Festool, being far too expensive and I dont think its a trade where tools are cherished and looked after.

The few Festool tools I have seen and used are in a completely different league to the Makita, DeWalt and Hitachi offerings.

Ian P

Neil, There are of coarse 'gangers' in defferent leagues.

Edited By Ian Phillips on 05/01/2017 17:14:59

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Think gangers worked on Railways? Maybe term comes from German meaning to walk…because they walked the permanent way looking for faults.

Like in the German film “Waller’s Letzer Gang” Waller’s last walk.

[Allan BParticipant @allanb]

Just to go on Ian’s point about site joiners not using festool tools, depends on the caliber of tradesman on the site, and the type of site, I have been on general housing estate new builds where you are lucky to see much more than a dewalt, but then you get the high value and spec houses and commercial sites where Festool is a common site, so I suppose it depends on the skill/price a joiner charges to whether he can afford them to be honest

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

A friend of mine started using cheap own brand power tools on site as his experience was good ones would be stolen before he wore them out. As the cheapies are guaranteed for a year and less likely to be stolen then he would be on to a winner.

Mike

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

Power tools although expensive to replace are not as important to a tradesman as the hand tools that he has owned and worn in over the years.I have had tools stolen from site twice and the ones I missed the most was a French hand cut rasp a Marples butt gauge and a small bag of hand made moulding tools from before ww2 which I used for plastering in difficult places.The rest of my tools were easily replaced the treasured ones one can't.

frank

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

I feel for you Frank. I had a friend who had his entire workshop rifled through and all his tools stolen. I have a lot of tools that I inherited from my Grandad, who had a succession of British motorbikes that he maintained with the tools.

If anything happened to them I'd be distraught.

[OldMetallerParticipant @oldmetaller]

I had a dental implant a couple of years ago. The dentist was a really nice guy, I asked him what thread the post was that screwed onto the abutment (the bit that's attached to your jawbone) and he said, 'My Dad's an engineer, that was his first question!'.

He showed me the miniature torque wrench he used to put the post on the abutment correctly, it was the most beautiful piece of workmanship, it, along with it's attachments, sat comfortably on the dentist's palm. I wasn't allowed to touch it as it was sterile (and I suspect he was a bit protective about it!),I forget the torque setting he used for this job but it wasn't enough to cause a pang to a gnat who had it's left nadger caught in it!

On the other end of the 'loved tools' scale, I know a guy who has a flooring company, he buys cheap rechargeable power tools for his men and, incredibly, they leave them on the job when they are finished! He says this is the best and most economical way of doing it, I don't see that myself though, it just sounds wasteful.

Regards,

John.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Ian Phillips on 05/01/2017 17:11:23:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 05/01/2017 16:57:35:

Posted by Raymond Anderson on 05/01/2017 16:33:38:

Even the wood butchers on site have had arguments about "hammers " Estwing v Vaughan

My steplad got a new hammer and for weeks afterwards he would randomly say 'Estwing' when he thought no-one could hear

Each of the 'gangers' had their own favourite brand for power tools (he's into Makita, the gaffer Hitachi, Festool is also rated…)

Neil

If 'gangers' are the tradesmen that fit out houses etc I doubt they would kit themselves out with Festool, being far too expensive and I dont think its a trade where tools are cherished and looked after.

The few Festool tools I have seen and used are in a completely different league to the Makita, DeWalt and Hitachi offerings.

Ian P

Hmmm… I must have hallucinated my steplad working as a kitchen fitter and having two metre-high stacks of Festool gear… (as well as the makita stuff).

Neil

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

The only advice I can give is do not leave yellow coloured power tools lying about. They can walk.

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Thats good advice. In my life I have been far more used to using pneumatic power tools over electric, and still do now when I can.

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Talking of air tools and aircraft industry. here is a nice tool, I have a few of these and i used to use them a lot. This is a DeSoutter 90 degree air collet drill. The drill bits are fitted to the end using collets sized for each drill.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Carl Wilson 4 on 06/01/2017 13:32:41:

Talking of air tools and aircraft industry. here is a nice tool, I have a few of these and i used to use them a lot. This is a DeSoutter 90 degree air collet drill. The drill bits are fitted to the end using collets sized for each drill.

The dentist I went to as a kid used one of those, only bigger.

Neil

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

As an aircraft engineer I'd have been lost without these. you can also get them in 45 degree angle versions and one that can swivel to any position. Here is what the collets are like. The y come in metric, imperial, morse number and letter sizes.

[Carl Wilson 4Participant @carlwilson4]

Here is another beautiful tool. This is a specially made subsea milling machine designed for removing excess insulation from a subsea oil production pipeline. It is powered hydraulically from the ROV that deploys it.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 06/01/2017 14:56:57:

Posted by Carl Wilson 4 on 06/01/2017 13:32:41:

Talking of air tools and aircraft industry. here is a nice tool, I have a few of these and i used to use them a lot. This is a DeSoutter 90 degree air collet drill. The drill bits are fitted to the end using collets sized for each drill.

The dentist I went to as a kid used one of those, only bigger.

Neil

Neil. you were lucky! My dentist used a belt driven contraption, left me with some of the worst memories of my childhood. Some dentists still used them long after the air drills came into use, said they were better for undercutting and other attachments that were not available with the air drills. Dave

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