The tool ya gotta have!

Im new to the engineering hobby and to be honest have no idea what i'm doing, but i'm having a great time doing it. I havn't got a huge arsenal of tools or equipment... I have my lathe/mill combo, a few turning tools and some measuring items... all given by a friend. A fixed and live centre and a tailsock chuck. Being unemployed its gonna take a while for me to get a lot of anything.

However one tool that i dont have, and i need it almost every 20 seconds is the simple center drill. Only a couple of £ but no matter what i do it always pops up! I'm gonna get at least one!

What is your most used and most useful tool?

A No 3 chuck key for the drill and a odd leg calliper for marking out small items.

Nobby

Not engineering I know, but my most indispensable tool is a spokeshave, an absolute pleasure to use.

Dennis

Beginner, like you Rick. I'd say my 6" flexible steel rule. One of the first things I bought and still use it all the time.

Gary

You can use a dead centre as a spot drill, handy because you know it's always spot on

I made one from a centre with a carbide tip, ground away half of the tip so it was a bit like a half centre and it spot marks/drills anything you want in seconds, then follow up with a normal drill

A 14LB sledge hammer because when something really annoys me it soon knows about it !

Other than that I would also say my 6inch flexible rule or 12 inch hook rule - both very handy .

Another couple of things are a good centre or prick punch as I have seen a few people go to the trouble of accurately marking out a job then use a blunt punch and another favourite is my carbide tipped scriber .

Ian.

For me, a good solid workbench with 2" thick oak worktop. I use it for metalwork, wood work, repairs etc etc. I also have a piece of hardboard the same size to protect the surface sometimes and a piece of thick cardboard I use when stripping an engine down. Yep, a good workbench that is free of odd jobs, bits and pieces and general rubbish.

Does such a thing ever exist after the first week?

Russell

Best tool I ever bought was a proper machine vice, closely followed by a DRO for the vertical mill.

Andrew

My most used tool is probably my digital caliper.

Thor

Laser edge finder, especially when setting up the mill DRO

• A 1" long rule marked in 16ths and mm, chopped off the end of a totally unreliable woodworking square. Brilliant for any small but non-critical dimension because it will fit in between chuck, work and tool.

• The tommy bar that works with various chucks etc.

• Long handled 5mm allen key. Fits most things on lathe and mill. Don't force it, but allows fine adjustment and reduces strain.

• Slightly pointed screwdrive that works on flathead and small posi/phillips screw heads (should I admit this?)

• Small gas torch (Aldi cook's blowtorch)

• 11.5mm slot drills - cheap for the size and great for general purpose milling

Neil

Books and the abilty to read and understand what there trying to teach me.

Not really model eng. but my indespensible is a sack barrow, bought at auction for £8 about 20 years ago and used every day, will easily move a 8" x 20" lathe.

G'day .

# 1 workshop equipment is a bar fridge to keep your superglue in and for shrink-fitting components.

It also has other uses.

Regards from the land of the kangaroo

* Danny M *

6" rule, 4" digital calliper, & a 0 -15mm outside mic' that I bought from a special deal ad in the MEW (can't remember where from)... ideal for those small items, don't have to fumble trying to get calliper / digi mic in close to chuck.

George

a 6" vernier callper with a clockface for the readings( metric and imperial)- got cheap from Proops many years ago as the clock face had a slight crack in it. Lives by the work bench. Use it more than any other one I;ve got,for both wood turning and metal work.

If I want it more accurate I use a Mitutoyo which lives by the Boxford. Also a 150mm flexible rule .

Plus of course the collected wisdom of Peter Wright and G Thomas!

Regards Ian

Edited By WALLACE on 27/10/2013 23:13:01