Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 14:38:49 -0500
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: michael.heron@utoronto.ca (Michael Heron)
Subject: Useful tools (was Craftsperson Tools)
well nobody can top joel's sheer verbosity on details, so i will not even
attempt, but while we are on the topic of handy gadgets, might i suggest
purchasing a headlamp from a company called "Petzl" (usually disclaimers
re; secret stock options i hold, my brother in law works for the company
etc.)
These lights are like the miner lights (you know they used to put them on
their helments when they went underground). They ahave an adjustable beam ,
and you can angle the direction of the light. Petzl headlamps are sold ,in
most outdoor stores or camping stores for around $30-40 Canadian (that is
about 10 bucks US at the current ewxchange rate :) )
Anyways, these things are great!! They give you both hands free to crawl
underneath your car etc. when the soliniod decides to bite it in the middle
of nowhere! When you are not driving your car you can use this handy
flashlight for anything that requires handsfree operation. Very tough too,
won't crap out on you.
Initially these light look stupid on your head, but you'll have the last
laugh when you can crawl underneath your bus and fix that solinoid with
both hands instead of just one! IMHO
michael
>On Fri, 3 Feb 95 10:35:20 CST James Brill said:
>>I was thinking I might go buy some tools soon and wanted some advice.
>
>ha. :) firstly, when thinking about buying Sears CraftsMAN tools, ALWAYS
>check the sunday papers first ... sears puts a lot of 'sets' on sale,
>especially around men-type holidays (father's day, washington's birthday,
>davy crockett festival of the appalachicans, etc.) ... and you might find
>a set more suited to your needs for a bit less, or with a 'thrown-in' toolbox.
>
>>have, at Sears, this huge metric set for something around $100. Just
>>sockets and ratchets if I remember. It has 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2"
>>ratchets. This seems like a better deal than the mongo huge sets with
>>metric and american sizes. Yes? Also, what should I have in the way
>
>go to the Sears store and get one of their Hand and Power tool catalogs ...
>check for a mini-mongo set, with screwdrivers AND ratchets and sockets and
>etc. my own personal opinion is that you should start off with 3/8" set of
>sockets (metric, of course) from 9mm to 19mm, box-end wrenches, open-end
>wrenches, and a 1/4" drive set (metric also). you don't need any SAE sizes
>to start, and you don't really need any 1/2" drive stuff to start. you can
>pick this up as you need it. about all i ever use my 1/2" stuff for is the
>lug nuts and big stuff like that. all else is 3/8".
>
>>will need a torque wrench. Assuming they come in sizes, what size
>>drive do I want for this? TIA, Jim
>
>this depends on how much torque you want to measure. the 3/8" sizes go up
>to about 80 (?) lb-ft, whereas the 1/2" sizes go up over 130 lb-ft. the
>only times i use my 1/2" size is on the lug nuts again ... the 3/8" size
>gets used more often.
>
>other essential gizmos you'll need to buy along the way:
>- mechanics mirror (little mirror on an extendable handle). helps look at
> things where you can't get your head in there.
>- flourescent trouble light. DO get the flourescent kind. it is SOOOO much
> nicer when you bump your arm/hand against it!!! (those round incandescent
> things will burn your skin, and the bulbs are not very resistant against
> dropping).
>- two kinds of grabbers: one magnetic pickup (little magnet on extendable
> handle), and a claw-pickup (has little metal claws that grab). these are
> absolutely essential when you drop the only nut/washer you have down in
> an unreachable place. and this WILL happen. :)
>- reamer. looks like a screwdriver or awl, but it has cutting edges all down
> the side. used to ream out (make larger) a hole. very handy.
>- hex-head & torx-head socket set (eh? maybe later on. but very handy)
>
>joel
|