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ER70S-2

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The same thing(s) any small toolbox is good for?

I've considered using one for a household toolbox rather than a kitchen drawer. Or using one for very specific tools, like all electrical tools and accoutrements.


These things barely hold a roll of electrical tape! They are extremely small. That's why I was wondering what people are using them for. They are not the typical small toolbox.
 
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Smokeshow69

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What are these mini HF toolboxes good for?

The same thing(s) any small toolbox is good for?

I've considered using one for a household toolbox rather than a kitchen drawer. Or using one for very specific tools, like all electrical tools and accoutrements.
I bought one for myself just for the novelty. I’m giving a blue one to my wife if I find one. I’ll give another to my 11 year old son and he’ll probably put legos or cars or pencils in it. My wife will put hers on her desk since she works from home and it will probably hold pens and high lighters. They are actually very solid and could probably hold metal heavy items.
 

mikeinri

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I could probably use one of those mini boxes for the "go-to" items that always seem to be needed for most jobs: Utility knife, marker, tape measure, screwdriver or two, water pump pliers, and a vise grip. I have these items in "dedicated" locations in the garage (and you KNOW that means I'm lucky if they're there 80% of time, LOL).

If the Kobalt version is (slightly) bigger, I'd probably go with that.

Mike
 
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WWheeler

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What are these mini HF toolboxes good for?

I have two. One in my locker at work for my work EDCs, pens, a swiss army knife and a few other tools on a keychain w/ my forklift key, hex key sets, listo grease pencils, earplugs, etc.

The one I have at home sits at a desk (a soldering / fabricating station of sorts) in my garage next to my cordless rotary tools (milwaukee, dremel) filled with accessories for them (diamond bits, cutting & buffing wheels, sanding discs, etc)
 

SC Fly Guy

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Aiken, SC & Lakewood, NY
I bought one for myself just for the novelty. I’m giving a blue one to my wife if I find one. I’ll give another to my 11 year old son and he’ll probably put legos or cars or pencils in it. My wife will put hers on her desk since she works from home and it will probably hold pens and high lighters. They are actually very solid and could probably hold metal heavy items.
Although these could be considered a novelty, I find them to be pretty practical. I have a couple in my home office for EDC items (knives, flashlights, lighters) and a couple on the bench for small items like pens, measuring tools, etc. The other holds rotary tool accessories like @WWheeler. They are very well built and can hold heavy items. A great deal at Inside Track or regular price.
 

M635_Guy

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Used the Inside Track membership to pick up a couple of the US General Mini Toolboxes. For under $10, these are incredibly well made. Great deal IMO.

PS - If you buy a couple of these, you almost immediately recoup the cost of the Inside Track membership ($30/year).
I got a couple black ones also - my USG 56" box and hutch are black. One is on my bench and the other is in the hutch. Both are mainly to keep stuff that's normally scattered around both.
Kh165O.jpg
I like the Storehouse boxes fairly well too. This is the 5th. They're not super-configurable, and I wish they locked together a bit better when stacked, but they're fine, especially for the price. They've been VERY helpful in helping me get the "new" (to me, the house is older) garage organized. -ish.

Finally got one of my cars in it today for the first time since we moved in late in Aug.
gEuQuf.jpg
(still lots of sorting/organizing/etc. to do...)
 

Qualitytools

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I got a couple black ones also - my USG 56" box and hutch are black. One is on my bench and the other is in the hutch. Both are mainly to keep stuff that's normally scattered around both.
Kh165O.jpg
I like the Storehouse boxes fairly well too. This is the 5th. They're not super-configurable, and I wish they locked together a bit better when stacked, but they're fine, especially for the price. They've been VERY helpful in helping me get the "new" (to me, the house is older) garage organized. -ish.

Finally got one of my cars in it today for the first time since we moved in late in Aug.
gEuQuf.jpg
(still lots of sorting/organizing/etc. to do...)
Nice e30! Looks to have European bumpers.
 

crasher98

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Jan 29, 2013
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NW LA
These things barely hold a roll of electrical tape! They are extremely small. That's why I was wondering what people are using them for. They are not the typical small toolbox.
I have one of these:


It's a little bigger than the mini-toolboxes being discussed, but of course it costs a lot more too. I used to keep impact sockets in it, but then I got more impact sockets and more & bigger toolboxes so now it's just sitting on the floor empty. I'm sure I could find something to put into it if I put my mind to it tho - maybe a project for this long weekend!
 

NUTTSGT

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What are these mini HF toolboxes good for?

I bought one for myself just for the novelty. I’m giving a blue one to my wife if I find one. I’ll give another to my 11 year old son and he’ll probably put legos or cars or pencils in it. My wife will put hers on her desk since she works from home and it will probably hold pens and high lighters. They are actually very solid and could probably hold metal heavy items.

I have the 3 drawer flip top Snap On version. It my be a tad bigger, but I throw keys in the top and pocket knives in the three drawers. It lives on the dresser top.

I have two. One in my locker at work for my work EDCs, pens, a swiss army knife and a few other tools on a keychain w/ my forklift key, hex key sets, listo grease pencils, earplugs, etc.

The one I have at home sits at a desk (a soldering / fabricating station of sorts) in my garage next to my cordless rotary tools (milwaukee, dremel) filled with accessories for them (diamond bits, cutting & buffing wheels, sanding discs, etc)

Although these could be considered a novelty, I find them to be pretty practical. I have a couple in my home office for EDC items (knives, flashlights, lighters) and a couple on the bench for small items like pens, measuring tools, etc. The other holds rotary tool accessories like @WWheeler. They are very well built and can hold heavy items. A great deal at Inside Track or regular price.

I use mine for shop manuals…..
IMG_0798.jpeg

they work great bolted to a welding cart/table for consumables. Or in lieu of drill bit organizers.

I have one of these:


It's a little bigger than the mini-toolboxes being discussed, but of course it costs a lot more too. I used to keep impact sockets in it, but then I got more impact sockets and more & bigger toolboxes so now it's just sitting on the floor empty. I'm sure I could find something to put into it if I put my mind to it tho - maybe a project for this long weekend!
FWIW, I started this thread that you guys can show off your mini-tool box.

 

Squankum

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This move to the Midwest is gonna require some wardrobe upgrades!! Gonna be in the teens. Equity, TSC and RK are all sold out .... guess I didn't plan this very well; had to resort to Amazon.

Screenshot 2024-11-28 at 7.25.44 AM.png

It's that time of year, where I start plugging bison wool socks for those working or playing in the cold:

 

Steve_P

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Sep 15, 2010
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It's that time of year, where I start plugging bison wool socks for those working or playing in the cold:


GD, and I thought Smartwool was expensive :LOL: . I'm not familiar with bison wool, but merino wool is awesome- wicks away sweat, comfy and not itchy (not your father's wool socks), and is naturally anti-microbial. Yeah, your feet won't smell great after hiking 10 miles either way, but way less odor with wool than cotton. If you're buying a no-name merino wool sock, pay attention to the percent of wool in the fine print.
 

F-22

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GD, and I thought Smartwool was expensive :LOL: . I'm not familiar with bison wool, but merino wool is awesome- wicks away sweat, comfy and not itchy (not your father's wool socks), and is naturally anti-microbial. Yeah, your feet won't smell great after hiking 10 miles either way, but way less odor with wool than cotton. If you're buying a no-name merino wool sock, pay attention to the percent of wool in the fine print.
Got into knitting with my partner and have a big old flatbed knitting machine. We tried making socks out of 100% merino wool (Regia yarn, high quality Italian one, about 10$ just for the wool to make a pair of socks...).

It is still itchy until a few washes. What they sell as merino wool in finished clothing, often has a lot more extra treatments to make it act the way it does.
Also a bit of elasticity is quite nice in socks, otherwise they typically get stretched out and weird. You can knit 100% merino socks and then weave in some elastic thread...

I really like alpaca wool. The yarns we have a much softer than merino and not itchy, but I think that's also why it's not best for durable socks.
 

Squankum

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GD, and I thought Smartwool was expensive :LOL: . I'm not familiar with bison wool, but merino wool is awesome- wicks away sweat, comfy and not itchy (not your father's wool socks), and is naturally anti-microbial. Yeah, your feet won't smell great after hiking 10 miles either way, but way less odor with wool than cotton. If you're buying a no-name merino wool sock, pay attention to the percent of wool in the fine print.

Yeah, SmartWool was the gateway drug for me, then Darn Tough. Then came alpaca and now I've finally discovered bison wool and I'm done. Kinda like my long journey to used Snap On Dual 80's.😀

I still wear the regular Merino wool socks, depending. And SmartWool's very thin black liner socks have been my normal sock for office and shop in any conditions that aren't cold for maybe 20 years now and they are terribly durable.
 
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Squankum

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Got into knitting with my partner and have a big old flatbed knitting machine. We tried making socks out of 100% merino wool (Regia yarn, high quality Italian one, about 10$ just for the wool to make a pair of socks...).

It is still itchy until a few washes. What they sell as merino wool in finished clothing, often has a lot more extra treatments to make it act the way it does.
Also a bit of elasticity is quite nice in socks, otherwise they typically get stretched out and weird. You can knit 100% merino socks and then weave in some elastic thread...

I really like alpaca wool. The yarns we have a much softer than merino and not itchy, but I think that's also why it's not best for durable socks.

I believe the two big steps in making modern sheep wool non-itchy is a) breeding better sheep b) acetone! Or so the alpaca farmer/sock purveyor told me when I visited his ranch. I've had no durability problems with his stuff.


As for sweat and days of wear, both the Alpacas of Montana people and Buffalo Wool Co. people have customers bragging of going days and days in difficult conditions with no odor. (One, a hog farmer wearing the same alpaca socks inside his rubber boots for a week or more.) I tried that in Yellowstone with some bison/bamboo/silk socks last winter (moderate condition socks, for I was mostly inside a heated vehicle) and got to about day 5 or 6 when my shin skin started itching. So now I own two of that kind of sock for trips that long.
 

Squankum

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GD, and I thought Smartwool was expensive :LOL: . I'm not familiar with bison wool, but merino wool is awesome- wicks away sweat, comfy and not itchy (not your father's wool socks), and is naturally anti-microbial. Yeah, your feet won't smell great after hiking 10 miles either way, but way less odor with wool than cotton. If you're buying a no-name merino wool sock, pay attention to the percent of wool in the fine print.

I have seen "wool" socks in Wal-Mart that are something like 10 or 15% wool.

I don't know about lately, but it wasn't that long ago that during deer hunting season, the hunting section at Wal-Mart would have some American-made wool socks that looked like they came off the same production line as SmartWool, but for very fair prices.
 
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Squankum

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Small order from HJE this week. Two leather sheaths for Opinel knives -- also marketed as covers for cast iron skillet handles, which is why I got them, to try them out. The Lufkin tape is vintage NOS, metal housing, from before the era of UPC codes, made in USA. It's a Christmas gift for a buddy.

IMG_0413.jpg

The tape, it is gray.

IMG_0414.jpg

So far, so good. It works. You can touch the handle. Got the first of many oil stains on it. Bought it to use it, no biggie.
IMG_0416.jpg

The Lufkin stash:

The terribly sensibly priced knife sheaths:
 

Dave455

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IMG_1717.jpegIMG_1719.jpegIMG_1718.jpegIMG_1720.jpegIMG_1721.jpeg


Bought some old Britool whitworth wrenches on an ebay auction. Polished them up. Thought they'd come in handy for my BSA project. Impressed by the quality, the double box ends are very comfy to use.

Seems they don't fit all that well though. Maybe the screw heads are a bit worn. But it is frustrating when neither my metric, sae or these whitworth sizes don't fit quite right. At least Knipex does not fail, but clearance around screws is often too tight for the plier wrench.
Very nice!

You have some mixed vintages there, but generally good!

They should fit very well. I use predominantly Britool wrenches on machine tools and classic bikes, and the fit is quite snug. Perhaps more than on modern tools.

Are there any particular sizes giving you problems? Bear in mind that you may find BA sizes as well, and that post war the hex size for 3/16 was standardised on a 2BA.

Should you need new tools, KoKen offer superb sockets in BS sizes - including deep and universal.

For wrenches, Snap On are probably the best, but Elora are nice too.
 
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afazz

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Nov 25, 2007
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Pittsburgh, PA
@afazz -
^ So.... did Mark used to be STILETTO? or am I reading it wrong?
Got a physical address for the company? It's not on their site.

From what I have read, mostly coming from the Martinez website and social media, is that Mark Martinez developed the Stiletto hammers and company, sold it to Milwaukee, then started Martinez Tool Company with a new design. Martinez Tool Company sold to Hultafors at some point but he may still be involved in the business? Everything is still made 100% in USA and marked as such. Both hammers shipped from Hultafors in Wisconsin.

IMG_5614.jpeg
 

beelsr

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May 6, 2007
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NE PA, USA
i call this type of tool a "fencing spoon." I made mine years ago; out of an old piece of copper tubing: hammered one end flat, drilled a hole in the flattened end and did a little shaping with a file. probably plenty of YT vids on these - "fencing wire wrapping tool" or something like that should find them...

what I use these for is to wrap wire around another wire for electric fencing. you drop the hook part over an existing piece of fencing and then stick the new piece of wire through the hole and spin the tool around the existing wire to wrap it. the little valleys help keep the wrapped wire neat and tidy. it does a much neater job than simply wrapping wires together.



My latest tool purchases, Small Matador Magnet, Wire Bending Wrenches, no markings (possibly blacksmith made) and Rivet Puller from Lidl, I have no idea how these work or are used, but what the heck that's the spirit of a true JG member.
20241129_170355.jpg
 

Squankum

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^ really? leather sleeve for the skillet? :unsure:
I've tested it. Yep, no heat. I consulted with Ms. Squankum now, who sells Smithey skillets to the overprivileged at her store, and she tells me Smithey sells a branded leather sleeve like that for ... much much more! $25!!! (But oh, the rich, full grain, and the logo...)

'tis plain, I'm using an electric range.
 
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mreisner

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Jun 25, 2019
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North of Detroit
Seeing as tiny tool boxes are quite the rage I got a tiny ratchet to go in the one I had from last year. Basically it was more of a curiosity than anything and caught it on sale for 11 bucks, but I must say I'm kind of impressed with it. It was kind of stiff but just twirling around like a fidget spinner for a couple of minutes it has loosened right up and seems to be quite nice not to mention lifetime warranty just in case something does go wrong. Pretty sure I'm not going to over torque anything with it but I can see a couple of places where this might be very handy.
 

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Ohio Andy

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Seeing as tiny tool boxes are quite the rage I got a tiny ratchet to go in the one I had from last year. Basically it was more of a curiosity than anything and caught it on sale for 11 bucks, but I must say I'm kind of impressed with it. It was kind of stiff but just twirling around like a fidget spinner for a couple of minutes it has loosened right up and seems to be quite nice not to mention lifetime warranty just in case something does go wrong. Pretty sure I'm not going to over torque anything with it but I can see a couple of places where this might be very handy.
Brand? Link?
 
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