Recent content by Andy Traxel

I read somewhere that the black oxide finish on "industrial" tools is to battle the human version of what was called Crow's Syndrome. The story was that real crows will swoop down out of the air and grab shiny things. The black industrial tool idea is to avoid having industrial tools (likely...

Take a look at http://toolmonger.com/2010/08/20/delta-dp350-drill-press-operation-and-impressions/ for lots of info on a particular Delta unit. Andy

Not defending the out-of-stock seller, but things sound pretty grim for SK. When whatever's on people's shelves is gone, SK is probably gone. I've been shopping for a couple larger metric pieces to fill out my stuff. I started with my local NAPA jobber. They handled SK for years. They say...

I'm not sure to what end you want to put this information, so this may not be an answer for you. Any edition of Machinery's Handbook from the last 15 years will have current information on ANSI standards for wrench dimensions. And it will have specs for the kind of clearance needed for...

Another Angle to Craftsman at Ace I wonder if Ace wasn't out looking for a tool "brand" like Kobalt is for Lowe's & Husky is for Depot. The local Ace stores handle a variety of brands of screwdrivers, nut drivers, pliers, etc.. Some of it is branded Ace. But other than Gearwrench ratcheting...

I second the recommendation for a CO detector. Any heater that burns any kind of fuel emits CO. So any unvented heater like this needs to be used with caution. I've used kerosene torpedo heaters to heat unfinished Wisconsin garages in the winter. I run a 110 V CO detector when doing so. The...

Reading in the garage & Shopcraft The only thing I read in the garage is repair manuals & how-tos. I picked up Shopcraft after reading the review in the NY Times. I found it disappointing. I share the author's appreciation of "shop" class. I think there's a lot to be said for young people...

I'm a mechaical engineer working in the industrial engine/powered equipment industry. So my most used reference books don't address your questions. But if you're looking to build a library in the future, I second the recommendation for Machinery's Handbook. Especially useful if you're designing...

I'm a degreed mechanical engineer. I've spent my whole career (25+ years)involved with small to medium sized industrial engines. For most of the time my title was application engineer. Part test engineer, part salesman. Never spent any time on a drawing board or at a CAD station. But unlike lots...

I second the Turbo-T handle suggestion. The fairing on my 2000 BMW R1100RT is held on by a couple dozen button-head screws that are driven by a 3 mm hex bit. It seems as though at least half the fairing has to come off to do anything to the bike. Some of the screws are in damn inconvenient...

There are a few differences between the Fein, Rockwell, Dremel & Harbor Freight multi-tools that I haven't seen discussed here that I'd like feedback on. The Fein, Dremel and the Rockwell tools in the 37 & 72 piece kits are variable speed. Range is roughly from 10,000 to 20,000...

The Harry A. Miller Club rents the Milwaukee Mile every year for a 2 day event. See http://www.harrymillerclub.com/index.asp. Besides Miller & Dusenberg Indy cars from the '20s & '30s, over the years there's been lots brass-era cars like Stutz, Franklin & Mercer as well as GP cars from the '20s...