Search results

I've had a Homak box (made in USA) for the last 30+ years which has held up very well in my home shop and is still going strong. However, it has become too small to hold all my tools, so last week I brought home a new Craftsman box from Sears. Top, mid section, and bottom roller - thirteen...

Check with your local permit office as to what is required in your jurisdiction. In my neighborhood, they only care about the fire rating of walls, not ceilings. The fact that I have a common attic between the garage and the house was of no interest to them. The local official agreed with me...

I used to work in a shop where we used YAG lasers to drill safety wire holes in aerospace materials with poor machinability.

Whether you go with wood or metal, I would recommend having garage doors at opposite ends of your building if it will not be insulated. My shop is wood, not insulated, and at a comfortable temperature most days because I have a gentle tropical breeze flowing through the shop.

I've also been researching tig machines lately. The Lincoln Square Wave TIG 200 does have hf start per page A6 of the owners manual. The AHP Alpha Tig machine looks like a terrific machine and has many happy users, however, there are also many unhappy owners online who needed repair service...

I picked mine up at my local Ace Hardware store. Paid a lot less than $30 - The brand and package writing was all in Japanese. Originally purchased for woodworking applications, but it is a very handy tool which gets a lot more use than I would have expected. My grand daughter recently...

My Starrett combination square is getting difficult to read with my old eyes...(I am the third generation in my family to own it). So I recently picked up an Empire combination square at HD. When I got it home, I could not measure a difference in accuracy between the two. I was pleasantly...

I recently had a slab poured for my 15' x 20' shop addition which began cracking while the slab was still being finished. Two large cracks perpendicular to each other. This same contractor has done similar slabs for me in years past of the same general design which have yet to crack. This...

If your shop is as dirty as mine, you will also want to get the appropriate cap and plug to keep the ends clean when not in use.

If you have been walking this earth long enough to need bifocals, this video may be helpful:

Sometimes I use my doorstop as a sledge hammer.

My grandfather was a machinist, smoked a pipe, and kept his old tobacco cans for storing small taps, drills, and steel pins in his tool chest. I'm guessing these cans date back to the 1930s.

If Reardon's book wets your appetite to learn more and get some hands on experience, you might check what your local community college offers. A very long time ago I used to teach a metallurgy class after work at the local community college. I had a masters degree in material science and was...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Metalux-WS-Series-Wrap-Shop-Light-Common-4-ft-Actual-9-88-in-x-48-in/3335370 I just hung 4 of these fixtures from trusses 10' ft above the floor in my 300 sq ft shop addition and it is just what my failing eyesight needs. You have 50% more floor space, so 6 fixtures...

Do what needs to be done now whether you want to or not. Work on your highest priority issues first each day. You become like the people you hang out with. Pay yourself first each month. Hard work is not enough to become wealthy. You must invest every month.

I had a 1 amp Dremel multitool for many years that recently died. Replaced it with a 3 amp Makita multitool that comes with an adapter allowing the use of the blades I have on hand. Mostly used for finish trim work. Both were good purchases.

I bought a Grizzly hybrid saw (G0771) on sale last month for $655. It replaces my old Delta contractor saw with stamped steel wings. I found it possible to produce some fine cabinetry with the old saw by going slow and double checking setups such as measuring the distance to the fence both...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-3-Amp-Oscillating-Multi-Tool-Kit-TM3010CX1/204706951

I have had a Rotozip for a number of years. I have used it a lot for remodeling work. If you are up high on a ladder it is a particularly good tool that is light weight and easy to handle. The abrasive cutoff attachment is particularly useful for cutting small cross sections of metal. In...