James_B
Well-known member
I'm new here, so figured I should introduce myself.
I'm an old school technician (radio/radar/computers) now retired. I moved to Canada from Australia 5 years ago ... initially to Newfoundland, but in October last year I relocated to rural Nova Scotia.
I'm a tool junkie, so all my non-electrical tools came with me in the move to Canada.
I've been working on Cars since the early 70s, and one of the first things I bought with my pay cheques were good mechanics tools. I'd buy good tools (all the old ones are classic Sidchromes), a few at a time (never in sets, as I couldn't afford tool sets on my meger pay), and as a result, amongst my open-end spanners... sorry wrenches (never liked that word), there are a lot of uncommon size combinations, rarely seen because those size combinations were never offered in the usual kits. Everyone that's worked on old school cars with AF nuts and bolts will have tools in the usual 3/8"-7/16", 1/2"-9/16", 5/8"-11/16", etc combination steps, but how many have the intermediate steps like 7/16"-1/2", 9/16"-5/8", etc. Often those oddball sizes have meant a slightly smaller tool that fits into a tight space or a bigger tool with just a bit more leverage ... and I always have two open-end wrenches that will fit any particular size nut or bolt.
I have a good collection of 60s and 70s vintage Australian Stanley screwdrivers. I prefer those vintages as they got the handles just right, and are far more comfortable to use than the later vintages.
Due to my years of employment in the radio field, where much of the pre-metric stuff I worked on used British threads, I have a good collection of Whitworth and BA (British Association) sized tools. Admittedly, those size tools are a bit useless in North America ... but they are tools, and who can throw out tools.
At least my air tools had no problems with the electrical voltage/frequency change, although I do have a bucket of now relatively useless Nitto style air line connectors (they were the standard airline connector used in Australia) that I probably should throw out but I just can't.
The neighbour across the road runs regular barn and yard sales, and after discovering all the tools that he's sold recently (including a 100+ pound anvil that he let go 4 weeks ago for just $30), I've asked him to give me first refusal on any tools that he gets. Yesterday I got a good, old school mechanic's floor jack from him at a price I was quite happy to pay.
I have a lot of projects on my plate at the moment. There's a 1989 Jaguar XJ-S V12 that I bought a few years ago as a project car that I'm trying to get back on the road, a 1977 International Harvester Club Cadet 1450 lawn tractor with tiller that I'm trying to get running before next spring, and all this while attempting to renovate the 100+ year old, 6 bedroom farm house that we bought last year and keeping my wife's 2003 Land Rover on the road.
I'm an old school technician (radio/radar/computers) now retired. I moved to Canada from Australia 5 years ago ... initially to Newfoundland, but in October last year I relocated to rural Nova Scotia.
I'm a tool junkie, so all my non-electrical tools came with me in the move to Canada.
I've been working on Cars since the early 70s, and one of the first things I bought with my pay cheques were good mechanics tools. I'd buy good tools (all the old ones are classic Sidchromes), a few at a time (never in sets, as I couldn't afford tool sets on my meger pay), and as a result, amongst my open-end spanners... sorry wrenches (never liked that word), there are a lot of uncommon size combinations, rarely seen because those size combinations were never offered in the usual kits. Everyone that's worked on old school cars with AF nuts and bolts will have tools in the usual 3/8"-7/16", 1/2"-9/16", 5/8"-11/16", etc combination steps, but how many have the intermediate steps like 7/16"-1/2", 9/16"-5/8", etc. Often those oddball sizes have meant a slightly smaller tool that fits into a tight space or a bigger tool with just a bit more leverage ... and I always have two open-end wrenches that will fit any particular size nut or bolt.
I have a good collection of 60s and 70s vintage Australian Stanley screwdrivers. I prefer those vintages as they got the handles just right, and are far more comfortable to use than the later vintages.
Due to my years of employment in the radio field, where much of the pre-metric stuff I worked on used British threads, I have a good collection of Whitworth and BA (British Association) sized tools. Admittedly, those size tools are a bit useless in North America ... but they are tools, and who can throw out tools.
At least my air tools had no problems with the electrical voltage/frequency change, although I do have a bucket of now relatively useless Nitto style air line connectors (they were the standard airline connector used in Australia) that I probably should throw out but I just can't.
The neighbour across the road runs regular barn and yard sales, and after discovering all the tools that he's sold recently (including a 100+ pound anvil that he let go 4 weeks ago for just $30), I've asked him to give me first refusal on any tools that he gets. Yesterday I got a good, old school mechanic's floor jack from him at a price I was quite happy to pay.
I have a lot of projects on my plate at the moment. There's a 1989 Jaguar XJ-S V12 that I bought a few years ago as a project car that I'm trying to get back on the road, a 1977 International Harvester Club Cadet 1450 lawn tractor with tiller that I'm trying to get running before next spring, and all this while attempting to renovate the 100+ year old, 6 bedroom farm house that we bought last year and keeping my wife's 2003 Land Rover on the road.