Tools to have in order to avoid abusing other tools

[zendriver]

Not skepticism at all - I am genuinely curious about that thing. As I said, if the low-end made-in-China model works, I'm game - $135 is reasonable. Would just like to know if anyone here has used one and has any recommendations.

The one I have does what it is supposed to do and I paid a little under $200 year and a half ago. It this one sold under different brand names. I got mine off Amazon.

Walmart

Robot or human?

Is it successful every time? no, but I'm about 19 for 20.

 

[Fixr]

Not skepticism at all - I am genuinely curious about that thing. As I said, if the low-end made-in-China model works, I'm game - $135 is reasonable. Would just like to know if anyone here has used one and has any recommendations.


I have a short chunk of railroad track I was given as partial payment on a moving gig. Comes in real handy when I have to bash on something. I keep thinking I should shine it up, but it works just fine as it is.

I've read several positive reviews from people who should be knowledgeable on the 65lb cast steel anvils such as what Vevor sells. I've given a bit of thought to selling my 70lb Fisher and buying one of those, and pocket a decent chunk of change. It might actually be a better anvil than the Fisher.

 

[bwringer]

I've heard people ask for or refer to a tool or item they called a "donkey ****" in at least three completely different professional contexts. None had any idea what the formal name for the thing was, it was a different item with a different function in each case, and I never saw or figured out what the hell they were talking about. To this day I still have absolutely no idea what a "donkey ****" could be in any non-veterinary context.

If you asked me for one, I'd give you a spout for a jerry can.

We used to show off a donkey **** to customers. It was a big, multiband antenna, but we knew what it was called - a multiband antenna.

I have half a mind to start a thread entitled "What's a Donkey ****?"

Or maybe "What's a Donkey **** to You?"

Perhaps "Show us Your Donkey Dicks".

Maybe not.

 

[Beerhippie]

I have half a mind to start a thread entitled "What's a Donkey ****?"

Or maybe "What's a Donkey **** to You?"

Perhaps "Show us Your Donkey Dicks".

Maybe not.

A tamping bar for packing explosives into holes in rock.

Ask Phineas Gauge.

Edit: Oh, ****, that's a Bull *****! Sorry--CRS.

 

[joel63]

I have yelled "Your hand is not a hammer!" at quite a few younger mechanics. Of course, I know this because...

Never use parts of your body as a hammer. I know of one young man who messed up his knee by trying to kick something into place. Still hurts to this day.

 

[Fixr]

Never use parts of your body as a hammer. I know of one young man who messed up his knee by trying to kick something into place. Still hurts to this day.

Carpet layers use knee kickers to stretch the material. Eeek!

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

Actually, that would be a row cultivator, a field cultivator tills a solid path, doesn't leave space for the rows. And yes, I do not miss cultivating corn nor beans either! Slow boring and monotonous.

We never cultivated beans, Dad just waited until August and walked them. Probably because he planted beans in narrower rows than corn. The cultivator’s shovels were set up for corn rows. Now hardly anyone plants beans, most drill them.
BTW I hated walking beans first thing of a morning because your jeans were always soaking wet from the dew. Dad started me and my oldest nephew, who’s 9 mos younger, walking beans when we were 8 and 7. Before that it was jr high/hs kids from town. He’d go pick them up first thing of a morning and they’d pile into the back of the pickup other their paper bag lunches, water jugs, and bean hooks Dad wouldn’t let me and my nephew use hooks, they were too dangerous. We were cheap labor the last couple of years Dad farmed because we worked for going to the movies and pizza.

 

[whateg01]

We never cultivated beans, Dad just waited until August and walked them. Probably because he planted beans in narrower rows than corn. The cultivator’s shovels were set up for corn rows. Now hardly anyone plants beans, most drill them.
BTW I hated walking beans first thing of a morning because your jeans were always soaking wet from the dew. Dad started me and my oldest nephew, who’s 9 mos younger, walking beans when we were 8 and 7. Before that it was jr high/hs kids from town. He’d go pick them up first thing of a morning and they’d pile into the back of the pickup other their paper bag lunches, water jugs, and bean hooks Dad wouldn’t let me and my nephew use hooks, they were too dangerous. We were cheap labor the last couple of years Dad farmed because we worked for going to the movies and pizza.

Must be different beans than the soy beans we grew. I can just picture is out there harvesting them by hand!

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I have a similar short segment of rail I recovered from the piles of rubble in and around my Dad's garage after he died. Mine hasn't been ground flat on top like that one, but it's been extremely handy in many situations. It's also been very useful in the hydraulic press to support one end of something.

Where it came from is a complete mystery. For many years, Grandpa was a welder in auto factories in northern Indiana, and the garage had many items scavenged or otherwise liberated from WWII-era factories or auto plants.




I've heard people ask for or refer to a tool or item they called a "donkey ****" in at least three completely different professional contexts. None had any idea what the formal name for the thing was, it was a different item with a different function in each case, and I never saw or figured out what the hell they were talking about. To this day I still have absolutely no idea what a "donkey ****" could be in any non-veterinary context.

A donkey **** is a flexible fuel spout on a Jerry can, at least in the military. 88M10 here. Had a female friend who had been a mechanic in the Marines and got called into HR at her job because they fueling something with an older smaller one gallon square gas can with a smaller flex spout and she called it a donkey **** and a “Karen” that she worked with took offense and reported her to HR.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

Must be different beans than the soy beans we grew. I can just picture is out there harvesting them by hand!

Walking beans is not harvesting them, that was done with a Gleaner F2 (from ‘76-‘79 anyway, before that a F1) with a 13’ grain platform. You walked beans for weeds, you walked 15 rows at a time the one you walked down and 7 on either side and cut the weeds out, we had to use hoes the first year and then we used old corn knives. Speaking of corn knives and harvesting by hand… Dad said the first 2 or 3 years that Grandpa farmed there he only had a team of horses and him and Great Grandpa shucked corn by hand with shucking pegs, and then went back through with corn knives and cut and bundled it into shocks to feed the cattle.

 

[Aaron_W]

I’ve heard them called that too, but he always called them an engineer’s hammer. One thing I’ve learned working in farm store retail is that everything has 5 names. It just depends on where you are at in the country as to what an item is called. A lot of times even in the same state the same item is called by a different name because of the regional differences.

At least based on HF's naming, engineer's hammers have longer handles than drilling hammers. Their engineers hammers have 16" handles, the drilling hammers are only 8-9"

 

[Aaron_W]

A donkey **** is a flexible fuel spout on a Jerry can, at least in the military. 88M10 here. Had a female friend who had been a mechanic in the Marines and got called into HR at her job because they fueling something with an older smaller one gallon square gas can with a smaller flex spout and she called it a donkey **** and a “Karen” that she worked with took offense and reported her to HR.

That is the donkey **** I am familiar with. Having lived across from a stable for a few years it is appropriately named.

I didn't like not having a mill and a lathe, so I bought a couple of each.

I bought a little lathe and mill for model making. I found them so useful for other things around the house that I ended up buying some bigger ones. Up there with the welder for tools I don't know how I lived the prior 50 years without them.

 

[Beerhippie]

At least based on HF's naming, engineer's hammers have longer handles than drilling hammers. Their engineers hammers have 16" handles, the drilling hammers are only 8-9"

I guess that makes sense--but the Engineer's hammers I'm used to seeing look an awful lot like pencils... they have people to wield actual hammers.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

whateg01, I’m from Macon County, IL, the county seat is Decatur also known as the Soybean Capital Of The World. Local radio station is WSOY, there is Soy Capital Bank, Soy City Tire, and those that follow midget racing know that the Camfields own and are sponsored by Soy City Sock (SCS), although they’ve moved to Monticello in Piatt County. This is all thanks to A.E. Staley who built the first soy specific mill in Decatur in the ‘20s. He also started a company football team that is still active in the NFL as the Chicago Bears after he sold them to his employee/player/coach George “Papa Bear” Halas. The bears mascot is named Staley Da Bear in honor of Staley. Staley’s was also the first to supply Coke with high fructose corn syrup. Staley’s is now owned by the British sugar company Tate and Lyle. My older brother retired from Tate and Lyle several years ago.

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I guess that makes sense--but the Engineer's hammers I'm used to seeing look an awful lot like pencils... they have people to wield actual hammers.

How do run a train with pencils?

 

[Beerhippie]

How do run a train with pencils?

You design a train with pencils--the kind of Engineer I grew up with.

 

[ecotec]

A donkey **** is a flexible fuel spout on a Jerry can, at least in the military. 88M10 here. Had a female friend who had been a mechanic in the Marines and got called into HR at her job because they fueling something with an older smaller one gallon square gas can with a smaller flex spout and she called it a donkey **** and a “Karen” that she worked with took offense and reported her to HR.

We call Kellems grips for electrical cables horse *****.

 

[JimH74]

Walking beans is not harvesting them, that was done with a Gleaner F2 (from ‘76-‘79 anyway, before that a F1) with a 13’ grain platform. You walked beans for weeds, you walked 15 rows at a time the one you walked down and 7 on either side and cut the weeds out, we had to use hoes the first year and then we used old corn knives. Speaking of corn knives and harvesting by hand… Dad said the first 2 or 3 years that Grandpa farmed there he only had a team of horses and him and Great Grandpa shucked corn by hand with shucking pegs, and then went back through with corn knives and cut and bundled it into shocks to feed the cattle.

I remember walking beans for a local farmer for one summer. He paid well, took us into town for lunch at the truck stop. He let us order what we wanted; just had to be sure to eat it all. Hot job, but good memories from 60 years ago.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I have half a mind to start a thread entitled "What's a Donkey ****?"

Or maybe "What's a Donkey **** to You?"

Perhaps "Show us Your Donkey Dicks".

Maybe not.

I don’t know if you watch mma at all, but recently a professional wrestler hit an mma fighter with a bag of dicks.lol The mma fighter deserved it, he almost killed one of the wrestlers because his ego was hurt.

Anyone who wants the full story, google Rampage Jackson’s son Raja attacks pro wrestler.

 

[Wrench-Polisher]

I have a really beautiful pry bar I mean a really beautiful wood handled screw driver so I have a cheaper plastic handled pry bar I mean screw driver.

 

[Hannahranga]

Little 8oz stubby claw hammer, light and small enough to carry even when you're not planning on needing a hammer useful enough for anything that would otherwise be done with a hammer substitute. I'm a fan of demolition screwdrivers, makes me significantly less guilty when I'm using them as a punch or pry bar. Really should grab a couple of those mini pry bars tho.

 

[Fixr]

I guess that makes sense--but the Engineer's hammers I'm used to seeing look an awful lot like pencils... they have people to wield actual hammers.

Yer gonna have to post some images to explain that, because ever since I was a sprout while the crust of the planet was cooling, an engineer's hammer was always basically a lighter one-handed sledge hammer with the same shape of head and a handle longer than that of a 20 oz framing hammer, and maybe a cross-pein.

Are you confusing an Engineer's hammer with a geologist's hammer?

Edit: NVM. You are talking about a different kind of Engineer. Although the ones you refer to probably wouldn't know what to do with a pencil in a CAD program.

 

[Beerhippie]

Yer gonna have to post some images to explain that, because ever since I was a sprout while the crust of the planet was cooling, an engineer's hammer was always basically a lighter one-handed sledge hammer with the same shape of head and a handle longer than that of a 20 oz framing hammer, and maybe a cross-pein.

Are you confusing an Engineer's hammer with a geologist's hammer?

Edit: NVM. You are talking about a different kind of Engineer. Although the ones you refer to probably wouldn't know what to do with a pencil in a CAD program.

Thing is, the kind of engineers who used engineer's hammer are pretty much gone--and the kind that used pencils are, too.

**** I feel old sometimes.

 

[Fixr]

Thing is, the kind of engineers who used engineer's hammer are pretty much gone--and the kind that used pencils are, too.

**** I feel old sometimes.

Here, let me make you feel older. In the old books I often read, engineers often wore grubby khakis, and surveyed rail lines, and pounded stakes with hammers, while designing the Brooklyn bridge or locomotives.

The progression from that to CAD designer is actually mostly inevitable. Those guys pounding stakes and building locomotives and bridges were on the cutting edge. CAD was cutting edge like 20 or 30 years ago. I have no clue what is cutting edge now. Hey Alexa?

 

[Beerhippie]

Here, let me make you feel older. In the old books I often read, engineers often wore grubby khakis, and surveyed rail lines, and pounded stakes with hammers, while designing the Brooklyn bridge or locomotives.

The progression from that to CAD designer is actually mostly inevitable. Those guys pounding stakes and building locomotives and bridges were on the cutting edge. CAD was cutting edge like 20 or 30 years ago. I have no clue what is cutting edge now. Hey Alexa?

What's been "cutting edge" for about forty years is to hire "engineers" fresh out of school and then fire them as soon as you can hire a new bunch. No pay raises, no pension, no continuing education, no nothing.

 

[WWheeler]

Is that the good ducky or the bad one?

I've never seen them as low as $135. Cheapest I've seen are still over $200, which is steep for my limited needs.

Price goes up and down on them all the time, and so does the brand name on them from the same company. Less than a month ago I picked up one and an additional set of 8 coils for under $200. I've only just taken it for a spin so far but it definitely works. I've been told the more higher priced ones have a better duty cycle, but this one will get it cherry red pretty quick. Just for use here at home I don't see me needing to push it to it's limits.

Solary H7 Induction heater w/ 8 coils, and an additional 8 coil accessory set. I wanted the same induction heater with 10 coils, which came with two of the flat coils that didn't come with this one, but they wanted $37 more for it ($143 vs $180), and an accessory set of 8 coils including one of the flat coils was $38, so didn't have to think about that for too long.

 

[ching0n]

I've read several positive reviews from people who should be knowledgeable on the 65lb cast steel anvils such as what Vevor sells. I've given a bit of thought to selling my 70lb Fisher and buying one of those, and pocket a decent chunk of change. It might actually be a better anvil than the Fisher.

I've been "collecting" these chinese anvils as I find deals on them. My 66lb pig style is a bit light on its stand so it moves if you're striking it sideways. I bought 2x 132lb ones, one in pig style and one in london pattern. The 60ish vevor london is well regarded. The 60ish lb pig style Doyle from HF is also a decent option with a proper pritchel. Lowe's had amongst the cheaper prices for the big sizes but i've found them on ebay, amazon, temu, vevor.com, etc...

The pig styles from vevor typically have a wonky pritchel hole and they ring a lot but they got a nice wide, hard face.

 

[gfd_703]

Engineer or drilling hammer with a welded in solid steel handle on every tractor. Used for beating, persuading, moving, driving, removing and in emergencies as a hitch pin. Never leave home without one.

 

[ecotec]

Let’s say that you are a mechanic that only works on very modern vehicles… you still might need some SAE tools to not wear out some hardware on your tools.

A tiny bin of the correct wrenches and maybe sockets for the forcing screws of your pullers, could stop you from wrecking said forcing screws.

Maybe keep them with the wrenches for your air tools that take SAE wrenches, or maybe with the pullers.

 

[LOW1]

We never cultivated beans, Dad just waited until August and walked them. Probably because he planted beans in narrower rows than corn. The cultivator’s shovels were set up for corn rows. Now hardly anyone plants beans, most drill them.
BTW I hated walking beans first thing of a morning because your jeans were always soaking wet from the dew. Dad started me and my oldest nephew, who’s 9 mos younger, walking beans when we were 8 and 7. Before that it was jr high/hs kids from town. He’d go pick them up first thing of a morning and they’d pile into the back of the pickup other their paper bag lunches, water jugs, and bean hooks Dad wouldn’t let me and my nephew use hooks, they were too dangerous. We were cheap labor the last couple of years Dad farmed because we worked for going to the movies and pizza.

Beanwalking and corn detasseling were summer rituals

Cocklebur and buttonweed (aka velvet leaf) were the bean walkers‘ nemesis.

Roundup ready soybean varieties seem to have put the bean walkers on the unemployment rolls. Maybe with more and cancer concerns, etc with roundup that may change. But it would be tough finding enough farm kids to do the job now.

Soybeans being worth $9 a bushel instead of $14 doesn’t help.

As my father would say ”Complaints are Free.”

 

[Firebrick43]

Beanwalking and corn detasseling were summer rituals

Cocklebur and buttonweed (aka velvet leaf) were the bean walkers‘ nemesis.

Roundup ready soybean varieties seem to have put the bean walkers on the unemployment rolls. Maybe with more and cancer concerns, etc with roundup that may change. But it would be tough finding enough farm kids to do the job now.

Soybeans being worth $9 a bushel instead of $14 doesn’t help.

As my father would say ”Complaints are Free.”

Not likely. There is a small fleet of automated and driverless weeding machines being tested by purdue university around here. The two iterations that are gaining traction are small sprayers or weed burners that have cameras in each row. The AI computer can differentiate between corn and soybeans and weeds. Then either a small flame is used to directly burn them or a very small spritz of weed killer. This is reducing the chemical usage to just a single digit percentage of what it was when the whole field is sprayed and labor cost is reduced as well.

 

[Beerhippie]

Beanwalking and corn detasseling were summer rituals

Cocklebur and buttonweed (aka velvet leaf) were the bean walkers‘ nemesis.

Roundup ready soybean varieties seem to have put the bean walkers on the unemployment rolls. Maybe with more and cancer concerns, etc with roundup that may change. But it would be tough finding enough farm kids to do the job now.

Soybeans being worth $9 a bushel instead of $14 doesn’t help.

As my father would say ”Complaints are Free.”

More likely the fact that most weeds are already becoming "Roundup Ready" themselves. About the only thing it kills reliably around here these days are grasses.

If you think Roundup (glyphosate) has a nasty side, wait 'til you see the replacement: Diquat. Brought to you by the same folks that brought you Agent Orange (of which it was a component).

 

[Firebrick43]

Diquat. Brought to you by the same folks that brought you Agent Orange (of which it was a component).

This is completely untrue. Why do you do this?

Agent orange was 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.

The Dioxins in 2,4,5-T was the issue and has been outlawed for 40 years now.

 

[Beerhippie]

This is completely untrue. Why do you do this?

Agent orange was 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.

The Dioxins in 2,4,5-T was the issue and has been outlawed for 40 years now.

Probably because I had a brain fart and wrote Agent Orange instead of Paraquat.

 

[Firebrick43]

Probably because I had a brain fart and wrote Agent Orange instead of Paraquat.

They are similar but Diquat still isn’t a component in paraquat. But Dihydrogen Monoxide is a component in almost all herbicides and pesticides and it’s a terrible killer.

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year.

Dihydrogen Monoxide - The Truth

Dihydrogen Monoxide resources, information, research and more. Dihydrogen Monoxide is a dangerous chemical. Buy a Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide T-shirt.

www.dhmo.org

 

[tiredoldironworker]

In some of the backwoods areas that I have camped in the H2O is definitely bad.

 

[PackagingSea]

Sometimes the best way to avoid abusing tools is just having the right basics on hand. A small pry bar, stubby hammer, demolition screwdriver, those cover half the "wrong tool for the job" moments I used to have. Found a decent list here: https://findthehomepros.com/4-tips-for-a-successful-weekend-diy-project/.

 

[whateg01]

Wild how every chemical sounds deadly if you slap the right name on it. Dihydrogen monoxide panic lives on.

I heard somebody the other day spouting off about chemicals in food. I can't remember what the specific one was but I looked it up and it was something like vitamin b.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I heard somebody the other day spouting off about chemicals in food. I can't remember what the specific one was but I looked it up and it was something like vitamin b.

That can be a tricky one. Some people cant process folic acid(B9), so it may be fine for some, but it isn’t for others. I’ve heard some figures that say 40% of the population cant process it.

 

[whateg01]

That can be a tricky one. Some people cant process folic acid(B9), so it may be fine for some, but it isn’t for others. I’ve heard some figures that say 40% of the population cant process it.

I'm sure there are many ways the data can be filtered and presented, but Google says it's rare. I don't know if it was b that was being referenced. But it was some fairly innocuous thing. Then again, until a few years ago, I never knew that gluten allergies were real.