A well equipped toolkit is vital

Kit, Clothing, Tools, etc
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by British Red »

Today I had just enough knowledge and stuff to get myself out of trouble.

I was building a heavy duty walk in chicken run. It came flat packed

ImageWalk in run pueces by English Countrylife, on Flickr

The pipes are not quite as heavy duty as scaffolding, but that sort of thing. They are galvanized to reduce rust. They use a process called "Hot Dip Galvanising". It's very effective. BUT in one place it had gunked up the threads needed to bolt the assembly together. Completely. With metal. Now I could have asked the manufacturer for a new part, but I happen to have a "tap and die" set.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_and_die

A tap and die set cuts the threads on a bolt or nut. It can also be used to chase fouling, rust, paint ....or Galvanising...off threads. So an M6 tap through the fouled but and it all went together sweetly

ImageWalk in run by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Because our ground isn't perfectly flat, I also needed to fettle the door to stop it sticking

A No.4 Bailey plane and a stick of chalk soon sorted that

ImageWalk in run frame by English Countrylife, on Flickr

I'm embarrassed to admit that my metal work is awful and my engine maintenance is worse. I never learned these things as a child :(

We are trying though to learn basic mechanical and engineering skills and amass a good set of tools to support what we can do. We think that the ability to make, repair and maintain things will be vital in times to come when things are no longer "disposable"
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

I'll second that just commented on another thread .. this is the guts of a 12v 20a DC motor mover on a caravan that decided not to work...
Screenshot_20220514-224932.png
New motor =£600+ :shock:
Screenshot_20220514-225338.png
New brushes and holders £96!

Screenshot_20220514-152750.png
Bit of tlc a blast of compressed air, flush with contact cleaner , followed by light oil then aerosol grease for the bearing all is good for £3ish worth of lubes / sprays
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Other recent projects..

New wishbone on the car the rear bush was dead would have been an mot fail .. £35 complete wishbone and bushes 45 minutes leisurely swap with cups of tea and cake whilst working.. ..

Service My own car. Must have done something correct as the mot gave me a pass today with no advisorys got a verbal advisory last year on the parking brake been down on power on one side... So fully stripped cleaved and greased the auto adjusters In the drums last year after the mot this year perfect I watched the roller test

I've done head gaskets on older cars , helped a mate do a clutch .. and a few cam belts

built my own shed

Installed a full bathroom set

I'll never confess to be a mechanic or engineer but I'm "handy," :lol:

When I was 14 I had a part time job at a Stihl agent I can just about do a recoil starter wish id paid more attention :lol: it's at the point where a diaphragm kit for my petrol 2 stroke garden tools costs tye same as a full carb from China :lol: much simpler task
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by British Red »

WAY ahead of me 😉

When I bough my MS291 Stihl it was partly because the local Stihl dealer was telling me that ALL the professional machines and most of the "farm" level saws were moving over to computerized engine management - no screws to fettle idle speed etc. I hate the idea of needing a laptop to service a chainsaw 😟

ImageStill chainsaw fuel & oil by British Red, on Flickr
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8735
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

British Red wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 10:18 pm WAY ahead of me 😉

When I bough my MS291 Stihl it was partly because the local Stihl dealer was telling me that ALL the professional machines and most of the "farm" level saws were moving over to computerized engine management - no screws to fettle idle speed etc. I have the idea of needing a laptop to service a chainsaw 😟

ImageStill chainsaw fuel & oil by British Red, on Flickr

That was been muted by Stihl in the late 90's.

If the tree huggers have their way 2 stroke tools will be outlawed before too long.. it's ok saying that they are as polluting as a ford fiesta but good god a John deer planting spuds uses a bit more fuel than my weed whacker or hedge cutter :lol:


Exhibit a

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.expres ... ls-ban/amp
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by British Red »

Oh for....f.... goodness sake. Wait till they get cold or hungry enough...
Rusty74
Posts: 284
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 9:35 pm
Location: hidden away in the welsh hills...

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by Rusty74 »

old saying "look after your tools because they will look after you",im the son of a retired motor mechanic,i can work on anything bike or car pre 1990,give me a mk2 escort or a cortina(which i still have)any day,modern day stuff i try to keep simple like my van dispatch non turbo 1,9 run for ever,wifes posh all singing dancing waste of money car another thing
Remember the rule of the 7 P's, proper planning and prepperation prevents piss poor performance...
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by jennyjj01 »

British Red wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 10:42 pm Oh for....f.... goodness sake. Wait till they get cold or hungry enough...
OMG. Let me get this straight...
No new gas central heating from 2025?
A ban on selling new petrol, diesel or hybrid cars in the UK will be brought into effect in 2030

However, some groups are demanding the Prime Minister to go further and ban all petrol-powered outdoor gardening equipment as well.
Then these tree huggers want our lawnmowers and strimmers banned?

Yeah. Sure. And all our tractors can be solar powered. Or are we going to plough the fields with oxon?

Do these decision makers think electricity grows on trees?

We are already hitting an energy crisis. Sustainable electricity to do EVERYTHING is a pipe dream. There's going to be such a gnashing of teeth when on Dec 31st 20?? all the petrol stations close and the guy responsible for the electric substitute embarrassingly says "The dog ate my homework"
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by Arzosah »

I love you guys :mrgreen: :lol: I love to hear of repairing and restoring functional items. Like The Repair Shop but for real.

Go Team :D
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: A well equipped toolkit is vital

Post by British Red »

jennyjj01 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 9:03 am

OMG. Let me get this straight...
No new gas central heating from 2025?
A ban on selling new petrol, diesel or hybrid cars in the UK will be brought into effect in 2030

However, some groups are demanding the Prime Minister to go further and ban all petrol-powered outdoor gardening equipment as well.
Then these tree huggers want our lawnmowers and strimmers banned?

Yeah. Sure. And all our tractors can be solar powered. Or are we going to plough the fields with oxon?

Do these decision makers think electricity grows on trees?

We are already hitting an energy crisis. Sustainable electricity to do EVERYTHING is a pipe dream. There's going to be such a gnashing of teeth when on Dec 31st 20?? all the petrol stations close and the guy responsible for the electric substitute embarrassingly says "The dog ate my homework"
For me "No New xxxx" is key. Nothing saying I can't lay in some saws etc. before then, well greased and protected 😉