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The Right Tools For The Job


peterman

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I worked at an antique repair shop in Boston while doing my graduate work. It was a wonderful place to be a tinkerer.

Check it out: Village Green Renewal

It was one of the best jobs I've ever had, and I highly doubt I will find a better one. One of the reasons it was so great, aside from the wacky and awesome projects and repairs we performed, was because the tools were all there. Every tool needed for any job was within arms reach or just out of reach when needed most, naturally. The setup was perfect. The work table was a massive oak bench with furniture vises, resistance welder, soldering station, hammers, drills, chisels, clamps - I could go on and on. Confidence in my abilities grew astronomically when I had the right tools for the job. It made the repair more fun, more efficient, and much more beautiful, or rather invisible.

I thought about this when I started this project. I knew my tool needs were abundant. My biggest fear was (still is) that the quality of my work would be sub-par by my own critique. Without the proper tools or tools to make the tools, it is really difficult to create something I am comfortable showing to people and saying "I made this". Not to say you can't, just my findings in my own personal experience. Also, seemingly simple tasks take much longer when you don't have the right tools.

With that said, my shop tooling has been growing at a rapid rate.

The ladyfriend might say a little too rapid: "Ummm, you know we are saving for a wedding, right?" She has actually been really supportive.

My most recent acquisitions consist of a 6" vise from Lowes, its a big Irwin vise. $79 so still cheaper than a big honkin' one from craigslist. I also purchased a throatless shear from harbor freight. $144 but I had a 20% off coupon which I think is constant on their website. I was able to find some threaded inserts for wood in a 3/8-16 form (support your local hardware store!) so I mounted the shears to my rolling tool cart. I can simply unbolt and rebolt at my leisure.

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I also got a beautiful Hobart Handler 140 fo free! Cause it was ma birfday! It helps to have a generous family that embraces your hobbies. Maybe they just think I'm digging myself into a hole and this might help?

I really had just about nothing when I moved down here to Virginia. My fiancee had a little tool box with superglue and a few screwdrivers. I wish that was enough. But now that I have a good baseline of tools, let the fabrication begin!

Also I'm gonna need a bigger garage.

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