Do you buy/use old or novel tools?
>>2983251Got an old MillersFalls brace that I use with a bit holder for working out rusty screws.
Yes, but I don't really buy anymore, not much I need.
>>2983255Their just fun to use imo. I like hand tools more than power tools in general, but they're not always as practical.
>>2983251i like to check yard sales for old tools, i think they're gems
>>2983251Sure. I have a huge collection of old tools. You don't have to worry about batteries and, if they have lasted this long, they aren't going to break. Besides, a screwdriver is a screwdriver. A really nice screwdriver from 75 years ago is still a really nice screwdriver today.
I use an old wizard speed handle with 3/4" socket on the jackstand of my trailer because the handle got broken off
>>2983251Yes good old stuff is so much better built than some of the current bullshit, or can be bought so much cheaper. Big ol' pipe wrenches and crescents are good because while you can still buy the name brands today they cost an arm and a leg, whereas old used ones you can get for pennies on the dollar. Stuff like hedge shears, pruning shears, tin snips, etc are all built so much better and heavier back then. Vintage kitchen stuff too, apple peelers, sausage stuffers, etc. Machine tools, are another area where vintage heavy built stuff shines. Some of it is so old that it's not really that useful anymore, but things like vintage drill presses absolute beat the shit out of any modern equivalent. Probably one of the coolest vintage tools I've acquired is a F.D. Kees walking sprinkler. I got one about a year ago at auction, and had to buy a reproduction steel worm gear for it but it's so heavy built it's ridiculous. Couple weeks ago I snagged another for $27. Also needs the gear (about $35 off e-bay) So I'll have around 60-$65 in each of them, but they sell for way more than that on e-bay. Oh yeah, vises, screw jacks, and anvils and whatnot too. Pic rel is some of the old "defense hammers" i've re-purposed with copper and brass inserts. I usually snag them when they come up for sale if they're somewhat reasonable.
>>2983311I should get a nice old anvil, but I'm moving soon and that's more weight and packing.
>>2983251i use the first one a lot.second one obviohsly too.the third one kind of sucks because it lacks torque.the first one has plenty of torque and all of them can be used underwater!
>>2983419I was helping a friend with a garage reno. It was detached, had bare walls, and didn't have water or power. When it came time to run power he was dickering on either renting a right-angle drill or buying one of those flexible drill bits to drill the holes in the studs needed to run the Romex. I said I have just the thing, went home, collected some stuff and returned. I whipped out a brace and a couple of different drill bits. I started with a very stubby spade bit. This allowed the head of the brace to fit between the studs. The bow and handle protruded out past the next stud to the rear but, as it ratchets, this wasn't a problem. The head fit nicely between the next two studs so I could operate it without issue. Drilled the first hole, removed the stubby spade bit. Fished a an auger bit though the hole, drilled the next hole, swapped in a very long auger bit, drilled the third hole, put an extension on the auger, drilled the forth hole. Repeated this operation a few times and done.Sure, it would have been slower than if he had the power tools ready to go but I spent less on all that crap at yard sales than he would have spent on the flexible bit. Please, finding all that stuff and putting it together was fun. I have picture related. A 12 inch model. That would be $120.29 accounting for inflation. The Cocobolo head and handle would probably increase that quite a bit though.
>>2983251Yeah. Some like OP's. But I also have an electronics workshop. And in among all the digital tech, I have some really nice old analog stuff.
>>2983419>the third one kind of sucks because it lacks torque.Those are actually meant for drilling metal with twist bits and work surprisingly well at it. In most woods these will just bury the bit in the wood because the bit is what provides the driving force, brad points work better but not much. Chuck up a normal twist bit and drill some steel with one of these, it the bit is sharp it takes almost no effort to drill, just a bit of pressure and start cranking.
>>2983438Those also work well as a speeder handle for sockets.Cut down some cheap 1/4" extensions and grind flats on them.
>>2983251Some old stuff works better sometimes it’s just a meme.I got an old Bailey plane and a spokeshave and theres no modern variant that compares. But I also got some antique scissors and even after good sharpening and adjusting they still suck compared to modern ones. Brace and bit imo is stupid for small drills you just can’t spin them fast enough to be efficient, but for drilling very big and deep holes very slowly the kind you lean against is pretty great. Old machines are hit and miss but can be a great deal if weight and size arent a concern. Got an antique singer sewing machine that beats most modern ones in heavy duty work but it weighs 6 times as much. Like you can get super durable super powerful table saws for cheap (and I want one) if you don’t mind renting a crane to get it into the shop.
>>2983476Impacts work really well as speeder handles too
>>2983485>But I also got some antique scissorsI've run into this. Some old scissors were just not great or are too beat to hell to work well. They are actually pretty hard to get right and only became ubiquitously decent when companies like Fiskars started cranking them out in the 60's. Wiss scissors are pretty damn good though. Never paid more than a couple of bucks for them and only the most beat up ones have ever been a problem.Get the ones that have shit actually stamped on the blades. After they sold out to Cooper Industries in the 70's their quality started to drop. Not so much with their industrial scissors but the consumer ones. They eventually changed the logo and ditched the stamping. It is now some kind of weak etch on the blades. I heard they moved some manufacturing to South America while some is still in the USA. Either way, just get the old logo stuff with the stampings.I try and test them before buying them by cutting up some garbage. You'd think trying to cut cardboard or something would be best but thin plastics bags is actually the best test. Something like the bag from inside a cereal box or that thin shit from the tops of TV dinners that is probably the reason every guy has low T scores now. Worn out or just plain shitty scissors struggle with thin stuff.
This one here is one of my favorites.
>>2983475Interesting. I (op) used mine to drill a few pilot holes in some wood the other day and felt like it was the wrong use case, but wasn't sure what else it would be for. My dad has one left over from when he was young but it never got use after new tools were bought.
>>2983251I have an eggbeater hend drill that I use for soft woods. With a sharp bit, they are quite fun and I like the lack of noise.
Bought an old Boley vice recently 125mm, not sure how old it is anything between 100-50yrsPic related but not the same
>>2983487>Impacts work really well as speeder handles tooYou're silly, no they don't, and you have to hit them with a hammer!
>>2983563Put a battery in it
>>2983251oh man i had the drill in the middle as a kid the wheel wobbled so the gear never mashed properly plus the chuck was so bad gives me ptsd i want to buy the brace for innawoods construction but i bet it suffers from the same problems if it's not some $500 hipster garbage
>>2983251Ironic we'll be using these again soon once Iran launches it's nukes
>>2983599>want to buy the brace for innawoods construction but i bet it suffers from the same problems if it's not some $500 hipster garbageIt doesn't. It works really well if it's got a good chuck.
>>2983516Some of the brad points made for hardwoods work decently but are still a bit too aggressive for these drills and will try and bury themselves. The sort with auger like spurs are the best by a long shot. If you are lucky you can find a set of old ones that are good shape, they tend to have shallower cutting angles than modern so less aggressive and less likely to bury themselves.For the small sizes which don't really work with brad points and spurs, they used to make gimlet style bits that are quite nice and do a good job, but I don't think they have been made by anyone in many decades. Occasionally find them used in bins of random bits. I have considered buying a set of the cheap gimlets available these days and cutting off the handle so they can be chucked in an egg beater but I have no clue if these cheap gimlets are any good and have only seen the softwood variety about.I generally just chuck a twist bit in the brace and call it good, save the eggbeater for metal.
>>2983581Nono, you batter on them, with a hammer or mallet.
Yankee 1555 and 555 breast drills. The heavy hitters of their day. Two speeds, left hand ratchet, right ratchet, and double ratchet. Heavy as shit but you can drill fucking anything in them.
>>2983643idk there are some on amazon and people complain about misalignment
>>2983715>cheap amazon shit isn't well-madeYou learn something new every day.
>>2983723yeah but why is an old tool so reliant on perfect alignment
>>2983745Matching pinion and ring gears is refined work even in a low-speed application like a chest drill.
>>2983561I remember this bitch.It removed the skin from my finger when the handle dropped.
>>2983754The previous owner or whoever put two rubber rings at each end of the handle to damp the impact, seems like a nice addition
>>2983438I have one I rescued from a garage sale, brilliant tool. The original cordless drill.
