March 7, 20224 yr What is the most useful (or most used) tool in your shop ? The tool that you use almost daily or for most every project. Not the anvil, forge, hammer, tongs, but the tool we need to add to our shop.
March 7, 20224 yr Soapstone (with holder to stop accidental breakage), pocket ruler and pocket tongs.
March 8, 20224 yr Old drafting stool, metal, built like a battleship and very comfortable to sit on when thinking about what to do next!
March 8, 20224 yr my eye protection or ppe. still learning and its hard enough with sight cant imagine how difficult it would be if couldnt see what i was holding hitting lighting or any other ing. otherwise my brain but thats always with me.
March 8, 20224 yr Angle grinder. I use that for most if not all projects. To clean up with a cup brush, grind with a flap disc, or cut with a cut off disc. ~Jobtiel
March 8, 20224 yr Being American I have to ask: which Vice? I use my post vises a lot; bot the large, 6"+, and the small, 4".
March 9, 20224 yr The one I currently use the most, is my 8" Wilton Torpedo Bench Vise. Man, I love that thing.
March 10, 20224 yr Nice vise! I have an 8" Wilton just like it and agree completely. The edit feature is only available for a limited time after you post, maybe 30 minutes but don't quote me on that. Frosty The Lucky.
March 10, 20224 yr Thanks! would you believe it was headed for the metal dumpster?! It had a broken foot on the swivel base, so I just cut out a half inch steel plate and mounted it directly to it. I think you may be right about editing. I think I've seen that on other forums.
March 11, 20224 yr Mine wasn't quite that good a deal, one of the guys at work's Father kept putting himself in the hospital working in his shop so the family cleaned it out. Sold my the Wilton for $40. On the up side there aren't any missing or broken parts I just bolted it down and put it to work. Frosty The Lucky.
March 11, 20224 yr Hate that the old feller could no longer work, but glad you got a good deal and the vise went to a good home.
March 11, 20224 yr I once had the little Wilton bullet, cadet? Traded it for 165# HB anvil and both the vise collector and I were happy. I had paid US$15 for it at the local flea market.
March 11, 20224 yr Glad you both walked away happy, but if it was a small vise, I would say you got the better end of the deal.
March 11, 20224 yr Bottle opener I know it goes against all known safety rules but I love to drink beer while forging. Never more than a couple three however
March 11, 20224 yr It was the smallest "bullet" they made I believe and so may have been worth more to the collector. Me I like the 165# size anvils for general shop work and now I have a backup; one PW and one HB! I had one of my "minions" pick it up on one of his trips to CA; he dropped it off in my shop and didn't tell me about it. I walked in the next day and "Wow the Anvil Fairy Has Been Here!" (The minions had a bet on how long it would take me to notice another anvil in the shop...)
March 11, 20224 yr Rojo, i am also guilty of that. Generally though i have a cold frosty one mowing grass, gardening, working on the house, cleaning the barn, sitting on the porch, sitting on the couch, and sometimes while i sleep i dream of having one. Basically anytime i am not at or getting ready for work. I do save the single malt Irish whiskey for down time though.
March 11, 20224 yr Rojo and BillyBones same here... I drink cans though, I'm not high class enough for the glass bottle pop tops although every now and then I get a hankering for some good stuff. Most useful tool in my shop would probably be my coal rake/poker I made. Use it for moving coke in the forge, digging clinkers, moving hot steel around, use the point to scribe metal, it will even scratch my back for me lol. I had to think about the question a bit before I realized I had my rake in my hands more than the steel, tongs, or a hammer. I guess that would make it my most useful tool.
March 12, 20224 yr Second on the pocket tongs- I have two very small sets of tongs that are about 8inches in length. A small bolt jaw tong and a small flat jaw. Insanely useful for many things involving the coal forge. second would be a slightly softer 1.5lb ball pein with a mushroomed face for setting forge welds.
March 12, 20224 yr I'd have to say I've done an awful lot of work in my shop with my 4 1/2" angle grinder. Welder has also been a workhorse. Also hand tools like screw drivers, wrenches, ratchets and sockets. Another go to is the drill and drill bits.
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