[TheForge] The "tick stick."

Sun Dec 15 08:47:51 EST 2019

Jon,
I agree 100%.  But it's a cost issue.  That's why I haunt flea markets and
garage sales.

I've got two (count 'em: two) 1/2" drills -- the aluminum-bodied kind that
accept a 3/4" pipe to give you enough torque to take full advantage of
their power.  I can't remember the last time I used one of them.  (At home,
anyway -- I blew my boss's mind 20+ years ago when I use one borrowed from
Maintenance, along with a 2.5" masonry hole saw, to cut large holes through
that composite, chemical-resistant lab countertop.)  But I'll NEVER get rid
of those.  They pay for themeselves -- garage sale prices at least -- in
one use.

I do hate buying some fancy new highly touted tool, only to find it useless
to me.

Bruce
NJ

On Sat, Dec 14, 2019 at 10:55 PM SCHLESINGER, JONATHAN <jschles2 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Bruce,
>
> You said, "When buying tools for hobby use, buy the cheapest you can find
> that meet
> the spec at all."  While my tool buying philosophy has moved more in this
> direction -- that's what happens when Harbor Freight sets up shop a mile
> from your house -- I do appreciate and treasure some of the very functional
> tools that have been passed down to me from my father and grandfather.  I
> am the beneficiary of men who didn't buy cheap stuff, so I do feel a little
> pressure to not break with custom and leave my son with garbage.
>
> Jonathan
>
> On Sat, Dec 14, 2019 at 9:08 PM jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net>
> wrote:
>
> > You did let me carry the rocks uphill so they'd roll down erode didn't
> > you?
> >
> > The newer Jacob's chucks don't tighten well unless you use the key in
> more
> > than one hole. My ancient chuck is made better and doesn't need special
> > handling. Good tip, who has Jacob's chucks more than 40 years old eh?
> >
> > Learn to sharpen lathe bits with mild? Your Father wasn't a machinist was
> > he? I think I was one of the only boys in jr. high metal shop 1 who
> already
> > knew how to sharpen: drill bits, lathe bits, chisels, etc. Never burned
> one
> > either. It's a good tip though, HSS is pretty expensive to learn on.
> >
> > I have a Machinery's Handbook that's so far above my head half the time I
> > don't know what it's talking about let alone being able to use. I think
> > yours is older than mine, if so don't use it as a reference to sharpen
> > lathe
> > bits!
> >
> > Here's a little Frosty tip follow on. Machinery's Handbook and
> contemporary
> > references sometimes do not stand the test of time. The sharpening
> profiles
> > for lathe and similar cutters have VERY exaggerated reliefs. A properly
> > sharpened bit should NOT look like a fingernail sticking out of the bar.
> As
> > my Father drummed into me and I've found to be as true as it gets. Any
> > cutter only needs enough relief behind the edge to not rub. Any more only
> > weakens the edge while wasting time and materials grinding.
> >
> > This isn't really because the books were wrong, it's the machinery and
> > steels used that have changed. HSS steel is a relatively recent
> development
> > and works a treat with minimal relief.
> >
> > I'll maybe refrain from making sigmoidalscope jokes.
> >
> > Jer
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bruce .
> > Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2019 2:35 PM
> > To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> > Subject: Re: [TheForge] The "tick stick."
> >
> > Now Jerry, be fair.  Don't demean yourself.  You were a great help, with
> a
> > lot with a lot of useful suggestions, while I was inventing dirt.
> >
> > Other tricks?  Worth hashing out:
> >
> > When reassembling anything, tighten the  screws or nuts in stages --
> don't
> > tighten any one before they are all snugged -- just like for tire lug
> nuts.
> > A corollary to that is to snug a Jacobs chuck (e.g., in a drill press)
> from
> > all three holes, not just one.
> >
> > When learning to grind lathe bits, skip the HSS and just use mild steel.
> > The grinding techniques are the same; the material is dirt cheap; and the
> > resulting mild steel bits work fine on 6061 aluminum and can be
> resharpened
> > with a file.
> >
> > When buying tools for hobby use, buy the cheapest you can find that meet
> > the
> > spec at all.  You'll break it at some point, but by that time you'll know
> > either that you need a more expensive one or that you never really needed
> > it
> > at all.  (Don't do this with tools your income depends upon.  You don't
> > want
> > to be at a job site with a broken whatchamacallit tool that's your meal
> > ticket.)
> >
> > One of the best books in the world for metalworking crafts is the
> > Machinery's Handbook.  Mine is older than I am and has information I'll
> > never absorb in my lifetime -- but it's waiting for me there if I need
> it.
> >
> > Right now, the only other tricks I can think of are related to my field
> --
> > analytical chemistry.  I don't suppose anyone else would be interested
> that
> > citric acid gives a linear titration "curve", rather than the more usual
> > sigmoidal ones?
> >
> > Bruce
> > NJ
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Dec 14, 2019 at 3:58 PM jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Heck Bruce, I thought you'd probably invented the things, right after
> > dirt.
> > > Saw it a couple weeks ago and didn't share with your long time friends
> > > here eh? Got any other extremely useful but crazy simple tricks hidden
> > > in your bag O' tricks?
> > >
> > > Frosty
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > > [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bruce .
> > > Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2019 4:43 AM
> > > To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> > > Subject: Re: [TheForge] The "tick stick."
> > >
> > > I agree.  I watched that video a couple weeks ago.  One of those
> > > trivially simple ideas that could save your butt on some jobs.  I wish
> > > I'd known this trick years ago.
> > > Bruce
> > > NJ
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 9:24 PM jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > A friend sent me this video. Tick sticking is something I'd never
> > > > seen before and it's one heck of a useful trick. You guys all make
> > > > stuff, I think you'll like this hack.
> > > >
> > > > Frosty
> > > >
> > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd2LY857oTY
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
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