Your most historic tool

[Cheest]

The main reason I want to stay with horizontal is that it does fit under the bench. When I look at new, all I see are vertical in 30 gallon and they’re too tall.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The main reason I want to stay with horizontal is that it does fit under the bench. When I look at new, all I see are vertical in 30 gallon and they’re too tall.

I've posted pictures of my old compressor before but just in case you missed them here it is:

My guess would be that it was probably not far off the 90/100 litres of my new one but where it fell down was in the compressor itself which was a real tiddler. It took about 15 to 20 minutes to fill the receiver! However it was free originally as i picked it up from a motor panel supplier who was throwing it out because it wouldn't compress any more. All that was wrong with it was a return spring on one of the "flapper" type valves which I replaced with the spring out of a Biro pen and it ran beautifully for about 30 years until I got really serious about doing Imps and bought my big CP impact gun. The compressor just couldn't drive it and that was when I bought the Wolf:

Which sits very neatly in the space beside my workbench:

The only thing I regret is that the receiver on the old "BEN" compressor, manufactured in 1954, was made from steel so thick it was never going to rust out. I asked the chap who does pressure testing and he said he's never known one to fail, ever! By comparison the new, fancy yellow, receiver is made from "tissue paper"! I made the storage shelf above the compressor high enough so the old machine fitted neatly under it. The new machine, being horizontal, has more room than it needs but, on the other hand, it gets plenty of air around it and lengthwise it fits just right - I'd been worried it might stick out a bit. The pressure regulator that came with it is definitely built to a price so I removed the bung in the end of the tank, installed an isolating tap and plumbed it all through a much better and higher flow stand alone pressure regulator/filter unit.

I have used 1/2" HP rubber tubing which lets me place the regulator anywhere in the workshop - The regulator is on a custom stand which also holds my impact wrenches, air hammer etc. I then take a 3/8" bore rubber hose from the regulator to the tools. that way the tools all get plenty of air, especially the CP which is quite air hungry. The 3/8" hose is long enough for me to pull wheel nuts on a car parked at the curbside at the end of my wee hard standing. I've learned over the years that the "secret" to effective air tools is not to throttle their air supply!

 

[bugsymike]

I hang my head in shame at the state of my garage compared with yours Jock, it's got space for two cars and I used to be able to drive right through it to another concrete standing where I had over the years a a boat, a 1947 vintage Karrier small lorry, two Peugeot 504s,a Renault Extra van, etc. etc. Now I can't even find enough space for one vehicle, there is so much"junk" in there. Friends used to say why are you working on your car in the rain when you have a garage.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I hang my head in shame at the state of my garage compared with yours Jock, it's got space for two cars and I used to be able to drive right through it to another concrete standing where I had over the years a a boat, a 1947 vintage Karrier small lorry, two Peugeot 504s,a Renault Extra van, etc. etc. Now I can't even find enough space for one vehicle, there is so much"junk" in there. Friends used to say why are you working on your car in the rain when you have a garage.

Ah, but those pictures were taken quite a few years ago Mike. Mrs J says my garage is a tip and if I die before her she's just going to get a couple of skips, ask all my car friends round and tell them they can take what they want as long as they empty anything not worth having into the skips. The thought makes me want to cry but, in the event, I suppose I'll know nothing about it!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Glad to hear the news about Spear and Jackson. I've got a number of their older gardening tools. A very old "Never Bend" digging spade. These had an all one piece forged blade and really were indestructible. I also have several early wood saws and general hand tools all of which have been excellent. The newer stuff seemed to be of not quite such durable build so I started buying "Bulldog" branded stuff which has been pretty good. Having read your post above, might explain it. The only S&J thing I've bought relatively recently has been one of their glass fibre handled post hole diggers and it's been a good purchase. My previous one - actually one I borrowed - had wooden handles which were rather easily broken. The fibre glass ones are a wee bit more bendy but this is good because when they start to bend you know not to lean on them any harder whereas the wooden ones don't give much warning and snap before you realize it. I'll be paying more attention to S&J from now on.

You are doing better than me if you can still snap the handles. These days I think the arms would snap first!

 

[Cheest]

I hang my head in shame at the state of my garage compared with yours Jock, it's got space for two cars and I used to be able to drive right through it to another concrete standing where I had over the years a a boat, a 1947 vintage Karrier small lorry, two Peugeot 504s,a Renault Extra van, etc. etc. Now I can't even find enough space for one vehicle, there is so much"junk" in there. Friends used to say why are you working on your car in the rain when you have a garage.

I know that feeling. My garage is 24 x 36 feet. There is a car in there.

I also hear that about working in the rain, but once you changed out a transmission in a piece of heavy equipment in a blinding snowstorm, the rain isn't too bad.

 

[bugsymike]

I know that feeling. My garage is 24 x 36 feet. There is a car in there.

I also hear that about working in the rain, but once you changed out a transmission in a piece of heavy equipment in a blinding snowstorm, the rain isn't too bad.

But you can still see the floor in places.
I have fitted a new Ford gearbox on a 3.5 tonne Ford Twin wheel Pick up on a steep hill with the rain water running around me for a customer on my back with no help, sorry don't often get blinding snowstorms in Torbay. Although thinking about it for the same good customer at a different time I pulled his engine back with my engine crane to fit a core plug at back of the cylinder block, the snow was starting to clear when I finished and I saw it was parked on double yellow lines! Luckily no parking wardens ventured out in the weather, still cold enough for the water I washed my hands with to freeze as it touched the road.
Sadly that customer is long dead, I recall he invited my wife and me to his company Christmas Party at a big hotel with loads of his staff and families, I mentioned to him this must be costing a bit? To which he replied "not a penny", when the bill arrived at the end of the evening he called the manager over and told him him to "take it off the f**king bill for the roof job you still owe me!" .

 

[Cheest]

The new crystal for the old Starrett dial indicator arrived yesterday. Looks good.

I also made some chips with the 90 year old lathe today.

That's the new counter shaft for said lathe. I do believe that there will be more mods along the way for this project. The bearing surface on one end of the original shaft is shot. After running it today at some higher speeds, I believe that both the bearing and bearing surface are shot on the other end of the shaft. As I'm sure the local hardware won't even be able to locate the proper caged needle bearings, I'm either going with a pair of roller bearings on each end of the shaft or machine some bronze sleeve bearings. That's in the future.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I know that feeling. My garage is 24 x 36 feet. There is a car in there.

I also hear that about working in the rain, but once you changed out a transmission in a piece of heavy equipment in a blinding snowstorm, the rain isn't too bad.

Car.... Get it out you need MORE STUFF!

 

[Cornish Ian]

But you can still see the floor in places.
I have fitted a new Ford gearbox on a 3.5 tonne Ford Twin wheel Pick up on a steep hill with the rain water running around me for a customer on my back with no help, sorry don't often get blinding snowstorms in Torbay. Although thinking about it for the same good customer at a different time I pulled his engine back with my engine crane to fit a core plug at back of the cylinder block, the snow was starting to clear when I finished and I saw it was parked on double yellow lines! Luckily no parking wardens ventured out in the weather, still cold enough for the water I washed my hands with to freeze as it touched the road.
Sadly that customer is long dead, I recall he invited my wife and me to his company Christmas Party at a big hotel with loads of his staff and families, I mentioned to him this must be costing a bit? To which he replied "not a penny", when the bill arrived at the end of the evening he called the manager over and told him him to "take it off the f**king bill for the roof job you still owe me!"

Mike, your comment about traffic wardens reminded me about the time I changed a clutch on a Volvo F88 ( hgv) in the bus stop at Tideford. If I remember correctly there was a bit of a lay-by so I don’t think I took up all the bus stop but anyway I guess they were more understanding back then.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Mike, your comment about traffic wardens reminded me about the time I changed a clutch on a Volvo F88 ( hgv) in the bus stop at Tideford. If I remember correctly there was a bit of a lay-by so I don’t think I took up all the bus stop but anyway I guess they were more understanding back then.

Talking about traffic wardens, they are an almost daily problem for my youngest boy with his sign writing business. Possibly 50% of his work involves shop frontages where he needs his ladders and big sheets of backing for the signs. He needs to park his estate car outside the shop whilst unloading and sometimes, depending on the job, needs the vehicle to be there to access tools during the work. He tells me most of the traffic wardens are actually quite nice and will typically say to him "If you're still here when I come back I'll book you" Of course there's always the occasional jobsworth but mostly he says, they're all right. Different story if he's in the heart of the city though, "They don't allow any leniency up there Dad".

 

[portland_bill]

Talking about traffic wardens, they are an almost daily problem for my youngest boy with his sign writing business. Possibly 50% of his work involves shop frontages where he needs his ladders and big sheets of backing for the signs. He needs to park his estate car outside the shop whilst unloading and sometimes, depending on the job, needs the vehicle to be there to access tools during the work. He tells me most of the traffic wardens are actually quite nice and will typically say to him "If you're still here when I come back I'll book you" Of course there's always the occasional jobsworth but mostly he says, they're all right. Different story if he's in the heart of the city though, "They don't allow any leniency up there Dad".

He needs a trolley, like window cleaners used years ago, before they all got vans. I remember a single-axle trolley, with the ladders across the top, and buckets, etc., hanging near the centre. They relied on the ladder on top to act as the handle to push them along. Perhaps Dad could make one?

Like a table, with a single axle across the centre. When parked, it tilts one way or the other, to sit on one pair of legs. Does anyone else remember these?

 

[porta]

He needs a trolley, like window cleaners used years ago, before they all got vans. I remember a single-axle trolley, with the ladders across the top, and buckets, etc., hanging near the centre. They relied on the ladder on top to act as the handle to push them along. Perhaps Dad could make one?

Like a table, with a single axle across the centre. When parked, it tilts one way or the other, to sit on one pair of legs. Does anyone else remember these?

Window cleaners don’t even have ladders these days

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I've posted pictures of my old compressor before but just in case you missed them here it is:

View attachment 441392

My guess would be that it was probably not far off the 90/100 litres of my new one but where it fell down was in the compressor itself which was a real tiddler. It took about 15 to 20 minutes to fill the receiver! However it was free originally as i picked it up from a motor panel supplier who was throwing it out because it wouldn't compress any more. All that was wrong with it was a return spring on one of the "flapper" type valves which I replaced with the spring out of a Biro pen and it ran beautifully for about 30 years until I got really serious about doing Imps and bought my big CP impact gun. The compressor just couldn't drive it and that was when I bought the Wolf:

View attachment 441393

Which sits very neatly in the space beside my workbench:

View attachment 441394

The only thing I regret is that the receiver on the old "BEN" compressor, manufactured in 1954, was made from steel so thick it was never going to rust out. I asked the chap who does pressure testing and he said he's never known one to fail, ever! By comparison the new, fancy yellow, receiver is made from "tissue paper"! I made the storage shelf above the compressor high enough so the old machine fitted neatly under it. The new machine, being horizontal, has more room than it needs but, on the other hand, it gets plenty of air around it and lengthwise it fits just right - I'd been worried it might stick out a bit. The pressure regulator that came with it is definitely built to a price so I removed the bung in the end of the tank, installed an isolating tap and plumbed it all through a much better and higher flow stand alone pressure regulator/filter unit.

View attachment 441396

I have used 1/2" HP rubber tubing which lets me place the regulator anywhere in the workshop - The regulator is on a custom stand which also holds my impact wrenches, air hammer etc. I then take a 3/8" bore rubber hose from the regulator to the tools. that way the tools all get plenty of air, especially the CP which is quite air hungry. The 3/8" hose is long enough for me to pull wheel nuts on a car parked at the curbside at the end of my wee hard standing. I've learned over the years that the "secret" to effective air tools is not to throttle their air supply!

You appear to have bought a bathyscaphe?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

You appear to have bought a bathyscaphe?

The new one do you mean? If so probably not. The metal is so thin it would just about survive to the bottom of the local swimming pool without imploding? The old one however would probably have gone to the bottom of the Marianas trench!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Talking about traffic wardens, they are an almost daily problem for my youngest boy with his sign writing business. Possibly 50% of his work involves shop frontages where he needs his ladders and big sheets of backing for the signs. He needs to park his estate car outside the shop whilst unloading and sometimes, depending on the job, needs the vehicle to be there to access tools during the work. He tells me most of the traffic wardens are actually quite nice and will typically say to him "If you're still here when I come back I'll book you" Of course there's always the occasional jobsworth but mostly he says, they're all right. Different story if he's in the heart of the city though, "They don't allow any leniency up there Dad".

If I remember right
Running over things
Pedestrian 10 points
Dog minus 10,000
Teacher 20
Policeman 100
Cyclist 25
Horse 250
Traffic warden 1000

Points only awarded if you had to stop and pick bits out ofthe grille or tyres... like a policemans helmet stuck in the steering or to repair a puncture, say from wardens pen or bicycle pump. Traffic wardens were top of the list. I remember one time a warden looking at me in Battle Sussex. Oi you cant park that there... She wasnt happy when I looked over my shoulder and said I just have.... It was worth the ticket, which wasnt so much back then.