Garage Shop: Tools

If only Lista werent just as stupid expensive as the Akro-Mils cabinets lol. Maybe someday

 

They are stupid expensive, for sure. And more so now! A friend was asking about getting one like mine for his shop and they've more than doubled in price in the last 10 years. Crazy.

 

I’ll have to get a picture after lunch. My company is full of Lista cabinets.

 

BTW, this tool is maybe the best tool purchase I've ever made. Having been through three other belt grinders, this one is by far the best value. 1/2 the cost or less of a "pro" grinder, but frankly, packed with more capabilities, smaller, and... made by cool folks in the usa! Ameribrade.

 

The owner of the company went a little crazy when he first saw a few lista cabinets at some shop somewhere and bought a truck load of them. They are in every department of this building. I’m would have a few myself if they weren’t so expensive.

 

These ones are full of just nuts and bolts. The boss didn’t want to have to order a nut and bolt when he needed one so he bought just about every size.

 

I like the way he thinks. That was my thought too - though I am happy to cut something to length. lol. Seriously though - out in the boonies where I live, it really sucks to get stuck on a project because you don't have a fastener and have to either pay $20 in shipping to McMaster or take an hour to go to the local hardware store only to find they don't have what you need.

And that's the problem with cabinets! They never really wear out so it's the kind of thing you buy once in your life. Like sockets.

 

I machine glass here so we have a few just for all the diamond core bits.

 

That’s exactly what happened. Needed a certain size bolt couldn’t find one so they cut a bunch down. Did it a few times and he had enough of it. Literally have every thread size in every length. Except metric, he hated metric.

 

Forgot to mention these are all stainless

 

They are in almost every department

 

Those evolution

I do this on a smaller scale at work. Every time we need bolts for a repair the old way was to go and get the number we need and do the fix. I got a set of good sae and metric assortments, and had to explained to our budget person that every time I went to buy $3 worth of bolts or screws, the university paid me about $13 to make the trip. They pay for themselves in efficiency.

 

Don’t really use much of them now as much as I did when I was younger. He would always say if you need a nut or bolt just ask and you could take whatever you need.

 

This is how it looks after 4 decades

 

The 24" was too small, paid the $15 difference (didn't realize it was on sale) for a 32"





Also had to use freaking flat stock to mount the tv; that's what I get for paying $10 for HF's TV mount.

As you can see, the bolts not only fall through the supplied washers, but also through the mount holes.





5/32" drill bit if anyone runs into this issue and finds it inconvenient driving 15mins back to the closest store for hardware.

 

With most things I purchase with fasteners included, I just assume I'm going to replace them all.

 

I should remember that, great advice

 

Got myself a little rod bending tool -





Haven't used one before but it looks and feels solid as hell.

I've bent rod before, but normally on a vise with some heat.

Here are two figures that live on my welding table. These were put on a vise, heated with oxyfuel, and bent by hand -





I've made several earlier this year for a few people that asked for some.

With this tool now I figure I could make more, much faster, without using any heat. Could make a few things to hold a flower pot, or something ornamental or what have you as Christmas gifts for people.