Know your workshop tools.

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Tools Explained

DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes
fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh Sh--!'

SKIL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

SON-OF-A-***** TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a *****!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
'Bill's Spanner' i borrowed it from Bill in 1962 and have yet to return it......
 

Scoot Doggy Dogg

Well-Known Forumite
United57 said:
Birmingham spanner aka as a hammer
Regionally, the thing you hit nails with is a Hommer and the thing you tighten nuts up with is a Sponner.

There's a company online that sell Black Country t-shirts. teesirts.com My Favourite was

"Z is for stripey hoss"


Can't help but think they saw 8-Ball Stafford t-shirts first?

We'll never know...
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I bought one of these at the boot sale once and it took several years before I found out what its very specific purpose was. Does anybody know? There'll be points for a correct answer.

00917401000


The notched discs are regularly spaced, but can revolve independently and do not have sharp edges.
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Scoot Doggy Dogg said:
United57 said:
Birmingham spanner aka as a hammer
Regionally, the thing you hit nails with is a Hommer and the thing you tighten nuts up with is a Sponner.

There's a company online that sell Black Country t-shirts. teesirts.com My Favourite was

"Z is for stripey hoss"


Can't help but think they saw 8-Ball Stafford t-shirts first?

We'll never know...
Aah the joys of pit life, sponners & wommers.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The points are still safe, I'm afraid - neither pastry nor shoemaking are even remotely associated with it function.
 

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
Gramaisc said:
I bought one of these at the boot sale once and it took several years before I found out what its very specific purpose was. Does anybody know? There'll be points for a correct answer.

http://s.shld.net/is/image/Sears/00917401000?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1

The notched discs are regularly spaced, but can revolve independently and do not have sharp edges.
I will email it to the Aged P Grigson, he may well be able to identify it.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
It is not associated with leather in any way.

That is your second 'leather' guess - is there a scent of a fetish?..
 

United57

Well-Known Forumite
Its a check roller for adding grains to wood. All good decorators should have one! Probably made by Purdy
 

United57

Well-Known Forumite
Lets have some more weird and wonderful tools. Whilst I thought a checker was American it is actually from England. When we had proper apprenticeships before Thatcher a painter and decorator would have used all sorts of tools and even peacock feathers to create faux effects.
 

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
Damn! I'm sure my Aged P would have known that, mind you, it would take him three weeks to open the attachment.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I have been known to buy more than just the odd strange tool - and will try to set some more challenges shortly.



This has had some use, but I like it simply because they are known as 'monkey strainers'.

monkeywirestrainer.jpg


Do you have a monkey and do you require it to be strained?.
 
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