Tools That Are a Waste.

[Modeler12]

BTW Danny, I forgot to give you the final answer to your question. This took a long time, I know, and all those smart things, charts and apps would have done a better and quicker job than me entering a couple numbers that you gave me

But I will survive without them.

 

For those too young to remember, this 'smart thing' above was made by Texas Instruments eons ago and still works fine for me. It also allows you to program it (meaning that ones the basic formula is there, you can enter numbers up the gazoo and get instant return answers).

Just remember that one inch is officially 25.4 mm.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Modeler12

[Dan Vadas]

(7+13/16)x25.4 mm is the answer.

 

Jay, that's not quite right - it should be (((7x16)+13)/16)x25.4 = 198.4375. Your answer came out as 31.75.

 

The above answer took me about 30 seconds to work out on a calculator - a quick glance at my home-made Conversion Chart (which hangs on the wall behind my bench) shows it as 198.44 - close enough tolerances - and took me 3.4 nanoseconds to find  .

 

  Danny

[michael mott]

Any tool that is purchased and not used!

 

The whole Metric/Imperial debate is funny. The martians were laughing all the way to Jupiter eating their fig newtons about that crash.

 

A bigger issue than Imperial /Metric is Chinese language versus English or Malian or Hindi or Turkish or Russian. Were all different it's a big world and it would be so boring if we all used the same language and measuring systems, there would be nothing to debate.

 

All this is better than pointing sticks at each other though.

 

Michael

[pirozzi]

Enough already with the Imperial/Metric issue. What the heck does that have to do with "Tools" anyway? Besides, I don't know of a smart phone or computer that can't convert one into the other in seconds.

 

Vince P.

[Modeler12]

Jay, that's not quite right - it should be (((7x16)+13)/16)x25.4 = 198.4375. Your answer came out as 31.75.

 

 

 

  Danny

Dan, have another look at the picture I posted just before you said this. Besides, my little formula is simpler than yours because I added the 7 to the division of 13 by 16. Then the whole thing is multiplied by my favorite number 25.4. 

 

The one thing I still think is crazy that here we are with a world wide membership of model ship builders and we cannot change the darn system to metric. Let's not buy plans and drawings unless they are in mm. Let's buy wood from our supplier and call out the sized in mm.  or cm. Then we can all have a beer and smile.

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Jay,

 

Dan, have another look at the picture I posted just before you said this. Besides, my little formula is simpler than yours because I added the 7 to the division of 13 by 16. Then the whole thing is multiplied by my favorite number 25.4.

 

It depends on the way you punch the numbers into the calculator. If you do it the exact way you wrote the formula you get 31.75. However, if you do it like this :  (13/16)+7x25.4  you get 198.4375, which is correct.

 

Your original formula was the same as (20/16)x25.4 .... or in other words 1.25x25.4. The fraction needs to be divided before the number of full inches is added.

 

I'll leave this alone now - the point I'm making is that Conversion Charts are NOT "Useless Tools" because they avoid errors like the above  (as long as you can find the chart   ).

 

  Danny

[trippwj]

Thanks, Danny - I have to say that for most quick conversions, I use the quick reference tables as well - it takes me longer to dig out my calculator, think through what I want to do, and then plug it in than it does to look at the chart.

 

I work in both sets of measurement, depending upon what I am working on.  When my plans and instructions are in Imperial I tend to stick with that. It is also much more intuitive for me to think in terms of inches and feet than in terms of mm and m.  I grew up with the imperial system, and can visualize the dimensions much better than i can metric.  I do, however, use the metric system extensively in my work life (but that is another story).

[Modeler12]

Enough already with the Imperial/Metric issue. What the heck does that have to do with "Tools" anyway? Besides, I don't know of a smart phone or computer that can't convert one into the other in seconds.

 

Vince P.

Vince, that is exactly my point. The question was 'What tools are a waste', and my answer was 'conversion charts' for the simple reason you just mentioned.

 

And my final point is to Dan is that 13/16 simply means 13 divided by 16 and in the formula i use a division comes before an addition. Hence 7 + 13/16 equals 7.8125.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Modeler12

[hexnut]

At least we don't have to deal with Whitworth anymore... (Unless you are into old British machinery) Here's a great example from Wikipedia:

 

British Morris and MG engines from 1923 to 1955 were built using metric threads but with bolt heads and nuts dimensioned for Whitworth spanners (wrenches) and sockets.^[5] The background for this was that the engines were produced using machine tools of a previously French-owned company that was set up for metric production; for the average British motorist to be able to service his car, the bolt heads had to fit imperial-sized spanners.

[themadchemist]

Personally I'm lucky as a chemist as we were forced to learn both equally. Personally I use my TI85 or 92 which have conv function keys for all unit conversions.

 

I had a Scottish physical chem professor that was hard core English system he loved giving units in one unit and ask for the answer in another. Pressure was always a pain...torr, mmHg, Pa, PSI.... or energy J, BTU, C and c.

 

But as far as tools not to buy

Stay away from the Habor Freight 4 inch table saw. Don't even imagine that buying the extra carbide blade will matter. at 1/8 hp it will not cut wood without binding, burning, and just flat stopping the blade. It is hefty so don't let the mass fool you. I'd say it might make a good boat anchor but the cords too short.

[amateur]

Seen any useless tools around lately?

 

or perhaps: seen from the positive: any very usefull tools??

 

Jan

[fish]

Yea I think it is safe to say that insanity is over. Or at least i hope

 

-Aaron

[Dan Vadas]

Are we back on subject?

 

Yes.

 

  Danny

[pirozzi]

One of the most USEFUL tools I ever bought was this reeving tool for deadeyes. I have used this many times over the years and still use it. It makes rigging deadeyes a snap.

 

Vince P.

[pirozzi]

Hi Bryan,

I know I bought this tool from Model Expo about 4-5 years ago. I don't see it listed in anybody's catalog now. Maybe it was discontinued. Sorry.

 

Vince P.

That seems to be an effective tool, Vince P.   But if you're going to praise a particular tool, it'd be helpful if you could mention its trade name, and maybe even give us a link to a site that sells it!

 

Anyway, reverting to rubbish tools ...

I've been looking at 4-inch circular saws.  The ones that cost under £100 ($150) all seem to be grossly underpowered and therefore rubbish).  I have cast an eye at the more costly ones (including the Byrnes one), but so far I haven't seen any that look inspiring.  Outside in my toolshed there's a combi set that does sawing (10-inch blade), planer/thicknessing down to 3mm, plus spindle-moulding/sanding and a few other things I haven't explored in the 15 years since I bought it for £1500 or thereabouts.  Do I need a 4-inch circular saw?

[Adrieke]

Brian

 

have a look on the model shipyard website : http://www.modelshipyard.com.au/

 

i have seen the tool Vince is using on there

[trippwj]

I found it on the Model expo website via a search - shows as none in inventory so not sure if they can supply them any longer.

 

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS107

 

It is also on the Modelshipyard website at

 

http://www.modelshipyard.com.au/product.asp?id=2048&pid=129

Edited April 4, 2013 by trippwj

[Dan Vadas]

Do I need a 4-inch circular saw?

 

Yes Brian, you do if you want to cut 0.5mm square timbers - your 10" blade would totally destroy them.

 

  Danny

[captainbob]

The "wood strip cutter with micrometer accuracy" sounds great but the #11 blade is mounted too high to prevent it from bending and following the grain of the wood.

 

Bob

Edited April 5, 2013 by Cap'n'Bob

[captainbob]

Here is another one.  I bought the Harbor Freight equivalent of Micro-Mark’s small grinder with flex shaft.  The shaft hand piece became brittle and fell apart and the grinder was under powered; trying to grind anything would stop the motor.  

 

But I found that I had a 3/8” keyless chuck that fit the thread on the right end shaft, and that, plus a support at the far end made a great mast lathe.  So maybe it wasn’t such a waste after all.

 

Bob

[dgbot]

Be very careful of any tool you buy from Harbor freight.  The tend to sell cheap import knockoffs of many tools.  From airbrushes to a foredom.  They do have good deals.  But know what you are getting first.

David B

[capnharv2]

Bob,

 

I have that strip cutter too. It works fairly well if all you cut is soft thin balsa

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

[pirozzi]

I have several power tools and many hand tools from Harbor Freight. Even my work bench is from them. I have not had a problem with anything I have bought there.

 

Vince P.

[Martin W]

I bought a plank bender from Model Expo that worked well, and could shape the planks more accurately than my wife's curling iron (which is what I use now).  But halfway through the first planking job the heating element melted the joint with the handle so that all I managed to do with it after that was burn my hand.

 

I do like that reeving tool, though.

 

Martin

[billq1947]

I have to agree that the Loom-a-Line is useless, except as a door-stop! Another useless item is the Reeving Tool!. You can't even use it as a door-stop! I have found better ways to do the things that these were supposed to help making life easier. Thanks for the tips from you all--maybe I'll learn more now. Bill Quigley

[pirozzi]

I have to agree that the Loom-a-Line is useless, except as a door-stop! Another useless item is the Reeving Tool!. You can't even use it as a door-stop! I have found better ways to do the things that these were supposed to help making life easier. Thanks for the tips from you all--maybe I'll learn more now. Bill Quigley

I disagree about the reeving tool. It is one of the most useful tools I have ever purchased. Sure, there other ways to reeve deadeyes, but this makes it easier and more uniform.

 

Vince P.

[pirozzi]

I bought a plank bender from Model Expo that worked well, and could shape the planks more accurately than my wife's curling iron (which is what I use now).  But halfway through the first planking job the heating element melted the joint with the handle so that all I managed to do with it after that was burn my hand.

 

I do like that reeving tool, though.

 

Martin

Model Expo will replace that tool free of charge. It must just a defective one, because I think I have the same one and have used it many many times without a problem. Is it the one with the round head and comes with wood curve forms?

 

Vince P.

[bigcreekdad]

Might get some arguments here, but the "Chop It" tool from Micromark I find does not give a clean 90 degree cut. So, for cutting multiple identical cuts it was worthless. Gave it away.

[mtaylor]

Might get some arguments here, but the "Chop It" tool from Micromark I find does not give a clean 90 degree cut. So, for cutting multiple identical cuts it was worthless. Gave it away.

 

That one looks to be the same as the one Harbor Freight sells.  I bought the HF one.  The biggest issue I've found is that the angles on the vise aren't dead on.  I spent about 30 minutes setting it to 0 degrees to get an honest cut. 

 

Just a note.. any power tool should be checked for squareness before using.  And then again during use.  I keep a protractor and some small drafting triangles handy.  I even check the blade on my scroll saw periodically during use to ensure a good 90 degrees from the table.  I failed to do that once and cut several frames out that had the cut not at 90 degrees. 

[fish]

What plank bender is it?