We all come from different backgrounds with varied skill sets. A man's trade determines his toolbox. Maybe you just tinker on projects, or work full time with your hands. Do you have any heirloom tools? Handmade tools? Custom, one of a kind tools? From woodworking, to shaping/forming metal, to leather tools. Here's a thread to show them off. Let's see what you work with.
Some leather tools Old marking tools from my granddad. And some more modern tools... My knife grinder: Small lathe my son uses for turning pens.
Where do I start? We have more than 150 years of tools scattered over a lot of places. Every time I buy a tool, I find a similar one that I didn't know we already own (or should I say the own us?)
A little collage thing I did to show how I adapted a small vise to work on the anvil. Very very hand thing to have when you want to hold your work steady while trying to punch and chisel.
Yep, nail hooks are a mainstay of my business, oddly enough. Anyone can simply pound a nail into the wall to hang something up, so I thought I'd dress the notion up a bit...... Folks love the hooks for decorating cabins, cottages, man caves, garages, etc. It was the need for a hook in my own smithy that gave me the idea. I had a rusty ol' 12" spike just sitting there in the bucket of bits and bobs... so I decided to use it instead of cutting fresh stock. The rest, as they say, is history! The vise helps to hold the hook 90º to the anvil face, the same orientation it would be on the wall, so I can hammer in a nice divot. Before I came up with the vise idea, I was just eye-balling it and ended up having to tweak each hook because it wouldn't sit on the wall right. Thorough pain in the butt!
Since we're talking about handy tools for the shop..... The Steel Puck of Awesomeness -- my dad's invention and super handy to have around if you do anything with sheet metal. The flat side makes a dandy little stamping anvil and the concave side does wonders for any dishing needs. I work in steel so I didn't need a mirror finish, but I'm sure it wouldn't take long to polish the things up if someone was so inclined! I honestly don't know how I got along without it. Thanks, Dad!
Probably my most-used tool.... the center punch! It started life as a car's coil spring. I forged it down, hardened and tempered the working end, and have been using it for as long as I can remember. The soft striking end has had to be dressed at least a half-dozen times to remove the mushrooming -- and it's due for another go! Here you can see it with some of my rune pendants and the beginnings of some flame-tipped nail hooks. While I'm always attracted to old tools because of the stories I imagine them having, this center punch really stands out in my mind because I know the full story of it. I'm the one that brought it to life and it's been with me ever since. Every little bump and imperfection... well, my hand knows them all. Kind of sad to think that in another 20 years I'll have this thing worn down to a nub and will have to retire her. I think when that happens, I'll either give her a nice funeral, burying her with honor in the back yard.... or I'll forge the remains into a pendant or ring that I can wear.
These haven't been heavy users lately, but sure are in queue now for some farm work. Cleaned up, re handled and BLO'd
Very well organized. Couldn't post pics of my socket drawer. Would be embarrassing. Nice. I had two semesters of greenhousing and plant transplanting/grafting....way back in the day. You work for a nursery? Now that looks like work!
I know they haven't been the same for a while, but Craftsman has been sold. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Stanley-Black--Decker-to-Buy-Craftsman-409755205.html
The Craftsman story is pretty neat because it's an illustration of how the customers can ruin a good thing.