The best tools are your's
An episode the stuck with me, from a few years back.
I had an apprentice asking me for help with a small task. I don't remember the exact task, but it might have been some sort of less simple extraction of foreign objects from a mold. He asked me if there existed a great tool for the job, and if so, where it was. Without thinking about it, I just blurted out something along the line of "yeah, and it's in your toolbox."
Him being a bright kid, more or less instantly knew that what I ment was "if you need a tool for a specific job, you make it."
In the picture are my favourites of the tools I've made/adjusted. (And they might mysteriously disappear if I ever quit my job or get fired)
From the top: - a moldpro bronze pliers (unfortunately no longer obtainable where I live) that I use on a more or less daily basis when removing stuff from the molds. I have grinded it down a bit, to fit into all sorts locks for electrical cabinets, even if I have a key. - A stiff drill attachment brass brush that I just press fitted in a random handle I found, to clean off stubborn build-up in the molds (also works nice for some of the more delicate cleaning, in tight spaces, with a bit of 3M cloth on the end) - A 4" adjustable spanner, grinded further down to fit in really tight spaces (like vacuum feeders) - A few of the tools that you tell the apprentice to look away when you use.
What tools are you proud to have made, even if they have a very niche use case?
An episode the stuck with me, from a few years back.
I had an apprentice asking me for help with a small task. I don't remember the exact task, but it might have been some sort of less simple extraction of foreign objects from a mold. He asked me if there existed a great tool for the job, and if so, where it was. Without thinking about it, I just blurted out something along the line of "yeah, and it's in your toolbox."
Him being a bright kid, more or less instantly knew that what I ment was "if you need a tool for a specific job, you make it."
In the picture are my favourites of the tools I've made/adjusted. (And they might mysteriously disappear if I ever quit my job or get fired)
From the top: - a moldpro bronze pliers (unfortunately no longer obtainable where I live) that I use on a more or less daily basis when removing stuff from the molds. I have grinded it down a bit, to fit into all sorts locks for electrical cabinets, even if I have a key. - A stiff drill attachment brass brush that I just press fitted in a random handle I found, to clean off stubborn build-up in the molds (also works nice for some of the more delicate cleaning, in tight spaces, with a bit of 3M cloth on the end) - A 4" adjustable spanner, grinded further down to fit in really tight spaces (like vacuum feeders) - A few of the tools that you tell the apprentice to look away when you use.
What tools are you proud to have made, even if they have a very niche use case?