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All right. I've taken another look at it with that in mind, and I think I've sorted it out a little more, logically. They probably don't care what size drive it is, because they assume you'll bring your own driver, right? Thus the 1/4" refers to the socket size. So I can parse the list as follows:
Sound reasonable? Edit: That's not everything on the list, of course. Here's the full minimal toolset they want me to have on Orientation day. LED Light AAA Cell Flashlight Hammer – 12 Oz Ball Peen Hammer – Dead Blow or Non-Marring Inspection Mirrir – Telescope – 2¼” diameter Minivac Tool Carrier Pliers – Channel Lock Pliers – Diagonal Cutting Pliers – Duck Bill Pliers – Needle Nose Pliers – Standard Punch Set (⅛”, 5/32”, 3/16”, ¼”) Ratchet set and extensions – ¼” Ratchet set and extensions – ⅜” Scale – 6” (Measured in 1/100”) Scissors Screwdriver – Magnetic Screwdriver – Common set (4”, 6”, 8”) Screwdriver Set – Offset Screwdriver Set – Stubby Socket set ¼” – (12 point) 3/16”, ¼”, 5/16”, ⅜”, 7/16”, ½”, 9/16” (Standard) 11/32” Socket set ⅜” – (12-point) up to 13/16” Tape Measure 12’ Utility Knife (Ergonomic) Vise Grips (6”, 8”) Wrench Set – Ignition Wrench Set – Combination ctishman fucked around with this message at 21:00 on Aug 12, 2013 |
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Aug 12, 2013 20:58
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ctishman posted:All right, I'm a bit of a tool newbie, and I've gotten a job working in a shop doing general mechanical. I've got a minimum tool list that I'm trying to decipher, but there are a few bits that are confusing to me. Dont feel bad when they pick on you for being green as hell its part of initiating into that work environment.
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Aug 12, 2013 21:41
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CarForumPoster posted:Dont feel bad when they pick on you for being green as hell its part of initiating into that work environment. Haha, yeah, I imagine it's just something I have to go through, but I'd rather not drop a ridiculous amount of cash on lovely, low-grade tools because I don't know what I'm doing. It's a lot of research, and I do appreciate the help.
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Aug 12, 2013 21:46
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is it aviation related?
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Aug 12, 2013 22:03
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Colonel K posted:is it aviation related? Yep. It's an entry-level temporary position.
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Aug 12, 2013 22:17
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ctishman posted:All right. I've taken another look at it with that in mind, and I think I've sorted it out a little more, logically. Honestly if your trying to stay in the industry and be taken seriously go for the good poo poo. A lot of snap on/matco/mac poo poo can be found for cheaper if you do a little research and realize that you can get the exact same tool for a lot less cause its missing the label. Knipex pliers are a great example. That said poo poo like wrenches, screw drivers (particularly impact bits, and Torx bits are way better quality than anything else if you just buy the best right away. Its not just better metal, but the tools are designed to fit more snugly and into more places so there is a lot of thought being put into a nice tool. Also if the tool guy comes around your shot he will fix and replace anything broken right on the spot. The service you get with nice poo poo is almost worth it on its own. Find a tool guy in your area, you can pay weekly or by weakly a small amount (for a long time) but its no interest and you get quality poo poo. Ive only put about 2000 bucks into stuff including my tool cart and ive been doing it for a year professionally. Good tools help you do the job faster and right the first time and in an industry where the more poo poo you do, the more money you make, you wanna be doing stuff fast and not dealing with stripped bolts and broken knuckles. Also its super retarded to be asking people to borrow their nice poo poo cause you cant make your harbor freight bullshit work. Preoptopus fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Aug 12, 2013 |
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Aug 12, 2013 22:23
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Preoptopus posted:Honestly if your trying to stay in the industry and be taken seriously go for the good poo poo. A lot of snap on/matco/mac poo poo can be found for cheaper if you do a little research and realize that you can get the exact same tool for a lot less cause its missing the label. Knipex pliers are a great example. That said poo poo like wrenches, screw drivers (particularly impact bits, and Torx bits are way better quality than anything else if you just buy the best right away. Find a tool guy in your area, you can pay weekly or by weakly a small amount (for a long time) but its no interest and you get quality poo poo. Ive only put about 2000 bucks into stuff including my tool cart and ive been doing it for a year professionally. Good tools help you do the job faster and right the first time and in an industry where the more poo poo you do, the more money you make, you wanna be doing stuff fast and not dealing with stripped bolts and broken knuckles. A very good point, and I definitely intend to stay in the industry. I'm currently drawing up two lists: one with good parts (or what I hope are good parts, based on various internet recommendations, such as Channellock pliers, etc.) and one with the cheapest poo poo I can find on Harbor Freight. Honestly, the figures are so far about $100 apart, which doesn't make a good case for going with lovely tools. If suppliers such as Snap-On do some sort of an installment plan, I'll definitely look into that.
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Aug 12, 2013 22:28
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Good stuff, at least you won't need all that many tools. I've been looking at trying to put together a bit of a toolkit to look after the plane. Most people seem to sugest that a comprehensive 1/4" drive imperial set will do most of what you need. The only 3/8ths drive I've used on it so far is the 7/8ths spark plug socket. I get the impression that as fastners don't tend to be as badly corroded as automotive stuff you can get away with just reasonable quality sockets. The important stuff is decent pliers, side cutters and a nice small 1/4 ratchet. I didn't see safety wire pliers mentioned.
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Aug 12, 2013 22:32
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yea unless you buy a stupid amount of stuff they literally will charge you like 25 bucks a week. And unless you have a complete dick of a rep, you can always skip a payment if your running low. I have it set up that he just withdraws it automatically from me on pay day however if I know im gonna need to pay like a light bill or something, he will be cool with me catching him the next time around. Also, you might wanna try your luck at swap meets, If you can find some good poo poo, the warranty will stay with the tool and even if you buy a broken ratchet or something they will fix it or replace it for you without asking for any sort of receipt or anything. Dont get dwindled into buying a 20 thousand dollar box tho, because thats just obnoxious.
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Aug 12, 2013 22:33
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ctishman posted:A very good point, and I definitely intend to stay in the industry. I'm currently drawing up two lists: one with good parts (or what I hope are good parts, based on various internet recommendations, such as Channellock pliers, etc.) and one with the cheapest poo poo I can find on Harbor Freight. Honestly, the figures are so far about $100 apart, which doesn't make a good case for going with lovely tools. If suppliers such as Snap-On do some sort of an installment plan, I'll definitely look into that. You may find some of the stuff this guy talks about interesting. http://aviationmechanic.blogspot.co.uk/
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Aug 12, 2013 22:36
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Colonel K posted:You may find some of the stuff this guy talks about interesting. http://aviationmechanic.blogspot.co.uk/ drat, that's fantastic. I'll add it to the list of sites I reference, near the top. Thanks!
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Aug 12, 2013 22:41
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One more question: The list says 'Minivac', but I can't figure out what they mean by this. Are they looking for one of the hand-held shop-vac things you see around, or the electronics-focused micro-vacs?
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Aug 12, 2013 23:14
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I think that means the vacuum powered systems that help you bleed hydraulics (like your brakes).
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Aug 13, 2013 00:42
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ctishman posted:All right. I've taken another look at it with that in mind, and I think I've sorted it out a little more, logically. Standard in the context of wrench or socket sizes is also frequently referred to as SAE - it means inch measurements, rather than metric (millimeter) measurements. I'd read that as 1/4" drive, 12 point sockets, in sizes: 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 11/32" I haven't worked on planes, but I'd guess that a lot of the finer detail stuff (ie, not wing mount bolts or landing gear, whatever) would be 1/4" drive appropriate bolts, not bigger.
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Aug 13, 2013 01:07
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Krakkles posted:I don't think that's true - they absolutely should care what size drive it is - you don't use a 1/2" drive on tiny bolts, and you can't use a 1/4" drive on huge bolts. The first situation would break things, the second wouldn't get the work done. Ahh, okay. Yeah, the blog they mentioned said that Col. K linked mentioned that the vast majority of fittings were 1/4". So that would mean a set of 1/4" 12-points and a 6-point 11/32". Got it! Thanks!
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Aug 13, 2013 01:14
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ctishman posted:A very good point, and I definitely intend to stay in the industry. I'm currently drawing up two lists: one with good parts (or what I hope are good parts, based on various internet recommendations, such as Channellock pliers, etc.) and one with the cheapest poo poo I can find on Harbor Freight. Honestly, the figures are so far about $100 apart, which doesn't make a good case for going with lovely tools. If suppliers such as Snap-On do some sort of an installment plan, I'll definitely look into that. Snap on and Matco are INFAMOUSLY loose with credit. Youll end up owing them your hosue if yorue not careful. Make a list of what you need from them and then thats it. A Snap On roller cabinet is not worth $2000 over the "us general" one at harbor freight. That said harbor freight channel locks are maybe one of the most annoying tools you'll ever own because they SUCK compared to a really good set. This is coming from someone who LOVE harbor freight and cheap tools. Also expect to get poo poo about whatever tools you buy unless theyre your grand dads built in USA clearly worn heirloom socket wrench.
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Aug 13, 2013 01:18
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I know we have hashed this out a few times.... But is there an ELM327 scanner that is particularly better for doing BMW/Mercedes over the rest? Or its just software?
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Aug 13, 2013 02:12
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Uthor posted:I think that means the vacuum powered systems that help you bleed hydraulics (like your brakes). I dunno, I'd ask someone to clarify--I don't know much about aviation but just based on where it's at and what else is on the list makes me think it might really be just a small vacuum for picking up debris and dirt. I imagine when working on planes it's pretty important to keep things clean and free of dirt, dust, etc. For the rest of the list, I'd consider splurging and getting really nice pliers. You'll want something comfortable to grip and exert pressure on--in my experience Harbor Freight pliers are pretty terrible with comfort. mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Aug 13, 2013 |
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Aug 13, 2013 02:17
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I worked with a dude who was an aviation mechanic who had a tits rear end set of tools. The coolest thing was the drawers in his box had black foam with cut outs for every wrench, socket, ratchet, pair if pliers, everything! He also had to have his initials and the last 4 digits of his social engraved on everything. I asked him about it and he said its a requirement because there's been aircraft brought down and entire aircrews lost because someone left a tool somewhere they shouldn't have. He also had a magnetic oil seal from an apache tail rotor stuck on the side of his box. Pretty neat stuff.
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Aug 13, 2013 05:20
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CarForumPoster posted:A Snap On roller cabinet is not worth $2000 over the "us general" one at harbor freight. On the other hand in many automotive shops at least, you're not just buying a box, you're also buying respect. I hate to admit it but as someone said earlier, if you want to be taken seriously as a professional, buy the good poo poo. If you're an experienced technician you'd better not be rolling Harbor Freight Chinese steel into your first day at a new dealership. Please note that I don't agree with this sentiment, but it can be the reality of some work places.
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Aug 13, 2013 06:33
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I'd also consider the Craftsman pro series. You can get a decent kit without breaking the bank. Throw it in a harbor freight rolling cart and splurge for a few of the nice bits. You should definitely have real vice-grips in standard and needle nose, a few different hammers and probably a good adjustable wrench. There's been a nice vice-grip style Stanley adjustable wrench linked here a hundred times that if I was just starting out again I'd get. Consider getting one tool that's unique that not a lot of people have seen. Something like the koloss ratchet/hammer, if the new kid has a quality tool the old timers haven't used or seen it can mean a lot. I also highly recommend some wobble extensions.
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Aug 13, 2013 07:16
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Well, I did a bit of research and made a few purchases today, prioritizing according to the linked article. Mostly Husky, as it was cheap-ish and is about half a step above Harbor Freight. I wish I could have bought more, but 'the bank' in this case is $500, and that has to cover not only tools, but food and gas until my first paycheck cashes. I Got: Husky McCheapout
Irwin
Total expenditure so far: $182 Still To Buy
The Wish List
So that's my progress so far. I fully expect the ridicule for having new tools, but I figure there's only one way to getting better, and that's to actually work. Thank you all for your help so far, and I'll keep updating as things progress!
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Aug 13, 2013 08:55
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ctishman posted:That one really good Mac ¼” Drive (M4RC). That's apparently the unholy meeting point between 'Most-used day-to-day aviation shop tool' and 'Undisputed champion in its product category'. I'd look at the Snap-on T72/TF72 http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=646909&PartNo=T72&group_id=682476&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=647031&PartNo=TF72&group_id=682476&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all While more expensive, they're much better. Both in being smaller for tight spaces and better build quality than Mac. Many of Mac's tools are made offshore and outsourced, but with a top-tier price tag. I used them a lot working in very tight spaces on Euro cars, and they're great. Well worth the money. Shop around on eBay and you can get them cheaper too.
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Aug 13, 2013 12:18
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I've got the MR4C and I'd be surprised if the snap on was any / much smaller. I've been extremely pleased with it and it's especially useful for getting in behind the engine cowling behind the prop to remove some of the fastning nuts. e: I just looked at the link and they are far longer than the small mac. The mac can't be much more than 3" long. The mac wobble sockets seem to be pretty nice too also being shallower than the snap on ones, I'd like to get a set, but they don't seem to be available in the UK. Colonel K fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Aug 13, 2013 |
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Aug 13, 2013 14:52
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fps_bill posted:I worked with a dude who was an aviation mechanic who had a tits rear end set of tools. The coolest thing was the drawers in his box had black foam with cut outs for every wrench, socket, ratchet, pair if pliers, everything! He also had to have his initials and the last 4 digits of his social engraved on everything. I asked him about it and he said its a requirement because there's been aircraft brought down and entire aircrews lost because someone left a tool somewhere they shouldn't have. He also had a magnetic oil seal from an apache tail rotor stuck on the side of his box. Pretty neat stuff. This is a common use for tools at Boeing--most mechanics do have or use their own tools at work and they check out tool kits where all of the tools fit into cut out foam. Its the easiest way to ensure that when the mechanic returns a tool kit, they are returning exactly all of the tools that it went out with.
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Aug 13, 2013 15:34
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BraveUlysses posted:This is a common use for tools at Boeing--most mechanics do have or use their own tools at work and they check out tool kits where all of the tools fit into cut out foam. Its the easiest way to ensure that when the mechanic returns a tool kit, they are returning exactly all of the tools that it went out with. A guy i know who works for Cessna said that all the mechanics have to have shadow foam/tool control in their boxes. Everything has a place, and when work on a single job is completed all tools go back into their place to ensure nothing is missing to prevent FOD (Foreign Object Damage) to an aircraft. Supervisors also check staff's toolboxes to ensure nothing is missing. "Proper" shadow foam is CNC cut and hugely expensive.
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Aug 13, 2013 23:30
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Mooseykins posted:"Proper" shadow foam is CNC cut and hugely expensive. What's the reason for the high cost? CNC-cut foam is pretty cheap. Hell, you can build a pretty nice CNC foam cutter for under $500.
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Aug 13, 2013 23:54
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Do they have to have their initials and the last 4 of their SSN engraved on ever tool too? Or is that an army thing? The guy I mentioned earlier was a civilian working for the army. Or something like that, it was a few years ago.
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Aug 14, 2013 00:17
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All the tools I inherited from my grandpa's days at TWA have his initials and four numbers engraved. I always assumed it was an employee ID number, but now I guess it could be the end of his SS#. No organization or inventory system, though. Just all thrown in an old as dirt Mac roll around.
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Aug 14, 2013 00:51
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Splizwarf posted:What's the reason for the high cost? CNC-cut foam is pretty cheap. Hell, you can build a pretty nice CNC foam cutter for under $500. As far as i know it's because the people who make it have to take all your tools, scan them into a computer to turn them into a CAD drawing and then arrangle them all to fit and cut the foam. Once the foam is cut it's then glued on top of another sheet, so your tools sit nice and even in their places. I assume the cost is down to the amount of time it all takes, and not the cost of the foam. Like this:  As you can see the two foam layers are usually different colours, so you can quickly and easily see if anything is missing. fps_bill posted:Do they have to have their initials and the last 4 of their SSN engraved on ever tool too? Or is that an army thing? The guy I mentioned earlier was a civilian working for the army. Or something like that, it was a few years ago. I don't know about all places, but many where FOD is a large concern some kind of identification on each tool is neccessary. I work as a car mechanic, many people engrave their tools to prevent theft and for identification in case anything goes missing. A friend of mine ran a very highly-strung car repair business where employees had to have ID marks on all their tools in case anything went missing or caused damaged by being left somewhere.
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Aug 14, 2013 01:19
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Okay, so I picked up one paint gun locally for $30, which also included a reg and a filter. Not sure if it's going to turn out to be a good deal or not - Pro-tek doesn't seem to be out of business, so there's hope for replacement pieces if those are needed. If it shoots for poo poo, I'll use it as a primer gun.  I still have a bit of money left to pick up a better gun for base and clear coat (I don't think I can justify three guns). Do any of these seem like they'd be a good idea to pick up, or should I keep looking? http://www.ebay.com/itm/221263922277?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/330989514604?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/261255688344?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Alternatively, new from a place like this: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/spray-gun-W-101/202679_551299572.html Are these places just scams? It seems like the prices are so much better than regular online retailers, is there a reason for that? Simkin fucked around with this message at 07:05 on Aug 14, 2013 |
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Aug 14, 2013 06:44
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Simkin posted:Alternatively, new from a place like this: They're directly slow-boated from China, so if you're not in a hurry maybe it's worth it. I'd not expect much from their service but I've never used those kind of things except dealxtreme once. Took a couple months to get here but it was cheap.
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Aug 14, 2013 15:18
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Buying an $80 thing from alibaba seems like an absolutely terrible idea. Expect worse than harbor freight quality.
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Aug 15, 2013 12:52
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$20 sockets. From canadian tire on the left and princess auto on the right. What the poo poo. Canadians will feel me on this one.  Also, my torque is multipying!  
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Aug 16, 2013 05:24
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This certainly seems like a safe hammer design.
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Aug 18, 2013 01:31
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Uthor posted:This certainly seems like a safe hammer design. Wanna chuck that in my drill 
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Aug 18, 2013 01:44
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Next week on Tool Time, how to planish with your drill press!
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Aug 18, 2013 01:52
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peepsalot posted:Wanna chuck that in my drill I bet it would make one hell of a router bit too.
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Aug 18, 2013 01:54
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Uthor posted:This certainly seems like a safe hammer design. Should be captioned: "How to get sued in to oblivion"
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Aug 18, 2013 02:03
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x-post from the stupid question thread because it's about a tool and a stupid question: I was just offered an older Hobart TIG welder for $400. It's a 230v water-cooled Unit and I did see it work. I don't know a lot about TIG, but I want to learn. I've been using a cheap Harbor-Freight flux core welder for like an hour every night, I've just been sticking stuff together but I really enjoy it. This thing is BIG, I'd say the unit itself is close to 3 feet deep/tall and 2 1/2 feet wide. It comes on a cart with the entire water-cooling setup and I'd have to buy my own bottle. It looks like this one, but with an extra knob and a cart/watercooling setup.  I can't afford a newer TIG like a dynasty. Should I buy this?
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Aug 18, 2013 02:17
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