Time on your hands?

BobC

If you are running out of things to do durring this shutdown perhaps you should consider restoring something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACO-HXvrRz8&list=PLf0IJmoCsLHm1z7RrsJ6HLV9ISu64DLhv&index=2&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo&list=PLf0IJmoCsLHm1z7RrsJ6HLV9ISu64DLhv&index=2

If you can get your hands on one it should provide endless opportunity to display your steam skills.

Bob

nibs

Had a carpenter friend who used to say, when you have no work, sharpen your tools, both mental and metal.

Hap_Hazzard

How do you sharpen a Stillson wrench?

KC_Jones

I have a new TIG welder on the way. I can do stick and MIG already, but with the addition of my aluminum boat 2 years ago, I figured this was the time to step up and learn something new.

nibs

@Hap_Hazzard , you cant, but you can sharpen your mind:-)

Zman

KC_Jones said:

I have a new TIG welder on the way. I can do stick and MIG already, but with the addition of my aluminum boat 2 years ago, I figured this was the time to step up and learn something new.

I like it. I have a TIG setup for my Multimatic 200 still in the box.

KC_Jones

Zman said:

KC_Jones said:

I have a new TIG welder on the way. I can do stick and MIG already, but with the addition of my aluminum boat 2 years ago, I figured this was the time to step up and learn something new.

I like it. I have a TIG setup for my Multimatic 200 still in the box.

Mine is an "off brand" from a company called Prime Weld. I don't have the money for a Miller/Lincoln/ESAB set up so I went with this.

I actually follow a fabricator on youtube called 6061.com, he is incredible with a TIG torch. He has one of the Prime Weld TIG welders that I ordered and said it works fantastic. I liked the under 1k price tag for an AC/DC TIG setup. DC is fairly easy to find a good deal on, but for Aluminum I need the AC, so the price goes up.

Larry Weingarten

Hi @Hap_Hazzard , This may be strange, but I actually do sharpen my pipe wrenches. The teeth get rounded over the years, so I take a Dremel with a biggish grindstone on it. and run it by each tooth on the wrench. The stone needs to have a sharp right angle in it. The tools grab SO much better with sharp teeth that my knuckles don't get banged up any more! And I've been doing this since BEFORE covid 19

Yours, Larry

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Larry Weingarten
I used to think Dremels were toys and they are but that toy has bailed me out a few times when nothing else will work.

I have used it to sharpen those metal step bits that are pretty pricey

BobC

@EBEBRATT-Ed A dremel is not my most used tool but it's worth it's weight in gold. Same thing for an oscillating cut off tool, it only does a few things really well but often there is no other option.

Bob

Hap_Hazzard

BobC said:

A dremel is not my most used tool but it's worth it's weight in gold. Same thing for an oscillating cut off tool, it only does a few things really well but often there is no other option.

For plunge cuts there's nothing like them.

Hap_Hazzard

Larry Weingarten said:

This may be strange, but I actually do sharpen my pipe wrenches. The teeth get rounded over the years, so I take a Dremel with a biggish grindstone on it. and run it by each tooth on the wrench. The stone needs to have a sharp right angle in it. The tools grab SO much better with sharp teeth that my knuckles don't get banged up any more! And I've been doing this since BEFORE covid 19

You might get better results by removing the jaws and taking them to your bench grinder. A green wheel would work best.

Larry Weingarten

Hi @Hap_Hazzard , I agree with you for the Stillson type wrench where the jaw is easily removable, but with other styles, that would be interesting. I just like old automatic pipe wrenches!!


Yours, Larry

Hap_Hazzard

I remember those from the wrenches thread. Pretty neat. But are those jaws hardened? If they are, I'd use a diamond sharpeneing stone or a diamond emery board.

Larry Weingarten

Hi @Hap_Hazzard , You must be a wrench nerd also The two pictured are hard to file, but I suppose it could be done. I do have some other wrenches where a sharp, fine file just slides and can't bite. A sharp triangular file might be good also for sharpening tools that will accept a file. I'm thinking your approach leaves nicer looking teeth than a Dremel. More than one way to pet the cat!

Yours, Larry

Hap_Hazzard

Yeah, @Larry Weingarten, files don't bite into hardened steel. That's one test that's used after heat-treating.

If you can find one of those little diamond emery boards, or nail files, that's the ticket. They can get into tight spaces and cut hardened steel. Just don't press too hard, because they bend, and you won't get a flat edge. And don't use any cutting oil. Diamond grit likes water, but you can use them dry and then wash them later.

Here's a picture:


They sell them in drug stores, and they usually have different grits on each side, which is handy.

nibs

You can buy diamond files in almost any shape and many grits, down to microns, they are not all that expensive, I use one for scissors and one or two others for carbide router bits.