"What garage tools tools Thread?" Thread

I've been on CL (surprise surprise) looking for a possible replacement for the Volvo 780 (long story . . . short story = maybe more rust than I initially thought) Some guys out there are making mounts and "stuff" for $800+. For that price I can get a GOOD 220v welder + plus goodies and make my own damn mounts . . . plus a whole lot more stuff.

After some coaxing from JoeyM, I figure it's time to outfit Strike Zero Garage with some decent equipment.

Things I'm looking at:

1. Welder - I think the Eastwood 175 will work just fine
2. Drill Press - Dunno yet
3. Band Saw - Dunno yet
4. Chop Saw - This Kaw looks nice
5. Blast cabinet - Small should do for now
6. CL Oven - I need this to go along with Eastwood Powder Kit

No, I'm not brand whoring on Eastwood, but their site is easy to search

I do have a fairly tight budget on this, but I don't want to be be a cheapass and create frustration. Please suggest away!! I want to be like the rest of you turning stuff into stuff

Could you do a combo horizontal/vertical band saw and kill the band saw/chop saw want?

TSC has a small blast cabinet pretty cheap.

Drill press: the one my dad bought I spec'd and my only spec was 5/8" chuck capacity.

www.powderbythepound.com or similar site for a gun and powder.

For a band saw, it depends on what you want to do... I picked up a 12" (IIRC) Craftsman used for $50, and for a bit more had two steel-cutting and one aluminum-cutting 80" blades made up, and went to the local hardware store to get a tiny pulley for the motor and a large one for the lower wheel. Which gets me into aluminum-cutting speed just fine, but several years later I still haven't gotten around to making the jackshaft it'll need to get the reduction down to steel-cutting speed (it cuts steel great, but I imagine the blade life is going to be brief, so I haven't done much of that). I think Sears and HF may both have 80" metal blades, but I couldn't find any locally when I set it up, and actually ended up having custom-made blades shipped cross-country (which was still remarkably affordable).

Which is a long way of saying that if you're just going to cut the odd aluminum bracket, this is a somewhat cheap and nifty option, but that if you're going to do much more than that, a "proper" tool probably makes more sense. I would like to replace mine with vertical/horizontal unit meant to cover that sort of speed range.

The only thing about that Kawasaki chop saw that concerns me is the stamped sheet base. My Milwaukee has a cast base, and it just seems like better construction for the job, but I'm hardly an expert on tool manufacture.

My cheap Ryobi benchtop drill press has successfully poked holes in a fair amount of stuff, but if I had it to do over I'd be hoping to find a big, solid older Delta or something. Not that I usually try to use it as a faux mill or anything, but it's just not very rigid.

What about a press for bushings, balljoints, and other un-separatables? Do you have a good mechanic's bench vice? How about sheet metal brake?

ransom wrote: For a band saw, it depends on what you want to do... I picked up a 12" (IIRC) Craftsman used for $50...

I picked up one of these convertible models on CL for $50 too... and I have used the hell out of it. Great, compact saw for chopping roll cage tubing and then stand it up, attach the vertical plate and cut shapes in aluminum.

G0622 Vertical / Horizontal bandsaw

Raze:

• Bench Vice . . . Check
• Air Compressor . . . Small one (26 gal, 1.5 HP, CFM @ 40 PSI: 5, CFM @ 90 PSI: 4, Maximum Pressure: 125 PSI), but check
• Sheet Metal Brake . . . Nope
• Press . . . Nope

I can thing of too many things I need a press for (not saying I don't need one ) The Sheet Metal brake would be a later purchase.

Strike_Zero wrote: I can thing of too many things I need a press for (not saying I don't need one ) The Sheet Metal brake would be a later purchase.

Sheet brakes and hydraulic presses are useful but they are not often used and they are space hogs. I occasionally wish I had them when I find myself cobbling sockets and threaded rod together or using 2x4s to crease metal or driving across town to pay someone for something I could easily do in 10 secs at home with the right tools - but I am glad I am not tripping over a 30" sheet brake or having to move a huge steel press out of the way most of the time. (like I have to do with the engine hoist, bandsaw, kart stand, engine stands and welder)

Making the jump to CL to see what is available in the area.

It would be nice if I can run up on a band saw like you GSP

Don't forget a decent air compressor.

[Edit: Not sure....I don't remember, but you may already have one]

The bandsaw above is much better than a chopsaw. It's called a 4x6 online and it's basically the same design/castings over a number of names/years.

The HF version will work just fine, a better blade will be necessary. There are pages devoted to modding and adjusting the 4x6

Example:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm

Drill presses will be similar across brands for the cheap new ones..

Just about everything eastwood has is available elsewhere at a better price. They rebadge the same chinese junk everyone else sells. Not saying I don't buy some of the chinese junk, because I have and do. But I try not to pay a premium for that privilege.

Esp. try to buy an American welder...Miller or Lincoln or Hobart. 220v.

-James

Just saw in the Classic Motorsports magazine, an ad for the Eastwood 200 Tig and their plasma for $999. They also had combo deals on the mig setups, but I sure missed the boat there. Just bough my micro tig from Everlast, so didn't make out on the nearly free plasma deal.

Not affiliated etc etc. Just seemed like a really good bargain.

In reply to JoeyM:

I got a small one . . . but should get the job done. (26 gal, 1.5 HP, CFM @ 40 PSI: 5, CFM @ 90 PSI: 4, Maximum Pressure: 125 PSI)

Awesome input guys keep em coming!!!

I have a nice ryobi cut off saw (14" I want to say)... was my grand-father-in-laws so it's free... nice tool to have and easy to get nice straight cuts... but i'd much rather a band saw and an angle grinder

that being said you can do a lot of things with the "wrong" tools... a "decent" welder, a 4.5" angle grinder, and a decent hand drill will do A LOT (I managed to mount a volvo engine in an s10 with it... would have been easier with proper tools but can be done lol...