Over the years I have been hit up with requests to see "shop stuff". I love seeing shop stuff too, and find it interesting to see everyone's different take and flavor on how to do things, or even how to arrange stuff in the shop. So I thought one way to get the ball rolling would be to have a theme... hence a new term
HANDIEST DARN THINGS or "HDT"s.
An HDT is anything around the shop that just has so much usefulness that you just don't how you'd do without it. It doesn't have to be sexy; it might be that the most intriguing HDT's are simple and effective. So whether you're a professional builder or not, I'd really love to see YOUR HDT's, and hear why you can't live without it. Something tells me I'll learn a lot!
So I'll start.
So let's say you have an 8ft. section of 6061, and some shorter sections of stock including 1018, 4130/40, 7075, O1 and maybe even some brass 360, that all need to get chopped up into 2, 3 or 6" sections and turned into some other doodad. What to do? Get out the hacksaw? That would be quite a workout, esp. on that 3"x3" bar. And good luck fitting those bars in a mill to cut with your slitting saw.
Enter the lowly, unsung, vertical/horizontal bandsaw:
This is a small one, no flood coolant, but it takes care of what I need done around the shop. I think it cost me a few hundrew bucks 12 years ago. I try to buy American whenever I can, but this one is from Taiwan. I use it mostly in horizontal mode.
It can also go vertical.
My favorite feature is the gravity operated on/off switch. You can see it in the lower left hand corner above. The saw blade cuts through the material under the weight of the saw arm. After the cut is finished, the saw arm automatically trips the switch and turns the saw off. So I get a cut started and walk away and do something else. The satisfying "chunk" sound tells me the cut is done. It has paid for itself many times over because I'm able to do other stuff while it's working. Starrett saw blades work great and seem to last forever.
Now, smaller pieces of stock.
That you can stick into another HDT and make other fun little doodads.
Sexy? Nah. But I sure would hate to be without this little shop helper. OK let's see YOURS...!
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