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Member's Forum What is the most useful tool you ever made?
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What is the most useful tool you ever made?

dougw
dougw over 1 year ago

There are many great topics that relate to tools, and there are endless numbers of tools to discuss, but inevitably we run into situations where we don't have a good tool for the job and have to cobble a tool together to complete the work.

I make some little tool to do a specific job all the time, but I never stop to think whether it is a remarkable tool. I don't even document that  I made a tool.

I don't think we ever asked the question - what is the best tool you ever made, so I'm asking now. If you are like me it is going to take some time to recall something significant. In fact I am posting this question before I even have my own answer, but give it some thought. I suspect the answers will be interesting.

My most recent tool was just a wooden needle to apply ink to a 3D print - much more precise than a paint brush. I'm sure when I scan through some of my projects, I will come up with something better....

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Top Replies

  • dwinhold
    dwinhold over 1 year ago +16
    Being a cabinetmaker, I make my own planes (buying them are very expensive). Below is a photo of a router plane I made for my daughter, she uses it daily!!
  • colporteur
    colporteur over 1 year ago +8
    I repurposed a tool. Problem: How to identify which VHF transmitting antenna was bad on a 10X10 platform with over 20 antennas mounted around the edge. VSWR meter readings indicated one antenna had failed…
  • genebren
    genebren over 1 year ago +8
    Good question Doug. The best tool that I have ever made is most likely the light ring that I built for my microscope that I use to assembly PCBs. I built this over 15 years ago and it was gone through…
  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 1 year ago in reply to ntewinkel

    Wow, now that brings back some old memories.

    When I was around 12, I made a tester to test the car's trailer socket and then a matching tester to test the caravan/boat trailer lights.

    Just about everyone appeared to have problems with their trailer lighting around that time.

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  • dougw
    dougw over 1 year ago in reply to davebullockmbe

    I can relate to this one ...Thumbsup

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 1 year ago in reply to kmikemoo

    I've seen similar constructions for turning off mains water supplies at the kerbside. The water pipes over here tend to be buried at somewhere between 750mm to 1350mm to prevent freezing in winter.

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 1 year ago in reply to dwinhold

    Ooh very nice

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  • rsc
    rsc over 1 year ago

    It's hard to say what the "best" tool I ever made, but I have to say that I've re-purposed many screwdrivers using a grinder and a dremel cutter.  One of my most memorable gadgets was an air bearing I built to test friction between a rubber seal and a plastic piston.  I can still hear my mother's voice screaming - "Where are all my butter knives"  They made the best screwdrivers and prying tools, but you never could put one back in the drawer after trashing the end of it.

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  • scottiebabe
    scottiebabe over 1 year ago

    Arguably the most important tool is your workspace/workbench and its a lifetime work in progress. 

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  • davebullockmbe
    davebullockmbe over 1 year ago in reply to scottiebabe

    Ha!

    Yes, before I retired my workspace was renown for being untidy, even though I knew where everything was.
    So much so that my colleagues suggested that I enter it for the Turner prize :-)
    Dave

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  • bradfordmiller
    bradfordmiller over 1 year ago in reply to scottiebabe

    I was going to say it's your own mind, but that's a great answer too :-)

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  • vmate
    vmate over 1 year ago in reply to anniel747

    It's a super high quality, space-grade dust filter. Definitely not washed and dried wet wipes, I'd never do that.

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  • vmate
    vmate over 1 year ago in reply to anniel747

    imageimage

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