This is where I work!

Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
It's amazing how fast you can kick off a rigger boot when you get a spatter down there too. Worse though I've twice had the spatter attack my 'nads. Sounds fun in a schadenfreude way when it's someone-else but again you can win the gold for how fast you can drop your pants in such a scenario.

I've had cutting discs violently disintegrate on me. It's very scary and I was seriously glad of the welding gauntlets I had on at the time. It still stung like hell though. I think the worst grinder accident was setting my fleece on fire with the sparks. Again speed undressing saved any issue.

I too just untwist the disc to get them off a grinder but I'd agree that having two is much better. I have a 9" for cutting and a 4 1/2 for a flap disc plus a proper chop saw which makes much better cuts than the hand-helds ever will. Got it for a bargain £40 at my local car boot sale. After destroying many cheap 240V items I only use the much better made 110v stuff these days. It works out much cheaper to buy good ones.
 

Radical Brad

Garage Hacker!
Staff member
Joined
Mar 13, 1999
Messages
6,078
Location
Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, Canada
Yep, I do not own a single bit of work clothing that is not burnt, not one!
I found a great fix is to use duct tape on the inside of clothing to patch holes.
One of my bad habits is to finish a weld when my shirt is on fire. Do that often.

When overhead welding, I stuff a towel down my shirt.
Spatter is killer when doing overhead!

Brad
 
Joined
May 31, 2013
Messages
3,981
Location
South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
My grinder-disc based chop-saw has been very "Handy" I have to confess, and as long as you go slowly, the blades seems to last well.
The 2 angle grinders (1 flap, one zip-disc loaded) a hand held drill and the Pillar-Drill are all the "powered" tools I have for metal-cutting/shaping.
The Hydraulic bender John made for me is gathering some dust awaiting a project; although Mrs. C wants some Garden metalwork obelisks doing :)
I keep looking at the smaller "hobby" lathes, and I should stop that immediately.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
I have an old East German MD65 Hobbymat lathe which I believe was the base the Chinese copied their own small lathes from. One thing about lathes is the learning curve is VERY long.
 

SirJoey

Super Moderator
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
4,781
Location
My cozy little nook in the corner!
One thing about lathes is the learning curve is VERY long.
Tell me about it! As a journeyman machinist, I used to make my living with them, along with milling machines & other machine tools.
Served a 4 year apprenticeship, taking 4 years of machine tech, 4 years of math, & 8,000 hours of shop time to get my sheepskin.
Eventually left it all for a career in radio, which I retired from. Still, the machine shop experience has served me well over the years.

Didn't learn to weld & braze however, till I decided I wanted to build HPVs, & joined AZ! It's been a great ride!

***
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
563
Location
Fernley, NV
Website
miscdotgeek.com
As for playing the long game, I have parts on my new trike build that I've been holding onto for 10+ years! And I designed the the trike in 2015. It's taken a long time to get everything needed to build it, but we're there now. Now I just need to finish it. Hopefully that won't take another 10 years :p
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2020
Messages
1
Location
London
Website
www.dealmecoupon.com
Well thanks dudes, but please don't think I am not totally enjoying it!
I just love pushing with less, it is like a fuel to my fire.

This will prove my complete insanity for wanting all things to be challenging...

I own a drill press, band saw, chop saw, and a mig welder.
All have been packed in the back of a C-Can for 9 years and never used!
I will NEVER use them for AZ builds. They will be Kat's tools when she has a workspace.

Angle grinder, AC welder, hand drill and nothing else. My rule.

Brad
By reading your post. It feels like, you love the work you do. Keep doing the good work.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
712
Location
Vilvoorde / Flanders / Belgium
Yeah, don't give up on it! Took me TEN years to finish my "hybrid Marauder".
***
I wish I had a reason to do so now.
Still trying to get a brother in arms to build , as it is my main flaw. Can't get going on a project if I don't have a real deadline or partner with the drive to make it so.
On the other hand, I'm racking up kilometers on 3 wheels the last weeks. Shamefully doing so on a commercial trike (what is getting modified day by day)
 
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