[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Brilliant. I was sceptical that a Dremel in an inexperienced hand could accomplish this.

Apologies to you and the dremel! Great job

I was skeptical myself as i haven't done any power grinding before, but I'm not new to such things so had an idea on how to go about it and the output is satisfactory (compared to how unfinished it was before). As i had to work with hard steel i went for the biggest dremel and it worked.

Did some cutting inside the airbox with the softmetal/plastic cutting bit and came out well. Its made a difference to engine breathing as well. Basically cut out all the muffling ribs. Working with the airbox it was hard to do some corners because of the large handpiece, smaller handpiece would've been good for both these inside jobs. If there is a 90degree adapter for the fortiflex handpiece that would be awesome.

[drsingh]

Death of the trusty hand blender.
Operation Sunday brunch with Aloo paranthas and fresh butter in distress.....






Birth of the new 1500 watt power blender! Operation successful
.

P.S. Don't try this with a dirty drill from your tool box!

[Gannu_1]

The el-cheapo handheld blower at home finally blew up after 3 years of service! It worked well as long as it lasted but the winding used to get really hot after say 10 minutes of usage and emanates a burning smell from the vents. Had to pause and resume the cleaning process. I am looking for a replacement.

eBay shows a Skil blower retailing for Rs. 1600 (inc. of shipping charges; link) which looks like the cheapest out there among the branded ones (Skil, Bosch, Black & Decker etc.). A coupon would further lessen this price. Does anyone have any experience with this one? This one has a 3 m long cord and a variable speed setting. Primary use is for cleaning the innards of the PC enclosure and the engine bay of the car.

Bosch’s blowers are retailing for 5k odd. That is too expensive! Black & Decker is for 2.5k but not sure if it is any better than the Skil one. Any inputs would be helpful! TIA!

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The el-cheapo handheld blower at home finally blew up after 3 years of service! It worked well as long as it lasted but the winding used to get really hot after say 10 minutes of usage and emanates a burning smell from the vents. Had to pause and resume the cleaning process. I am looking for a replacement.

I would suggest to buy a used air compressor for about 300-4000 bucks and use a flexible pipeline to focus compressed air at any desired location like car carpets / Boot or even your home AC.

Compressor eventhough slightly expensive that your portable motor based blower, life and power are much more. Once I construct my house, I am planning to buy and use an air compressor only.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

I would suggest to buy a used air compressor for about 300-4000 bucks and use a flexible pipeline to focus compressed air at any desired location like car carpets / Boot or even your home AC.

Compressor eventhough slightly expensive that your portable motor based blower, life and power are much more. Once I construct my house, I am planning to buy and use an air compressor only.

We live in a rented apartment in a 4-storey building; unfortunately this isn't an option. Portability is also compromised. Appreciate the tip regardless.

I think I'll go with the Skil blower.

[theexperthand]

Today Bosch have put up a stall in my company lobby for all Bosch and Skil products. The discount varies from 15 to 45% and they are ready to match online price if any product is available online for a cheaper price.

Saw a good tool kit - Skil 45 piece stubby set in the brochure (they do not have a display piece, but will get it today itself if I place the order) and now I want to buy it. I am getting this at the same Flipkart price. But since this is a stubby set, will I be able to use it for general chores?

--Anoop

[lapis_lazuli]

I had recently purchased a 41 piece tool kit, to take care of some pending work at home and car. It is worth 250 or so from ebay, and not unexpectedly, it is trash. I mean the bits : you could bite them off shape, if you have fairly well maintained Vicco Vajradanti type teeth .

I lost my Pro'skit set over the years, and now which is the one to buy, which has most of the common Torx, Allen and standard chisel and Philips heads?

Of course my focus is on :

1) Rustproof
2) HARD : yes, should not strip off or get warped. And yes, I know how to use tools properly, and not misuse! True chrome-vanadium ones are available these days?

3) Reasonably priced and available online.
4) Rustproof...!
5) Ratcheting desirable, not mandatory. I have enough fat to burn!

Any online links would be greatly appreciated and first hand user feedback would be great. Machpowertools do not seem to have one, as I speak and I don't believe Taparia is the last word in quality.

EDIT Thanks Latent, I just found this on machpowertools:

http://www.machpowertools.com/bosch-...crewdriver-set

So I think I will get this.

[latentpotential]

Look for Bosch sets. They are super strong.

[Thad E Ginathom]

That looks good, but remember that a fat handle and shaft will not always reach places you need it to reach. But that should be fine: one such set will never satisfy all purposes, however many bits it comes with

[Aroy]

Try Taparia tools. They export quality chrome vanadium tools, and have an online presence. The prices are steep, but that is what it costs.
http://www.tapariatools.com/

When I bought sockets way back in early seventies, there was only Gedore as Taparia had not started sockets as yet. The sockets were around Rs20 on an average, today they are Rs.150+.

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

That looks good, but remember that a fat handle and shaft will not always reach places you need it to reach. But that should be fine: one such set will never satisfy all purposes, however many bits it comes with

But of course! I am still thinking if I should buy the set or just the set of bits. I have a couple of handles, from earlier sets. Its the bits that fail, or, the tiny neodymium magnet inside, that falls off. I now stick a cylindrical and very strong neodymium magnet to the shaft to prevent the bit or the screw from falling off, and into wrong places!

Originally Posted by Aroy

Try Taparia tools. They export quality chrome vanadium tools, and have an online presence. The prices are steep, but that is what it costs.
http://www.tapariatools.com/

Thanks Roy Saheb. Can I get it in Sadar Bazaar or Kashmere Gate? I got a nose pliers from a Lajpat Rai Market shop, Taparia, but it's rusted tight! I guess it is a fake.

I have this, "obsession" should I say, for the following.

1) A good quality tool kit. I cant imagine life without one.
2) A perfectly flat and comfortable pair of headphones.
3) A fountain pen, which I write with, once or twice a month, maybe.
4) A CASIO digital watch; I dont wear a watch anymore, but it has to be there, nevertheless!
5) A heavy duty extension cord.

Somehow, for the last 25 years, these items have been an important part of my life, and quite inseparable! I am missing a good tool kit these days and it is unbearable.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

... nose pliers from a Lajpat Rai Market shop, Taparia, but it's rusted tight! I guess it is a fake. ...

Unlikely to be a fake. Steel used by Taparia in pliers (both 'cutting' as well as 'nose') was prone to rusting. Simple solution - clean off the rust thoroughly, and coat all exposed surfaces with white petroleum jelly (Vaseline), wiping off the excess. Mine has stayed rust free for the last 40 years!

The Bosch set looks good. It even has an extension shaft, albeit a small one. I have a set made in China 30 years back - still giving me good service. The only thing that went bad was the plastic lining holding the bits and pieces!

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

But of course! I am still thinking if I should buy the set or just the set of bits. I have a couple of handles, from earlier sets. Its the bits that fail, or, the tiny neodymium magnet inside, that falls off. I now stick a cylindrical and very strong neodymium magnet to the shaft to prevent the bit or the screw from falling off, and into wrong places!



Thanks Roy Saheb. Can I get it in Sadar Bazaar or Kashmere Gate? I got a nose pliers from a Lajpat Rai Market shop, Taparia, but it's rusted tight! I guess it is a fake.

I have this, "obsession" should I say, for the following.

1) A good quality tool kit. I cant imagine life without one.
2) A perfectly flat and comfortable pair of headphones.
3) A fountain pen, which I write with, once or twice a month, maybe.
4) A CASIO digital watch; I dont wear a watch anymore, but it has to be there, nevertheless!
5) A heavy duty extension cord.

Somehow, for the last 25 years, these items have been an important part of my life, and quite inseparable! I am missing a good tool kit these days and it is unbearable.

Chawri Bazaar is where you need to go. You take the Metro, get down at the Chawri Bazar station, and between the station and Ajmeri gate all the hand tools shops are there.

There are two types of hand tools, those with chromium plating, which do not rust and those without, which will rust.

Before you go look up the Taparia online catalog, and make your preliminary shortlist, else you will be overwhelmed with the choice.

I never bought sets, but sockets and accessories individually
Your obsessions :
1. Done
2. Try the large professional phones, they are big, comfortable and expensive - start with 10K and go upto 50K+. Again look up online catalogs and agents in India.
3. Be careful of fountain pens. The quality of ink available today is quite bad. So you have to go in for really expensive ones. In case you do not use the pen regularly, the ink will dry up and clog the pen. I still prefer Parker, though if you really have the moolah, Mont Blank is the way to go.
4. I have a Rolex, but last year I got a Casio Quartz for Rs.1,100. It is waterproof to 100m, has day & date display and the outer bezel rotates - like a diver's watch. I use it to calculate elapsed time, a coarse stop watch.
5. That is some thing that you have to make your self, as I have yet to see one in the market. You buy a thick 3 core cable, preferably 10mm.square conductor each (5 meters is more than sufficient) and mate it to a wooden switch board. Nothing fancy, but capable of carrying lots of load. Use 15A & 20A MCB instead of switches and 16A dual purpose sockets.

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Unlikely to be a fake. .....petroleum jelly (Vaseline), wiping off the excess......The Bosch set looks good.

Thanks DerAlte! Clear now. I will get the chrome plated ones, as Aroy suggests, with the hope that the plating doesn't flake off! And probably just the set of BOSCH make bits and not the whole set. It's up for sale too!

Originally Posted by Aroy

Chawri Bazaar is where you need to go.... else you will be overwhelmed with the choice.

I never bought sets, but sockets and accessories individually
Your obsessions :
1. Done
2. Try the large professional phones, ....

Exactly! I have workable versions of the other four and I agree with everything that you have suggested!

I use a pair of Roland RH50 headphones now. For the fountain pen: Are the Wing Sung "Chinese Pens" still available these days? They used to be a craze, affordable ones, when we were at school. Never had money for the expensive ones....! I have a Parker now, with the ink cartridges. I "refill" the cartridges with a syringe and Sulekha ink from the late 80s!

The CASIO for me, ditto, and the extension cord: 15 years old, 8 meters, 3 core AC wiring cable, (3mmsq each wire), copper, 6 outlets with NO switch, just a master MCB and a 275V Varistor, after the MCB, (voltage surge protection) and a Schaffner common mode filter, salvaged from a busted piece of equipment! Plug bases are all porcelain/ceramic (with copper connections)...cracked these days, and there are no ceramic ones to be found in the market! Fortunately, ceramic seems to form a bond with cyanoacrylate quite favourably: so the broken pieces have been rejoined!

Thanks again!

[drsingh]

Can the DIY crowd recommend me some adhesive to bond a velcro strip to a polyethylene sheet?

Is cyanoacrylate the way to go?