Do you have a favorite tip(s) you got off this board?

[Your Old Dog]

I started wondering about how much of this board is reflected in my humble backyard workshop. I see dozens of ideas that have been pressed into service. I do a lot of basic layout work, nothing fancy just mounts and things like that.

I have found John Stevenson's reworking of the jaws on a cheap set of chinese calipers to extremely useful. I ground one side down as per his picture and it makes a great scribe for lining up intersections for holes.



I also found someone else mentioned using fat Magic Markers for fast layout work, I use it a lot.

Someone mentioned to keep files used for brass separate from those used for steel and I do that too.

Anybody else remember any useful tips they've found?

[Frank Ford]

There are so many! Being self-taught, this place is responsible for a lot of what I haven't learned in texts or the hard way.

I used this one today - a simple to make lifting handle for the Kurt vise:



Electrolytic rust removal:



Light duty T-slot bolt made by adding flats on the head of a regular carriage bolt:

[Carld]

There are a lot of things I have found to use but the one thing that impressed me most was the shear cutting tool.

[dp]

Where to start? When Frank Ford learns something, I learn something. For keeping this forum interesting you can't beat the unusual and wide ranging projects Evan has shown.

John Stevenson has produced an endless stream of valuable knowledge on machines, methods, and it is probably safe to say responsible for more people taking on gear making than Ivan Law.

Old Tiffie has the patience of Job (I think they learned under the same head master) when explaining the maths of machining, setups, operations, and tooling.

The forum tinkerer Brian Rupnow knocks out projects like falling dominoes, and leaves a trail of photos, rolling commentary, and swarf in his wake.

And the forum documentarian Bob Warfield captures nearly all of it on his blog.

I've left nobody out by design - this would be a long windy post were I to list all the great influences here, so let me wrap up by saying more education is dispensed in an afternoon's reading of this forum than can be found in a good library, and it happens every day.

[Stepside]

I have to second what Dennis (DP) has said. After seeing what Sir John has done, I have restored several electric motors. It is my opinion that the pictures/advice/questions/answers has both improved the quality of my work as well as tempt me to try something new. As soon as Dennis helps me post pictures I will show some of my adventures.