Tools - In A Time Of Crisis, What To Take?

[Rosco-P]

It seems that there are no reservations health-wise - just 100% fighting fit?

No?

What happens when your medication runs out and you either have no money to buy it, no prescriptions for it and no-where to buy/get it.

That will happen to many in under two weeks - some less, some longer, but happen it will.

And lets not forget trips to Hospital.

And then what will or can you do to survive or at least get around?

I think I will stay put and see my time out right here.

Very good points.
Those with long a term illness that require daily/weekly medication, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, etc., won't last long. After awhile, when supplies of simple antibiotics dwindle or expire, getting a cut will be potentially life threatening event.

[John Stevenson]

Is there any chance this can be put off for a few days ?
My pension is due in January and it would be nice to get it after all these years.

If not, no great shakes, as it means I won't have to pay my tax at the end of January and the VAT is due same time, so at least it won't be all one sided.

[Rosco-P]

I have a micro mill and 7x12 lathe, both are under 100 pounds and will run off an inverter connected to a car battery since they are less than 500 watts each. Both came home in a compact car trunk. They would help set up a new fix-it shop in a post apocalypse society.

Given a single micrometer and a caliper I could eventually recreate the other measuring tools that are needed. It's the accurate standards of measure that would be hardest to re-invent. Hmmm. Given a lathe I would be able to create a rule of reasonable accuracy. It has precision leadscrews of known values.

Dan

Are you going to bring a bench grinder with you to sharpen your tool bits or are you going to rely on inserted carbide tooling?

After the fall of civilization, global pestilence, etc., it will be awhile before we will need "precision" parts. Blacksmithing, basic mechanical and carpentry skills (and the related tools) will be in demand.

[danlb]

Are you going to bring a bench grinder with you to sharpen your tool bits or are you going to rely on inserted carbide tooling?

After the fall of civilization, global pestilence, etc., it will be awhile before we will need "precision" parts. Blacksmithing, basic mechanical and carpentry skills (and the related tools) will be in demand.

I must agree, a lathe is not a lathe unless you have the tooling to go with it. I figure that a grinder can be improvised. My grand father had a foot powered grinding wheel for his ax. But just as important, they are very common and easily obtained. I think every other house has one in the garage.

I think there will be several levels of basic needs. One level will be recreating the unsophisticated tools that our ancestors used so effectively. The other level will try to re-use the equipment that we have today. Airplanes, cars, generators and toasters.

Dan

[vpt]

Could just pick up a nice stone off the ground, chuck it up, and sharpen the hss on the lathe "stone".

[oldtiffie]

A lot of this seems to not consider your wife and kids - at all - just you. Will you just abandon them to their fate? They WILL be pleased!! I'm sure (you hope???) they will love and forgive you for it - won't they??

If as it seems many suppose they are going to have to keep moving and perhaps (in) fear others who are just as desperate - or more so - I can't see how you are going to get much use out - or any at all - let alone use those tools if there is no shelter or power or fuel. Perhaps many assume they can but can/will get what they want or need (or out of trouble??) as they go along.

What if you run out of money or money has no value at all? If that happens your tools won't be of much use at all - same applies if there is no food and fuel to be bought and what is about is kept for the owners sole use?

Its less than a hundred years ago since those who could not pay their rent or bills were tossed out onto the street with their meagre goods and chattels to fenf for themselves as best they could.

Can or will it hapen again?

Will there be shelter for the poor and destitute - and queues at the soup kitchen (if any) and employment (also if any)?

Most of us are reasonably comfortable as and where we are and just the threat of let alone the happening of such a disaster may be enough to either kill us or drive us into panic (or worse) where any tools at all will be of no use - but where you will need your family to look after you (in spite of yourselves) and give you the care you in your self-centred selfishness seem(ed?) prepared to deny them.

[Rosco-P]

Could just pick up a nice stone off the ground, chuck it up, and sharpen the hss on the lathe "stone".

Grinding on a lathe?? A truly bad idea that may persist even after the demise of "civilization". Might be more realistic to think you'll freehand grind your tools with an electric die grinder. But why not toss your 6" pedestal grinder in your trunk as well?

[Weston Bye]

In times of trouble, it pays to not be a refugee - or at least have a plan if you have be. I've though about it a little. Being a writer, I started a little story. Post 42 in this thread for those of you who haven't seen it:

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/thr...ker-Show/page3

[sasquatch]

I have to say that 99.9% of us have NEVER been in such a situation, and WE really have no ideas about how this would come about, the effects on things we have never even thought of.
AS i stated before, prioritys are "FOOD , FUEL, And SHELTER".
Those in the cities and suburbs are going to have the toughest times of it.

[jnissen]

Last summer I had the unfortunate experience of having only minutes to grab things. A wild fire started and was threatening the neighborhood. Police, fire, helicopters overhead and lots of smoke.

Wife and I split up the task but in the end we grabbed the backup drive, medicine and supplies for my diabetic daughter, the laptop along with some financial paperwork, check book, picture albums, the mother in law, kids, and the cat and dog! Had all of five minutes to grab what we could. Luckily the fire dept. extinguished the blaze before it got to our home but several homes in the area were burned to the ground. Tools and such items can be replaced. The things we grabbed were hard if not impossible to replace.