OT? How Come I Never Have The Tool I Need?

[Paul Alciatore]

Simple job. I am making a top for a work bench. Two layers of 3/4" oak plywood, oak one-by boards for the edges, glue and biscuits. And I want to use some oak dowels to hold the two layers together. So I bought some 5/16" dowel rods. I figured to put them in after the main glue application dries. That's the only way I can ever get dowel holes to line up in wood.

Now I have two Forstner drill sets and some loose ones to boot. So I should have a 5/16" Forstner bit in one of them. Wanna bet? But wait, I have a nice set of brad point drills that would make a nice hole in wood. But 1/16" to 1/4" only. It just figures.

So back to the lumberyard. Exchange the dowel rods or find a 5/16" Forstner bit I guess.

Ahaaaaag! I just had to let off steam.

[pinstripe]

That's why most of us end up with so much crap. I saw a set of brad point drills at Aldi a few weeks ago. I don't use the ones I have much, but this was a bigger set. I know they won't be very good, but I bought them just in case I need them one day. It's worse for you guys in the US because you have more sizes to cover.

Some say that all the stuff they need is neatly organized at the hardware store. True, but nothing beats having it in the drawer at home.

[Puckdropper]

I don't know what it is about 5/16" drill bits. I never can seem to find one, but I've got a bunch of 1/4" and 3/8". For some reason, it's a really rare drill bit size but a really common "thing" size.

[Fasttrack]

I don't know what it is about 5/16" drill bits. I never can seem to find one, but I've got a bunch of 1/4" and 3/8". For some reason, it's a really rare drill bit size but a really common "thing" size.

I must have all of your 5/16" bits... I got started in machining because I wanted a go-kart as a kid but couldn't afford one. I ended up making a bunch of my own and, for some reason, 5/16" bolts were very common. I think because Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engines had a lot of 5/16 bolts on them, they ended up being my go-to size for most everything. At the time, I only had a hand drill so if I wanted a hole for a 5/16" bolt, a 5/16" drill bit did just fine. There was enough wander and chatter that the hole was oversized enough to be a good fit but they also tended to break as a result. Consequently, I still have a pretty big stockpile of 5/16" bits.

[MikeL46]

I can think of two cures for this problem:

- Organize everything so you can see any missing tools at a glance. Never going to happen for me and many others.

- Throw away all used tools and buy new for every job. Lack of money would prevent me from doing this.

I'll continue to fumble through as is. Sometimes I will buy duplicate tools - I do have many duplicates. I just don't worry about it any more. Fortunately the proper stores are close by.

Mike

[David Powell]

I am convinced----

I can think of two cures for this problem:

- Organize everything so you can see any missing tools at a glance. Never going to happen for me and many others.

- Throw away all used tools and buy new for every job. Lack of money would prevent me from doing this.

I'll continue to fumble through as is. Sometimes I will buy duplicate tools - I do have many duplicates. I just don't worry about it any more. Fortunately the proper stores are close by.

Mike

I firmly believe that tools and material change size and/or move around whenever I think of them. For instance, If I lay down a tapping drill and the clearance drill on my bench they change positions when my back is turned and I use the wrong one without hesitation. If I am looking for a piece of 3/8 sq bar in the drawer all I have is 7/16, but when I next look for 7/16 all I have is 3/8. Please do not tell me to change my medication, I already have and it makes no difference at all. Regards David Powell.

[BCRider]

A whole bunch of years ago I needed a bunch of burr or tear out free holes. But at the time brad point drill sets were rather expensive. A few minutes with the bench grinder and a regular drill transformed into a brad point that worked just fine. Some years later I needed that size for drilling flat bottom holes in metal when I didn't have a suitable counter bore drill. So I re-ground it and made it a square nosed drill for that job.

As for small Forstner drills? I find that the 1/2 and smaller sizes all tend to plug up way too easily. Not enough room for the chips to flow up and away from the nose. I tend to not bother with them much as a result. So the idea of shopping for a 5/16" size would not occur to me. Do they even make them that small?

[Arcane]

Visual agnosia presents as an inability to recognize an object in the absence of other explanations and may be incomplete or intermittent.

[David Powell]

Visual agnosia presents as an inability to recognize an object in the absence of other explanations and may be incomplete or intermittent.

Another disease to add to my list! Its a good job I do not write about em or there would not be enough space here for any other contributors. Regards David Powell.

[Lew Hartswick]

Re the 5/16 drill bits: There is something similar about 7/16 combination wrenches. I have zillions of all the other sizes but for some reason only ONE of
the 7/16 ( at least that I can find) .
...lew...

[J Tiers]

There is also a general law of "set theory" that applies to this issue..

If you have a "set" of anything, such as a set of combination wrenches, Some sizes will be missing, and others will be duplicated, after the passage of time. In wrenches, the set will be missing the 1/2" and 3/8" wrenches, and possibly the 9/16".

I know that if you find a wrench on the side of the road. it seems to nearly always be a 9/16", probably "Craftsman". I have an overabundance of that size which have been found, sometimes falling out of leaf mulch obtained from the municipal "free mulch pile" down in the park (usually not rusty, though). Obviously there are sets that are missing that size. (the mulch is made from leaves vacuumed up from along the city streets)

I like the wrench type that has open end and a socket at the other end. When I see sets of them at tag sales, usually the 1/2" and 3/8" are missing, and not present anywhere. My assumption is that they must fit common lawnmowers, or things around the house, and be lost out in the yard, etc.

Drill sets will be missing common sizes such as 1/4", but usually have untouched examples of the odd sizes.

[softtail]

Don't worry, soon your eyes will get so bad that you wont know you have the wrong size!

[Magicniner]

Keep buying sets until you already have a useful one left everywhere you might use it ;-)
Same with reading glasses

- Nick

[Paul Alciatore]

Well, both of my Forstner sets had 1/4" and then 3/8". They both skipped over the 5/16" size. Go figure. So yes, they do make them that small. I have used the small ones and yes, you do have to take more time for chip clearance. But they cut nice holes in wood that are free of tear-out around the edges, even soft wood.

I looked around town today and, as others have said, you can not find the 5/16" size in local hardware stores or any other kind of store. You can find them on the internet but you are going to pay through the nose. I took the 5/16" dowels back and got 3/8" ones. Problem solved!

A whole bunch of years ago I needed a bunch of burr or tear out free holes. But at the time brad point drill sets were rather expensive. A few minutes with the bench grinder and a regular drill transformed into a brad point that worked just fine. Some years later I needed that size for drilling flat bottom holes in metal when I didn't have a suitable counter bore drill. So I re-ground it and made it a square nosed drill for that job.

As for small Forstner drills? I find that the 1/2 and smaller sizes all tend to plug up way too easily. Not enough room for the chips to flow up and away from the nose. I tend to not bother with them much as a result. So the idea of shopping for a 5/16" size would not occur to me. Do they even make them that small?

[fixerdave]

Obviously, you don't have enough tools.

It's always that way, though it eventually sublimes into phase II... You have at least 2 of everything, you know you have at least 2 of everything, but you can never find even 1 of them when you actually need them. At that point, after you have torn your shop apart, again, you will, again, go to the store, buy a 3rd one, and then go to put it away, promptly finding the other 2 in the place it most makes sense to store them but is so obscure that you never think to actually look for them there, obviously... eventually, you will have 4, then 5...

I suppose you could play a metal trick at that point... just drive to the store and pick up an empty bag. Take it home, go to put it away... and you'd find the thing you didn't actually buy. Either that, or you'll find a drawer full of empty bags... if you're the overly practical type.