Thursday, 21 July 2011

Starting Tools


Here is what I started with.  As I get a bit further along in the prototyping and final construction stages I'll add a few more (ie hammers), but this is sort of the bare minimum to get things rolling.

From left to right :
  • Leather punch
  • Machine Screws & Nuts (4-40x 3/8")  - these are my "temporary rivets"
  • Gloves (Optional, I'm not using them much at this stage)
  • Center Punch - useful for marking hole locations
  • Soapstone - (the thing that looks like a piece of chalk)  Use this to draw lines and scribble numbers on sheet metal
  • Metal Punch Kit - You can substitute a drill, but this is a lot quieter and doesn't require a backstop.
  • Right-Hand Metal Shears - Buying the cheapest ones you can find is probably a bad idea.
  • Knife - If you don't know how to put a decent edge on one, learn now.
  • Medium Files - Half Round/Triangle/Round - for hinges
  • Hacksaw - for hinges
  • Large File - for smoothing edges left by the metal shears
  • Steel Ruler - I don't recommend using a cork-backed one, but I guess you could if you wanted.

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