What are your favorite hand tools?

[vtpoker]

I just got thinking about this because the Mrs. wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas (she starts early and is done usually before Thanksgiving). There are tons of power tools I like, but for some reason I've been doing a lot of work with my father's and grandfather's hand tools.

Sometimes I feel it's easier to pick up a crosscut saw rather than my power saw. I like using my hand planer rather than a power planer. I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel connected to my project more.

Since we never talk about it here, what are some of your favorite hand tools? Who makes them? I'm in need of some new hand saws (crosscut, rip, japanese pull) so I will be seeing what you guys use for those.

Here are some of my favorite hand tools:

Try Square (Aluminum): My grandfather hand machined it during a break from one of his tours as a cop.

Hammer, Eastwing 16oz: My father in law the contractor has used this almost exclusively for years to drive any size nail. He cn do 16 penny nails in about two stroke.

48 in level, with angle and side windows: Great when you have to do a project by yourself. The side windows make it east to read from any angel.

Various sizes of Bessy, Jourgensen, and Irwin clamps

Edge plane: my father used this to create smooth edges and beautiful profiles on a lot of my toys as a kid.

What's some of your favorites?

[Quads]

Laser level.
Not really a 'hand tool' per say, but the Sawz All is my next fav. tool.

[Buchananite]

Fleshlight: http://www.stockroom.com/Fleshlight-Male-Masturbator-P2228.aspx

[doughboy63]

^^^^^ lol

was waiting for someone to taint the thread.

[pond007]

:rolleyes:Fleshlight: http://www.stockroom.com/Fleshlight-Male-Masturbator-P2228.aspx

:rolleyes: figures...

[vtpoker]

I knew that the title from the beginning was fodder, so bring it on, you filthy, dirt merchants...:rolleyes::eek::D:);)

[JCinPA]

Believe it or not, a torque wrench. They fascinate me. I actually like rotating my own tires and swapping the summers for my snow tires myself, just so I get to use the torque wrench.

Now that I look at this, it's kind of odd. What is so fascinating about a friggin' torque wrench??

[vtpoker]

They are highly useful tools. I use one on my car to make sure some moron doesn't rotate my tires too hard and shear the threads...no joke, a friend of mine had her tires rotated and she drove off, at 60 MPH about 20 minutes later, her bolts sheared and she almost bought the farm because some moron overtightened the bolts.

[sunsetpizza]

Fleshlight: http://www.stockroom.com/Fleshlight-Male-Masturbator-P2228.aspx

lol - I looked at that word and thought - hmm never heard of that - wth?
finally clicked on it and damn near lost it. :)

Oh japanese hand saw gets a ton of use... I love that thing.

[bigslickwood]

I just bought a japanese hand saw for flush cutting dowels, etc. I suck at it still. I scratched the hell out of my surface. I could have just turned it over to a beaver and had him gnaw the dowels off and it would have looked better.

There are a whole bunch of joinery tools I want right now. I'd like a Kreg pocket hole system, a auto-centering doweling jig, some tapered, stopped, countersinking drill bits, etc.

On the power tools side, I need a drill press, and my wife wants a lathe (she seems to think she'd like turning pens...)

[Calgary Dave]

Laser level.
Not really a 'hand tool' per say, but the Sawz All is my next fav. tool.

A few suggestions on this, Quads. There's so many different types out there, I see ppl buying the wrong ones and they end up tossed in the closet.

Take it from a guy that uses levels and lasers for a living.
Make sure whatever laser you get is "self-levelling". Having a laser at the end of a two-foot level is useless, as the accuracy is dependant upon how good your "eye" is at centering the bubble. being 1/64th out on the bubble translates into half an inch out at 30 feet.

Here's probably the best out there..and cheap:

B&D Crosshair (http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=6538)

It has two settings; one is self levelling that shoots both horizontal AND a plumb line. Comes with a mounting pin that you can stick into drywall (leaving just a tiny pinhole)
The other setting is it "locks" into place giving you a true 90 degree...for laying out a floor for tile, etc.
The only con to it is the horizontal line only shoots out one side. An alternative to this one is the Bullseye (http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=10967) which is also a stud finder, but doesn't give you a plumb line...only horizontal out each side. And you couldn't use this to "square" a floor. The stud finder is a gimmick as you can spend $10 for a basic stud finder and go with the Crosshair.

But I actually use my Crosshair EVERY SINGLE day!

[bigslickwood]

A few suggestions on this, Quads. There's so many different types out there, I see ppl buying the wrong ones and they end up tossed in the closet.

Take it from a guy that uses levels and lasers for a living.
Make sure whatever laser you get is "self-levelling". Having a laser at the end of a two-foot level is useless, as the accuracy is dependant upon how good your "eye" is at centering the bubble. being 1/64th out on the bubble translates into half an inch out at 30 feet.

Here's probably the best out there..and cheap:

B&D Crosshair (http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=6538)

It has two settings; one is a self levelling that shoots both horizontal AND a plumb line. Comes with a mounting pin that you can stick into drywall (leaving just a tiny pinhole)
The other setting is it "locks" into place giving you a true 90 degree...for laying out a floor for tile, etc.

I think I paid $40 for mine and I actually do use it EVERY SINGLE day!!!!


I've been trying to figure out a way to mount something like this on my Shopbot so that it would throw a crosshair at the point where the bit would hit the wood, like the new drill presses do...

[Calgary Dave]

I've been trying to figure out a way to mount something like this on my Shopbot so that it would throw a crosshair at the point where the bit would hit the wood, like the new drill presses do...

Hmm...good idea. Although this B&D crosshair doesnt shoot an actual "crosshair", I know what you mean.

What about just somehow mounting a cheap laser "DOT" onto a fixed part of your Shopbot. (either silicone it on...or pipeclamps, somehow) and adjust it so that its hitting right on the spot where the drill bit touches your wood surface. Being only a foot or so away the laser dot will be small and acurate.