And regrets? .. Yes I have a few....

[jaegerhund]

The thread on favorite hand tools has made me think of how often hand tools must be bought just to realize how worthiness or inadequate they are.  But now its time for a little catharsis --- little self healing -- get it off your chest.  What are some tools you most disliked or found wanting in some aspect?

The one sticking in my craw of late is the Klein folding utility knife I bought a while back.  I thought it would be handy being folding and all, but I hate to use it because the release tab for the blade is always being hit, with blade being released through mid-cut -----aggravating !!  Just give me the old standby --- you can just grab it and wack stuff.

Next?

Justin

 

[John Stegall]

I have the folding Husky version, and it does not have that problem...but I still use the regular kind more often.

Regrets? All the little gadgets that are going to make whatever job you hate to do easier and do not deliver.
John

 

[Steve Jones]

Half dozen squares that weren't (square, that is)
The little Sears compressor that was cheap, oil filled, and light enough to take on installs, second one died after two months (like it's predecessor)
Just about every tape measure I brought before discovering Fastcap
The Stanley stud finder that lies to me. (I swear it hates me)
The matching Stanley laser measure that lies just as much as it's cousin. (family trait?)
The Marples chisels that seem to be made from some soft alloy that senses a nail or screw within 20' and develops a notch automatically just in case I bring it closer.
Nice big manual screwdriver sets from Harbor Freight
Almost everything else I ever brought from Harbor freight. (slow learner)

One thing you will notice from the list, every time I forget my "Buy the good, expensive one stupid" policy I get screwed solidly and spend more money than if i just spend the money and buy the best available.

 

[Neill]

I love having a beautifully crafted hand plane like those from Lie-Nielson.  Now to be able to use them properly is another story.
Another waste of money were some Radi Planes that I bought to round over and chamfer edges.  Could never seem to get the two cutters aligned properly with one another.
Oh yeah, and then there were these little round-over tools that looked like church keys.  They would be working fine, taking tight little shavings, and then all of a sudden just grab a chunk of the wood.
I guess I could go on, but these stand out.

Neill

 

[dirtydeeds]

every SINGLE stud finder that already exists on the planet

AND

every SINGLE stud finder that hasnt been invented yet

if it doesnt exist the stud finder WILL find it

if it does exist the stud finder WONT find it

they ALL find electric cables all the time

BUT....................................... ANYTHING they find is also electric

even wooden studs are electric

according to stud finders

so are nails and screws

and copper water pipes

the list is endless

 

[Michael Kellough]

The one sticking in my craw of late is the Klein folding utility knife I bought a while back.  I thought it would be handy being folding and all, but I hate to use it because the release tab for the blade is always being hit, with blade being released through mid-cut -----aggravating !!  Just give me the old standby --- you can just grab it and wack stuff.

Next?

Justin

Because you asked for it...

This cast iron sucker is solid as a rock and it has enough weight that when engaged in a heavy cut and it finally breaks free it does not go flying, like this aluminum version can.

It's just as rigid as the iron version but weighs 1/4 as much.

Even the iron version isn't my favorite. I have misplaced my favorite which is identical except that it says DEFIANCE in raised letters on the side.

 

[jaegerhund]

Wow -- I dig it -- but you see you have to turn that little screw and open it to replace the blade, so inconvenient  ---- baloney!! -- what's inconvenient is having to reach down and pick up the blade after it comes loose and falls out, or having to worry about finger position on the thing  ------- the Klein is heavy and solid but a pain in the arse.

Justin

 

[Per Swenson]

I cannot and will not use a fix blade utility knife.

This goes under "Methods of work"

Oh sure now you say it doesn't belong in my pocket.

Sorry that is one muscle memory I can't break.

Per

 

[iggy07]

Great thread -- thanks for the mention of stud finders!

I thought it was just me! They're all garbage, aren't they? In the past it has been tempting to try yet another one (new design, better technology?), but after several, I've resisted the temptation for quite awhile now. You comments make it even easier to resist.

The first knuckle on the middle finger of my right hand seems to be pretty reliable, and I've always got it with me! AND, I can always use it to 'salute' all those manufactured stud finders out there.

iggy

 

[Per Swenson]

Wanna stud finder DD and IGGY,

Tie a piece of string to a rare earth magnet.

One of these

You know one a these days Imma gonna put the wrong link

in these here Hiper links I have gotten so fond of.

Now truth be told I have one of those Zircon stud finders, maybe 10 years old,

and it always worked. Left to right only. But it works.

Brand new battery does wonders.

Per

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I'm with Per on the magnet for a stud finder.  Another thing is you can leave the magnet there and use another magnet to find the next stud.  I will use a few of them and then step back and decide where the best place to nail would be.  No marking!

As for regrets.... I have a beautiful rosewood square that is and isn't.  I have a marking gauge with the pin type marker (blade is better) that likes to follow the grain instead of staying referenced on the edge.

One of these days when I don't have anything to do (ha, ha), I'll tinker with the square and grind the pin into a blade, but I sure have better uses for my time...

 

[dirtydeeds]

rare earth magnets for metal studs

Per..fection

as they say

i am

as has happened before

in your debt

 

[Michael Kellough]

rare earth magnets for metal studs

Per..fection

as they say

i am

as has happened before

in your debt

The magnets will work on metal studs too but in a coarse way. Besides, you can usually hear the metal stud vibrate when you thump the wall and find it that way.

The magnets earn their cost by glomming onto screws and nails and give a better idea of where the center of the stud is.

I too have an old Zircon (at least 15 years) that still reliably finds the center of a wood stud through drywall. I used to have an even older German metal finder (dull green colored plastic shaped like a light duty staple gun) that did a good job of finding individual screws but the battery terminals corroded.

 

[Len]

For you stud finder guys check this link out.  Low tech.  Fits in your apron.  Works great on drywall.

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=105839

 

[Matthew Schenker]

every SINGLE stud finder that already exists on the planet

AND

every SINGLE stud finder that hasnt been invented yet

if it doesnt exist the stud finder WILL find it

if it does exist the stud finder WONT find it

Thanks dirtydeeds!  I bought a stud finder a while ago, and found it far too annoying.  All this time, I thought it was me not knowing how to use the stupid thing!  I own an old house with wooth lathing, and the stud finder just goes off constantly.
Matthew

 

[dirtydeeds]

mathew stop looking for wood in a forest

look for the nails

they give away the position of the studs in a lath and plaster wall

problem is that stud finders tell you EVERYTHING they find (or dont find)

that is what is so confusing about these tools

 

[danrush]

Actually, there are those that say that my girlfriend is the best of the stud finders. ;D

 

[Per Swenson]

Actually, there are those that say that my girlfriend is the best of the stud finders. ;D

Dan,

Thats no dang good pardner. Especially the part "there are those that say".

I had a Wife and a Beagle with similar tendencies.

The Beagle would put his nose down and not pick it back up until the next county.

There are those that say the Sheriff over there was a great guy for always bringing him back

I built a fence for the wife.

So whats your trick?  ;D

Per

 

[danrush]

No, no, you miss understood!  I meant when she's throwing pots, pans, and rolling pins, THAT's when she finds the "stud".  ( self proclaimed moniker)  ;D

D

 

[Eli]

Festool FS-KS. I finally admitted how little I use this, and pulled out the insert so I could use the systainer for something I need to carry with me. Tight coil air hoses! I can fit 12m in 1 sys-1.

cheap countersinks.
cheap router bits.
cheap tape measures.
cheap right angle drill adaptor.

I think I finally noticed a pattern though.