What's In Your Toolbox?

[Pete Dunk]

There's nothing I like better than rummaging around someone else's toolbox; you can find out so much about a person in this most private of places. You might pull up short though and wonder 'what the devil is that doing in here?' People, you see, bring in tools from many disciplines that they feel comfortable with, that aren't normally associated with the work they are doing but just happen to do a particular job very well.

 

My first offering is an artist's tool called a colour shaper or clay shaper. This is much like a paint brush but the bristles are replaced by tips of silicone rubber in various shapes and degrees of stiffness. This wondrous tool is equally at home as a glue spreader (that the glue can't stick to) or a resilient but gentle tool for working leather repairs into bellows.

 

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

[malcolm clapp]

My small collection of different diameter knitting needles have raised the odd eyebrow from customers.

 

Useful for gently reaming and shaping end bushings.

 

MC

[Dave Prebble]

My small collection of different diameter knitting needles have raised the odd eyebrow from customers.

 

Useful for gently reaming and shaping end bushings.

 

MC

 

For accordion tuning :- 2 vials of Morphine, 1 set hi attenuation earplugs and a 4 1/2" Angle grinder

 

Malc - For the same job, I use the tapered handles of artists paint brushes to good effect.

 

A 2" stub of a candle and a cigarette lighter- great for lubricating screws and endbolts - just drag the thread across the candle so it picks up a little wax and then pass it through the lighter flame. Melts instantly and gives a thin but effective coating to the whole thread

 

A selection of 2.5ml syringes c/w blunted needles, each filled with a different glue. Great for applying pinhead sized dabs of glue with great accuracy.

 

A 3" Cobbler's awl, set in a small turned wood handle. Kept ultra sharp, this is so much easier than tweezers for picking up tiny valves, washers and the like and leaves no visible mark but it will pass right through your hand with minimal effort so keep a cork on the end when not on use.

 

A 12" x 2 " section of leather belt stuck to a strip of wood. Dressed with metal polish this makes a great hone for keeping the keenest mirror finish cutting edges on scalpel blades, knives etc. If it ain't sharp enough to provide a good dry shave... then it's blunt !

 

Dave

 

(ps not kiddin about the morphine )

[Chris Timson]

I don't have a toolkit, but I do have a repair kit stuffed in a small zip up pouch. It contains the following:-

 

- assorted small screwdrivers

- a multi tool that masquerades as a pair of fold up pliers

- a multi tool that masquerades as a smaller pair of fold up pliers

- a multi tool that masquerades as a credit card sized bit of plastic. The most useful tool in that is the small pair of scissors

- a pair of tweezers

- a small roll of scotch tape

- a couple of small artists paint brushes, one with the other end sharpened to a point

- a small pot of wood glue

- a tube of superglue

- a couple of thin metal shivs

- a small bag of springs, pads and valves

 

I have learned the hard way that when I have my repair kit with me I never have problems with my concertinas, but if I leave it at home then one time in three I will get a loose pad or broken spring or something.

 

Chris

[Dirge]

I haven't got a tool kit. It's been tidied away again. Unfortunately, neither Sal nor I knows where. I do have a silence on the E pull and the C pull, a bit of strangled fluff in the bass top A, etc

 

 

etc

 

 

etc

 

Grief I haven't seen the preferred screwdriver for three weeks and the sounds the beast is making drive me up the wall. (or perhaps more to the point, to the other smaller concertina. Different style, different tunes, so I don't practice what I should) You can only do so much knowing that 'that awful strangled sound means you hit the right note'

 

There's been at least one case of fluff from the favoured winter jumper jamming reeds and I suspect more. I'm going to end up bodging it (and chewing wood out of the ends) with an electricians screwdriver out of sheer fury.

 

Grrrrrrrrr. Sorry.

[Woody]

There's nothing I like better than rummaging around someone else's toolbox; you can find out so much about a person in this most private of places. You might pull up short though and wonder 'what the devil is that doing in here?' People, you see, bring in tools from many disciplines that they feel comfortable with, that aren't normally associated with the work they are doing but just happen to do a particular job very well.

 

My first offering is an artist's tool called a colour shaper or clay shaper. This is much like a paint brush but the bristles are replaced by tips of silicone rubber in various shapes and degrees of stiffness. This wondrous tool is equally at home as a glue spreader (that the glue can't stick to) or a resilient but gentle tool for working leather repairs into bellows.

 

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

A cheap modern pocket watch with a low power magnifying glass case cover. The watch doesn't work (it went through the washing machine!) but the magnifying glass does and is useful for having a closer look (well what else would you use it for?).

 

- W

[JimLucas]

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

A cheap modern pocket watch with a low power magnifying glass case cover... is useful for having a closer look (well what else would you use it for?).

To make my drink look bigger?

(Not that kind of glass?

)

[Pete Dunk]

I keep a number of wooden skewers (the kind you use to make kebabs for the barbecue) in my toolbox; useful as precision glue sticks when padding and valving, as probes to adjust reeds and short pieces are good to wedge levers up while the pad is off and you are fitting lever end beads.

 

A piece of 3mm brass rod with a vee notch filed into the end is a great little tool for releasing and refitting springs

 

I have a tiny pair of end nippers that make the removal of stubborn old lever end beads a simple task; these are also good for accurately trimming the ends of chamber top chamois gaskets. I find a set of smooth jawed snipe nosed pliers are very useful too for a variety of tasks.

[Woody]

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

A cheap modern pocket watch with a low power magnifying glass case cover... is useful for having a closer look (well what else would you use it for?).

To make my drink look bigger?

If only it were that simple

[Dirge]

I find that ordering several more will deal with any deficiency.

 

edited to add: and I haven't forgotten that banana joke, Woody

Edited August 4, 2007 by Dirge

[Woody]

I find that ordering several more will deal with any deficiency.

Hmmm - I find your theory strangely intriguing - I must try it out!

 

 

edited to add: and I haven't forgotten that banana joke, Woody

At least you're not going ape about it

[Pete Dunk]

Thanks to the great generosity of one of the forum members I've added a very useful tool to my toolbox today, a cross between a pen and a 1/4" wide belt sander that's perfect for tuning reeds! Details here.

 

[Theo]

And available in the UK from Axminster and others

[d.elliott]

There's nothing I like better than rummaging around someone else's toolbox; you can find out so much about a person in this most private of places. You might pull up short though and wonder 'what the devil is that doing in here?' People, you see, bring in tools from many disciplines that they feel comfortable with, that aren't normally associated with the work they are doing but just happen to do a particular job very well.

 

My first offering is an artist's tool called a colour shaper or clay shaper. This is much like a paint brush but the bristles are replaced by tips of silicone rubber in various shapes and degrees of stiffness. This wondrous tool is equally at home as a glue spreader (that the glue can't stick to) or a resilient but gentle tool for working leather repairs into bellows.

 

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

 

1. a miniature hammer, and drifts

2. scratch pen with fine brass wire bristles

3. set of 400 grit diamond needle files

4. roll of kitchen towel

5. spring clamps : 5 different sizes & multiples of each

6. 6BA; 9BA; 10BA taps, tapping size drills and tap wrench

7. packet of cigarette papers

8. mini-light box

9. Gum Arabic; Leather weld; PVA wood glue; Tube of evostick contact adhesive

 

So work it all out chaps, have fun

 

Dave

[michael sam wild]

There's nothing I like better than rummaging around someone else's toolbox; you can find out so much about a person in this most private of places. You might pull up short though and wonder 'what the devil is that doing in here?' People, you see, bring in tools from many disciplines that they feel comfortable with, that aren't normally associated with the work they are doing but just happen to do a particular job very well.

 

My first offering is an artist's tool called a colour shaper or clay shaper. This is much like a paint brush but the bristles are replaced by tips of silicone rubber in various shapes and degrees of stiffness. This wondrous tool is equally at home as a glue spreader (that the glue can't stick to) or a resilient but gentle tool for working leather repairs into bellows.

 

So what's in your concertina toolbox that we might be surprised by?

 

1. a miniature hammer, and drifts

2. scratch pen with fine brass wire bristles

3. set of 400 grit diamond needle files

4. roll of kitchen towel

5. spring clamps : 5 different sizes & multiples of each

6. 6BA; 9BA; 10BA taps, tapping size drills and tap wrench

7. packet of cigarette papers

8. mini-light box

9. Gum Arabic; Leather weld; PVA wood glue; Tube of evostick contact adhesive

 

So work it all out chaps, have fun

 

Dave

[Theo]

Wooden cocktail sticks.

These are great for packing enlarged screw holes in wood, especially for the very small diameter screws that are use in concertinas. A tiny drop of superglue on the end, push it into the hole, count to 10 then cut of the surplus and fit the screw.

Edited May 16, 2008 by Theo

[David Barnert]

I carry no unusual tools, although what is interesting is how I carry them in my concertina case. A hole drilled into the blocking accommodates a precision hollow ground screwdriver, which is all I need for most repairs. I have also mounted a small wooden pill box to the inside of the case in which I carry a couple of spare springs and an extra button.

[cplayer]

hi dave

you over looked the vat of canal water.ho.ho!!!

cplayer