"A bad workman...": the tool-chat thread.

Nope. I did some a few weeks ago and what was left of the bearings pretty much fell out with a light tap.
No idea how those things work, took original bearings out which had an id of 20.005mm with the same, and crank was all over the shop. I think the little plastic top hats had enough dirt in them before to make up the difference to 19mm od of the axle.
Ended up having to get new bb as quicker than finding 19mm id bearings

I managed to get the cups out in the end, there was a tiny lip on the NDS which i managed to get a square edged rod onto and gave it a bash. Replaced by Shimano press-fit. Not much better, but at least there's a tool for it.

Figured I’d resurrect this thread rather than be told to use the search bar, so…

What’s a suitable electric screwdriver or cordless drill for assembling bikes in a production setting? Main concerns are 1) limited potential for over-torquing; 2) relatively lightweight and ergonomic due to recurring tendon issues; 3) ideally <£70.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Not first hand experience but looking at the Bosch Easyscrew. It fits your budget, has torque limits of 3, 4 & 5nm

I'd suggest a right-angle driver is probably more practical given common space restrictions on bikes. Something like Bosch GWB or Milwaukee C12 RAD?

If it's a cost/weight restriction, then those little Bosch green 3.6v jobs are great. Has replaced my impact in 90% of DIY stuff due to less fatigue holding it at heights or weird angles. Not sure I'd trust the torque limitations at that price though. Mine seems plenty torquey. You can get torque limiting bit holders from Wiha I think, but they are pricey.

One of these? I use mine for DIY / woodwork, but I wouldn't trust it on a machine screw without a reliable torque limiter. Micro USB charging in a production environment might also be worth thinking about.
Edit - just realized how poor the photo is - it's a 3 year old Bosch Ixo 3.6V

1 Attachment

That looks pretty similar to the thing I suggested.

Use a newer one at work daily. It’s great.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124785065629

The small print on the handle of mine claims it is an Ixo 3 - possibly more than 3 years old?
I'm guessing the world (or at least Bosch) has moved on - mine is either on or off with very little subtlety!

Thank you everyone. I’ll try the Bosch first, and if it’s not a good fit I’ll try a right angle driver.

Looks like it to me. Thanks!

For the money, it's one of the handiest little power tools I've bought recently. And probably the most used. The trigger can be operated either by index finger or middle & ring finger or all three, so the ergonomics are great (IMO).

Super interested on this. I had a 6nm limited electric ebay special that was my favorite tool, only downside was the bits weren't the best quality and it struggled to reach torque with bike bolts caked in threadlocker.
Searching now for something slightly more powerful (8-10nm?). Won't mind paying extra for good quality.

Waiting for delivery on the Bosch. I remembered I had a not very powerful Tortek cordless drill at home, and I’ve been using that as a substitute in the meanwhile.

I set my torque wrench in the drill bit holder and used it to find approximate torque limits on the drill settings. It works well and has extra oomph when needed, but it’s heavy and I wouldn’t trust it on carbon.

I used my PB Swiss pick set yesterday for the first time. I like how they're a bit finer than the Park tool set, feeling a bit more precise in the hand. The larger handle does restrict how far you can stick it inside a frame to fish cables out though.

Four years since my grandfather died, and some family politics later, it appears that I may come into ownership of a manual metalworking lathe.

It’s been some time since I last saw it, but it should be serviceable.

Hopefully I’ll go to check it within the coming weeks.

Does anyone have experience swapping out the old motors for more modern energy efficient options? On sewing machines the old clutch jobs get swapped for tiny silent servos. I’m wondering if similar is true or possible with the lathe.

Once I have the make and model, Shirley that will help narrow down some options.

It depends on the lathe, You can’t on my Colchester Bantam. Are you going to save much anyway compared to the cost of a new motor?

Not sure, wondered what my options will be. I need it to run from the domestic plug socket in the shed, and got a little wound up reading about 1 vs 3 phase, VFD, etc.

I run mine (and my milling machine) on VFDs bought for around £80 on eBay.
They were easy to set up.

Thanks. I may pick your brain further if/when we get the machine home.

Gotta clear the space to put it and organise transport at some point. Could be a while yet.

I moved mine with a car engine hoist but literally nearly killed myself

Got fed up with having a different model/brand/type of battery tech on each power tool I own. So decided to combine as much as poss. Just spent a rather large amount on Milwaukee M12 + M18 gear and a bunch of Wera accessories. Will clean up and sell all the mismatched stuff on ebay as most of it still works, just a lot of hassle when I travel 4 hours to a job to discover I have the wrong combo of chargers/adapters and batteries.
Tried very hard to support a local dealer, but none of the actual private/independent shops had the 'good' ones, only those average/mid quality tools that have big margin on them. Asked if they could order them in, but out of the 4 I spent the entire day at yesterday, none were bothered, wasn't expecting any discount, just a solid 'here is money, can I buy lots of tools please'.

So gave up and just dumped many £k on whichever online company was cheapest, did try to support local, very hard in the tool business it seems. Only place I found that was utterly epic and I'd love to support them is a Bosch blue/pro independent dealer, guy was a legend, but from research and handling the offerings, Bosch blue/pro gear is a good 3-4 years behind Makita/Milwaukee prosumer offerings, and you get a lot less warranty.

This one is much smaller than even I remember. It’s an old South Bend. But actually now my relative has decided he will take it whether I like it or not. So my question might have been irrelevant!