Great thread BTW, TangoF.

I have always wanted a Winslow drill!!!

The coolest must have tool in my box is the Black Hawk/ Proto 1/4 "rotator" ratchet. It looks like your standard cheap charlie ratchet but it's not! You can twist the handle back and forth and it will turn the socket whatever direction you have selected. Pretty neat in tight spots where you can't turn a wrench at all. It also makes for a pretty good standard ratchet.

TangoFox wrote:

Here is a manual version of the "Winslow Gun".
I have a few older versions of these.

Yup. I got several of those for different sizes of nut plate.

PAMR MX wrote:You can twist the handle back and forth and it will turn the socket whatever direction you have selected. Pretty neat in tight spots where you can't turn a wrench at all. It also makes for a pretty good standard ratchet.

That's awesome.

For fabric work, a scrap narrow length of clear lexan 4 or 5' long. A straight edge you can see through in effect, that will conform to a airfoil. Real handy when laying out for finishing tapes. Handy for lots of things, plus free!…

. A roll around mini work bench, the same exact height as your main bench, so when stowed its an extension of the main bench. But when needed, rolled right close to the " job site". Mine has a flip out top surface extension, so the normal 24" x 36" top size goes to 24" x 4.5'. It has drawers also for the most needed tools, plus a 4 outlet box so when in position you just plug a ex. cord into it but now you have multiple outlets for various tools. It saves a lot of running back and forth to the main bench.

My main bench is dead level, straight, and square, with anchor bolts going into the shop floor slab. Nothing worse then a wobbly bench! Mine is so stout and well anchored, it serves as a dead man for comalongong various things when needed

My two favorite tools.



"Beat to fit, paint to match".

For you fabricators try out rotabroach's by http://www.blairequipment.com. They are great for making round holes in steel and aluminum. I love 'em. No more three and five sided holes that twist drills provide.

courierguy wrote:..... A roll around mini work bench..... It saves a lot of running back and forth to the main bench....

Work benches...I have three surplused-out steel shop desks in my hangar. Two side by side in my main area, another across the hangar. These are great, and usually cheap or free if you're lucky. We found one abandoned in a vacated rental hangar that my hangar neighbor/buddy appropriated.

Plus two stationary work benches 2' x 8', mainly used for storing stuff on or under. Plus a small roll-away toolbox, a small rolling cart about 18" x 30", and a much larger rolling table probably 30" x 48". At times, all of the rolling stock is in use.

I know some guys who have huge rollaways-- great for keeping stuff in, but you need a forklift or a team of minions to move it around the hangar.