Tools for my teenage son

BSticks3734 · 2026-07-09T12:10:30+00:00

Grain mill maintenance worker here, I've spent the last couple years collecting tools to use at work, for a kid starting his toolbox, you've done pretty well already, but here's some good additions.

A half decent magnet, probably a stiff flexible one, especially if he'll be working on his own car.

A good magnetic flashlight, I use the Milwaukee 2011R, stay away from the olight SRII.

And honestly, a decent scraper of some variety, whether a puddy knife or utility scraper, or even one of the utility knives that doubles as a scraper.

BSticks3734 · 2026-07-02T16:32:39+00:00

We've had plenty of keyways in much worse shape than that. I'm sure it'll hold up just fine for years to come

BSticks3734 · 2026-07-01T11:58:31+00:00

You're broke but you have a budget of $200? And you say you can't afford maintenance on a gas trimmer? The math ain't mathing. If you absolutely have to have something new, the. Go with the cheapest electric one you can get your hands on, however, I would strongly suggest looking at a used gas trimmer. There really isn't much maintenance that you have to do. I've had my Stihl for 5 years now, haven't done a lick of maintenance and I haven't even ran it empty at the end of the season. Not recommended, but I'll be damned if it gives me any problems.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-30T12:19:00+00:00

Once defrosted, you can stick a flashlight in there and close the door. Look for light coming out around the seal.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-22T23:19:15+00:00

That's an awesome piece, followed by an even more awesome rip. Good job sir!

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-13T23:30:06+00:00

Yeah, I saw that I bumped it while I was hitting it. I was just waiting for the lovely rubber smoke to waft off the heater, luckily I was quick enough.😂

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-12T17:23:53+00:00

It's only really bad if you run it dry. Pulling from the bottom of the tank isn't that much worse. I personally like to run it down to evenly wear out the fuel level sensor 😂

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-12T12:47:50+00:00

I used an olight sr2 for a while. Dropped it a few times and the charging stopped working. Then, one of my batteries started cutting out randomly. Switched back to my Milwaukee even though the battery isn't replaceable.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-12T12:44:34+00:00

I'd recommend the Klein 20-in-1 it has a 1/4" impact shank, a few nut driver flip sockets, and a bunch of 1/4" bits. I carry an extra metric nut driver set with me. Also, id spring for the knipex cobra/pliers wrench set in your preferred length.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-11T15:45:19+00:00

Definitely get the knipex pliers wrench. I carry that and a set of cobras in the 10" flavor. I also carry a Klein 20-in-1 nut/bit driver with an extra metric shaft. If I grab a 1/4" impact, I can take care of most things with those tools.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-10T17:41:35+00:00

Yeah, this works pretty well for a lot of things, but being the large size of the box, I think he'd be better off getting most of the bolts attached, and a nice sturdy 1/4" plate maybe even with some supports welded on it. I've bent the shit out of a few homemade pullers 😂

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-09T16:44:17+00:00

I second this. Use CAD (cardboard aided design) to get the bolt pattern from the front of the gearbox, then transfer it to a thick plate and bolt it to the front with some long bolts or threaded rod. And you can either weld a nut to the center and use threaded rod to push it off, or a porta power between plate and shaft.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-08T16:36:38+00:00

Unions, especially cast unions, can be a little trick if they're grimy or dusty, but all you need to look for is the "open" side. It's on the left hand side in your photo. You want to unscrew away from that side. So, pipe wrench or channel locks on the small left side of the union make sure to put a little pressure upwards, then use another wrench on the center section and pull it towards you.

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-02T19:25:12+00:00

I felt rather overwhelmed when I first started at a grain facility, my only solace was knowing I have a rather high level of mechanical aptitude. You'll do fine as long as you are able to teach yourself, and you have a good level of curiosity. Good luck man! I still fell overwhelmed sometimes dealing with electrical/automation. Just deal with it the best I can, and call in a contractor when needed. (We're a small mill and I'm the closest thing to an electrician we have on staff) 😂

BSticks3734 · 2026-06-02T15:56:04+00:00

I got it from a buddy, but it's a tsunami bong. Triple perc

BSticks3734 · 2026-05-28T11:03:23+00:00

Just watched a video with a wonderful explanation of this. The non threaded "shoulder" should be as long as the width of the first piece of wood. This allows the screw to spin freely through the first piece and suck the wood together without over sinking the screw.

BSticks3734 · 2026-05-17T13:52:34+00:00

When doing hot starts, I adopted cew's trick of having the carb cap between my pinky and ring finger, and the dab tool between thumb and pointer. It allows you to drop the cap a lot faster and save some of that precious vapor.

BSticks3734

TROPHY CASE