Essential kit

[davesparks]

Just found this if it helps you at all. Hand tool list that SJIB expect you to have for the apprenticeship in Scotland

http://sjib.org.uk/documents/ToolList.pdf

That list seems a little out of date, I wonder how old it is.
I don't have some of those tools and I've been doing the job a few years now.
I haven't got a plumb bob, mole grips, bradawl etc

 

[pc1966]

That list seems a little out of date, I wonder how old it is.
I don't have some of those tools and I've been doing the job a few years now.
I haven't got a plumb bob, mole grips, bradawl etc

It would be good to see/make a more up-to-date list. I imagine most folk would use one of those spirit levels with dual indicators for vertical (instead of plumb line) as well as horizontal checks.

I don't even know what a "1 Pair foot prints (225m)" is!

Most folk I know simply abuse a small/old screwdriver as a bradawl, after all it is not really a major part of a typical sparks day to be doing woodworking.

 

[Zerax]

It would be good to see/make a more up-to-date list. I imagine most folk would use one of those spirit levels with dual indicators for vertical (instead of plumb line) as well as horizontal checks.

I don't even know what a "1 Pair foot prints (225m)" is!

Most folk I know simply abuse a small/old screwdriver as a bradawl, after all it is not really a major part of a typical sparks day to be doing woodworking.

'Footprints' is really a brand name... mind you, so is 'Mole'. Footprints are amazing as they automatically tighten onto a pipe the harder you try to turn it. All to do with the shape of the jaws and the pivot point. Defo find a pair if you can... 2nd hand is great as they last forever. I have 2 pairs... and the only issue is the adjusting screw falls out alot.

A chalk line is very useful for marking long lines on walls for cable clipping etc. and I can use mine as a plumb bob too !

Bradawls were very handy years ago before we all used cordless drills with PZ2 bits... try starting a slot head screw with a screwdriver without one !

I bet the youngsters don't know what a 'gimlet' is either !

 

[pc1966]

'Footprints' is really a brand name... mind you, so is 'Mole'. Footprints are amazing as they automatically tighten onto a pipe the harder you try to turn it. All to do with the shape of the jaws and the pivot point. Defo find a pair if you can... 2nd hand is great as they last forever. I have 2 pairs... and the only issue is the adjusting screw falls out alot.

Ah, like a pipe wrench! (Stillson).

I would never call them "a pair" though, and I'm not man enough to handle one that is 225 meters long!
[automerge]1584546617[/automerge]
Found the web site for anyone who is interested:

Footprint Original Pattern Pipe Wrench - Footprint Pipe Wrench

Footprint Pipe Wrench, original pattern. Invented in c.1875 and still in use around the world to this day. A heavy duty pipe wrench.

footprint-tools.com

 

[telectrix]

footprint . i have 1. useful as it self tightens as you put turning pressure on.

 

[davesparks]

I don't even know what a "1 Pair foot prints (225m)" is!

That one I do have, somewhere, I've not seen them in a while.

 

[ipf]

footprint . i have 1. useful as it self tightens as you put turning pressure on.
View attachment 56424

Ideal for conduit....with mine the hand grip's two perfect reamers for 20mm and 25mm. Always called 'em 'dogs', as me old fella did. The oldest tool I have.....except for me ……..own.

 

[davesparks]

I think the oldest tool I own is in a toolbox full of taps and dies I inherited frommy grandad, there's a Whitworth tap in there with 1937 stamped on it.

 

[littlespark]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned on this thread or not, but toolbox essentials this week consist of hankies, bog roll and a 6 pack of hand sanatizer.

 

[pc1966]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned on this thread or not, but toolbox essentials this week consist of hankies, bog roll and a 6 pack of hand sanatizer.

Is that not a standard male teenager 's kit anyway?

 

[Zerax]

Is that not a standard male teenager 's kit anyway?

I think the hand sanitiser is a recent addition !

 

[telectrix]

all this sanitizing, wiping work surfaces with the "kills 99.9% of all known germs" fad is the problem. reducing exposure to all these viruses/bacteria etc. prevents our immune systems from reacting when needed. just look at China where corona virus started. all then Chinese walking round in masks. soon as the take the mask off, bodies can't cope.

 

[davesparks]

all this sanitizing, wiping work surfaces with the "kills 99.9% of all known germs" fad is the problem. reducing exposure to all these viruses/bacteria etc. prevents our immune systems from reacting when needed. just look at China where corona virus started. all then Chinese walking round in masks. soon as the take the mask off, bodies can't cope.

I agree with the general principle and its true that over cleaning is causing a reduction in immunity.
However in the case of the current coronavirus it makes no difference, the virus has transferred from animals and as a result humans have no immunity or antibodies to fight it, so our immune systems are starting from scratch.

 

[Zerax]

all this sanitizing, wiping work surfaces with the "kills 99.9% of all known germs" fad is the problem. reducing exposure to all these viruses/bacteria etc. prevents our immune systems from reacting when needed. just look at China where corona virus started. all then Chinese walking round in masks. soon as the take the mask off, bodies can't cope.

I read the other day about the increase in food allergies amongst youngsters. Apparently, they know that food allergies go hand in hand with exanthema... and exanthema is often caused by babies being washed far too often !!

When we were kids, we had one bath a week... on a Sunday night before the start of a new week at school. Just washes in front of the washbasin kept us going. These days everyone MUST have a shower at least every day !

 

[barninks]

Hi I was hoping somebody could list a standard electricians tool kit content so that I can see if I am missing any essential kit, also please list anything that wouldn’t be considered essential but will be very useful really appreciate any replies thank you

I have a stanley toolbag like this. It is about 1 year old now and it has had a lot of use. The handles are starting to wear but it's still going strong.
I would recommend this bag for starters as it has loads of pockets which makes it easy to organise screwdrivers, pliers etc... Let me tell you there is nothing more time wasting than fishing around in the bottom of a toolbox/bag looking for your smallest screwdriver. and also it doesnt do some tools any good battling with club hammers and pry bars

I got a set of wera vde screwdrivers - in my eyes they are some of the best. they are quite pricey though. a set that is good value for money would be some like wiha. i had a set of them at one stage and they are pretty good.
I have another toolbox with basic hand tools in it - some cheap wood chisels that can take some abuse, club hammer, pry bar, uninsulated screwdrivers, cold chisels, etc. and you want two levels - a boat level for levelling sockets etc and a 600m one for leveling bigger items like 3ph db's and metal trunking. i have the stanley fatmax range

With this tool storage arrangement u can keep the more decent tools seperate from the more brutish hand tools
i have got some pics of my tools somewhere - will try and dig them out.

as to power tools - personally i am a big milwaukee fan. but they are expensive - for starters i would get a makita kit with cordless and impact, hammer drill and torch...a common 4pc set they do. but buy the power tool brand that you want to always work with - because even if you want to upgrade a tool you can still keep the batteries.

and one last thing: a quality tool is an investment