Top Five

[EnginCycles]

OK we need some positive talk here and a change of topic. My favorite movie of all time is High Fidelity It talks to me on so many levels. Retail, Music, working with the same people for many years and of course the fact that they are snobs within their group! Anyway I love the fact that they speak in terms of top five. Here are my top five tools in the shop (In order of desire and why)

1) Pedestal mounted Wilton Machinist vise - Amazing product that never fails me.
2) Miller Maxstar 200DX - The tig welder has little limitations and is so small for what it packs.
3) Clausing 6300 Lathe - Allows me endless ways to make cool things like made from scratch lugs.
4) My Files - without them not much would happen.
5) (this is the hardest one) It is a tie between my Victor J-28 and my alignment table. without the torch i would not need the table. Both have my love.

Honorable mention is all things made by the man known as Mr. Ferris. I removed them from the list since it could consume all 5.

Cheers,
Drew

[zank]

Good idea, Drew!

1) Anvil Fork Jig
2) Anvil Lug Vise
Don's stuff is beyond awesome.
3) Silva seat tube reamer
I don't know why exactly. It's just cool. And maybe because it's one of the last things I do to the frame
4) Meco Midget and super-light hose
The little guy is a great torch
5) I'm reserving #5 for the others to slide down when I get my Anvil Journeyman frame jig, which will occupy the top step.

[conorb]

Hmm,

1) Nicholson files
2) Torch setup
3) 4" angle grinder - well two actually, one setup for cutting, one setup for grinding
4) Machinist squares
5) A good set of eyes

There are more of course, fork jigs, stem jigs, the small Craftsman 4oz ball-peen hammer, 80 grit emery paper, that really, really cool Anvil lug vise, a large piece of granite.

In fact, I think I need to move the granite to number 4 or so on the list. :thumbs_up:

Conor

[conorb]

Oh, I can't forget Sharpies.

Can't make a frame without Sharpies.

Conor

[Tom Kellogg]

All of us have so many tools that we live by. Five that come to mind, no particular order:

1) Empire blasting cabinet (1982)
2) Dyna-File (our sixth)
3) Head tube reamer/facer that I made back in '84.
4) Sata Minijet
5) Southbend 11.5" toolroom lathe, leather drive. Beyond cool.

Oh, wait; The custom fork jig that Wilsey tool made for us, my old VAR wheel stand, the VERY old VAR third hand, Phil spoke cutter/threader, shop made quick release seat post frame holders, my coffee roaster, Redcay's old backwards vice, frame jig made in my parents basement in '76, Sharpies, absolutely.

[EnginCycles]

That is WAY more than five. The hardest part is sticking to the 5 spots.

Making a top 5 and adding a random list at the bottom is too easy!

-Drew

[Carl S]

Here is my top 5 although it's like choosing a favorite child (or dog in my case) because I love them all.

1. Paramount alignment table/system. I'm pretty sure it's the one pictured on page 148 of "The Custom Bicycle" unless there was more than one. I got the entire system along with heat treated surface plates to run the indicator along. It's my top favorites because of it's history.

2. Vertical mill. I use it to miter, I 'd hate to do it all by hand. I know because I used to.

3. Hokey little Delta drill bench top drill press. I don't use it to drill. It's used only for a super secret operation that I can't tell anyone

4. "Joe Joe the little slotter that could" This is an old horz mill that was set up for the single purpose of slotting ST's. I got it from Ibis. It works wonderfully. It's heavy and old and cool looking and I love it.

5. BikeCad. Rocks! I know it's not a tool in the shop sense but for a time saving, accuracy, great looking outputs and customer service nothing beats it. No I'm not affiliated with BikeCad in any way.

PS, Sharpies just missed the list. I use blue.

[Curt Goodrich]

1. Marchetti frame jig.
2. Marchetti alignment table.
3. Marchetti fork alignment table.
4. Anvil fork jig.
5. Dynafile.


I dig my Smith torch but am perfectly happy with a Victor or Harris. Sharpies are indispensible. Files I use'em and throw 'em when they're dead.

[Tom Kellogg]

1) June (my wife)
2) Jeff (my assistant)
3) Coffee
4) i-Pod
5) Riding

There are lots of others, but if any of these went away, I'd be sunk.

[Chauncey Matthews]

1. My Morroni jig- tandem capable with every side machined...200 pounds of framebuilding badassedness!
2. Coconino Tubing Blocks- you're clamping a tube in a vise, can they really make a difference? Yes they can!
3. Dummy axles- by Anvil, nuff said.
4. Starett protracter- they were throwing these out at my Dad's work because they were being replaced by digital crap!
5. Morroni fork jig- made out of a door from a very old ship. It's fiddly and requires you to do about 20 different caliper checks per fork, but it always reminds of what can be done with a little imagination.

[rabbitpunch]

pics please!

[crumpton]

1. anvil fixture
2. bikecad pro
3. meco midget(not used enough)
4. my grieve model 333 oven
5. airtech stretchlon 850 in lay flat tubing form