Thread: Tools....where to buy?

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

That's an excellent way to strip bolts and ruin your day.

OH Yeah. Maybe OK for 7/16" and 10mm, but 1 1/8" is a big bolt or nut probably big Tq spec too.

@ TG, Man I'd love an upright end mill. ...Big envy from this side....

I'd love to find a good mechanical brake with various radius inserts.

Originally Posted by Eliminator

TG, that's an AWESOME shop you have.

Thank you.
2 x 20' insulated containers, kitted out, wired, and imported from the UK.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Nice set-up.

Thanx.
Could sometimes do with a bigger lathe and more space but beggars can't be choosers...

My 1969 fully tooled Boxford VSL



Where my bikes live, next door to the containers.
The whole lot has another roof over it inc the containers and an outdoor area where i have my hydraulic bike lift and do all my welding & grinding.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

@ TG, Man I'd love an upright end mill. ...Big envy from this side....

Thanx, it's a 1973 Tom Senior M1 horizontal with the highly sought after quill feed feed Senior vertical head attachment. It is a nice mill for shed or home shop users. For commercial use i'd want something bigger and more stout.

I also have a 69 Boxford VSL lathe, a 78 Boxford 8" shaper, and a Stent T&CG (tool & cutter grinder), as well as the usual mig welder, pillar drill, bench grinder, belt linisher & polisher etc.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

I also have a 69 Boxford VSL lathe, a 78 Boxford 8" shaper, and a Stent T&CG (tool & cutter grinder), as well as the usual mig welder, pillar drill, bench grinder, belt linisher & polisher etc.

I have the welder, grinder, belt sander, drill press, big full mechanic tool box, air compressor plumbed around, with lots of assorted pneumatic tools, lots of various nuts and bolt hardware which has proved to be invaluable. I am looking for a small mechanical brake next. Id love to install a hoist in my car park area or least a good drive up ramp like they use for alignment. I built my shop off the car park area.

“Nice set up” might’ve been an understatement... that’s superb!

Barty's shop is air conditioned

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

2 x 20' insulated containers, kitted out, wired, and imported from the UK.

Very nice! you forgot to mention your address for visitors day

Originally Posted by Airportwo

Very nice! you forgot to mention your address for visitors day

Nakon Nowhere in the province of Udon.

Originally Posted by Eliminator

TG, sweet looking Guzzi you have there. Had a friend in Florida that had a 69 Ambassador 750 until I totaled it when I t-boned a lady driving a big Dodge suburban wagon. Pushed the front wheel between the cylinders. She took a lefty in front of me and I slammed on the right and just shifted gears, forgot gear and brakes were on opposite sides on a 69 as I had a 74 BMW 900 but my friend had taken BMW out earlier to see if he wanted to buy it. Came back without my bike and said the transmission wouldn't engage. I wanted to kill him but he was 6'8" and well over 300 pounds. He assured me he would fix it as he was in motorcycle repair school there in Florida. He lent me his bike because I was late for work and then I totaled his. Came back to the house and he says where's my fvcking bike? I said your bike is GONE man. My arm was in a sling with my shoulder bone sticking up about 2 inches. He just stares at me and said if I wasn't so hurt he would kick the shit out of me. He got a good deal though as his insurance paid for his bike and I gave him my bike. I got an insurance settlement for over $30,000 and moved to Hawaii. That was in 1978.

Both great, classic bikes.
Lucky story.
My Guzzi is an 89 Cali III, as in my avatar, pretty stock internally, anything but externally. Pretty much as is in the pic, except i ditched the beach bars this year, after nearly 20 years of riding round with 39" (1 metre) wide bars.
OK when i was younger....

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

I have my Snap On Tool chest and roll cab here in TH.
Pretty much all Snap On, Mac Tools and Proto contents.
Insured value in 2003 was 30k GBP.

From the outside.
Looking in....

Looks like man shed paradise.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

From the outside.
Looking in....

That's the exact set up I want including a lathe and a Bridgeport mill with rotary table.

If you want to sell anything give me a bell.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

That's the exact set up I want including a lathe and a Bridgeport mill with rotary table.

If you want to sell anything give me a bell.

Sorry, dude, nothing is for sale.
However, over the years i have come across many machine shops and machine tool dealers here.
You can set yourself up with a good S/H Taiwanese lathe and Chinese/Taiwanese Bridgeport copy for 200k or less.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Nakon Nowhere in the province of Udon.

Never mind, we are "virtual" neighbours
I'm in Udon province as well, obviously not close else would have noticed your bikes riding around.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Sorry, dude, nothing is for sale.

No problems dude.

Your workshop is my dream and well done.

Are you a toolmaker by trade?

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

No problems dude.

Your workshop is my dream and well done.

Are you a toolmaker by trade?

Thanx for all the kind words guys.
No, my trade was fitter turner or in 'Mercan speak machinist/mechanic.
Ran my own well known m/c shop with retail parts, full engineering and metal finishing capabilities, for 15 years in the UK before i sold up and moved out here in 2003. Been involved in bikes, bike engines, and building them most of my adult life.
Old Brit stuff, Harleys, BMW airheads, Guzzi's, older Ducati's, that sort of thing, mostly air cooled singles & twins.
Not a fan of in line 4's or water cooled bikes.
Very much a Luddite in my tastes.


Here's a pic of thread repairs i am able to do for TD members if they get stuck. Still got all my gear.
Pretty much all the common ones inc old BSW/BSF and CEI (cycle).



This is my little Stent T&CG (tool & cutter grinder).
Again, anyone needs something unusual sharpening or end mills or other milling cutters or lathe tools sharpening, for a small fee, can do.
Some of the local jobbing machine shops have asked me before to sharpen the odd end mill. I charge 250 baht per item (2 for 400), some of them cough & splutter, some of them bodge their own horrifically, and some realize that that is a lot cheaper than a 1000 baht for a new one....

FWIIW, I stopped by Factory Gear at Central World yesterday and they have a very good selection of higher end quality mechanic tools. I picked up a 36mm Axle nut socket for the moto. They sell sets and individuals. They sell Snap On and Blue Point. I opted for the Blue point and the socket was 345 bht. I stopped by cheap ass Chinese junk years ago. You round off a few nuts or bolt heads and you just buy better quality.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

FWIIW, I stopped by Factory Gear at Central World yesterday and they have a very good selection of higher end quality mechanic tools. I picked up a 36mm Axle nut socket for the moto. They sell sets and individuals. They sell Snap On and Blue Point. I opted for the Blue point and the socket was 345 bht. I stopped by cheap ass Chinese junk years ago. You round off a few nuts or bolt heads and you just buy better quality.

Thats a good price for a Blue Point 36mm.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

FWIIW, I stopped by Factory Gear at Central World yesterday and they have a very good selection of higher end quality mechanic tools. I picked up a 36mm Axle nut socket for the moto. They sell sets and individuals. They sell Snap On and Blue Point. I opted for the Blue point and the socket was 345 bht. I stopped by cheap ass Chinese junk years ago. You round off a few nuts or bolt heads and you just buy better quality.

When True Value opened up in Thailand ~20 years ago it was expensive though the tools were good quality, problem for them was they didn't sell much, ten years plus down the line they have the same tools for sale at the same price, some cheap now. (Is true value still open? not been in one for a few years.)

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Thats a good price for a Blue Point 36mm.

It was listed at 486bht, Which I thought was still fair. Then they had their discount for paying cash. plus I had their in store coupon. I questioned if it was a knock off but I looked at it and you can tell the quality was there. I honestly figured I was going to have to drop 800 to 1,000 bht for it. The same size Snap On was 1780 IIRC.