The hammer is also a rock hound lover's dream. When you hit your thumb it creates an agate. A beautiful red white and blue stone with great agony. RC Billings, Montanaaaa --- Brad Hogg <roadhogg@xxxxxxx> wrote: > Those of us who do our own mechanical repairs will > be able to identify with > a number of these. > > Tools > HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the > hammer nowadays is used > as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive parts > not far from the object > we are trying to hit. > > MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the > contents of cardboard > cartons delivered to your front door; works > particularly well on boxes > containing seats and motorcycle jackets. > > ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning > steel Pop rivets in their > holes until you die of old age, but it also works > great for drilling > mounting holes in mudguards just above the brake > line that goes to the rear > wheel. > > PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. > > MOLE-GRIPS: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing > else is available, they > can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to > the palm of your hand. > > OXYACETELENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for > lighting various flammable > objects in your garage on fire. Also handy for > igniting the grease inside a > brake drum you're trying to get the bearing race out > of. > > WHITWORTH SOCKETS: Once used for working on older > British cars and > motorcycles, they are now used mainly for > impersonating that 9/16 or 1/2 > socket you've been searching for for the last 15 > minutes. > > DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for > suddenly snatching flat metal > bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in > the chest and flings > your beer across the room, splattering it against > that freshly painted part > you were drying. > > WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then > throws them somewhere under > the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes > fingerprint whorls and > hard-earned guitar callouses in about the time it > takes you to say, > "Ouc...." > > SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER: Theoretically useful as a > sandwich tool for > spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for getting > dog-doo off your boot. > > E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool that snaps > off in bolt holes and is > ten times harder than any known drill bit. > > TIMING LIGHT: A stroboscopic instrument for > illuminating grease buildup. > > BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER: A handy tool for > transferring sulphuric acid > from a battery to the inside of your toolbox after > determining that your > battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought. > > PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the lids > of old-style > paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; > can also be used, as > the name implies, to round out Phillips screw > recesses. > > AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced > in a coal-burning power > plant 200 miles away and transforms it into > compressed air that travels by > hose to a Pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty > bolts last tightened 60 > years ago by someone in Coventry, and rounds them > off. > > HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to cut hoses 1/2 inch too > short. > > > >