Clamp

The CLAMP or C-Clamp is a great tool to hold, lock, or fasten objects together. It is a versatile tool that carpenters can use to hold boards or lumber in order to nail or glue them together. Metalworking can also make use of these tools to hold metal sheets or bars together prior to welding, cutting, drilling, riveting, or grinding. Basically, anything solid that you want to be held stable, can be clamped. 

The remains of the clamp because the Force was just too much

 We tried to create a DIY sheet bender to fabricate small changes in our block mould. We tried copying what was shown on the internet, making use of available materials we had, and bought Lotus clamps from the hardware. Our inexperience with the tool led us to purchase the 4" sized clamps. These clamps as you may observe from the picture above are made up of cast iron which is a brittle metal. We tried bending a 5mm sheet of metal at a 45 degree angle, but as we approached about 20 degrees, there was a light snap that sent parts of the clamp flying a short distance. The clamp was undersized, and could not handle the force needed.

We tried using 8" clamps from the same brand to try and bend the sheets again to no avail. It seemed like the clamps were starting to bend a little bit as we were approaching close to 40 degrees and we did not want to risk another rocketman phenomenon with the larger clamps. We were also no longer confident with the materials that the clamp was made up of. There were some clamps in the hardware store that were not made up of cast iron, but the prices of which were not economical to us. Other brands such as Stanley seemed to look rigid enough, but then the prices were double that of the Lotus brands. So we decided to look for an alternative solution that did not cost us too much to bend the sheets of metal we needed for our mould.

We have seen some other DIYs on the internet that made use of larger machine bolts as an alternative to clamps. However, this would require making a hole at the metal base for the bolt to be inserted. But considering that the bolt is made up of stronger steel than a cast iron clamp, this would prove to be the safer solution. The bolts are locked in tight with the nuts, and its threads help in ensuring this. The steel bolt diameter of 1" also gives us peace of mind because breaking this will require a tremendous amount of force.

Despite not being able to push through with its planned use, we still use the remaining 8" clamps for different purposes at work. Mostly, it helps in fastening the boards that we nail to make the hollow block trays. The ease of locking and releasing the boards from the worktable makes the job faster and safer. The next time we use it for other types of jobs though, we just have to remember how much force the clamps are going up against to avoid costly mistakes.

Hammer

Most HAMMERS, if not all, are disposable. We use them a couple of times, then by some stroke of luck, some part of the hammer goes off. It is quite surprising to know that this tool can easily be discarded and replaced with a new one most of the time since the hammer is an essential tool for carpenters and even masons. Anything that needs to be nailed, demolished, or just hit with blunt force can be done with a hammer. 

 

The hammer of Thor

In our particular experience, we often use a claw hammer for its versatility to drive and remove nails. We often use hammers to repair wooden pallets, and make wooden trays for our block production. However, the head always starts to get a bit loose, then eventually goes off the handle. Even the higher priced hammers like the Stanley brand would still break. The hammer pictured above was a Sentry hammer. After using it for about a week, the head eventually came off, so in order to save a bit of money, we wrapped its joint between the head and the handle with a piece of cloth that was dipped with industrial epoxy, and let it cure for about a day. Just like a carbon fiber wrap! So far, the fix worked and the head seemed to be more stable now than when we first bought it. 

The Mjolnir with an apron on its neck

Screwdriver

Sometimes we don't understand when enough is enough. How much force should we exert when we try to unscrew something? I guess in most cases our answer would be "as much as we possibly can". And in most cases, the tools are the ones that give up. Case in point, our Ju Tai SCREWDRIVER broke its slotted tip after we tried opening an electric motor. 

The victim of the "force"

Even the toothfairy can't give refunds for these

 
The screwdriver even says that it is made out of "Chrome Vanadium", so maybe it's supposed to be tough. It was such a waste of a perfectly good screwdriver, it had a magnetized tip that was handy for picking up the screws or small bits of metal, and it also had a soft rubber handle that provided a better grip for tough twists. Too bad indeed.

Leave it to "Ze Germans" to get it done

But at least we were able to open the motor with the help of another screwdriver, this time, a Kadris screwdriver, which we don't even remember where or when we purchased.It only says "Hardened Chrome" on the rod and had the brand name and Germany on the hard plastic handle. At least it got the job done.

Best to use some penetrating oil like WD-40 that could help loosen the screws a bit before using "the force" on it. Saves your tools, and doesn't damage or deform your screws!

Socket Wrench

One of the tools that we have easily destroyed would be the SOCKET WRENCH with a ratchet or called the ratcheting socket wrench. We use it a lot with our machine, especially when we change our production orders between 4" or 6" hollow blocks. 

Ratcheting Socket Wrench (Lotus) - The gears on its head are vulnerable to damage

In most instances, the nuts or bolts are locked in too tight and we tend to use a lot of force to loosen them. Hence the gear in the ratchet is damaged. Perhaps the wrench was too small for the matching socket (We use 24 - 32mm  sockets), or perhaps the force exerted was just too much. We tried purchasing the cheaper ones, and also the ones in the mid tier pricing. All of which were destroyed.

Sliding T-Bar Socket Wrench (Lotus)

So now we determined that the wrench needed to be changed, we decided to get a  SLIDING T-BAR SOCKET WRENCH (At least that's what the Internet calls it) to get rid of those horrible ratchet gears. It turned to be gem of a tool, since we haven't had problems using it since we bought it. It's convenience may be a bit lesser compared to the ratcheting socket wrench, but its durability makes up for it. The prices of which are also much cheaper than the ratcheting ones.