A Harbor Freight Moment

[TomG]

In a moment of weakness, I broke down and bought a tool from Harbor Freight and it even had more than one moving part.

I needed a 1/2" drill motor to bore the 2 1/2" tenon holes in the log bed that I'm making and couldn't justify the $150 price tag on one at the Depot, so I picked up a $39.99 special at Harbor Freight. The good news is that:

1) It didn't burst into flames the first time I used it.
2) It actually ran the first time I used it and...
3) It looks like it might actually be a pretty useful tool.

Seriously, considering a few of the user reviews that I read, I would have been happy with just number one.

Tom

[EdK]

It's always a gamble buying Horrible Fright tools. I bought one of their 1/2" hammer drills years ago and have beat the hell out of it and it keeps on ticking. I got lucky on that one for sure.

Ed

[Mayhem]

So, if it does release the smoke genie, should we watch out for a future video of a drill sailing through the air only to disappear beneath the surface of lake Michigan?

Or perhaps one of it being used for cannon target practice.

Come to think about it, you could have the second cause the first

[TomG]

It would be target practice for sure Darren. I wouldn't want to pollute Lake Michigan with Chinese junk. I've bored a few 2 1/2" holes with it and it appears to be legit. My main concern at the moment is to keep from breaking a wrist with this torque monster.

Tom

[oldgoaly]

I saved a pic of the one that tried to burn my shop down! I could smell it, shut the lights off saw glowing red. it was barely used when used it had a surface prep disc on it. I never leave a hf tool plugged in!
   

[PixMan]

Making fenders for motorbikes there oldgoaly? Got an English wheel too?

[oldgoaly]

Those are rear fenders for a Eureka pedal car, made in the mid 1930's in France loosely on a 35 Delage. Yes on the English wheel(s) pullmax machines, Metalcraft power hammer, lots of neat stuff. I'm working on a 3rd Ewheel, a medium sized one. I added a pic you can kinda see both in one pic, little one is a Dollar saver tools I bought in the mid 1980's the big one is one I built in 1992-93.
   

[Mayhem]

I've always been amazed at people who can use an English wheel. I think I would produce a lot of 'abstract art' if I tried to make anything on one!

[oldgoaly]

Look up Clive Ross aka The Hammerworks, take a case of cheap beer tell him the "oldgoaly" sent you!
ewheel's are slow working you want to screw something up a power hammer is the way to go! With the help of some friends I have mine in tune, now I need to make more dies sets for it, lots of dovetailing to do!
   

[PixMan]

An English wheel in my hands would likely result more in elegantly flattened fingers than precision crafted sheet metal.