after long dry CL spell


Tom King

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Three successes lately.

Porter Cable 347 (or 743-don't remember which is left or right) in original case, like new  $20.   This is the best circular saw ever made.  They came in mirror image left bladed, and right bladed, and also a brake option.   I've had one of each of the left and right bladed, and one right bladed with brake for the way I cut rafter tails in place.  They typically go for a couple of hundred bucks on ebay, but rarely in this condition.  Didn't really need it, but for 20 bucks, it's worth it to have a spare.

Milwaukee 10-1/4" circular saw.  Will cut a 4x in one pass.  I've wanted one for decades, but never needed one bad enough to pay for a new one, or what they typically go for used.  I have a 16-5/16" Makita, but it's too big to manhandle to lop the tops of fence posts off with a clean cut.

Skil 3/4" spade handle drill.   This is a monster, and made back when Skil was a top of the line brand of tools.  I need it for drilling out some holes in a tractor block that the front end loader is bolted too.  All the threads have been stripped, so I need to upsize the 7/8", and 3/4" threaded holes to the next larger size in the cast iron block.  500 rpm of a 1/2" drill worried me.   This monster is 250 rpm, so maybe a little less scary, and a pipe threads into the spade handle side.  My friend, who picked it up says that it's in fine shape, and runs smoothly, with no blue sparks on the armature even, and the chuck turns freely.  He said it looks like it's seen little use.

The extra good thing is that I don't have to pick any of them up even.  I have friends, and people coming to get puppies who are bringing them. 

I'll post pictures after they show up here.

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Good story on the 20 buck circular saw.   The seller has a business redoing garages.  He was given the saw, along with a bunch of other stuff by a customer who just wanted to get the stuff out of his garage.  The guy who is bringing the saw from that city, who is the Husband of the couple getting the puppy, is an Architect who draws McMansion plans, which are big time business in that city. 

The garage guy is ending up getting what could amount to a lot of extra jobs to do from the transaction.  They do everything from the floors to adding cabinets, and it all looks very slick, so should fit right into McMansions. 

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My Friend brought the 3/4" drill, and the 10-1/4" Milwaukee circular saw today. 

 The drill looks like it was made in the '50's, but runs probably better than new ones today.  It takes a 3/4" pipe for the spade handle. It's a Monster, and I don't think we'll hand hold it for my job for it.  The cord and plug has been changed to SO cord, and good plug.

The saw isn't hurt either.  It's made in the USA, in the metal case it came in,  with very little old sawdust on it.  The cord doesn't even have a little split in it anywhere, and the blade is good to go for a good while yet.   Pictures after the other saw gets here.

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It will be a while before the people come with the 347, so here are pictures of the monster drill, and 10-1/4" circular saw.   The right angle drill is a 1/2" that is normally considered a monster, and will take you for a ride if the bit locks up.   The spade handle in the 3/4" drill is a piece of 3/4" pipe.  I'm going to need to figure out some rig so we don't have to hand hold it.   The chuck on the 1/2" drill is normally considered a big 'un.  I think the gearbox on the 3/4" drill could be used as the rear end in a car.

This circular saw is a made in the USA Milwaukee that has seen little use, and will cut a 4x in one pass.  It's sitting directly in front of the right angle 1/2" drill for size conparison too.  That 1/2" drill is a Rockwell that I bought new in 1975, and still gets used, as do all the other Rockwell tools I bought that year.

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I look almost every day, first thing in the morning.  I actually have a need for that drill.  The ad said $80, and it was about a mile from where my friend lives in Maryland.  I would have been glad to pay the 80 bucks for it, and don't know how the transaction happened, as my friend went to get it for me, but when he brought it down here, I handed him four 20 dollar bills, and he said it was only 50.   The chuck key for it cost $12, but I'm very satisfied with what I have in it, even if I only use it for that one job.

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I don't think my friend did any negotiating. The seller runs an engine rebuilding service, and my friend has a 426 wedge head boat engine that he needs some work on.   He just asked the seller how much the drill was, and the price became fifty bucks.   We haven't heard the V-drive in that boat whine for decades, so maybe it'll come back around for the seller.

edited to make correction:   I said "engine".   That's not an engine.   It's a Motor!   Depending on who you ask:  Massively Over Powered And Respected, or Money On Parts And Repairs.

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The puppy buyers came today with the Porter Cable 347.  It looks like it's been used once.  It even has the original Porter Cable blade in it, with little damage to the stuff printed on the blade.  No cracks in the cord, just like the big Milwaukee.   Maybe I made a mistake years ago by not keeping the blow molded cases.   These go for up to $200 on ebay, which is more than they cost in decade old dollars, back when they made. 

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Here's a picture of the chuck key that I bought for the 3/4" drill.  Hand is size large.   Sorry it uploaded the full sized picture.   I didn't know this forum would do that.   It fits as perfectly as any chuck key I have in any chuck.  I don't think there will be much of a worry about a bit slipping.  Pilot pin is 3/8".   Feels like it weighs about a pound.

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We're not going to hand hold it.   I've drilled plenty of plumbing holes, up to 3-5/8",  with that 1/2" right angled drill in the comparison picture, and been twisted off a ladder, so I have plenty of respect for it.  My big guys say they can hold it if they both get on the pipe, but I don't want to break a 3/4" drill bit off in the hole, and have to get it out.

The end of the D-handle has a flat, curved end on it, like the operator is supposed to rest a body part against it, but we haven't figured out what body part yet.  Big Mike says it'll fit one of his butt cheeks, but he "ain't sittin' on it!"

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