Today I acquired...........

[DAPPH]

A new set of ladders. I just became fed up with a succession of DIY store rickety ally rubbish.
So I went overboard. A set of Little Giant "King Combo" ladders that are 3 in 1. Sounds a bit like a fast food takeaway meal to be honest:

The bottom rung has a bit of a full width insert in it that I think is going to get old fast. When you step on it it gives a loud audible "CLICK" so you know you are on the bottom rung.......

It opens up to make a 3m long ladder. Very strong, very stable. Not the lightest thing in the world but very solid.

Question .

I'm in the market for my final three way ladder that will see me turn my toes up an 20 or so years . My 40 year old B&D 3 way died two years or so ago when the plastic locking slots at the top of the front section got sheared off by a , " borrower ( aka ***T " . Who didn't say anything about it when they put them back up in the overhead storage rack for me the next day . Does the rear part have narrow rungs or the same wide tread step as the front step ?

I'm not bothered about the £ 143 price I want something useful and serviceable for I have had to purchase a new but a crap set of rung'd three ways that hurt my feet .

You and me both. I don't mind scaffolding or anything where there's a stable base, but I loathe being up a ladder. It's not helped by the fact that none of the ground around my house is anywhere near level, so getting the ladder onto a stable base is far from trivial.

Am I to take it that joyriding between gable ends 10 feet apart 25 feet up on two 20 footers lashed together isn't quite your cup of tea then ?

 

[Dr.Al]

Am I to take it that joyriding between gable ends 10 feet apart 25 feet up on two 20 footers lashed together isn't quite your cup of tea then ?

 

[northwest]

Does the rear part have narrow rungs or the same wide tread step as the front step ?

It has narrower rungs but no narrower than a good quality extending ladder. If I have any concerns, it is the weight, which of course is a double edged problem. Because they are heavy, they give a very stable platform not easily upset by knocking them. But that is it, they are heavy. You cannot have everything all ways up.

If the width of the rungs is a deal breaker for you I would look at the WAKU range because they double up. The price is more than double too but if you have ever used a Waku ladder you will realise why they are not cheap. One of the very best.

On the whole I am very pleased with them and although the price looks a bit "up there" you can see why the second you use them. I especially like the push button operation of the mechanism.

 

[droopsnoot]

A bag of spanners from the penultimate (or last, if it's raining on Sunday) car boot sale of this year.

A fair bit of Britool, a Stahlwille, a couple of Snails. Not sure why I bought them, as most of them are duplicates, but there are one or two where I have the same size but not the same shape. The adjustables feel better than the cheap ones I keep in the car, so I'll swap those over at some point. I don't think the spark plug spanner fits any of my cars. No Elora 203s.

 

[25.4_mechanic]

a Stahlwille,

A difference has become clear to me currently:

Over in the Vise thread recently, it was about which rust removal method gives the more pleasing finish - citric acid or electrolysis with washing soda.

I compared and there is no universal answer to this in my opinion.
However, in the case of Stahlwille wrenches, I can clearly say that electrolytic rust removal give a better result after finishing. These were both specimens from the same period.

Carsten

--

 

[plewlandsbob]

Just a quick, unrefined sketch. You'd obviously want a smooth curve.

View attachment 318360

Just a quick, unrefined sketch. You'd obviously want a smooth curve.

View attachment 318360

These came from a ,Claas machinery dealer. These are not genuine Claas ones. They are expensive. The dark one , is made from an old lorry leaf spring.

 

[plewlandsbob]

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Another method of pulling the key.

 

[bigegg]

These came from a ,Claas machinery dealer. These are not genuine Claas ones. They are expensive. The dark one , is made from an old lorry leaf spring.

View attachment 318560 View attachment 318561

Those are what I would call "offcuts"

 

[plewlandsbob]

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Scruffywelder]

Pardon our interruption...

Them's the fellers!

 

[MattF]

However, in the case of Stahlwille wrenches, I can clearly say that electrolytic rust removal give a better result after finishing. These were both specimens from the same period.

It's by far the better method. As I've said multiple times before, the results from citric are unpredictable, & on occasion, dire.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

It's by far the better method. As I've said multiple times before, the results from citric are unpredictable, & on occasion, dire.

I find with Citric acid is to start with 1Table spoon per litre of water.
Add the metal, degreased first.

Then ad more powder citric until you get small bubbles forming.
Plus keeping the metal out of the sediment that collects at the lowest point.

Electrolytic rust removal is good if all parts have "line of sight" to at least one Anode.
But it may lift chrome or the brass may leech the cooper through.

Every rust removal methods has it pros and cons.

 

[25.4_mechanic]

It's by far the better method. As I've said multiple times before, the results from citric are unpredictable, & on occasion, dire.

Every rust removal methods has it pros and cons.

Some wrenches looked not bad after the citrus treatment.

My impression is that it depends strongly on the alloy, which method leads to a more respectable result.
Trouble is ... hardly any tool manufacturer will tell us exactly his preferred steel grade.

I will do some tests with material pieces, where I know the stuff exactly, because I bought it as raw material or semi-finished product.

What we have not yet sufficiently discussed is the exact effect of time and concentration.

Carsten

--

 

[MattF]

But it may lift chrome or the brass may leech the cooper through.

Those can happen with citric too.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Those can happen with citric too.

it always does.

 

[MattF]

it always does.

Then why mention it with regard to electrolysis?

 

[Maker]

What we have not yet sufficiently discussed is the exact effect of time and concentration.

I've never seen any discussion about the effect of current in electroysis either. I used to use a huge transformer battery charger for electrolysis, it pumped out 40 amps if the meter is to be believed but I wasn't aware of it working any better or worse than a little PC PSU running at about an amp. I will say the parts came out nice and warm.

 

[MattF]

Electrolysis is supposed to be run at low current if preservation is paramount. There's an indepth document somewhere online regarding all aspects of the subject. It's a marine archaelogy institution based paper, if I recall correctly.

Even for the largest of pieces, I never felt the urge or need to go above 1A or so. I also never noted anything resembling a "line of sight" issue, regardless how oft it's mentioned & espoused by people.

 

[Hood]

Today I acquired some warm hands

 

[JMS1972]

Today I acquired some warm hands

View attachment 318593

How do heated butt plugs keep your hands warm?