We are all a bunch of snobs

[northwest]

Okay, that isn't strictly true and it is a bit harsh, but you guys know what I mean. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of "my angle grinder is better than yours", my brand of screwdriver is best, You can't fix that without spending thousands on proper kit. We have all thought it at one time or another. Sometimes though, people are oblivious and they just use what they have and just get on with it. This is a guy who is restoring a Leyland tractor, it was a wreck, and I am talking middle of a field you could just see the top of the cab under the overgrowth wreck. He works on it weekends at a farm I go to, this is his progress so far (one of the hubs I remade for him):



The cab he is making from 2 and 3mm steel cut out with an angle grinder.



Painted with a brush using Tractol.



New pins and rose joints, all new nuts, all blasted, primed and painted.

This is his welder, he found it in the bin and had to buy a new liner, so far he has spent £20 on it. He is getting a proper bottle of gas "soon".



Edit: He tacks it all up then asks his friend who has a "proper welder" to weld it all up for him.

 

[Tom O]

We were always shown that there are many ways to do things without proper tooling it might take a little longer but it’s doable, looking at something and figuring how to do without “x” tool is lost on a lot of people.

 

[roofman]

Man gets my thumbs up (if we had one)...man in a shed gets full respect everytime no matter what they have or have not.

 

[CornishPete]

Edit: He tacks it all up then asks his friend who has a "proper welder" to weld it all up for him.

I come from a farming background and can confirm no farmer that needed anything welding has ever said "so and so can weld" it's always "so and so's got a welder"!!

 

[Miranda]

That’s looking PDG!! Going to be a clinker when finished.

Just gotta love a Leyland. Best ever at the time.

 

[highseas]

Not many years ago all I had was a Argos grinder, and a blue buzz box welder that cost £5 from a charity shop 15 years ago. And with that combo I made gates, railings, boat trailers, even a chipping back for a transit tipper!
you see lads in flip flops in some far flung places making all sorts with a clapped out welder and a square yard of bare earth
some times you just gotta get on and do it

 

[bigegg]

I've got to admit, I DO have this problem:
My therapist says its because I am a perfectionist. I can't finish a job unless it's "perfect", which means I really REALLY struggle to finish stuff (or even get beyond the planning stage)


Luckily I have a sister who just gets on with stuff, and carries me along...

 

[MattF]

You learn to control it, else it controls you.

 

[redlig]

I have to smile when I see on UTube of some guy making a 'Tent peg' out of a piece of4x2 using just his hands ..... and £ 1000.0 planer/ £500.0 pillar drill etc ,etc.

 

[bigegg]

You learn to control it, else it controls you.

hence "therapist"

 

[MattF]

hence "therapist"

 

[bigegg]

I have to smile when I see on UTube of some guy making a 'Tent peg' out of a piece of4x2 using just his hands ..... and £ 1000.0 planer/ £500.0 pillar drill etc ,etc.

Norm used to make me laugh:
10s of 1000s (if not 100s of 1000s) of dollars worth of equipment: but he'd end up using nails to hold his "tent peg" together

 

[KimB]

Okay, that isn't strictly true and it is a bit harsh, but you guys know what I mean. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of "my angle grinder is better than yours", my brand of screwdriver is best, You can't fix that without spending thousands on proper kit. We have all thought it at one time or another. Sometimes though, people are oblivious and they just use what they have and just get on with it. This is a guy who is restoring a Leyland tractor, it was a wreck, and I am talking middle of a field you could just see the top of the cab under the overgrowth wreck. He works on it weekends at a farm I go to, this is his progress so far (one of the hubs I remade for him):

View attachment 309350

The cab he is making from 2 and 3mm steel cut out with an angle grinder.

View attachment 309352

Painted with a brush using Tractol.

View attachment 309353

New pins and rose joints, all new nuts, all blasted, primed and painted.

This is his welder, he found it in the bin and had to buy a new liner, so far he has spent £20 on it. He is getting a proper bottle of gas "soon".

View attachment 309354

Edit: He tacks it all up then asks his friend who has a "proper welder" to weld it all up for him.

That's looking fantastic. Kurt and I have been working on the Leyland he is donating to the dog rescue. Before even reading it I spotted the tank mounts as I had to repair one of his the other day. Nice little tractor. Nice to see someone saving some old equipment.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Having seen this in the flesh I can back up graham on the quality of the work. I have to keep my hands in my pockets at this place

 

[KimB]

Having seen this in the flesh I can back up graham on the quality of the work. I have to keep my hands in my pockets at this place

That’ll explain why the wheels are gone and it’s blocked up. You were about

 

[Tinbasherdan]

That’ll explain why the wheels are gone and it’s blocked up. You were about

It’s more the stuff with a green oval on I drool over

 

[Parm]

Norm used to make me laugh:
10s of 1000s (if not 100s of 1000s) of dollars worth of equipment: but he'd end up using nails to hold his "tent peg" together

Good ole Norm and his new Yankee workshop, watched him religiously

He had every conceivable tool going....

 

[colnerov]

Improvise, adapt, overcome.

 

[selectedgrub]

But his instantgram and facetube channel have no followers.

 

[Munkul]

Fair play to him, and many others working away with tools on a shoestring budget.

It's not the way i want to work, personally, I like to have the "right" tool for the job, and I openly admit my skills aren't as good as some of these guys. But for me, half of the enjoyment is in having quality equipment and using it efficiently.

So yes, I am a snob