I'll bet that most of us have succumbed to the ads for one gadget or another. I've been able to successfully moderate my lust for the laser guided screwdriver but, those LED lit winding sticks really have me on the verge. C'mon now, who hasn't needed a set to verify level in the dark?

Actually, my dumbest buy was a hone for jointer and planer blades. Followed closely by a couple HF quick grip clamps that flew apart with the first squeeze. Sooner or later I will buy Lee Valley's blank measuring tape, though.

What have you folks bought, that when you got it in the shop, turned out to be a total waste? 

Tell us.

We won't laugh.....promise.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

For Christmas, some years ago, Mimi bought me a chalk line. Not just any chalk line but one that snaps the location of studs/joist on the plates. She actually got it from the "inventor's wife", with whom she worked. He later sold the patent to Irwin and I've never seen another one for sale!

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Gene, I'm with you on the HF clamps, mine have stayed together but that's about all. I'm sure if I look around the shop I could find a couple more tools that I should have known better than to waste money on 

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Greg
Scroll Saw forum host

http://www.thesawdustfactory.net/

Every tool I ever bought was at a great price worked fantastically helped me finish a project I absolutely couldn't have finished with out it. okay my wife left the room. I have a few plastic hand clamps that looked good at the store and don't hold squat. I also bought some mini bar clamps that have maybe 4" reach. Squeeze the trigger beyond holding there own weight and the trigger snaps off.

Mark

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Good, Better, Best never let it rest
Till your Good is Better and your Better is Best.

Mark,

I had to break my promise.

Your first 2 sentences made me do it.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

rotozip

darn thing is messy even for new construction and no quicker than a push saw.  By the time I get it out haul it around plug it in insert the cutter I've already cut out ten openings with a push saw and I didn't have to lug the thing all over tarnation.

If they had made it with a closed motor  - - maybe.

I would have to say the worst tool was a Dremel scroll saw. That thing wouldn't cut warm butter and took me decades to figure out there were better scroll saws out there and not only did I buy 1 brand new but about ten years after selling the first one I bought another one at a garage sale. My how soon we forget. The next one would have to be the Router Crafter made by Sears. It's a router accessory that you mount a router on and crank a handle which draws the router across a piece of long stock and can rotate the stock as well for for making table legs or spindles. I used it 3 times and it scared me so much I sold it at a swap meet in Hawaii. 

My PC Detail sander is the absolute biggest waste of money ever spent on a tool....must have been the "Norm has it, must be good" syndrome. While I have several tools that I don't think "earn their keep", there hasn't been too many others that absolutely made me mad just looking at it like that sander did.

Fred,

My son has a teak bench he wanted to re finish. He's in Okinawa and cannot find a detail or RO sander to buy. So, I ordered a Bosch RO and had it sent to him and I sent him my PC detail sander. Like you, I thought it was useless, too. But, I figured he MIGHT get some use out of it.

Well. last week, his place was robbed and those two sanders were among the items stolen. He hadn't even had a chance to use them. We'll never know if it would have worked for his project.

I guess I'll have to teach him how to use a sponge and sandpaper for those slats.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Heck, I would have paid a thief to steal mine!

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No Ref

I bought a couple of 18" hand clamps at a flea market a few years back.  I paid $5 each for them and got what I paid for.  The the jaws flexed when I clamped them but they make a nice paper weight.

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Ron Dudelston
Site Host


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