My Tool Collection & DIY Adventures With Them

[mayankdixit]

While working on the bench vice,which I had previously restored after many years, I found that rust had eaten up the main moving screw. Soon it just gave up and broke down into 2 pieces from the pivot. It was saddening for me since It took me a week to sand it up and properly paint it, restoring it to its glory.In the DIY of shocker oil change I had used it up extensively,and posted pics too ,just few pages back.
This also meant I needed a new vice,as most of my DIYs needed it. You never know when the need crops up. So I researched in the tool bazaar and narrowed it down to the GROZ brand.This time I wanted to upgrade to a better built product,with wider range of jaw movement.




BROKEN VICE SCREW

OLD Vice was about 7 kg. This GROZ one is 16 kgs!.Its very sturdy and robust with ease of operation by just one finger.
This has maximum jaw opening of about 150 mm,although I can already stretch it to 200 mm easily.

I have mounted the vice on a 2 inch thick block of wood with the help of 6 inch C clamps.Its because I did not want to drill a hole in my workbench and destroy it. Now I can mount my (ALREADY MOUNTED ON WOOD BOARD )vice on any stool just like in the pic,or on a proper big table,just in 15 seconds ,by loosening the clamps and mounting on the new base.I will do it in case OF HEAVY WORK.

SIZE Comparison in front of the old vice looking puny.Old was 7 kgs already.New is 16 kgs

 

[mayankdixit]

I was totally incorrect in mentioning the actual wt.of the vice.
This thing actually weighs more than 24 kgs!! No wonder it is very stable and difficult to move around .


Pics from the box packing

 

[Driveright]

fantastic !Groz has a good range of quality tools indeed .My hydraulic jack is also of the same brand .May i know how much the vice costed ?

 

[mayankdixit]

About 6400. Local brands were half the price. But looked and felt poorly finished. Also they were knotchy while moving. And rusted too (new??)

 

[mayankdixit]

This is one scary tool I have,with an equally scary warning symbol,prompting the user to be extra careful while using it!!


PVC PIPE CUTTER.

Risk of finger amputation if finger is not removed BEFORE cutting pipe

garbled English they are using. Hahaha

 

[bhvm]

Brought a DC Circuit breaker from AE. Costs 500 bucks.
This one is 40A. Should be good for connecting accessories. Also works as a kill switch.

 

[mayankdixit]

OK,I agree I am total noob in electricals.This thing looks good.
So please tell us what does it do??
What is the intended purpose.Where do you plan to use it?
I dont want to google it. I want to know it from you!

p.s What is AE? Something Amazon?

 

[bhvm]

This is a circuit breaker, just like you have one in the house (MCB). They are available from 10A to 300A.
Once the current exceeds the limit they trip. You can pop the lever back in to reset it (After clearing fault).
So they work like reset-able fuses as well as switches. You can manually trip them too.

AE is aliexpress.

 

[mayankdixit]

So do you plan to use it in automotive field ,as its 40A DC?

 

[bhvm]

Yes, They should be good for just about any DC project.
Automotive, Solar etc.

 

[bhvm]

Brought some tow ropes. The orange one is good for Hatcbacks etc. But for SUVs I brought the Yellow one. Large hooks are rated about 5 tons each.

This chart is the important part. The yellow rope is rated at 3 tons VERTICAL LIFT. Which means if Mount points on the SUV are good enough, In Theory, This rope could lift it up whole and sole.
Pulling power at 45 degree slope is rated at 5.4 tons. Should be good for most 4x4s.

 

[mayankdixit]

Product looks promising.Cant make out with packet and all,how strong thick etc it is.Please post pic of opened un-winded rope.

bhvm said..This chart is the important part. The yellow rope is rated at 3 tons VERTICAL LIFT. Which means if Mount points on the SUV are good enough, In Theory, This rope could lift it up whole and sole.
Pulling power at 45 degree slope is rated at 5.4 tons. Should be good for most 4x4s.

Actually an offroader which is bogged down in tyre deep mud,etc needs much- much larger force than this figure on paper.Think about it.Yanking a vehicle out like yours out of mud by a tractor...the figures must be multiplication of the 2 or 3 or 5 ton ,and not exactly 2 ton.That figure is only for a properly kept vehicle on tarmac with nothing bogging it down. Thats why the ropes , and sometimes toe hook itself ,snap in you tube vids. Even when they are iron ropes with much higher tonnage capacity.
Pulling a standing vehicle on road is simple.
Yanking out with repeated jerks,a vehicle knee deep in sand or mud,and that too on an incline(force is doubled again) is totally different.

 

[bhvm]

Good explanation, Doc.
1. The strap is Rated at 15 tons, Breaking strength which falls in like of your calculations (3Tons x 5)
2. The tow points, Yes they seem the weakest links and will break far before Tow rope. Especially true about modern Crossovers & Sedans which actually have "Tiedown" points and not recovery rated points.
3. I just hate that people resort to Jerking on the 1st run. Usually, a Working 4x4 will need only slight tug till the front tyres get on better surface to bite. The helper vehicle if on solid, good ground shall be able to crawl the stuck vehicle out in 4L 1st or 2nd.

These straps are not meant to Jerking. Jerking is also known as Kinetic Recovery. And Needs a Stretchable, Elastic rope Known as SNATCH STRAP to provide the benefit. Jerking with Metal or even Nylon rope usually causes the Mount points to get overloaded.

 

[Driveright]

Where did you acquire these from? They seem to be of a very questionable built but the paper showing its testing prove otherwise! something like bruce lee huh looks small but packs a lethal punch

 

[bhvm]

I got these from Amazon.
Now I found out a local shop which sells tow ropes for JCB and Crane guys. He had some very nice 8 ton straps. Could buy those.