Continuing on from the last update, half of the grooves had been cut into the centre support piece.
Plastic Parts Organiser Rack Part 3
Workshop
Plastic Parts Organiser Rack Part 2
Following on from where we last left off, its time to make some shelves for the rack.
The week before I picked up a piece of 7mm plywood from a building scrap supplier just north of Wollongong for $5. The piece was 2400mm long by 500mm wide and was a perfect candidate to cut up into shelf pieces. It was a bit weathered so I gave it a quick sand and then cut it into 200mm wide pieces. I got a bit creative with supporting the piece (the shop vacuum was a near perfect height) as I cut it with the circular saw – probably not the best approach though as it did receive a war-wound.
Shop vacuum support stand – patent pending
Just a flesh wound
Shelves ready to be cut to size
Plastic Parts Organisers Rack
So, I’ve been on a prolonged mission to get the garage workshop a bit more organised. One thing that had frustrated me was having screws, bolts, nuts etc in small jars and packets in different places. Not knowing what I had caused me to buy doubles of common items and then it was a hassle finding things.
To get sorted, I bought a bunch of plastic organiser trays (they happened to be on a clearance sale so I bought double 🙂 ). Filling all the trays and labeling them all was very therapeutic and has been a huge improvement in itself. However, all the trays are currently sitting on the garage floor 😦 .
To fix this problem, its time to build a custom shelf with individual trays to slide each organiser into. Also, this was a good opportunity to learn how to use the plunge router I picked up at Dapto Markets (there’ll be plenty of mistakes and misadventures to report about 
).
The shelf is essentially a frame with an internal divider and multiple trays.
Dapto Market Bargains – 27/1/19
The Dapto Markets are a bit of a favourite of mine. Held weekly, they bring all sorts of people along selling all sorts of wares. My favourite things to look for are used hand tools that are still in good condition or are good quality item/brands that are being sold cheap. Its a cash only affair and sometimes you can get some good deals.
My hands-down favourite and best buy so far would have to be my Hilti rotary hammer drill that I paid $20 for! Assembled in 1985, she’s older than me, but still an absolute brute of a tool. Once you’ve used a rotary-hammer drill you’ll never have the patience for a hammer drill again when drilling into concrete.
Anyway, back on track, this week’s finds include:
*2x bar clamps for $15 each. I found similar new ones at Bunnings for $32 each
*1x Clock – $4
*1x plunge router – $25
Aldi Torque Wrench Testing- Is it any Good?
Last week, Aldi was selling a torque wrench with 1/2 inch drive for $29.99. I was a bit shocked when I saw the price because that’s not a lot of money for a torque wrench.
Honestly, I was a bit skeptical of its performance and a bit hesitant to part with $29.99 for what could be a dud. However, I did go and check it out in-store before completely dismissing it. The wrench came in a durable molded plastic case and came with an extension bar, 17mm, 19mm and 21mm sockets. I was sold, so I shelled out $30 and brought the thing home.
First impressions are that its not too bad. I’m no torque wrench expert however the quality seems pretty reasonable for its price. The ratchet works, the ratchet is reversible and the whole device feels pretty substantial. Its stated specifications are; adjustable range of 28-210Nm with an accuracy of ±4%. The measuring scale is a bit difficult to read because of the bright chrome finish, but I think this can be fixed by rubbing a paint marker over the indentations and wiping of the excess paint to emphasise the scale markings.
However, is it accurate? There’s not much point tightening bolts to a required specification if the wrench itself is way off the mark.
Simple Electronics Workshop Tool Rack
Last week I had to have a huge tidy-up of my workspace, things were getting out of control. Finished projects, half completed projects, tools, test wires, components and general junk were just piling up. It was becoming unworkable – things were getting lost, projects forgotten and enjoyment was fading.
Whilst watching YouTube (to avoid the inevitable task of cleaning up), one of those YouTube “Recommended” videos popped up with Adam Savage talking about his workshop. Anyway, in typical Adam Savage fashion, he said a few one-liners. One of them being, “Drawers are where things go to die”, 0:58. I had a laugh at this, thought nothing of it, watched some of his video about his tool stand and stopped watching after about 3 minutes because the whole video is about a tool rack.
SteelCity Electronics 