Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

New Tool Day

NashvilleTJ said:
Wow (and ouch 😳), great deal. And depending on where they are you may not pay tax. I got mine from Amazon.
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I ordered directly from Vevor (didn't realize they also sell on Amazon), and they collect sales tax. Fortunately, for my rural homestead, there's no city portion of the sales tax, so as long as they calculate it properly (Vevor does), that saves me 1.5%. Hey, $7.41 is $7.41! :sneaky:

ColoJeep said:
You guys must drill a LOT of holes to justify even a $ 500.00 sharpener . But , these are way cool ! I hope you enjoy them !
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Thanks, ColoJeep! As I pointed out, the cost can't really be justified by comparing the cost of buying new bits occasionally vs. sharpening them. I justify it on a lost-time basis. I'm in my shop every weekend working on something, and it's typically a 1.5 hour round-trip to town for a replacement bit. With limited time to complete projects, I don't want to lose that time available for project work.

I could just keep dupes of each bit on hand, but I buy high-quality tooling because the cheap stuff dulls very quickly. A good set of numbered, lettered, and fractional jobber-length drill bits (115 bits in all) could easily cost close to what I paid for this sharpener. I could also move on to another project and get a replacement bit during the week (I work in town), but I already have a problem with too many projects in-process. I don't need to add to that.

So, this purchase is really me "buying project time." I have a high tool budget, but designing and building things is really my only hobby. Your mileage (and situation) may vary. ;)
 
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sab said:
I ordered directly from Vevor (didn't realize they also sell on Amazon), and they collect sales tax. Fortunately, for my rural homestead, there's no city portion of the sales tax, so as long as they calculate it properly (Vevor does), that saves me 1.5%. Hey, $7.41 is $7.41! :sneaky:


Thanks, ColoJeep! As I pointed out, the cost can't really be justified by comparing the cost of buying new bits occasionally vs. sharpening them. I justify it on a lost-time basis. I'm in my shop every weekend working on something, and it's typically a 1.5 hour round-trip to town for a replacement bit. With limited time to complete projects, I don't want to lose that time available for project work.

I could just keep dupes of each bit on hand, but I buy high-quality tooling because the cheap stuff dulls very quickly. A good set of numbered, lettered, and fractional jobber-length drill bits (115 bits in all) could easily cost close to what I paid for this sharpener. I could also move on to another project and get a replacement bit during the week (I work in town), but I already have a problem with too many projects in-process. I don't need to add to that.

So, this purchase is really me "buying project time." I have a high tool budget, but designing and building things is really my only hobby. Your mileage (and situation) may vary. ;)
Click to expand...

I get the traveling to town thing , for me it's 45 min each way plus shopping time. It blows most of your project time .
 
ColoJeep said:
I've always hand sharpened bits on a bench grinder , of course one side comes out good and the other just sucks. :LOL: You guys must drill a LOT of holes to justify even a $ 500.00 sharpener . But , these are way cool ! I hope you enjoy them !
Click to expand...

I'm with you. Specialized tools are great if you use them enough to justify their expense. Someday I'll upgrade to a bench grinder! For now I get by with an old 4.5" angle grinder for sharpening. Less precise I'm sure but it still cuts.

1743183716487.png
 
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srimes said:
I'm with you. Specialized tools are great if you use them enough to justify their expense. Someday I'll upgrade to a bench grinder! For now I get by with an old 4.5" angle grinder for sharpening. Less precise I'm sure but it still cuts.

View attachment 604413
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"Expense" is relative - it applies to both money and time. When I was young and poor, I made do. I'm now old, with my mortality staring me in the face. I've worked hard and saved my entire life, so these days I "treat myself" quite often. Trust me, I know how to make do. I just won't. ;)
 
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ColoJeep said:
I've always hand sharpened bits on a bench grinder , of course one side comes out good and the other just sucks. :LOL: You guys must drill a LOT of holes to justify even a $ 500.00 sharpener . But , these are way cool ! I hope you enjoy them !
Click to expand...
Some of it is the number of holes drilled, most of it is my severe adverse reaction to using poor performing tools. I don't like dull bits or bits that don't cut as well as one that is new out of the box. I don't like abrasives that are not at least very good to great. I don't like ill fitting or crap hand tools. I don't like having to stand on a drill motor to get it to make a hole because the bit isn't sharp. Sharp bits satisfy that last small portion of our personal value system that doesn't tolerate crap.

Like some of the others, I had the older Drill Doctor and wore it out. The new "improved" version has never worked, it is never going to work based on the 50 different ways I've tried it that still don't work.

Like Scott, I've looked at the professional Durex stuff (parent company of the DD) and have not been able to justify the cost. Looks like the Chinese version may be in my future.
 
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sab said:
I ordered directly from Vevor (didn't realize they also sell on Amazon), and they collect sales tax. Fortunately, for my rural homestead, there's no city portion of the sales tax, so as long as they calculate it properly (Vevor does), that saves me 1.5%. Hey, $7.41 is $7.41! :sneaky:


Thanks, ColoJeep! As I pointed out, the cost can't really be justified by comparing the cost of buying new bits occasionally vs. sharpening them. I justify it on a lost-time basis. I'm in my shop every weekend working on something, and it's typically a 1.5 hour round-trip to town for a replacement bit. With limited time to complete projects, I don't want to lose that time available for project work.

I could just keep dupes of each bit on hand, but I buy high-quality tooling because the cheap stuff dulls very quickly. A good set of numbered, lettered, and fractional jobber-length drill bits (115 bits in all) could easily cost close to what I paid for this sharpener. I could also move on to another project and get a replacement bit during the week (I work in town), but I already have a problem with too many projects in-process. I don't need to add to that.

So, this purchase is really me "buying project time." I have a high tool budget, but designing and building things is really my only hobby. Your mileage (and situation) may vary. ;)
Click to expand...

Buy something from Drills and Cutters and sign up for their email notifications. They have outstandingly good sales from time to time with frightening regularity that will keep your bit box full of sharpness.
 
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mrblaine said:
Some of it is the number of holes drilled, most of it is my severe adverse reaction to using poor performing tools. I don't like dull bits or bits that don't cut as well as one that is new out of the box. I don't like abrasives that are not at least very good to great. I don't like ill fitting or crap hand tools. I don't like having to stand on a drill motor to get it to make a hole because the bit isn't sharp. Sharp bits satisfy that last small portion of our personal value system that doesn't tolerate crap.

Like some of the others, I had the older Drill Doctor and wore it out. The new "improved" version has never worked, it is never going to work based on the 50 different ways I've tried it that still don't work.

Like Scott, I've looked at the professional Durex stuff (parent company of the DD) and have not been able to justify the cost. Looks like the Chinese version may be in my future.
Click to expand...

I can understand the personal control of the tool destiny ! If it helps your mindset , then get a sharpener , even if it doesn't make " cost per hole drilled " sense !
Eliminating things that piss a guy off daily is a worthy goal.
 
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mrblaine said:
Buy something from Drills and Cutters and sign up for their email notifications. They have outstandingly good sales from time to time with frightening regularity that will keep your bit box full of sharpness.
Click to expand...

Done! I have a few other machine tooling suppliers I've used over the years, but that's a new one to me!
 
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New “to me” tools. Wilton 15 speed drill press (3 boxes drill bits and taps), 30 ton shop press, Snap On diag cart, TPMS programmer, under hoist screw jacks, and miscellaneous USA Craftsman wrenches and sockets. Friend of family shutting down auto shop.
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John Cooper said:
Tom i sure do enjoy my 72" box!!!! Still arranging it.
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Pure dumb luck that I went in there today. Really had no plans to go in, but decided to pull in there to see if they had some pliers I wanted for the 35% off. Seen a different gray 72” marked down after I had checked out. Went to look at it and the manager walked by. I asked him if this one had been sold yet. He said yes but I have a bunch more in the back. There were 8 or 10 more various sizes that had came from another store. My plan was a gray 56” but they didn’t have one marked down. Couldn’t pass this one up though. 🙂
 
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Instead of working on the LJ today, I used the Vevor drill bit sharpener to sharpen my pile of dull bits:
IMG_7786.jpeg

That thing works so much better than the Drill Doctor! Thanks for the hot tip, @NashvilleTJ!

I also added a hole for a second vacuum on the media blast cabinet because visibility is horrible inside:
IMG_7787.jpeg


And see that baffle covering the right side vacuum inlet? I've got one coming from SendCutSend:
1744580422088.png
 
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sab said:
Instead of working on the LJ today, I used the Vevor drill bit sharpener to sharpen my pile of dull bits:
View attachment 608586
That thing works so much better than the Drill Doctor! Thanks for the hot tip, @NashvilleTJ!

I also added a hole for a second vacuum on the media blast cabinet because visibility is horrible inside:
View attachment 608587

And see that baffle covering the right side vacuum inlet? I've got one coming from SendCutSend:
View attachment 608588
Click to expand...

Which sharpener did you get?
 
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sab said:
Instead of working on the LJ today, I used the Vevor drill bit sharpener to sharpen my pile of dull bits:
View attachment 608586
That thing works so much better than the Drill Doctor! Thanks for the hot tip, @NashvilleTJ!

I also added a hole for a second vacuum on the media blast cabinet because visibility is horrible inside:
View attachment 608587

And see that baffle covering the right side vacuum inlet? I've got one coming from SendCutSend:
View attachment 608588
Click to expand...

Are they doing all the bending? If so and you don't mind me asking, curious their pricing for what the bends ran you. I've been curious about taking advantage of their bending service but haven't had the use-case yet...
 

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