The week of tool bending
Sam went off with the super drill to the community farm to help put up a little wooden shed. Upon return, with nonchalant dismissal, she supplies a perfectly bent, 90 degree drill bit! A magic trick for sure. When I enquire about it, all I get is an “it just happened while I was drilling”. No amount of careful questioning reveals any more explanatory details – “it just became bent”. Amazing.
Aside from freak drill bit craziness, another tool, usually so solid and dependable did some interesting bending recently. While attempting to remove a monster large nail from a slab of reclaimed oak this happened to the claw hammer…
Anyway, that nail never did come out, I cut off the end, and it remains. Incidentally this chunky characterful slab of oak (below) was a window lintel that had remained undisturbed for many years in a farm outbuilding. Aside from a little wood worm in the natural edged sapwood section, that would have benefited from some attention, it could have continued to exist as a lintel for many years. Nevertheless it was being replaced during some serious ‘tear down put up’ renovation work. But hey, it should be just as happy as a mighty garden bench!
Just a fun little post this one, so the only other thing that occurs, which wasn’t exactly a ‘bending’, is below. Quite out of the blue and unexpected, luckily the bandsaw blade covers did their job well, and the flailing blade was quite contained.
The failure is right on the weld and this was quite a new and sharp blade, one of those expensive bi-metal variable tpi ones, so we will see what the supplier says… [Update: NLS Tools, the bandsaw blade supplier, sent out a new replacement free of charge, so thumbs up for that one].
Thanks for reading, wishing you happy, and safe making, without any tool bends – apart from super interesting safe ones ;)
June 18th, 2011 at 9:44 am
I’ve never seen a drill bit bend like that before, either!! :-D
June 28th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
The hammer bend reminds me of something.
Years ago we used to have a restaurant called Po’ Folks. In their waiting area (before they seated you) they had a stump (big old log). In the checks of the log they pounded coins. Kids in the waiting area would try quite engrossed to get them out. Nice relief for the parents if there are long waits.
October 10th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Yes, I’ve seen that happen to a drill before! The wood drills (lip and spur) supplied in cheap cordless drill sets often are not hardened very well. I hit a hidden nail with one and converted it to a left hand helix!
November 22nd, 2011 at 10:55 am
Sam could be a witch!? Has she tried commuting on a broom?
November 24th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Always did have an ambition to be able to make potions and ride brooms, but I think Paul’s theory is closer to the truth!
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:39 pm
When you remove a nail from timber, it is important not to have too great a distance between the nail head and the top of the hammer. It is common practice to put a board under the hammer as the nail comes out to reduce this distance. (For longer nails, it may be necessary to pull it out in a couple of lifts, adding packing as it goes.). A prybar over a board (to not mark the timer underneath) can also be used.