Where can I buy high quality imperial tools?
Discussion
hidetheelephants said:
nessiemac said:
Not just Boeing, Airbus are imperial as well.
How does that work, what with them being French to a significant extent?teamHOLDENracing said:
Am I the only one hoping never to fly on a Boeing part built by the bloke who doesn't know where to buy his tools?
Hmmmm. I also work on aircraft and cannot think of one person I work with who doesn't know where to buy tools from. Although the OP maybe just starting out? If just starting out then I'd stick to eBay second hand snap on or craftsman. The cost will go sky high if buying new snap on. Then I'd be asking colleagues for help. Noesph said:
Agustawestland are imperial too. But anyway, the company should be supplying you with tools. Where I work they don't really want anyone bringing in outside tools as everything has to be calibrated and listed on the system.
This depends on where you work and what you're doing. With PMI and tool control you have a point but I've worked with my own tools many more times than using supplied tools. 
Try Cromwell.
https://www.cromwell.co.uk/
It's all counter service really helpful knowledgeable guys. They even split a socket set for me when an unusual size I wanted was out of stock.
The website is a bit of a nightmare so if you haven't a local branch give them a call.
https://www.cromwell.co.uk/
It's all counter service really helpful knowledgeable guys. They even split a socket set for me when an unusual size I wanted was out of stock.
The website is a bit of a nightmare so if you haven't a local branch give them a call.
Pop along to your local scout/church jumble sale. Shed-loads of good imperial tools turn up at these, buy them and get known as the bloke who buys old spanners. You'll offered more later once you known.
I now have a collection which would probably do three people, one of whom was maintaining a traction engine - I've some monster whitworths. But it is useful having alternatives as the spanner size of old nuts and bolts do vary, and thus although a nut may be 3/4" whit, the best spanner to use may be only one of several you have.
I put sets together from time to time, and resell them to folk with old cars. (Not a profit making business).
I now have a collection which would probably do three people, one of whom was maintaining a traction engine - I've some monster whitworths. But it is useful having alternatives as the spanner size of old nuts and bolts do vary, and thus although a nut may be 3/4" whit, the best spanner to use may be only one of several you have.
I put sets together from time to time, and resell them to folk with old cars. (Not a profit making business).
robinessex said:
Really? I did design work on Airbus, and all the bolts we used were metric. Of course, Boeing also work in imperial measurement as well!
Really?. Amongst other jobs, I spent two years working on the A380 final assembly lines in Finkenwerder and Blagnac working for Airbus Deutschland and I can honestly say I never used a metric sized spanner. hacksaw said:
Really?. Amongst other jobs, I spent two years working on the A380 final assembly lines in Finkenwerder and Blagnac working for Airbus Deutschland and I can honestly say I never used a metric sized spanner.
Wow. No wonder we all made a few £££ in Blagnac. The designers were working in metric and the engineers were working in imperial. Someone should make a program about this.... Oh they did... JIMBO!hacksaw said:
robinessex said:
Really? I did design work on Airbus, and all the bolts we used were metric. Of course, Boeing also work in imperial measurement as well!
Really?. Amongst other jobs, I spent two years working on the A380 final assembly lines in Finkenwerder and Blagnac working for Airbus Deutschland and I can honestly say I never used a metric sized spanner. Jamesgt said:
hacksaw said:
Really?. Amongst other jobs, I spent two years working on the A380 final assembly lines in Finkenwerder and Blagnac working for Airbus Deutschland and I can honestly say I never used a metric sized spanner.
Wow. No wonder we all made a few £££ in Blagnac. The designers were working in metric and the engineers were working in imperial. Someone should make a program about this.... Oh they did... JIMBO!There were some seriously bad engineers working for them who didn't have a clue. I hear the German agencies employed anyone. A bit like Bostonair 
so I hear.....
so I hear..... hacksaw said:
My favourite was why I was installing brackets to the inside of a door frame. An engineer was noseying around, points to a bracket fitted to the frame and asked me how I welded it on! Bemused, I looked at him and patiently explained it was riveted. He then pointed again and said no it's welded, look at the splatter around the rivet head. It was actually a bonded bracket that had been prc'd and then painted blue. Which I explained to him. His answer, I've never worked on aircraft before, I was at Aston Martin before I came here........
Jamesgt said:
There were some seriously bad engineers working for them who didn't have a clue. I hear the German agencies employed anyone. A bit like Bostonair so I hear.....
I worked for resource out there, although you probably guessed that. Don't know about German agencies employing bengals, I think plenty of agencies have been guilty of that, including a rather large uk based one. so I hear..... hacksaw said:
My favourite was why I was installing brackets to the inside of a door frame. An engineer was noseying around, points to a bracket fitted to the frame and asked me how I welded it on! Bemused, I looked at him and patiently explained it was riveted. He then pointed again and said no it's welded, look at the splatter around the rivet head. It was actually a bonded bracket that had been prc'd and then painted blue. Which I explained to him. His answer, I've never worked on aircraft before, I was at Aston Martin before I came here........
You know what these agencies are like, only employee idiots who've never worked in the industry, load of young kids behind desks with no idea, always looking to rip off the connie.
Never heard of Bostonair....
Edited by hacksaw on Saturday 28th November 19:37
Fill yer boots...
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/search.aspx?CATE...
I also bought a nice small Wera set to carry around which I love.
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/search.aspx?CATE...
I also bought a nice small Wera set to carry around which I love.
hacksaw said:
Never heard of Bostonair....
Forgive me. There is a Nick Harrison from up North I know who worked at airbus and then moved on to working in the Office at Bostonair. Edited by hacksaw on Saturday 28th November 19:37
Shame the Airbus gravy train has slowed down. The A350 wasn't like the A380 easy ride.
The Tool Connection Limited
Kineton Road
Southam
Warwickshire
CV47 0DR
United Kingdom
that's where they are . I don't know if the management has changed, but when I was involved it the telecoms/datacomms installation, the MD drove a TVR, and was petrol head. GREAT GUY. I also found the blokes on site equally great. I'd acquired a torque wrench from a dubious source. It turned out that they'd had several which failed spec, and without calibration had to scrap them. (Else Trading standards would get up set) .But with calibration, I should take mine in and they'd do it FOC.
Kineton Road
Southam
Warwickshire
CV47 0DR
United Kingdom
that's where they are . I don't know if the management has changed, but when I was involved it the telecoms/datacomms installation, the MD drove a TVR, and was petrol head. GREAT GUY. I also found the blokes on site equally great. I'd acquired a torque wrench from a dubious source. It turned out that they'd had several which failed spec, and without calibration had to scrap them. (Else Trading standards would get up set) .But with calibration, I should take mine in and they'd do it FOC.
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