Tool/Skills co-op?

[manbearpig]

Bonjour el all.

Well, I want to make some pipes for my new project, and for that I need a pretty sturdy pipe bender. I've seen some on the old bay, but I'm reluctant to splash out on £90 odd for a tool which is going to take up valuable space in my already cramped garage, for a job which I may only need to do the once.

So, here's proposition number 1.
Who's up for going 2's, 3's or whatever's up with me on a pipe bender? I know that most of you will have a use for one at some point (roll cage, other mod fabrications, ect ect)

Proposition number 2 is we can start a tool co-op which will give everyone access to the tools they need. For example I've got a load of hand tools, some power tools and a pillar drill. Someone else may have a pipe bender but no pillar drill, or it's broken or something. Me and the someone else swap tools for a bit, we do our jobs, we swap back. Simple right?

The same goes for services - kinda like the pony express but with skills. I'm a broadcast engineer, a recording studio engineer, and a qualified and experienced painter and decorator, but my welding is well shonky (at the moment). So, I want to do some welding on my frame and weld my exhaust together (when I finally get my hands on a pipe bender!), so who will do my welding in exchage for something that I can do?

It's simple bartering really, but I don't see alot of it going on publicly. I've been a memeber of RR for about a year now and I'm not going anywhere, and I got the impression that all of you chaps are pretty trustworthy guys. RRG wouldn't happen if you wern't, so maybe this can work equally well?

Just a thought, but it might mean that everyone can complete all of there respective projects much quicker, easier and cheaper. Sounds good to me.

Thought and comments welcome.

[mdh]

Personally I don't like letting my tools out of my sight!

Service swap sounds a better idea! I have two mates that are welders and several cars that need spraying! :-)

[optima21]

yeah lending tools is an issue. My engine crane has travelled more than my cars have. seems that people manage to collect things when they want to borrow them, but they then lend them to someone else, and then you have to do the running about to get the tools back. why have the hassle, let them get their own tools.

[Blown_Imp]

mmm yeah, things are never used in the same manner if they are not your own.

[steveo3002]

yeah i like the idea of trading a decorating job or whatever for some mechanical work

but lending tools..not everyone treats stuff the same

[dave21478]

Nothing to do with Retro Rides, but every.single.time I have loaned a tool to someone on a forum, it has either come back damaged or not come back at all.
It has never been anything spectacularly valuable and in a couple of cases were bush pullers that I make myself, but that's not the point.

I don't lend tools anymore. Period.

Which is a shame, as the tool pooling idea is excellent.

[10mpg]

The tool poolign thing would only work with a 'deposit' type system to ensure people get their tools back in working order, but would be a disaster on a you lend me this i'll lend you that type system..

I'm happy for some people to come and use my kit in my workshop if they have a real need but like most of the other posters here I wont let them out of my sight..

I like bartering jobs for jobs, and would be happy for someone to do a job i hate like painting my house or general building work for a job i enjoy like welding or mechanicing, but it's rare that you can find someone who can value the job and their/your work correctly, i mean you don't want to do a lovely proffesional job welding up someone's car then they make a right hash of your house because they want to get the job over quick..

[alecw35]

I got one of those hydraulic pipe benders, a couple of years ago. had plans of making a chopper pushbike.
I gave it to my sister when she was clearing out all my stuff.
I wonder if she kept it, or weighed it in.
I suppose I could ask for it back, if shes still got it. Its extremely heavy. so would cost a bit to post it off.

[surprisingskoda]

In our Northern Ireland mini-RR community we lend out tools to each other. I don't see any issue as long as you lend to someone you know and trust.
I think I even lent my brand new welder out too - it isn't just low value tools either.

[hairymel]

Hi Vivaboy

what are you hoping to bend?

the 'pipe' benders are not 'tube' benders so the former sizes are not quite right.

i have a hydraulic ram type 'pipe' bender and its fairly difficult to impossible to bend thinner tube with it.

for anything but a very shallow bend the tube tends to flatten on the outside and crush in on the internal radius.

I would think exhaust would be a struggle to bend nicely.

the best job i have done with mine was 32mmx1.6mm tube.

i put a shallow bend every 2cm or so, as if you try to bend all in one go the tube also tends to collapse.


where are you based?

[manbearpig]

Apr 11, 2010 11:00:19 GMT alecw35 said:

I got one of those hydraulic pipe benders, a couple of years ago. had plans of making a chopper pushbike.
I gave it to my sister when she was clearing out all my stuff.
I wonder if she kept it, or weighed it in.
I suppose I could ask for it back, if shes still got it. Its extremely heavy. so would cost a bit to post it off.

Awesome! Massively greatful and very intrested indeed. Let me know what she says - Apart from this chap is making alot of sense, and it's something I thought may be a complication ...

Apr 11, 2010 17:42:58 GMT hairymel said:

Hi Vivaboy

what are you hoping to bend?
the 'pipe' benders are not 'tube' benders so the former sizes are not quite right.
I have a hydraulic ram type 'pipe' bender and its fairly difficult to impossible to bend thinner tube with it.
for anything but a very shallow bend the tube tends to flatten on the outside and crush in on the internal radius.
I would think exhaust would be a struggle to bend nicely.
the best job I have done with mine was 32mmx1.6mm tube.
I put a shallow bend every 2cm or so, as if you try to bend all in one go the tube also tends to collapse.
where are you based?

I'm in Sutton - South London/Surrey. Yeah, I've seen people weld caps on to the pipe and fill it with oil before bending to get rid of the possible collapse - but we are entering serious engineering here, and as I can't weld, don't have a welder - or a pipe bender, that's a huge favour to ask of anyone. What I want to do is make a 4 into 4, or 4 into 2 exhuast for my latest project.

retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=othrmod&action=display&thread=78317

I want to wrap the pipes around the lump. The two outside bores will go down and wrap underneath the engine and frame like on a normal classic twin, but the two middle bores will bend around the head, like high pipes on an old BSA, wrap around the lump and join with the other pipes behind the footpegs - if you see what I mean.

Back to the co-op idea, yeah, I can see the complication. I've worked very hard for my tools and would be reluctant to lend them out if I thought I might not get them back. I can't even begin to count how many records and CD's I've lost over the years from people borrowing them. However, (I was thinking about in bed this morning) it is still possible to do with a deposit and points system. A deposit matching the value of the tool is a good idea for obvious reasons - and some deposit could be kept in case of damages? The points system would allow people to gain points for various factors like promptness in returning the tool, communication between lender and lendee, the condition the tool is kept in, and any outstanding favours - Like if I want some welding done but whoever is doing it doesn't need a favour at the time, so they stick it in the 'favour bank' - (vivboy owes hairymel 1 large favour ect).

Already this is becoming more than a simple task that could be put up on RR as a side board - but It all depends on who does what and how trustworthy people are that determines how simple this could be. If everyone was trustworthy and treated other peoples stuff with respect we wouldn't need points or anything like that - it would just happen. Damages would be paid for, tools would be returned ect ect I know I for one would adhere to anyones demands if they were doing me a favour.

The skills co-op idea would suffer simular considerations, but you know, nothing worth doing is ever simple, but I think it would be a really good way of integrating all in the mecahnical/car/engineering community, and would be hugely useful for those of us who are trying to mkake things on a shoe string budget. Hiring outside profesionals to do the jobs we can't costs big money, but if a lot of us are proffesionals, then we can put our own price on it. More than this though, it gets peoples mojo back on track and would make a lot of people alot of friends. There's nothing quite like the power of a comunity, and the inventions that arrise when heads come together

[Dez]

favours mean nothing.
ive done many favours for people who've then let me down. in fact, ive got once instance thats ongoing at the minute. youd think id have learned my lesson by now

i wouldt entertain the idea of tool hire at all.
i find people are w@nkers when it comes to other peoples tools. it p!sses me off when i lend someone a tool within my workshop and they cant manage to put it away in the correct place!! a few members on here have been shouted at about that

so yeah, i don't lend tools anymore, not out of my sight anyway. and if you don't put it away properly, don't clean it, or damage it expect to get shouted at for it.

[alecw35]

I havent talked to my sister yet. as Ive been away to town to get a bike from Freecycle.

I did look for videos about pipe bending. seen one where the man filled the tubes with sand. then the ends capped. I suppose you could carve a good fitting cork/ wooden stopper.

I live in a village near Dundee in Scotland. If an RR member is near here. They could pick up the bender. Ooh er. And then get it down to you. Well If its still in my sisters barn, that is

[manbearpig]

Yeah, cool ok. Thanks mate. Are you getting down to RRG this year?

[mdh]

for anything but a very shallow bend the tube tends to flatten on the outside and crush in on the internal radius.

Pack the tube with sand before you bend.

[alecw35]

My sisters pretty sure its in her barn. somewhere in amoungst all her boyfreinds stuff. shes getting a new windscreen fitted to her Mercedes van tommorow. So will look for it, when waiting for that to be done

[manbearpig]

Thanks dude. Muchos appriciatus

[alecw35]

she brought it to my house today. so will measure it and weigh it. take photos.
If theres no one that can take it to you. I could send it off. I have used Parcel2go for some bike parts recently. I would expect you to pay the postage. maybe a couple of quid for the Bender too. I think it was new when I got it, and I never used it.

[hairymel]

www.p4d.co.uk are good (dhl 6.99+vat) but you might need to send the formers seperatly to get under 30kgs parcel weight if yours is as heavy as mine!

[Ratdat]

It would be nice if this sort of thing would work but alas I feer it wouldn't. I have lent tools out to folks in the post but it's often been a lengthy process getting them back. In fact I once lent out my engine crane to a geezer who failed to bring it back when he said he would. No answer to phone calls and no trace of him when I visited forced me to HIRE one to pull my own engine. Not best pleased! Since then I've been releuctant to lend stuff.

I've also had people come and use my tools here which usually results in me being left with filthy, oily tools scattered all over the floor which I then have to clean and put away. It's pretty annoying TBH.