Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Nibbles

Klien Nibbler

This is the best tool I've found in a long time. It's a sheet metal nibbler. It's for nibbling sheet metal, rather than shearing. I have shears, I have nibblers. I have 2 air nibblers. They are for getting the job done fast. They can nibble in square feet per minute measurements. This Klien nibbler is perfectly designed. It requires very little effort to nibble through 20 gauge steel. It's not the quickest, shears are probably quicker, but it does very clean, precise cuts. You can drill a small hole and start right in the middle of a sheet (try that with shears), you can cut tight radius curves, and it wont raise an edge like a can opener the way a shear does.
I think this tool is made in Lincolnwood, IL just around the corner from me. The design is simple and perfect. The materials, coatings and finish are perfect. The heat treating of the blade is perfect. This tool is designed and made by experts, in America. The parts are all high quality, adjustable and replaceable or easily repaired.
Almost every time I go to the hardware store I see a deal on some Husky or other house brand tool which is too good to be true. $9 complete 1/4" socket set, $4.99 ratcheting screwdriver set, etc.
The products in this container may come from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico or the USA.
The quality of the house brand tool varies as widely as its origin. It is most likely to break, but it carries a hassle free lifetime replacement warranty. The cheaper manufactures believe that brand loyalty is easily gained by convenience, low price and replacing any defective product for free. Customer Service!
Everyone replaces broken tools for free nowadays. The material cost of a tool or part is low compared to customer satisfaction. I find broken 10mm sockets all over the garage. I break 10mm sockets more than anything else. All of the broken ones are house brand X, none of them are American made SnapOn, MAC, MTF, SK or Klien tools. Broken tools waste time, which is worth more than money. I think.
The saved time and satisfaction of using a well made tool are worth the extra money, as is knowing that Your Country (America) still makes the best tools available in your country.
German tools are great, but we all know that it was the American industrialists who helped them out after WW1 that made them that way.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Adore

My entry did not win the GRM/FFR design contest. I congratulate the winners. I liked some of the designs and renders very much.
SO, since I didn't win, here is a picture of Audrey Hepburn.

Friday, June 3, 2011

More rendered views

The door seams are missing. I haven't figured out a clean way to do that with Wings3D, and it should have been done before smoothing