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The Periodic Table of Tools

periodictableoftools.com

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Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#121

Post by theodoregray »

phkahler wrote: post #3

Did I miss profile gauge?

Unfortunately fixed gauges (feeler gauges, spark gap tools, profile gauges, wire gauge tools, bolt sizers, etc) didn't make it into any of the top-level categories, so they are lumped in with the mess of "Other Tools": https://www.periodictableoftools.com/Categories/Other.html

Some day I might create some new rows, because there are a lot of important categories that are completely absent.

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#122

Post by digdugdirk »

theodoregray wrote: post #107
synthos wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely buybait and a shame that a blatant advertisement has made to YC news front page. What's next? Novelty toothpaste for nerds?

For what it's worth, I had absolutely nothing to do with the post: I didn't make it or encourage anyone to make it. I just noticed a sharp uptick in sales earlier today. Which I love since I spent a lot of time and money designing the poster and getting it printed. Here's the real buy bait: Please buy my book and poster! You can find the book "Tools" on Amazon, and the poster at theodoregray.com

Also for what it's worth, it's a very cool art project! And I'm always happy to have more computer nerds get an introduction to the tools required to make stuff in the physical world.

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#123

Post by bhandziuk »

oooyay wrote: post #74
smeej wrote: post #20

This has a great auxiliary use for those of us who don't know about all the tools, and/or don't know the names of the tools. It's going to make me sound a lot less stupid at the hardware store!

I'm chuckling a bit because I get this feeling of consternation every time I run into something that doesn't go very smoothly. For instance, learning I was using the wrong kind of hammer for roofing saved my wrist from breaking. I've been collecting woodworking and carpentry tools and teaching myself as I go. If you really want to develop some intuition for what to use and when then learn about the basics of carpentr…

> I'm chuckling

Ironically the picture of the chuck is a collet

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#124

Post by jjeaff »

theodoregray wrote: post #120
jjeaff wrote: post #95

I like the "Grabbers" section. I'm always on the lookout for different types of grabbers or long cutters. I find that no matter how esoteric, the tool will end up being invaluable on some little project in the future. Lately, I have been collecting a lot of medical style grabbers like hemostats and laparoscopic operating tools. Just the other day, despite all my various little grabbers, I realized I needed something…

Allow me to introduce you to uterine tenaculum forceps: https://periodictableoftools.com/Items/T0472.html

Ha, yes, I noticed those. I would prefer something a little more like a laparoscopic tool, but I might look around for one of those.

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#127

Post by theodoregray »

javier_e06 wrote: post #125

Ah the Vise Grip Plier. It should not exist. It destroys everything on its path. The presentation card of the no-good craftsman wannabe. Banned in my garage. The Arsenic of tools.

No, no, it's one of the most essential of all tools! If I had to recreate civilization, I would start with antibiotics and vise-grip pliers. I mean, what are you going to use if you can't find your wrench, pliers, screwdriver, hammer, or tooth extraction tool?

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#128

Post by scubbo »

hangsi wrote: post #89
scubbo wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> one of the tables known to Harvard This has the cadence of a reference, but Google didn't help me. Am I missing something?

It's from The Elements, by Tom Lehrer (the final lyric of the song). https://youtu.be/qyNkrlwKs7c

Thank you!

Re: The Periodic Table of Tools

#129

Post by BizarroLand »

kortex wrote: post #70

As a former chemist and all-around maker, I love this and this bugs me all at once. I love the concept, but as others have pointed out, this is less a "periodic table" and more "grab bag of related things". You see these all over the place: foods, drinks, cars, etc. All table, no periodicity. Why are wrenches and drills strewn across three groups? Put the wrenches in one group, drills in the other. Impact drivers som…

I would say that numeric should be weighted from "tools you practically can't do anything without", like screwdrivers or hammers, to "tools that are so specialized or expensive that almost no one has one or would ever need it, like electron microscopes or luthier specific tools like horse glue.

Then vertically they should be sorted by type or tool focus, hand tool, electric tool, gear tool, glues and wedgers, focus on wood working, focus on automobile, focus on construction, and so on.

Right now the current one is too higgledy-piggledy to make any sense of. It needs organization.

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