Thread: Most important tools for a hot rodder

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As a life-long (83 years) "hands-on" hot rodder, my most important personal possessions after cars & bikes have been my tools. First came the hand tools, and then the machinery.

When I got to the machinery stage, advice on the most useful equipment to get would have been helpful. In my experience, the equipment listed below has been the most useful to me. What equipment beyond your hand tools has been most necessary for you?

My priority list, in order of importance:
Drill press
Disk sander or belt sander
Horizontal band saw
Mig welder
Plasma cutter (& air compressor)
Metal lathe
Milling machine

the thing that advanced my car building the most was my welder which i dont have at the moment but am still trying to get un stold .. i would actually start something else if i can get it back ,,

Plasmaman, I agree with your list, but wouldn't put them in the same order. I don't have a plasma machine, YET. It is on my list, though. I would add my vertical band saw and TIG machine to that list. I use the vertical bandsaw far more than you would think and TIG is my goto welding process. I have a MIG, but it gets used about 25% as much as the TIG. Ususally when I have a bunch of heavy welds to make.

If it matters - this would be my list of equipment.
My priority list, in more or less order of importance:
Drill press
Disk or belt sander
Band Saw, Horizontal or Vertical
Oxy / Acetylene torch kit.
ANY welder (Stick, Mig, Tig)
Air Compressor with impact tools.
Hydraulic Jacks ( at least 2) with stands (4 minimum)
Press, hydraulic or even a small bench mounted unit.
lathe ( at least 9" or greater )
Milling machine (Vertical) but I wouldn't toss out a Horizontal! ( love a shaper too!)
Plasma Table / waterjet / laser - 3D printing.

Without any intention of hijacking this tread, I too have recently gotten very interested in 3D printing. I see potential in it for detail items, if nothing else. I also see it as being a source for casting patterns, which is another process I would like to get into.

I had struggled for years with a 125 amp stick welder, so when I retired and cashed up a few things I bought myself the biggest flashest mig I could find.
Three years later I gave it to my #2 son TJ on a permanent loan. I had barely used it.
When I sold up I sold all of my heavy industrial type machinery, with no machinery I wasn't using any big stuff.
So I wasn't breaking anything.
So the big flash welder was of absolutely no use to me at all.

sigh...

Originally Posted by johnboy

I had struggled for years with a 125 amp stick welder, so when I retired and cashed up a few things I bought myself the biggest flashest mig I could find.
Three years later I gave it to my #2 son, TL.
So the big flash welder was of absolutely no use to me at all. sigh...

I feel at times I "grew up" with a stinger from a stick welder in one hand.. I bought my "little" Lincoln Tombstone unit back in the early 80's.. I've run cases of rods and miles of beads with it... later when MIG became"a thing" I jumped on board and bought the best I could afford, of course another Lincoln, but it just "doesn't fit".. I've never been able to figure the darn thing out! I've tried but.. I just don't like it... If I have some heavy welding to do.... break out the sticks every time!

Originally Posted by Plasmaman

As a life-long (83 years) "hands-on" hot rodder, my most important personal possessions after cars & bikes have been my tools. First came the hand tools, and then the machinery.

When I got to the machinery stage, advice on the most useful equipment to get would have been helpful. In my experience, the equipment listed below has been the most useful to me. What equipment beyond your hand tools has been most necessary for you?

My priority list, in order of importance:
Drill press
Disk sander or belt sander
Horizontal band saw
Mig welder
Plasma cutter (& air compressor)
Metal lathe
Milling machine

Your list is the same as mine with the only exception being my band saw is both a horizontal and vertical . My lathe is a Southbend , yours looks like a Southbend, is it ? My Mill is a Bridgeport and looks like yours is too. I see you have a DRO on your mill, I have one on my Mill and without it I'd have trouble with precision stuff do to the wear, mine was made in 1968. To me the most used and time saving tool has been my band saw, I use it for a lot of fab work outside of hotrod stuff. All those tools make building so much easier, faster and most important produce the part you want. Happy Thanksgiving to all .

Thinking back to 1972 when I built my first deuce roadster I had basic hand tools and a Forney stick welder. Painted the car in a 1 stall garage, did everything myself except widening the 36 wires, chrome and upholstery. Turned out good enough to rate a full page photo in Popular Hot Rodding back in the day.






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