eBaywatch, 9/8/26: Tool Time
Category: Buy Secondhand
Nina’s Tolstrup’s comment in the Studiomama interview reminded me I’ve been meaning to write about tools and workshops. Her point is that as a home make-it-yourselfer, you’re limited by the tools and space available to you at home. There are two obvious responses. The first is to find a community workshop that’s kitted out with all the tools and support you might need to realise your project. More on this in another post.
The other is to stay at home and buy tools as and when you need them. That’s how my own very limited collection has evolved. With that in mind, here are a few bits currently available on ebay that I find interesting.
Calipers
While I was finalising the dimensions for the balcony tables, I needed to measure the thickness of the glass balustrades in the various Barbican blocks (unhelpfully, they turned out to be different, rendering my first design unusable in some buildings). The solution: calipers.
I was in a hurry so I bought mine from new from Axminster for about £30, if I remember correctly. But as you can guess, there are loads, both new and used, on Ebay.
Like most things, the more you spend the better the product. In this case, better means more accurate. Modern ones have a digital readout which removes the possibility of misreading the measurement. That said, I suspect a good quality older, non-digital will be more than adequate for the home maker. You don’t need to-the-hundreth-of-a-millimetre accurate. So how about this example of Swiss precision engineering?
However, if you prefer a digital version, this seems like a great deal.
Totally irrelevant but I find it fascinating, these things also come in XXXXXL versions with prices to match. This metre long version is brand new and going for over £1000. Here’s a used one, same size, different brand, for a fraction of the price. I’d be tempted to get it just for the box. I’m picturing it as a bench with (very slim) storage in the seat.
It already looks like a bench.
Clamps
More immediately relevant if, say, you’re making an Enzo Mari chair, would be some clamps to hold pieces in place while you hammer them together.
Years ago I bought a few like this, but they’re not very Decmatic. There’s a reason why there are very few used ones for sale on the site. They’re so cheap to begin with, there’s little to no value in reselling them. Fast tools.
Anyway, as an antidote to this disposability, you might consider a sturdy old G clamp. Here’s a little collection for not much at all.
Admittedly, the modern design is efficient. If you want the modernity of the plastic variety in a metal that will no doubt last much longer, this looks like a great option.
This old sash clamp sold while I was typing this but I’m including it as it’s a thing of beauty. I could mount it on the wall and stare at it all day.
If you’re making Sedia 1, the length would render it useless. Equally irrelevant but equally interesting, I’ve just discovered floorboard clamps, like this one.
The two serrated parts are spring loaded and grip a joist, while the pad in the middle extends and pushes the board to be fixed up against the previous one. Ingenious. Who knew? If you’re thinking of using one of these to install some flooring you’ll need a few, apparently. You can read a fuller explanation here.
Squares
For your hypothetical Enzo Mari chair, a square would make sense to ensure the legs are on straight. As someone easily seduced by a smart wooden box, this set appeals, even if one of the four is missing.
Alternatively, here’s a nice little bundle of things that measure.
Once you have your wood and your (optional) square, all you need for your Mari chair is a hammer to bash in the nails. This twofer looks perfect:
Lastly, I couldn’t resist an utterly irrelevant item but one that has been on my dream list of things to acquire (along with a workshop space in which to house it) ever since I first saw this video of Isokon making a Marcel Breuer Short Chair.
I have no idea what I would make with it, but that doesn’t stop me wanting one. Yes, the item is a…
Veneer press
These come up for sale relatively frequently on ebay, often - like this one - for around £500. This sounds like an outrageous bargain for such an enormous piece of kit but perhaps that’s the point. Getting it to wherever you are is going to be a project in itself, even if you have the space. This one is currently unloved with no bids. Perhaps they should throw in the wood too?
That’s it. Stay tuned for a post about community workshops and other spaces where you can access the space and tools you need for your MIY projects.
In the meantime, happy hunting.
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