The Cheap Bastard's Corner

[JoeyB]

Yep, I'm cheap. I look for the best price I can find, then try and get it cheaper. I use coupons, even when buying decal paper to make my dials. And I use coupons for some of the tools we use in a build or service, too. So, today in my email I received a coupon for 25% from Harbor Freight. Feel free to use it if you have a store near you.

 

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wswidgets/common/displayCoupon.do?main=true&week=1313&campaign=e&page=25off.html&single=true&cust=99999999999&keycode=1022 

 

They have several items that are watch related. These are tools mostly made in China, not 'Burgeon' precision  quality, nor heavy duty for a watchmaker, but something that will do for a limited use hobbyist. 

 

The 'Watch Case Press' is a light duty press that will work on some crystals too. It comes with nylons dies that I've used for other things as well, like with a small hammer and wooden stake tapping to seat a bezel ring. . 

They use one like this at my local Walmart to sell and install watch batteries. At $12.99 it's a nice thing to have around. . I think that's well worth it with the coupon at $9.75

 

Another thing I use a lot in shaping cases, and shaping my inserts is the 1" X 30"  belt sander. 

 

It is on sale at $39.99, and with the coupon it is $29.99. Evidently there is a hobby in knife making, working with stainless steel and such. I found a company online who has custom sanding belts and bought 3000 grit belts along with 1500 and 1200. The speed of the machine takes metal very fast, so the finer grit gives more control and a very smooth finish for less work. 

 

Obviously they have a bunch of other tools as well, so enjoy the coupon! 

[freddy333]

Nice finds & Harbor Freight should be on everyone's bookmark list as they have many tools for sale at below market prices (but you do take a quality hit sometimes, so I reserve Harbor Fright for non-mission critical tasks).

[panerai153]

Great tools. The belt sander is a really nice addition to anyone's shop if you do any type of metal removal. We have a couple of custom knife makers in the area, and that's probably their most useful tool for shaping blanks and then finally polishing. The ones those guys use is pretty big and sturdy, but for shaping watch cases,  I bet the Harbor Freight model will fill the bill!!

[grifter]

They just opened a brick and mortar shop in my city. I've been there a bunch of times already.

Thanks for the coupon!