Random thoughts on tools

Earlier this week i rediscovered my old hand held battery Dremel tool. In the box that i found it there were still several of the grinding and rotary cutting edges. No drill bits or the most important piece - the battery charger. An on-line search and then finally contacting Dremel's customer service has led me to discover that the battery charger for the old model 750 is no longer available (figures). However, if i am willing to mail in my old 750, they would gladly upgrade me to the new 750-02 (pictured to the right) for a mere $23.00. Not much less than what i've found that i could pick another one up independently, but i am going to send it on in and await the new upgrade. Mostly because this little tool is quite handy when it comes to doing detail work on little miniatures... or as my beloved calls them - my little toy soldiers. I already have an idea on some customization for a mini and perhaps i will post pictures someday. The other little tool i would like to talk about today is my little Gerber. I picked up the little guy (pictured to the left) in 2001 when i was at Ft Sill - the year i signed my second to last contract extension with National Guard. At the time i was the gunner for my section and i kept finding myself having to borrow knives or other little tools from the other troops. When i was in the PX i saw it and picked it. Since then it has been on my hip almost every day since then. I know that sounds a little odd, but i feel that this little tools is better than a swiss army knife. So much so that if McGiver had a Gerber instead of his handy Swiss Army Knife, i bet he could have established world peace! I have found this thing so incredibly handy that other people come to me from time to time to borrow it. It will never replace the larger versions but it sure does serve in a pinch. The little carry pouch that came with it is starting to wear out and i am considering getting another one. It's not the nylon that is wearing out, but the velcro from being opened and closed all the time. In my artillery unit we found these things so handy that when someone was promoted from Specialist to Sergeant we took up a collection from the other NCO's to buy the buck Sergeant one. That's all i really have for today... not my normal fare but...