a77ssii wrote:Here's the thing postal, probably 90% of the population has no clue as to what the things on the list are, much less how to use them. I have very little woodworking tools but was a mechanic for close to 10 years so I have the small arsenal of Snap On and Mac including the specialized stuff I'll probably never use again that's vehicle specific. I think that's where those of who can will excel, those who can't are going to pay dearly. Hope they have LOTS of precious metals or barter material because my prices will triple.

That is it exactly a77ssii. I am a machine mechanic, diesel mechanic, and motorcycle/ATV mechanic. I also have a vast background in building construction and woodworking. All of this will come in handy. And like you my prices will reflect my abilities for the have nots.

I hold a certification in Manual machining & operation/programming of CNC mill, lathe & punch, can run everything in a sheet metal shop, MIG, TIG, Arc & gas weld, was ASE certified in brakes, driveability, engine machining and chassis. While I can do woodworking I have the good sense to say I suck at it so really try and stick with metal. IMO this is one of the contributing factors in the downfall of America, there are very few people that can even hang a picture, much less walk in to a mechanic shop and say there's a squeeking/grinding/helicopter noise coming from the left front and it only happens when I turn and am applying the brakes. Instead they wait until the wheel falls off or they brakes fail and they cause a 30 car pileup killing 5 people. I'm not even going to consider the number of people that could fabricate steel or build a quality Oak book case.

We have a cpl rollaway toolboxxes we use for our race cars and anything else we manage to break, nothing special, cpl craftsman boxxes we got a really good deal on. Lots of wrenches(12pt and 6pt, long and short,some ratcheting wrenches both long and short, prob 6racks of each...hey, I break stuff). Lots of sockets, 6pt,12pt,normal and deep,standard and metric 1/4,3/8,1/2&1in(sometimes I break big stuff lol) drive, don't know exactly how many..alot. enough rathcets,extensions,u-joints to support them all(I've never actually counted the ratchets and extensions we have but a full width drawer on our lower box) lots of electrical stuff,meters,wire of diff guages,connectors,cpl diff kinds of soldering guns, heat shrink, zip ties,wire looms etc, lots of hammers(big,small)pry bars (lots), allen wrenches(several sets, standard and metric) ridiculous amount of screwdrivers(buy good ones),tap&dies(again buy as good as you can afford here too). Channel locks of different kinds,c-clamps(alot of different sizes),pliers,dikes,pipe wrenches,crescent wrenches.
That was just a rundown of what we have in the bottom half of one of our boxxes just off the top of my head. I use them daily and hard and most of it is craftsman and we rarely break anything(usually wear the ratchets out but it takes a while) I have some specialty stuff for building engines,trannies/rearends but in a shtf situation they'd be paperweights so I didn't list them.
If I had to bug out, I could fit everything I need to repair or completely dissassemble whatever I was driving in a toolbox I could carry with one arm(prob not very far just using it as an example) the bigger issue would be do I have the parts on hand(or can I make them) to fix the problem, not do I have the tools to do so,that's just me though.
When I think botb I think about what I will keep in the truck(still packing it as I just got the truck and am working on other things on it at the same time) at all times, a 6 drawer craftsman top box with a flip open top,not a huge one, prob 30in wide,14in deep, I've had it for a long time and its pretty beat up(just not pretty anymore) but works fine. I'll fill it with tools I'm familiar with, nothing fancy or complicated prob be along the lines of something like this when finished:
4 racks of standard sockets (2 6pt. and 2 12 pt.) and again with deepwell sockets.
4 sets of box wrenches (6pt and 12 pt with extras from 3/8-1'
4 crecenst wrenches cpl sizes.
assorted pliars and screwdrivers,cutters,crimpers,ratchets,extensions,u-joints,few big hammers lol(sometimes you have to get creative lol).
Other things that will be in it is extra wire,rubber fuel line,aluminum fuel line, assorted filters, hose clamps,and other little parts(big parts will be in the bed box I'm building),extra nuts and bolts,sheetmetal screws, self tappers etc whatever I can think of(all of that stuff we keep on hand in bulk anyways for various projects). I'm not very good at getting things like this in writing, I'll just go out in the garage and get it done and post some pics of how I built what I'm building when it's done.
Cool,
Lost

A library of repair manuals,and DIY how to books should be a must have for that tool list.PDF files on micro SD cards,with some form of reader stored in a sealed metal container(EMP proof),would be a godsend in the PAW.One of the big ammo cans full of 32GB microSD cards could damn near hold all of the how to knowledge in the world,and most of it can be found free on the interwebs.A hard cover library as a back up would be advisable as well.Matt

Jesus.... I am a regular 25 year old. No formal training in any area that uses tools. Just medical. I had no idea what 1/2 of all those tools were Much less how to use them. I don't own that many tools either. Just everyday tools for building houses(not log cabins, modern housing) So I'll be screwed. Guess thats my next step... Learn about some of this. Making some basic stuff like tables n chairs would be nice to know for extended Bug outs. I'll learn about cabin building (basics soon also) thanks for the posts ^^^

Hacheta

Def. look into auto mechanic skills, if you intend to use a truck or car, then you will def. want to learn some of those skills, and have the proper tools
A good Craftsman set from sears would be enough.

Manual two man hand saws, just like the hack saw or saw zaw as you may call it, something like that would be useful on cutting a log or two with two people going back and forth. It would be even harder if there were only one person. So you do wha you have to do. small axe for cutting up wood for fire?

Hacheta, go to some of the muzzleloading suppliers like Track of the Wolf or The Possibles Shop. They sell a lot of books relating to life in the 1800's that will step by step teach how to make things old school. That's how I learned a bunch of what I know.

items that never seem to get mentioned are maintenance for the actual tools themselves ....various replacement handles for hand tools like hammers, chisels, files ect ......... handles for the sledges, axes, picks, ect .....and lastly long handles for the gardening tools such as shovels, hoes, rakes ect .......

Be careful, Hacheta: Do a few projects like that and you'll find yourself hooked on DIY, lol.
Most people that don't do a lot in the way of building or repairing simply aren't aware that they are able to, simply because they haven't been 'trained' to, and often lack the confidence to try. I knew nothing about car engines, transmissions, drive-trains, difs, suspension, etc, until I began working on my Toyota Crown. (Over a period of time I aquired 14 of these, most of which were used for spare parts, and finally had two that were completely rebuilt and restored to original condition.) What I lacked in knowledge was made up for by confidence in my ability to learn. Having the right tool for the right job makes it all a lot easier too, and I've managed to assemble a good collection of tools for wood-working, metal-working and painting. (Do need to get a welder, though.)