Great Western Coffee Shop

There are some right smart people on this forum so a question from me.

I have a large selection of tools built up over 40 plus years but whilst a 10mm spanner might cost about ^2 the one I have would cost about 15 times the price and is made of Brass.

Almost all my tools, even screwdrivers are made fron Brass or Bronze, all the Screws, Nuts bolts and washers I use are brass, even got a brass hammer and a brass/bronze cold chisel, that needs sharping EVER time it's used.

But why are my tools brass?

To avoid sparks?

Or rust - working in a very wet environment?

You work on devices containing strong permanent magnets? A compass adjuster?

Paul 

An ex ammotech perhaps  ie a bomb disposal engineer

Well done Grahame, Brass tools don't create sparks if they get dropped etc, and in the oil business sparks are not a good thing.

You must have fun going through airport security!   ;D

Yes, but could you make one of these...


http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/player.swf?b=10&l=197&u=ILLUMllSOOAvIF//P_LxP92A42lCHCeeWCejXnHAS/c

My father told a tale of when he was in the RAF before the war and was on HMS Cornwall. They sent the young aircraftsman for a glass hammer.

He found one from the sick bay, used for testing reflexes. The hoaxers hoaxed.

Red oil for a tail lamp or signal light was a favorite in steam days as was being sent to the stores for a long wait (weight).

Before you ask he was in the RAF and he was on HMS Cornwall looking after the Walrus spotter plane, as the Fleet Air Arm had not yet been formed.

"red oil for a tail lamp" indeed!
What about red batteries for a modern tail light then?

"That RAF inquiry found that the most likely cause was an airman trying to remove an exploder pocket from a 4,000 pound bomb, with a brass chisel - causing a spark, which caused an explosion which set off others."

Don't bank on it !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2008/08/15/hanbury_crater_feature.shtml