This is my first big post here so please forgive me if I do it wrong.
I've been welding since I was a kid and have been fabricating sculpture from mostly stainless steel for 20 years. I've carried different pocket tools on and off for most of that time. I have a fondness for the Gerber MP 600 because they are tough and cheep and there sort of loosy goosy so they don't collect dust in the crevices. I love Leathermans and most the time i have crunch in my pocket but when I'm in a metal shop the Gerber just seams to work for me. Actually even though i like that they are fairly inexpensive I've never actually really broken one so I guess it would be a bargain at twice the price.
One tool that is nice to have at hand while welding in a set of mig pliers. For those that don't know mig pliers have a very distinct shape that is as useful for cleaning weld splatter out of the nozzle of a mig gun as it is for griping and holding things. They have long thin jaws with squared off edges that let you reach inside the nozzle and nock the weld splatter off so that it doesn't inhibit the flow of the shielding gas. So you know where this is going. I'd like to introduce my customized MP 600 that ive decided to call the IRON WORKER because it sounds cool to me.
Obvious first question is why does it look like a penny. Well in theory weld splatter does not stick to copper so i plated it with coper. I did about 5 layers so maybe it will help keep me from sticking a big old ball or metal to it. But more importantly It make it easier to see. The older my eyes get the brighter my stuff gets.
One of the things I liked so much about the MP600 is how fast the pliers are deployed. A flick of the wrist and I'm in business. combine that with the super quick sheath that
I formed for it and I've typically got it out done the task and back into the sheath before I could even look at the table in front of me and figure out where I left my pliers that I swear were in my hand like a second ago but now are completely invisible. Oh there they are under the grinder which I haven't touched in over an hour so how did it get on top of something I was holding 5 minutes ago. Gremlins. its got to be Gremlins.
For a lot of people the blade is the most important tool in a multitool. For me its one of the least used parts and i usually have a Gerber EAB in my pocket if i need to cut something. So the blade got cut down into a scraper. It had to get much shorter to allow for the plier head to retract so i figured it attempt to make it into something a little more useful but it might end up being removed completely eventually.
Call me crazy but the Gerber scissors are way better than people give them credit for. I know there short but that lets them be very precise for me.
the file does what I need it to do which is take sharp edges or points off of somewhere I cant reach with a grinder. There are better files out there but this one is in my hands already so It will work.
The screwdrivers rarely get and use but I guess its better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
The saw isn't going to cut threw and 3/4" plate but nothing you and fit in a pocket is going to do that. I did try it out on a 1/4" stainless rod and i got through it in about 2 minutes. Its also good for making notches in things. i modified the blade so that it faces out instead of in. its easy to flip over if you need the extra support. I was supprised i didnt have to shorten it at all but it clears the pliers and doesn't affect the opening and closing at all.
the Coolest thing id the scribe. I cut down a General Tools #84 and welded it to the can opener because I cant keep up with a scribe and I've never once needed a can opener while I'm welding.. The #84 has replaceable tips so If it wears out I just poop a new one in. They are HSS so not as hard as carbide but I'm still able to mark a quiet visible line onto 304 stainless sheet metal so I think it will work pretty well for me.
here is a link to a bunch of pictures.
https://imgur.com/a/pE7OYCB if i can figure out hos to post them here ill add some more later. If you have any questions Ill try to answer them.
thanks for checking this out.
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