One thing instilled in me by my late father was an appreciation for tools, their care and feeding and especially the use of the right tool for the job. As a jack of many trades, in his 89-year lifetime he accumulated quite an array of tools, many of which I still have.
One Christmas, some time after I started messing with cars, my parents gave me a set of socket wrenches. It was a wonderful present for a car-obsessed boy, and in the ensuing 50 years I’ve added to it. The initial set was half-inch drive, entirely adequate for the engines of that day, but over time I’ve acquired 3/8 and 1/4-inch drive sets and many specialized tools.
However, one never has enough tools. That was brought home to me shortly before Christmas when I decided to treat my current Chevy Suburban to a tune up, which these days consists merely of spark plugs, new wires and a distributor cap. The Suburban’s small block Chevy V8 is very old-tech, forty years and counting when it was built. You’d think that any old tools would fit, but I found it impossible to remove the last two plugs on the left bank. My deep sockets were half-inch drive; the location demanded an extension but my short extension was too long. I had beaucoup extensions for my 3/8-drive set, but not for the half. Luckily, my next-door neighbor is a diesel mechanic with a cellar full of tools, and he doesn’t mind lending. Fortunately, he was home so I borrowed a 3/8 drive deep socket. Instantly, though, I had an item to add to my Christmas wish list. While I was at it, I also asked for a new tool box, as my old ones had started to overflow.
My family did not disappoint. Jill and Harriet came up with 3/8-drive deep sockets, one set in inch sizes and the other metric. Nick followed with a superb tool box with three-drawer storage, plus a swiveling ratchet handle that will make the next plug change a breeze. Edward suggested I get some household drawer liner for the new box, which I duly installed before moving the tools to their new home. My traveling tools, however, the ones I take everywhere, remain in the Army surplus ammo box that’s been their nest for decades.
Each of our children, male and female, has been given a tool set when they’ve reached the tinkering age. It occurred to me, though, that, while Jill has a collection of odd tools she keeps in her car, she has never had a proper set of socket wrenches. So for Christmas this year I got her a 53-piece set that should accomplish most any task she’ll face. It’s already seeing good use.
