Bought a couple of things lately I'd figure I'll review.

First from Harbor Freight (actually used and ordered off their www 
page)

Their advance timing light $50.  This gets you your typical chrome 
metal body timing light that Sears wants $60 for WITH the advance pot 
on the back which is a real plus on the Vanagon or a T1 without a 
scale or degreed pulley.  On the T4 still nice but not so necessary.  
I basically bought this thing cause my old one was a 70's era spark 
powered climb under a blanket to see it throwback that I could not 
use on electronic ignition.  Now I can finally time the wasserboxers 
course they are both nuts on anyway, nice to check.  Good deal, far 
better than blowing $40 on the cheap one at WALMART even.
I figure it is an $80 light localally.

Second from the same source, an air punch/panel flanger.  This neat 
little thing is a pneumatic/hydraulic gizmo that punches a 3/16" hole 
for plug welds and more importantly slams a nice offset flange about 
1" wide by 3/4" deep into sheet metal so you can flange the edge for 
a nice level weld without having to but weld two panels.  This is 
REAL nice will come in a handy.  Was $45, Eastwood sells what I bet 
to be the exact same one for $85.  Nice tool idea, we'll see how the 
Taiwanese stuff lasts.

The last thing is the best.  TIP (of sandblaster fame in my prior 
posts) sells what they call theur coalescing air filter.  For anybody 
whose ever painted they know how hard it is to get moisture out of 
the damn air.  Problem is that even a good micron filter can't remove 
water aerosol/vapor which on a humid day can immediately condense upon 
leaving your spray gun as it expands and cools below the dew point.  
The answer here is something that dries the air.  Typical is a 
dessicant filter (filled with silica gel or whatever) but what TIP 
sells is simply the old Motor Gaurd toilet paper oil filter modified 
a bit for air line use.  Sucked for pressure drop as an oil filter on 
air it seems generally incredible.  You use a special toilet paper 
roll with plastic tube (costs $5, you dry them out and re-use).  The 
filter is $70, less than I paid for my good Sharpe filter and this 
one seems to actually work as intended.  I'm using a Milton 
micro-filter in front of the regulator in front of this into my spray 
gun.  Flat out of a blow gun on a very humid day with a high DP no 
condensation out, something I have never before achieved.  Of course 
then dad brings home two damn dessicant filters scrap from work the 
next weekend I'm home, thanks dad, see if I finish painting the '90 I 
sold him.

Anyway now to actualy start the body work on the '78.

John
vwbus@netbiz.net