Originally Posted by nick burns
At least he tries to keep people from ruining their equipment. It's always good advice to use the proper tool for the job. If you want to fabricate your own tools, that's great, but often it's just easier to purchase the correct one or use your LBS.
And knowing how to do it right is the best path to being able to improvise without having to live with the embarassment of havng buggered something. Parktool and Sheldon Brown are two of the best free resources.