ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[Seagoon]

Not hard to please. You just expect things to be made with the same high standards you hold yourself to.
When I buy something that does what it is supposed to do I am satisfied but not ecstatic. It has to do it's job much better than I expected for me to be REALLY pleased with it.
I am frequently irritated by the surveys they send out that expect you to give maximum marks for the item simply doing what it is supposed to do.
Maybe I'm hard to please too

 

[Mr.zippy]

I’m gonna put this puppy to bed…..Mike, you will have a Grandkid that will be spending hours in the shop! Don’t you want them to be oh so comfortable while watching the Gramps with the cool stool?

 

[zmotorsports]

I’m gonna put this puppy to bed…..Mike, you will have a Grandkid that will be spending hours in the shop! Don’t you want them to be oh so comfortable while watching the Gramps with the cool stool?

You bring up a very good point....

 

[Blackbyrd]

I'm in a similar boat that when it comes to products I'm often satisfied, but rarely do things exceed expectations.

I'm a glorified quality engineer that breaks things with science to solve problems by trade and evening gearhead the rest of the time.... I want something to do what it says it will do and that in itself is enough to satisfy. Now does it take an expensive stool to satisfy my need? Remains to be seen I suppose. I know what I don't want anymore is $100 or less options that wear out.

I've been through this with other options where the experience of use is better then what the product does if that makes sense? I spent more money then I should have onna pressure washer hose reel and hose and a high end gun to go with it. Does it outperform what I had previously? Maybe based on raw stats of flow rate but marginally. They do the same function, the experience of using it and not having to fight hose kinks as I wash the car though? That's something less tactile that doesn't translate to all. I guarantee my neighbor who drags his pressure washer out to wash his truck thinks I'm dumb when is lowes pressure washer does just fine.

Only times I can recently remember being genuinely excited for something was when I bought the m18 big boy torque gun. I'd been unable to use air tools in the current house I'm in due to noise levels of a compressor cycling. Imagine my joy in being able to take off wheels without having to turn a compressor on or drag a hose around when everyone was asleep. Sheer overwhelming power for the task, now was it the product that was great or my experience under unique circumstances??

Second was April last year driving home my 18 zl1 camaro........ I watched review after review lamented over the purchase and in the end... I have a **** eating grin everytime I row through the gears and it exceeded expectations... and continues too.

 

[zmotorsports]

@Blackbyrd, thank you for your response as it directly supports my previous comments pertaining to product reviews and overall satisfaction. Products we use often meet yet seldom over-deliver and although we are pleased with the purchases, we aren't what we would call ecstatic over them.

Much the same could be said about something as simple as a wrench. Many wrenches manufactured will remove a bolt or nut but I feel a level of satisfaction that is hard to compare each time I grab one of my Snap-on wrenches. Others may feel the same when they grab their said brand wrench. One being better than another in this scenario is merely subjective but to the end user there is a difference.

 

[Blackbyrd]

Mike those kind of things are kind of hard to grasp till you've spent some time with the good stuff and gone back.

A perfect example to me is I have a set of metric Cornwell ratchet wrenches, and a set of craftsman

Now I have the experience to justify spending top dollar on a set of ratchet wrenches based on experience that I can't articulate well. Does your basic mechanic need a 300 dollar set of wrenches likely not, but I now after doing this for so many years understand why one gives me satisfcation over the others. I'm never gonna get that answer out of a review 9/10 times, cause of how I perceive things. Even knowing that, I'd still say 3 outta 5 stars, they did the job they were supposed to.

Okay I'll quit beating the horse and sending walls of text haha

 

[Xti04]

My hospital bought brand new stools and I fell in love with them. They dont have a back but had the most amazing casters on them. They roll so smooth and I was going to look into ordering one. Went into work a few weeks ago and someone threw one away because the caster wheel came off. It just had to be pushed back in and had no damge to stem or boss but the way these guys have screwed me in the last year I just "took it to the trash" for them. Cant wait to see how well it glides on my slick new slab. 500 bucks is a lot of coin for a stool but when you make money sitting in it I find that justifies the purchase. I dont make my wife settle on 1500 dollar hair dryers or 900 dollar shears for her salon and I dont compromise on my tools either. Things that make you money are worth the money you pay.
Mark

 

[4 FN 27]

Follow up to prior post on Drills.

Here is a picture of the Bits with the Pilots. As you can see they have not been used in a very long time.



And a pic of a Split Point Drill (on the right).



I yield back to (@zmotorsports) Mike.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have a set of the counterbore bits Pat and use them quite a lot. There's something about a recessed socket head cap screw that just screams to me.

 

[Cane]

Follow up to prior post on Drills.

Here is a picture of the Bits with the Pilots. As you can see they have not been used in a very long time.



And a pic of a Split Point Drill (on the right).



I yield back to (@zmotorsports) Mike.

Looks like a piloted spot face for a quick change chuck. Can be used as a counterbore.

Used one on a drill press when machining spread-alls. Spread-alls go in the top of grain bins to spread the grain.

 

[Bob Heine]

And a pic of a Split Point Drill (on the right).

Pat, once again I must thank you. Two sets of Split Point Drills (in 1/4" hex drive) are scheduled to arrive this afternoon. Looks like I'll be going to another Garage-Oholic meeting tonight.

 

[4 FN 27]

Pat, once again I must thank you. Two sets of Split Point Drills (in 1/4" hex drive) are scheduled to arrive this afternoon. Looks like I'll be going to another Garage-Oholic meeting tonight.

LOL...

Step One: I am powerless to Square Feet, Tools and Vehicles. It's many projects have made my life unmanageable.

 

[zmotorsports]

Finally had a couple of hours in the shop last night, for the first time this week.

I figured the best place to start for the evening was to get some crackle free tunes in going. For that I removed the old Yamaha receiver from the shelf. I bought this new back in 1984 when I got my first paying job of peddling auto parts in high school. I bought the receiver and a set of JBL speakers. My dad was NOT pleased and thought it a complete waste of money. Looking back I would have to agree with him. We never had money growing up and at the time I was helping my BIL with some side gigs of doing the music at dances back then before I could drive and I always marveled at his hi-fi equipment. After getting my truck on the road and a job at a local auto parts store I wanted to buy a high quality sound system for my room and figured one day when I moved out it could go into my home, which it did. But for a person who didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, it was a pretty stupid purchase.

When my wife and I got married in 1989 it was moved into our rental and then into our first home in 1991 as part of our entertainment system in the living room. We continued to have it located there until 2016 when we moved to our new home in which it then got moved to the shop. The past few years of use in the house it started to develop some issues but I figured it would be good enough for the shop someday. I have tolerated (barely) the crackling and popping of the sound system in the shop for 6+ years now and have tried various antennas as well as disassembled it and played with knobs and circuit boards for probably 4 of the past 6 years with no success. I realize it isn't worth much so after enjoying the work in the shop so much last Saturday and the only despairing part being that damn crackling and popping radio reception I went on the hunt for something else but of the same era, "vintage".

Here is my old Yamaha receiver before removing from the shelf.


I stumbled across this Optimus STA-795 at a local pawn shop the other day on my lunch hour and then did some Google searches on it because I hadn't heard of it before. I was surprised due to its age that there was even anything listed online pertaining to this old thing. There was one audio forum in particular that someone had inquired about it and several people commented on it being a great receiver in its day with 50 w/channel and great sound. One guy even specified that although it's old it would be a great receiver for a garage or workshop and another person strongly agreed. Holy ****, it was like they were talking to me.

The next day I went back to the pawn shop and offered $30 and the owner accepted. With the guarantee that it worked which he insured me it did. I haven't had any shop time this for most of the week but last night I figured I had a few hours so I may as well set this up and make certain it works. Plugged it in, hooked up the ceiling mounted speakers and the antenna and away it went. Sounds AWESOME!!


I was even able to locate a factory owner's manual for it online and printed it off to keep on hand.


Hopefully that will provide many years of quality sound in the shop.



Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

With some nice tunes playing in the shop it was time to unbox the Vyper stool that arrived earlier in the week.


I must say it was well packaged. No chance of anything contacting anything else in the box to promote rub marks or scratches which was impressive.


The TIG welds on the stainless steel foot loop were also quite impressive. Made me sick seeing how nice they were.




Digging deeper into the box I found the backrest positioned into a slit in the styrofoam upper tier and below that were the billet center hub and fasteners.


The fasteners are all flange style nuts as well as the bolts with a nice yellow zinc coating. The nuts were stove nuts to prevent loosening over time.


Very high quality casters.


Specialty Caster Corporation (SCC) are some of the best casters available. We use them a lot at work and have trusted their quality and reputation for decades.


The billet center hub in which everything bolts to has a very nice finish. The textured powder coating also seemed to be a nice quality. The upper flange for the hub and locking ring were also of high quality.


The material and stitching have a nice appearance as well as feel. I'm sure they've done their homework but I always worry about long term on things like these because if the material is not of high quality then the stitching just basically acts like a perforation and the material eventually just tears along the stitched seam. Time will tell. They do offer custom stitching and I contemplated about have a "Z" embroidered in the material but due to the fact that I was already spending more than I thought I should I opted to just stay with the standard offerings from Vyper.


That is all for the unboxing. Stay tuned for the assembly.

 

[Maxcustody]

I still have several old receivers around the house myself and a set of Bose speakers we have had for 15+ years I guess. I only listen to satellite radio though so they haven't been turned on in years.

Great pics and and information on the new stool. I have been looking at them for several years. I purchased one of their fans and the quality is top notch as well but comes with a price. But as we both say buy once cry once.................. Looking forward to more info and your thoughts on the stool after you have used it for a while.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Mike, if I remember correctly, our local Radio Shack carried the Optimus brand back in the early to mid 90s.

 

[zmotorsports]

The assembly.

As mentioned above, everything secures to the billet center hub. Start with one leg then add and work around leaving the fasteners a little loose at this point.


Once all five legs are attached to each other and the center hub then sit on flat level surface and install the foot ring. With everything flat and solid you can now tighten up the fasteners working your way around the hub and legs.


I opted to invert the base to install the casters but I guess that is not necessary. The 1/2" bolts and nuts are a tight fit so you may have to finesse them into the holes and then use two open end 3/4" wrenches to tighten the casters to the base.


With the base completed it was time to mount the acme thread stem onto the padded seat. Once the stem is secured mount the backrest bracket in the same manner. Be careful not to overtighten as the thread inserts can pull out of the wood backing if too much torque is applied.


Stool completed and ready to test. This is at about the highest level where the stem is better than half way through the billet center hub.


The previous Snap-on stool was at its highest setting on the hydraulic ram and when sitting on it the seat would lower about an inch or so and seemed to be about perfect height for my fabrication table as I seemed to never really have to adjust it. I made the initial height setting of the Vyper stool at the same height as the Snap-on stool.


After a couple of quick tests I determined I had to lower the Vyper stool slightly more than the Snap-on stool's height due to the fact that the Vyper stool has no depression upon sitting, it is rigid with the Acme thread. I found the exact height at which to set the Vyper stool to and then tightened the locking clamp. I am pleasantly surprised that I still am nowhere near the highest setting on the Vyper stool and still have plenty of adjustability remaining.


I then went about welding and learned that I had the locking ring a bit too tight. When I went to turn the Acme thread wouldn't turn but the casters would allow the base to rotate. A quick adjustment to the locking ring to release just a small amount of tension resulted in the perfect drag.


My Miller Dynasty TIG welder is immediately to my right just behind me, this allows me to swivel around to my right to make any adjustments to the machine or to grab my tungsten sharpener that I have mounted to the side for quick touch-ups to the tungsten when needed.



Time will tell as I get more seat time but overall I am pleased with the stool, although still struggling with the price and glad I was able to get a bit of a discount. I am also glad I spoke with Chris @ Vyper chair as he gave me some good food for thought about the Acme stem vs. the quick height adjustment.

I am usually one who if buying something seems to want and/or need all of the upper end options and therefore seem to buy the most expensive items to get all of the benefits. I was really leaning towards the quick height adjustment option as I figured it was only another $30 or so and once you spend that much what's another thirty bucks, right? Well, my one concern was how would it be to swivel around because I know that is something I like about the hydraulic ram on my Snap-on is the ability to swivel easily. Chris mentioned that the quick height adjustment style of stem does not allow swivel of the stem but he mentioned the casters move so freely that it really shouldn't matter. I kept waffling back and forth and ultimately opted to forego the quick height adjustment and the extra $30 and just get the standard Acme thread stem. My thinking was two-fold, first I don't usually adjust the height of my stool very often and secondly I wanted the ability to swivel around to my TIG welder. Then there's the $30 of course, which actually paid for my new receiver in the shop.

Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike, if I remember correctly, our local Radio Shack carried the Optimus brand back in the early to mid 90s.

Thanks Marc. It is a brand I am not familiar with, but then again, I haven't paid much attention to the hi-fi audio industry for several decades now. I almost **** myself last night when the wife asked me when I purchased the Yamaha and I thought back to 1984. Hell, that was nearly 40 years ago. I guess it provided me a good long life as it has gotten a lot of use over those years.

 

[zmotorsports]

I still have several old receivers around the house myself and a set of Bose speakers we have had for 15+ years I guess. I only listen to satellite radio though so they haven't been turned on in years.

Great pics and and information on the new stool. I have been looking at them for several years. I purchased one of their fans and the quality is top notch as well but comes with a price. But as we both say buy once cry once.................. Looking forward to more info and your thoughts on the stool after you have used it for a while.

Funny Scott, when I built my new shop I had modern cabling/wiring run from the house into the shop yet I still can't bring myself to spend the money on satellite radio, didn't even renew the subscription to Sirius in the Jeep or the wife's car when they expired from the previous owners. I do enjoy playing the radio in the shop, always have, and quite enjoy listening to the local radio stations. Maybe it's from my youth and brings back fond memories. BUT that terrible crackling and popping sound was really getting to me and I just put up with it over the past 5 or 6 years now. I couldn't believe how nice it was last night with crisp, clean music playing. Hell, I think my welds even looked better because I wasn't gritting my teeth when the radio crackled and popped.

As for the stool, well the jury is still out. I can say that the components are of very nice quality and it is well thought out and constructed. As for if it's any better than what I had, time will tell but it does feel more stable due to the wider base and it rolls much easier than my old Snap-on. After just an hour or so of welding I can say it did the same thing as I had but I know the hydraulic cylinder on the Snap-on stool was nearing needing to be replaced again as it's been "drifting" again lately. However, I was unable to get a replacement this time so something had to be done and the Vyper stool had been on my mind for a while, especially every time I see the ad or see someone on this forum purchase one.

 

[Maxcustody]

Yeah Mike I understand the cost of satellite.................I got a subscription when they first came out due not having many local stations available on one of my commutes to work, Texas the first time I think. We have had it ever since. Being where I am located not many good local stations anyway, plus I try to avoid any type of news nowadays and do not care to hear it or the commercials.

The stool definitely looks awesome! I hope you will be happy with it..............

 

[m6z]

I'm somewhat surprised that there is wood in the Viper stool's construction. Do you think that'll be an issue long term? I guess I assumed the base of the cushion would be steel or aluminum plate.

 

[signcrafter]

Mike, if I remember correctly, our local Radio Shack carried the Optimus brand back in the early to mid 90s.

Yep Optimus was a radio shack house brand back in the day. Along with realistic speakers. I just googled it and said they were sold there until 2000 when radio shack entered an agreement with RCA to sell their stuff.

I remember we had a little radio shack in a mall back when I was a kid. I would spend time in there when my mom took us and she did her shopping at Kohls and other stores. When I was a teenager I was into audio and wanted to build a set of speakers. My Grandpa took me to radio shack with my saved money and I bought a 15" subwoofer and a mid and tweeter along with a crossover. Grandpa thought I was crazy but he helped me build a speaker box for them and even bought me a how to book on speaker building from the shack. Ended up being my start into car audio once I got a car. 400 dollar car with many times that in stereo equipment when I was in high school. Wasn't the best use of my paychecks but did learn a lot about about car wiring, woodworking, among other things. Looking back it was a little silly to spend all that money but it created a lot of memories and skills along the way. And it was a hobby like anything else and was better then a lot of the kids hobbies when we were in high school. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Mike.

I'm not a satellite radio guy either just for the cost. But I have gone to a bluetooth adapter that I can use with my phone to stream spotify or amazon music or youtube. Local stations can be hit or miss now a days. Something like this, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NUTG5K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[zmotorsports]

I'm somewhat surprised that there is wood in the Viper stool's construction. Do you think that'll be an issue long term? I guess I assumed the base of the cushion would be steel or aluminum plate.

I wasn't shocked to see the wood seat and backrest bases as when I spoke to Chris @ Vyper chair and asked about the overall construction materials he was very forthcoming with the details. I can say that it is a very dense board and the steel inserts pulled tightly into the wood showed no signs of stress upon assembly, although I can see if someone were to give it some ugga dugga's with an impact during assembly that it could damage the substrate.

I ran the fasteners in with my speeder and then hand tightened and never felt like anything was going to pull out nor could I hear or detect any cracking/splintering of the wood.

As for longevity, I don't see any adverse effects once assembled unless the chair/stool is just abused beyond normal use but again, time will tell as I could be wrong.

 

[zmotorsports]

Yep Optimus was a radio shack house brand back in the day. Along with realistic speakers. I just googled it and said they were sold there until 2000 when radio shack entered an agreement with RCA to sell their stuff.

I remember we had a little radio shack in a mall back when I was a kid. I would spend time in there when my mom took us and she did her shopping at Kohls and other stores. When I was a teenager I was into audio and wanted to build a set of speakers. My Grandpa took me to radio shack with my saved money and I bought a 15" subwoofer and a mid and tweeter along with a crossover. Grandpa thought I was crazy but he helped me build a speaker box for them and even bought me a how to book on speaker building from the shack. Ended up being my start into car audio once I got a car. 400 dollar car with many times that in stereo equipment when I was in high school. Wasn't the best use of my paychecks but did learn a lot about about car wiring, woodworking, among other things. Looking back it was a little silly to spend all that money but it created a lot of memories and skills along the way. And it was a hobby like anything else and was better then a lot of the kids hobbies when we were in high school. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Mike.

I'm not a satellite radio guy either just for the cost. But I have gone to a bluetooth adapter that I can use with my phone to stream spotify or amazon music or youtube. Local stations can be hit or miss now a days. Something like this, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NUTG5K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks Scott, that confirmed as well what Marc mentioned as well as what I found when researching Optimus before purchasing. I used to love going into Radio Shack when I was younger as well. They had a really cool "builders" section that had some of the more prevalent tools that electronic technicians used as well as drawers and drawers full of resistors, potentiometers, switches and dials and was a joy to browse through. I remember when I was building small switch boxes for various accessories in my vehicles that I would spend time looking for the exact switch or potentiometer for what I was building and how happy I was when I was able to find the exact part I was looking for. Sad they're all gone now.

 

[MadeByMiller]

That's the first time I've seen the gory details of one of those Vyper chairs, and I'm impressed! It appears that they didn't cut any corners.

 

[zmotorsports]

That's the first time I've seen the gory details of one of those Vyper chairs, and I'm impressed! It appears that they didn't cut any corners.

Yeah Austin, I definitely don't see any cut corners either. It was still a lot of money for a welding stool and I'm having a hard time telling myself it was justified. I guess I need to just dismiss that from my mind and enjoy the damn thing as the money has already been spent. My problem is I seem to get buyers remorse over many things these days as I find myself to the point in life where I can purchase more wants and don't have to buy as many needs. I guess there's worse problems to have though.

 

[rmack898]

Mike,
Thanks for the details on the stool. I have needed a new stool for the shop for a long time and have had "Build a new stool" on my to do list since before the move to Florida.

I just didn't have the guts to pull the trigger on the Vyper even though I wanted to. When you posted that you bought one, I started looking into what I would need to build my own version. The same quality casters are $70 a pop, so that's $350 just in wheels.

I think I'm about ready to buy the Vyper and your review might have been just the push I needed to get off the fence. I was also thinking along with your thoughts on the quick adjustment feature, but thanks to you posting about your discussion with Vyper about it, I'll also pass on getting that feature.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike,
Thanks for the details on the stool. I have needed a new stool for the shop for a long time and have had "Build a new stool" on my to do list since before the move to Florida.

I just didn't have the guts to pull the trigger on the Vyper even though I wanted to. When you posted that you bought one, I started looking into what I would need to build my own version. The same quality casters are $70 a pop, so that's $350 just in wheels.

I think I'm about ready to buy the Vyper and your review might have been just the push I needed to get off the fence. I was also thinking along with your thoughts on the quick adjustment feature, but thanks to you posting about your discussion with Vyper about it, I'll also pass on getting that feature.

Mac, about a year ago when my hydraulic cylinder on my Snap-on stool started failing for the second time in the 20-25 years I've owned it and I couldn't get a replacement this time I too started thinking I'd build my own. That is about the time I started seeing the ads for the Vyper chair pop up. Huh, funny timing...

When I started putting a pencil to what I'd do if I were to build one and adding up materials I too was in the $300~ish range. Partially because I talked to my upholsterer about a more dense foam and better material in which to cover it and yes, the SCC casters would have been my choice and driven the cost up as well. I don't know that I would have powder coated it but I would have probably sprayed it using some PPG paint/SPI clear, although I think I have some leftover paints. I also hadn't planned on adding a backrest to a shop built one but for just the hour I spent in it last night I can say it is a nice feature.

I'm a good sized guy and the 14" padded seat is only slightly narrower than my Snap-on stool so it was not uncomfortable by any means, however, if I were to spend extended time in the chair I would suggest looking at their Big Boy addition to widen the seat's cushion. I don't see myself needing that as an hour at a time is actually quite a bit for me to be sitting without standing so last night was probably one of the longest times sitting that I will experience.

I am glad I didn't get the quick height adjustment as I like having the ability to swivel without the casters having to pivot around in an arc. When I asked about swiveling I was glad that Chris @ Vyper was honest with me and gave me his recommendation because not having the ability to swivel would have been something I didn't like about the chair.

 

[PugetDude]

You know it's a quality build when they leave their manual TIG welds alone.
No grinding, burnishing or acid wash.

(Completely the opposite of what I have to do. )

 

[rharman]

< snip >

Wasn't the best use of my paychecks but did learn a lot about about car wiring, woodworking, among other things. Looking back it was a little silly to spend all that money but it created a lot of memories and skills along the way. And it was a hobby like anything else and was better then a lot of the kids hobbies when we were in high school.

< /snip >

I would guess that a majority of us here on GJ have been down that path...

 

[Blackbyrd]

Thanks for the assembly review and initial thoughts Mike!

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks for the assembly review and initial thoughts Mike!

You're welcome.

 

[zmotorsports]

Friday night I arrived home and was able to work in the shop for a couple of hours before the wife got home from work.

I knocked out a rack for hanging items such as level and yardsticks on and for future needs that may arise.

I liked the rack that @Graham08 made years ago in his mid-western fab shop and filed it away in the back of my mind for future use. Well, I made use of it, finally. Thanks Graham.

Started with a 2"x 26" length of 3/16" P&O steel that I radiused the corners on, wiped down with acetone and then ran a DA over it.


Measured the studs on the wall for mounting, marked and center punched for drilling.


Once the mounting holes were drilled and countersunk for grabbers, I laid out a few of the tools and decided on the spacing for the hooks. Followed by the forming of the hooks.


Holes for the hooks drilled and then reamed to 5/16" for a tight fitment of the hooks.


Once the hooks were pressed into the holes they were welded on the backside then wiped down with wax & grease remover and prepped for paint.


To match the other hooks and hanging apparatus' in the shop I masked off the hooks about 1/4" from the flat plate and gave the hanger a few light coats of Rustoleum Hammered Gray paint. Then unmasked the hooks. In the picture below I have all masking tape removed less the last two that were being unmasked.


Location determined and mounted to the wall after leveling.


Tools hung with room for future expansion if needed.


As I was cleaning up the shop afterwards I took note of one of the things that bug me about the new Prevost air blow guns. These Prevost blow guns have an exceptional feel to them and don't have that cheesy or cheap feel to them that some of the other plastic blow guns do. My Matco blow guns have served well for 20+ years now but I have had two break over the past year but I kept the rubber/aluminum tips before throwing in the garbage. This is my only remaining Matco blow gun and one thing I really like about it is the rubber tip is the perfect size for blowing out passages and/or ports when working on various components.

The first couple of Prevost blow guns that I purchase last year did not come with any rubber tips. However, the last several that I purchased several months ago I ordered with the rubber tips and although they appear to be good quality hard rubber tips, they are much too large in diameter for my liking. They don't fit well into ports/passages and therefore are less than useful in my opinion. As I was cleaning up the shop Saturday morning hanging out with my son and putting tools away I noticed I had a couple of the rubber tips from my old Matco blow guns rolling around in the blow gun drawer. I wondered to myself if they would work on the Prevost blow guns so after a quick measurement to determine the tube size is the same I heated up the rubber tip in the Prevost blow gun and it slid off easily.

The old Matco rubber tip slid onto the Prevost blow gun with a nice bit of resistance which will retain it there indefinitely. Now I have the best of both worlds, the quality and durability of the Prevost blow gun with the nice rubber tip of the Matco blow gun.





Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have to share this absolutely fantastic wrapping job that my SIL did on the gift for my son and DIL. My wife hosted a baby shower for my DIL on Saturday while my son and I hung out in the shop, basically staying the hell out of the way.

My wife called us into the house saying we needed to come in and see this wrapping job on a particular gift.

My SIL is very crafty and artsy when it comes to things like this and I think she really outdid herself this time. My son immediately noticed it looks like a doughnut box lid as the windshield, black Gorilla tape for rollbar and front bumper which also even houses a winch. I noticed that she nailed the grille even getting the correct number of slots. The license plate is perfect and it even came with a toolbox because what Jeep doesn't require tools.




Even has taillights and spare tire.







To say I was blown away by the wrapping is an understatement. My son said he was going to take it home and very carefully cut the box open to get the car seat out and then tape the Jeep back together and keep it in his garage. I thought that sounded like a fantastic idea.

It's like people know our family or something.....

On a side note, it's really starting to hit me that we are about to have an addition to our little family and I am so happy and excited for our kids as they're going to be great parents.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

That is definitely a cool wrapping job!

 

[Graham08]

Friday night I arrived home and was able to work in the shop for a couple of hours before the wife got home from work.

I knocked out a rack for hanging items such as level and yardsticks on and for future needs that may arise.

I liked the rack that @Graham08 made years ago in his mid-western fab shop and filed it away in the back of my mind for future use. Well, I made use of it, finally. Thanks Graham.

Looks great, Mike! Mine actually made the move from Ohio to NC and is still hanging on the wall in my garage.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have to brag on a particular company this morning. This kind of goes back to some of our conversations last week where I mentioned that I am somewhat hard to please as a consumer because I really don't brag about companies for providing the bare minimum, which is usually just giving me what I bought without any drama or headaches. Well I have to actually brag about Mac's Tie Downs out of Idaho.

For those of you who never heard of Mac's Tie Downs, they are a small company located in Sagle, Idaho, clear up in the panhandle, that makes some of the best tie downs on the market. I have used them for many years now from tying our race cars, street rods and bikes down in our enclosed trailers as well as our open trailers. Their tie downs are top tier all the way plus I have always received excellent customer service from them before, during and after a purchase.

For those who have followed along on my previous shop projects thread, you may remember that my wife purchased me one of their Black Boxes for Father's Day back in 2015 for the back of our Jeep. We had friends who had purchased the Smittybuilt as well as several other brands of rear cargo boxes for their Jeeps and I was less than impressed with everything I was seeing on the market. However, the Mac's Black Box was also quite a bit more expensive than anything else on the market so I was reluctant to spend the money.

After several phone conversations with their customer service and tech lines in which they were able to answer all of my annoying questions it set my mind at ease that it would be at least a notch above what I was seeing on the market. It has served me well for nearly 8 years now and although I've had to make a couple of "tweaks" to the box it has handled everything I've thrown at it and I have it loaded quite heavily.

Well about a month ago I noticed that I was detecting a slight rattle or noise coming from the box and upon further inspection I noted that some of the roller bearings in the slides were coming dislodged from their track. A couple of weeks ago I called Mac's Tie Downs and inquired about some new drawer slides. The gentleman I spoke with didn't even hesitate and said he would do some research and see if he could locate me a new set. I asked how much they would be because hell, the box is 8 years old now. He said he'd have to get with his procurement department and see about getting some because they no longer have that toolbox available for purchase. When I asked why he said they simply didn't sell enough of them as they were a bit more expensive than anything else on the market so they dropped them from their product line. I was sad to hear that but I also understand that if something isn't selling it makes no sense to continue to offer it. Also glad we were able to get my son one for his WJ a few years ago before they dropped it as his fits into the back of his WJ nearly perfect even though they were designed for the JKU model of Jeep.

Last week I received a tracking number from UPS so I sent a follow-up email to the gentleman I had been talking with at Mac's inquiring about how much I owed for the drawer slides I was told there was no charge. Friday my drawer slides arrived wrapped in styrofoam and also included were all of the fasteners. The slides came from CTech which some might recognize the name as they build cabinets for many of the companies who build race trailers. I installed CTech cabinets in our old 24' Wells Cargo enclosed race trailer back in the 90's during a remodel and when I special ordered our 26' 2008 Haulmark Edge race trailer I optioned it with the CTech cabinets as well as they were an upgrade to the standard cabinets. I feel CTech makes a fantastic cabinet for trailers and even after many miles of bouncing down the road they held up fantastic so I can see why Mac's chose them to build their toolbox.

Now I just have to find time to empty the toolbox and replace the drawer slides before our Jeeping season begins.

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks great, Mike! Mine actually made the move from Ohio to NC and is still hanging on the wall in my garage.

Good to hear Graham. I have to say I loved that shop that you built and how you set it up/laid out the equipment. That is still one of my favorite shop builds on the forum.

 

[Maxcustody]

Great to hear on Mac's customer service! Good customer service is so hard to find nowadays..................

 

[strokinhorns]

i also have had exceptional service with Mac's Tie Downs.