Alternative Uses

[li0nhart123]

Does anyone have any cool stories of using thier tools for purposes other than their intended use.

I saw a guy using a leaf blower to blow dry his car one day...thought that was interesting.

 

[06wt]

i have used a cman raised pannel wrench as a valve spring compressor

 

[Mickey O]

I whipped a wrench at a coworker that pissed me off.

 

[tonydanzah]

ratchet as a hammer

 

[Crizzle]

ratchet as a hammer

All tools are derived from the hammer, and can be used as such.

:

 

[Mickey O]

Channel-hammers.

 

[tonydanzah]

hammer as a ratchet

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

I whipped a wrench at a coworker that pissed me off.

That is funny.....

 

[sctattooer]

I've used cutting torch in place of several tools, several times.

 

[slacktide]

I like to solve my problems with a chainsaw.

I never have the same problem twice!

 

[JHunter]

I'm in the Army and exceed my house hold goods weight limit because of my garage. Because of that, I purchased a moving truck to haul some of my heavier items and things I don't want the morons to break. I needed to install E-Track in the wooden floors of the truck. Using a router was proving to be next to impossible for various reasons. The truck box is 28 feet long.
My solution was to use a dado blade on my table saw: set the blade height to the appropriate "depth", turn the table saw upside down and use the edge of the table as my guide against the wall of the truck. Worked perfect. 3 passes on either side of the truck and I had a perfectly straight, routed channel for the E-Track to fit in. Pushing a table saw upside down for 28 feet will get the blood pumping. My dad helped and we covered the base of the table saw to keep the saw dust from being flung in our faces, and to keep me from slipping and falling on the blade lol.

 

[WrightTool1]

With the wonderful weather we see in Ohio between November to February, I have had the opportunity to use my leaf blower to blow 3" of snow (powder, not the sticky snowball making stuff) off my driveway. Have to get creative when it's -5 degrees and your snowblower strips a belt before leaving for work!

 

[mikevango]

I put a drill on a jack and jacked it up to drill Up thru a car frame.

 

[senlow]

I'm in the Army and exceed my house hold goods weight limit because of my garage. Because of that, I purchased a moving truck to haul some of my heavier items and things I don't want the morons to break. I needed to install E-Track in the wooden floors of the truck. Using a router was proving to be next to impossible for various reasons. The truck box is 28 feet long.
My solution was to use a dado blade on my table saw: set the blade height to the appropriate "depth", turn the table saw upside down and use the edge of the table as my guide against the wall of the truck. Worked perfect. 3 passes on either side of the truck and I had a perfectly straight, routed channel for the E-Track to fit in. Pushing a table saw upside down for 28 feet will get the blood pumping. My dad helped and we covered the base of the table saw to keep the saw dust from being flung in our faces, and to keep me from slipping and falling on the blade lol.

Now, that's an imaginative use for a table saw.

 

[devilphrog]

I used my chest as a transmission jack once removing my Jeep's transmission. Left a nice mark and taught me a valuable lesson about asking for help as well as draining the fluid out first!

 

[Cumminst100]

I have used various tools as projectiles, seems to happen most often when I'm working on my piece of **** cub cadet 2084. I love working on my vehicles but that damn mower is a different story

 

[metal1313]

i used my truck as a dozer to knock down a garage. and i use my trans jack adaptor and a movers dolly as a wheel and tire dolly..becuase im lazy mostly

 

[Ed_EOD]

I whipped a wrench at a coworker that pissed me off.

"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!"

 

[american lockpicker]

This one time I needed money to buy guns at the mall so I got a claw hammer from the tool store and went around hitting people with it until they gave me their money. Just joking that was on GTA Vice City.

 

[harvey4804]

throwing a wrench is one thing but throwing a 50lb toolbox across the room at another coworker is a whole other story.
-Yes it happened!

 

[Aberdale]

I used my 2 post lift as a crane to unload a 3500 lb. Monarch lathe from my trailer. It worked great.

I used a primer gun to apply paint stripper. Worked pretty good too.

Dale

 

[Shadowdog500]

throwing a wrench is one thing but throwing a 50lb toolbox across the room at another coworker is a whole other story.
-Yes it happened!

I know a machinist called Crazy Virgil who got pissed at at two customer and threw a big block chevy short block that they just unloaded back into the bed of their pickup truck so hard that it bounced up and smashed out the rear window of the cab. He said the two guys couldn't get out of there fast enough after that.

Chris

 

[Scout Driver]

-used a two post lift to unload a piano from a pickup
-leaf blowers work great for blowing dust off the combines in the field
-a scissor jack works good in place of a porta-power
-a scissor jack works much faster when spun by an impact wrench
-once in a pinch off-road, we used cheap mosquito repellent for starter fluid
-duct tape can be used to patch a VW Beetle tire
-vise-grips for door handles
-large screwdrivers are great for anchoring my 200' tape measure
-a friend of mine used a screwdriver to start his pickup for years (no key- switch)
-once saw someone wedge a screwdriver blade between the open end of a wrench and a nut to make a 1" wrench fit a 7/8" nut.

 

[diogenes]

I once used my snow plow like a bulldozer blade to level the dirt in the lean-to of my barn.

I once used trip flare wire to make a Helicoil for the spark plug in a friends car.

Many more, I'm drawing a blank.

Inspiration can be found here.

 

[murph64]

I have had the opportunity to use my leaf blower to blow 3" of snow (powder, not the sticky snowball making stuff) off my driveway.

Me too...A lot.


Andy

 

[Brad54]

I used a nail clipper to file the tip on the rotor in my '73 Duster while driving it home from LA to Atlanta. The car was DEAD in the desert... no spark. (this is after I'd ran out of gas and walked three miles to the gas station that was shimmering in the distance.) Wouldn't start, traced it to no spark at the plugs, traced that to the weak coil didn't have the juice to blow through the corrosion on the end of the rotor anymore. Dug through my luggage, got my shave kit, hit it with the nail file and drove the rest of the way home.


Made a beveled piece of heavy-wall tubing into a flaring tool for my shop's hydraulic press. When used creatively, a hydraulic press can be VERY handy.

-Brad

 

[Rickster]

I once used a paperclip to escape from a jail cell and disarm a nuclear bomb... oh wait, that was an episode of MacGyver.

 

[li0nhart123]

-used a two post lift to unload a piano from a pickup
-leaf blowers work great for blowing dust off the combines in the field
-a scissor jack works good in place of a porta-power
-a scissor jack works much faster when spun by an impact wrench
-once in a pinch off-road, we used cheap mosquito repellent for starter fluid
-duct tape can be used to patch a VW Beetle tire
-vise-grips for door handles
-large screwdrivers are great for anchoring my 200' tape measure
-a friend of mine used a screwdriver to start his pickup for years (no key- switch)
-once saw someone wedge a screwdriver blade between the open end of a wrench and a nut to make a 1" wrench fit a 7/8" nut.

it's amazing what you can come up with once a situation arises.

i knew someone who made a V-belt out of duct tape...it lasted long enough for him to drive home.

duct tape can be pretty much used for anything but, funny enough, it isn't good for it's intended purpose of actual duct work..i tried it and it loosens up on the heat pipes and the glue gets brittle over time on the cold air returns...causing leaks in both situations.

 

[JSBriggs]

I use my leaf blower to help get a burn pile going. It really helps when things are a bit damp.

I also use channel locks as a nail puller. The curved head cams nails out quite nicely.

-Jeff

 

[truckdriver]

I use a HF pry bar as a stop on my 5th wheel when sliding it. Sure as hell beats spending 20min going forward and back trying to get it in the right spot.

 

[wreckercologist]

Believe it or not, a 16 OZ. ball pein hammer is a lock smithing tool......at least it was today.

I pulled a 2009 Sterling 5500 in my bay today and had a hard time getting the key in and out of the cylinder. After inspecting the key I found it was bowed. A few well placed taps and ...........PRESTO!! Now I can add "Locksmith" to my resume'. Gimmie a pay raise!

I use a serpetine belt routing tool to drag and pull wires.

Giant lock ring pliers are handy for removing Snap-on ratchet and screwdriver handles.

Air hammers and needle scalers are a good way to clear the riff-raff out of the shop (bosses, office help, suppliers, salesman, ect....).

*******************************************************

Speaking of flying tools, I used to work with a guy that had hissy fits everyday. I bet his tools earned frequent-flyer-miles!

 

[Coach James]

I use my 2gal oilless compressor to blow the pieces of hair off my head after a haircut. I have a flat top and get billions of little cut pieces of hair on my head when I get a cut. Unless I get them out, my pillow ends up covered with hair. I used to just hang my head out the window as I drove home, but that looked silly so now I blow the hairs out with the compressor.

I get real bad calluses on my heels. My wife's callus sanding thing is useless so I use a surform to remove them. This one:

http://www.stanleytools.com/default...1-399&SDesc=6"+Surform®+Pocket+Plane

Coach

 

[nw2571]

I use my 2gal oilless compressor to blow the pieces of hair off my head after a haircut.

Coach, showers work well for this problem as well....

 

[byrd]

"-once saw someone wedge a screwdriver blade between the open end of a wrench and a nut to make a 1" wrench fit a 7/8" nut."

in a pinch a t-shirt layed across a bolt and an oversized socket forced on the bolt will keep the head of the bolt from rounding over.

 

[wreckercologist]

I get real bad calluses on my heels. My wife's callus sanding thing is useless so I use a surform to remove them. This one:

http://www.stanleytools.com/default...1-399&SDesc=6"+Surform®+Pocket+Plane

Coach

Whoa, Dude! Coach is ********!

 

[diogenes]

I use my 2gal oilless compressor to blow the pieces of hair off my head after a haircut. I have a flat top and get billions of little cut pieces of hair on my head when I get a cut. Unless I get them out, my pillow ends up covered with hair. I used to just hang my head out the window as I drove home, but that looked silly so now I blow the hairs out with the compressor.

I get real bad calluses on my heels. My wife's callus sanding thing is useless so I use a surform to remove them. This one:

http://www.stanleytools.com/default...1-399&SDesc=6"+Surform®+Pocket+Plane

Coach

I am sure of one thing about you Coach, your "Man Card" is definitely irrevocable.

 

[li0nhart123]

I just remembered the ole trick of filling tubing with sand to keep it from collapsing when bending.

 

[Even 11]

I'm in the Army and exceed my house hold goods weight limit because of my garage. Because of that, I purchased a moving truck to haul some of my heavier items and things I don't want the morons to break. I needed to install E-Track in the wooden floors of the truck. Using a router was proving to be next to impossible for various reasons. The truck box is 28 feet long.
My solution was to use a dado blade on my table saw: set the blade height to the appropriate "depth", turn the table saw upside down and use the edge of the table as my guide against the wall of the truck. Worked perfect. 3 passes on either side of the truck and I had a perfectly straight, routed channel for the E-Track to fit in. Pushing a table saw upside down for 28 feet will get the blood pumping. My dad helped and we covered the base of the table saw to keep the saw dust from being flung in our faces, and to keep me from slipping and falling on the blade lol.

I don't know if that's the most awesome story or the dumbest thing I have heard all day. Good for a laugh either way and I'm glad it worked out for you!!

A buddy and I used a shoelace form my hockey skate for a serpentine belt to run the water pump and alternator on a 5.0 mustang after the air pump siezed and smoked the original one.

-Dane

 

[PassnThru]

All tools are derived from the hammer, and can be used as such.

I nominate this quote to appear on the official GJ shirts

 

[Kev442]

I put a drill on a jack and jacked it up to drill Up thru a car frame.

Drilling out 3 broken leaf spring perch bolts, it's the only way.


-vise-grips for door handles

Been a small one on the back of my Dodge van for 10 years.


I once used my snow plow like a bulldozer blade to level the dirt in the lean-to of my barn.

Leveled pea gravel with mine.



Keep telling what you guys did so I can remember what I did!