home/handmade tools

[settintrendz]

I love seeing tools that others have made or improved upon around the shop. so... lets see what you've got. i'll get us started with a few of my own...


English wheel I built a couple of years ago...

this started as the eastwood shrinker stretcher kit that i had mounted on a pedestal and had to yank on the lever with one hand and hold you work with the other, well... it didn't take too long to figure out that it's next to impossible to hold even a medium sized piece AND work the lever at the same time. so i decided to make a beefier version of the eastwood foot operated stand but brass bushings, hiems, , gas shocks, and heavier gauge steel. she works great now, although my friends say it looks more like an excercize machine than a tool. ha, ha.

next is my planishing hammer. this also started as en easwood kit. you know, the one with the 2" round tubing bent in a "U" shape. if you youve ever used one of these, you might have noticed how much deflection they have... and you don't want these things flexing, so i built one thats a little more rigid. you might notice that i started to tig weld (see the smaller beads) the whole thing, but soon got really lazy, gave up, and miged it. what a shame. could have been real cool looking.

lastly, we've got my method for coping/ notching tubing. all i did was mount a 360 degree swivel vice to the cross slide on my lathe. i then welded a v-block (center with the spindle) to one side of the of the jaws, and there you have it... a self-centering, variable speed, infinite degree tubing notcher. just chuck-up a hole saw or roughing end mill and go to town.

 

[bmwpower]

Outstanding!

I can't imagine making something like those. Congrats!

 

[Steve in Mi]

Very Nice! I think you may be using the cylinder cap as a tool also, right?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Very Nice! I think you may be using the cylinder cap as a tool also, right?

Good observation, I would have to agree!

 

[jimvannoy]

Very Nice! I think you may be using the cylinder cap as a tool also, right?

I have used them before to form metal. They are kind of thin on top though and will dent if you get too crazy with the hammer.

I like the beater bag mounted behind the wheel. I may need to do something like that.

 

[Graham08]

Nice work! I especially like the shrinker/stretcher setup...I need to make one for mine. Definitely need three hands to operate them with my current setup.

 

[kbs2244]

I really like the tube notching idea.
But I want to see more of the PU!

 

[russlaferrera]

OUTSTANDING and other big words I can't spell. Your workmanship is great.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Hey, I can't help but notice your nicely lowered F150 in the background. What did you do with the front suspension? & How does it ride. Also... great tools & shop!

 

[83diesel]

Tools look like they were manufactured. Very clean welds and layout. Great work.

 

[arkracing]

How about some dimensions on that English Wheel Frame? - looks perfect!

 

[e-tek]

All I can say is what has already been said: OUTSTANDING! You obviously have a love/knack for metal work. By the amount of helmets you have, looks like you've been doing this a while!
Hope you show us MUCH more of your work and ideas!!!

 

[B.O.V. Norway]

Some very good setups and craftsmanship. One can dream and aspire...

Have a nice day.

 

[Elroy]

Just can't quite put the finger to it but there is something about the "die formed" edges on this plate.

Looks like a lot of extra effort.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Could it be the result of using a Whitney Punch?

 

[DaytonFan]

All pretty cool stuff very neat very!!

 

[bugdust]

Well, my stuff ain't all purty and painted up like them uns but I did makes me a body rotisserie for ol my beetle bug.

 

[senlow]

Just can't quite put the finger to it but there is something about the "die formed" edges on this plate.

Looks like a lot of extra effort.

It's actually pretty easy to do this. A punch and die will form the flare. Check out these links:

http://www.irvansmith.com/scart/punches-hole-flares-c-3_54_55.html

http://www.vansantent.com/sheet_metal_machines/dimple_dies.htm

http://www.vansantent.com/sheet_metal_machines/flare_tools.htm

The punch and die set can easily be made on a lathe. In a pinch, for limited use, they can be made from wood or bondo with a router, and/or a drill press.

 

[settintrendz]

Just can't quite put the finger to it but there is something about the "die formed" edges on this plate.

Looks like a lot of extra effort.

Yea... It's really simple. I use the dies quite a bit. Just cut the hole, sandwich it in the dies, and throw it in the press. Adds only a minute or so. Here's the ones I use and a few examples.

Finished product...

Front clip for a roadster I'm building...

As SENLOW said, they are pretty simple to make. Here's a couple sizes I made to flush-mount hardware or dzus fasteners on sheetmetal...

By the way... thanks for all of the nice things you've had to say about the stuff I've made. I kinda forgot about this post, came back a while later, and was flattered. I've got a bunch more tools I've made/modified, just gotta find the pics somewhere.

Please post pics of yours. I need some more ideas. I'm not as creative as I like to think I am. And BUGDUST, thanks for the pics of your rotisserie. I've gotta make me one of those.

 

[Elroy]

All Elroy said was:

Looks like a lot of extra effort.

And I'll add that it makes for a professional touch.

 

[Quiksilver]

Settintrendz- The tools look great, I went to your website as well and the fabrication work is phenomenal. How about a full tour of your shop in the Garage Gallery. There is some very impressive work coming out of such a small garage.

 

[Randy Ferguson]

Here's a picture of one of my english wheels. I built this one in 2003 and still haven't completely finished it. It gets lots of use though. The guy on the left is me. The guy sitting on the lower arm is Joe from Hoosier Pattern. He made the 11"x6" upper wheel and the 6"x6" lower anvils.

Here's another. I didn't build this one. It was a gift. I cleaned up the welds and painted it. That's all I can take credit for on it.

I'll have to take pictures of more tools I've built as time allows. I tend to build stuff as needed and never take pictures of it. I have several attachments for my english wheels. They're very versatile tools.

Randy Ferguson
www.fergusoncoachbuilding.com

 

[DROLDSRX]

Great work!!! tell us more about the electric or should I say elec"trick" roadster on your website.

 

[Brad54]

What thickness of material can those bell-mouth dies form? I've often wondered about that.

-Brad

 

[e-tek]

Randy - WOW! Just spent some time on your website -you are indeed an artist with the metals! Very cool shop tools and that front end is a work in itself. Can we see more of the roadster build? That'd be cool.
Thanks for sharing your skills and knowledge.

 

[tigmusky]

settintrendz. nice work!! I love the way you think, always looking to improve on things and always hunting for new ideas.
here few pic's sorry I don't know how to put them on the page
Daye

 

[Randy Ferguson]

e-tek

Thank you.

What roadster? The 356 Porsche Carrera? If that's the one, the pictures on my site is all I did on that car. The owner is from California and it was being restored in Oregon. I was flown about 2000 miles from Illinois to build the door skin, using the restorers shop and tools (very nice shop!) I then built the shrouding after returning home. Fun little project. It's a very rare piece. It has the aluminum doors, hood and deck lid. Also has the 4 cam engine, etc. Basically a race car, I believe.

Randy Ferguson
www.fergusoncoachbuilding.com

 

[e-tek]

You had a front end on a jig and it said it was for a "roadster project", but maybe it was for the 33 Willys. Went through the site again and couldn't find it. But the vids are cool!

 

[settintrendz]

tigmusky- great work. you gave me some good ideas i'll have to steal. ha, ha!

randy- what can i say. damn. you are seriously amazing. thank you so much for sharing your knowlege with us. too many people are afraid to share what it took them years to learn. i'm just grateful for the few guys like you that do it so willingly. incredible!

 

[settintrendz]

For those that are interested, I started a thread in the FREE PARKING section that follows the build of the ELECTRIC HOT ROD, or E-ROD as we call it.

link >>>

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=370696#post370696

 

[Randy Ferguson]

Thanks trendz and back at ya. The E-ROD is looking great. Is it for you or a client? Neat project.

 

[settintrendz]

Thank you Randy. I wish I could claim this one, but no. It's for a customer.

 

[Fatbrosracing]

I made this roller a couple of years ago from plans in an American Rodder Magazine. They used some commercially available parts for gears and such and they were not available here in Oz so I had to improvise a bit. The gears are reverse gears from an automotive gearbox and I made it so that it would take standard size rolls, but I find I make my own a lot. I will adapt a full circle wheel to replace the handle for more control.

 

[Jim Stabe]

I made this roller a couple of years ago from plans in an American Rodder Magazine. They used some commercially available parts for gears and such and they were not available here in Oz so I had to improvise a bit. The gears are reverse gears from an automotive gearbox and I made it so that it would take standard size rolls, but I find I make my own a lot. I will adapt a full circle wheel to replace the handle for more control.

Instead of putting a handwheel on it have you considered motorizing? Unless you have a helper it is awkward to try to turn the wheel with an extended arm while guiding the material at the same time. I used a HF winch to power mine with an emergency start pack to provide the 12v. The foot pedal isn't mine but I made one similar to it.






Jim

 

[nkachur]

I am curious at to what the roller pictured above is used for?

 

[Jim Stabe]

Look at the beads in the top of the transmission tunnel.

They strengthen the flat sheet and also look cool.

Jim

 

[Uncle Buck]

Man, what an impressive thread! I wish I could claim skills that well honed in sheet metal. I am more of a butcher!

 

[Fatbrosracing]

As well as strengthening ribs, the possibilities are huge. I make a lot of my own dies so I can make them to suit a particular body reveal or edge shape. I also have stepping dies and ones that put curves on the edge.

 

[Vernmotor]

I would to see some of the dies and what they do

 

[nkachur]

OK, lets see if I have it right... on the rollers it is only the end farthest from the crank that does the work? the pace in between is just a throat to allow larger sheets?