Homemade tools

[rdnkjeeper]

I have been reading this site for a few days now and was thinking about what ya got for homemade tools? Don't know if this is the right spot or not.

Right now I can't think of anything that I have made or modified. I always like getting ideas. Pics would be great.

Thanks

 

[kartracer55]

Hmmm The only thing I have made recently was a ghetto *** wrench. I had to make it out of 1/8 steel because of clearance, and Sears doesnt have metric tappett wrenches.


I used a piece of 1/8X1 1/2 steel flatstock and cut it with a jig saw then ground a recess in it... It works.


Welcme to the sight.

Jim

 

[rjspitz]

I made an expolosion proof fan.

http://garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=437

 

[rdnkjeeper]

After thinking about it, I have made a "drift" out of an old shock and an awl out of a broken screwdriver. Of course I have also "made" wrenches with the big blue wrench. Bent for certain applications.

What else have you'll made?

 

[rsitzejr]

I made a die that goes in my 20 ton press for bending metal with.

 

[trovato]

I made an expolosion proof fan.

http://garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=437&highlight=fan

I don't see the fan pictures. I get a screen asking me to log in.

 

[Luckydevil]

I don't see the fan pictures. I get a screen asking me to log in.

Try it again, it should work now.

 

[rdnkjeeper]

No one else has any homemade tools? I think it would help people out to post what you have made.

I have also made a "rack" for the long tools that don't fit into my toolbox. I took some thicker sheet metal and bent it into a U, then I wired a peg board holder to the metal. It works great for holding my long extensions and breaker bars that don't fit in my tool box.

 

[astroracer]

I made a pair of chassis jig tables last year and this year I am building a chassis for an Astro Van Project on them...

 

[astroracer]

I also built a couple of spindle fixtures to hold the brake corner/spindle at ride height while I fab the Upper & Lower Control Arms.

The fixture bolts to an angle plate and the brake hat bolts to the fixture through the 4 washers. Works real well and the height is fully adjustable so the fixture can be used for a number of different applications.

 

[JJP]

Nice work astro. Looks like that'll do the trick.

JJ

 

[erok01]

Can you say, CNC

 

[Luckydevil]

Can you say, CNC

Is that for real?

 

[kartracer55]

HAHAHA THATS AWESOME!

Jim

 

[bluesman2a]

I got tired of pulling the handle on my tube-bender... Home-brew hydro-bender... Built the stand out of 1/2" X cold-roll, using parts as discovered from an off-road forum. Now I can bend tube anywhere I can roll it and plug into a 110V outlet.

http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbum.asp?userid=bluesman2a&album_id=175960

 

[kartracer55]

I got tired of pulling the handle on my tube-bender... Home-brew hydro-bender... Built the stand out of 1/2" X cold-roll, using parts as discovered from an off-road forum. Now I can bend tube anywhere I can roll it and plug into a 110V outlet.

http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbum.asp?userid=bluesman2a&album_id=175960

Thats an AWESOME bender... Gotta love pirate 4x4 lol. I need to learn to lay down a strong weld so I can work on building something like that one of these days.

Jim

 

[muddy]

Astroracer,
Gotta love creativity and metalworking....... how well are those little caster holding up to your chassis jig? I've gotta believe they are at the extreme end of their ability to support that weight and be rolled around....... any photos of the "astro" that you race? Keith

 

[bluesman2a]

Thats an AWESOME bender... Gotta love pirate 4x4 lol. I need to learn to lay down a strong weld so I can work on building something like that one of these days.

Yep, it's a direct rip from POR... based on Jay K's original here:
http://www.mindspring.com/~jayk5/bender/

As for my stand, I have no problems laying down a bead (Miller 251), but none of the welding on the stand was structural. Essentially, it's all just to hold the bender up. The stand itself is held together with 3/4" grade 5 bolts and 1" .120 wall tube for stand-off's. So technically speaking, if you can drill a hole straight you COULD build one of these yourself... Now coming up with something to mount it on would be another story.

 

[muddy]

Oh yeah,
By the way, most of you probably have never hear of Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool out of Foristell, MO......so thought I'd let you guys know about them. If you are into any serious metal fabrication at all they are THE place to buy tooling for that application. I am friends with Mike Mittler that owns the company. He's your typical, hard working racer type that started as Rusty Wallace's crew chief up through ASA racing and then as Rusty moved on up he went off with his business. He also owns a Nascar Truck Team. Anyways, has equipped alot of "Cup" raceshops......makes the ultimate tubing notcher, tubing benders, bead rollers,etc....and floater 9 inch rear ends. He also has a pretty good software program for calculating bends for those that don't like doing it the old fashioned way....... Keith

 

[bluesman2a]

Oh yeah,
By the way, most of you probably have never hear of Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool out of Foristell, MO......so thought I'd let you guys know about them. If you are into any serious metal fabrication at all they are THE place to buy tooling for that application.

I don't know if I would say THE place... They tend to be middle-high end professional grade. I know some SERIOUS hobbiests (myself included) who would LOVE to have one of their tubing notchers, but unless you are selling parts, it's hard to justify a $5K (yes, that's THOUSAND) notcher . I've got some of their instrumentation, and while it's pricey, its certainly top notch...

On the other front, I'll certainly agree! They have some nice parts for setting up Ford 9" rear ends!!!

 

[Cebby]

Yep, it's a direct rip from POR... based on Jay K's original here:
http://www.mindspring.com/~jayk5/bender/

As for my stand, I have no problems laying down a bead (Miller 251), but none of the welding on the stand was structural. Essentially, it's all just to hold the bender up. The stand itself is held together with 3/4" grade 5 bolts and 1" .120 wall tube for stand-off's. So technically speaking, if you can drill a hole straight you COULD build one of these yourself... Now coming up with something to mount it on would be another story.

Jay K's writeup is permanently etched in my memory also...

 

[muddy]

I don't know if I would say THE place... They tend to be middle-high end professional grade. I know some SERIOUS hobbiests (myself included) who would LOVE to have one of their tubing notchers, but unless you are selling parts, it's hard to justify a $5K (yes, that's THOUSAND) notcher . I've got some of their instrumentation, and while it's pricey, its certainly top notch...

On the other front, I'll certainly agree! They have some nice parts for setting up Ford 9" rear ends!!!

Regarding their tubing notcher....the ultimate notcher is the high dollar one. I have an air/hydraulic of theirs that you can get for I'm guessing five to six hundred and have great luck with it......lifetime warranty on the shear I believe. I have several of their fabrication tools and consider all of them well worth the money even if some of it gets pricey. You typically get what you pay for. Anyways, just thought I'd mention them as alot of their tooling is great to have in the shop but most don't know it's available........ Keith

 

[Coach James]

I made a draw knife out of an old lawn mower blade and scrap wood. Also made a machete and bush ax from old mower blades.

 

[demonspeed]

i made my welding table out of an old grill, some thick sheet metal, and some square tubing. i dont have any pics though unfortunately. I also made a small jug for drilling tubing by taking 2 pieces of angle iron and welding them together to form an "X" shape.

 

[astroracer]

Astroracer,
Gotta love creativity and metalworking....... how well are those little caster holding up to your chassis jig? I've gotta believe they are at the extreme end of their ability to support that weight and be rolled around....... any photos of the "astro" that you race? Keith

Thanks guys,
Keith; The castors are 4" diameter and are rated for 275lbs each. The table and cradle probably only weigh about that or a little more. I am having no problems with rolling the tables around and, when I am working on them, I have them leveled with the jack screws on each corner so the castors are off the floor.
As far as the Astro goes I am not racing one yet but here is a pic of the '88 that I am building the suspensions for...

I got a lot done this weekend. Here is a pic of the front cradle all tack welded together...

Thanks for looking.
Mark

 

[astroracer]

Here is a "Poor Man's Height Gage" I made for setting up the Upper Control Arm Plates on the cradle.

I used a 90* angle block and drilled some oversized holes in a Machinists square. The over sized holes made it easier to align the square with the sides of the block.

This is a pic of the bolts I modified by turning a point on them. Bolted into the plate they referenced the center of the hole allowing me to set them both vertically from the table top and longitudinally from the vehicle centerline.

This is a pic of the RH side rear bolt set to height at the red hashmark and longitudinally with the edge of the square.
Mark

 

[astroracer]

Here is a pic of the **** ugly tool post I made for my tubing bender this weekend.
The bottom piece is a scavenged pedestal for a diving board and the post is a piece of 5 1/2" x 3/8th wall sewer pipe.

This is what I bent. 1.25 x .156wall D.O.M.

No kinks or wrinkles here. This is pretty heavy wall tubing and the bender did a fine job...

Thanks for looking
Mark

 

[kartracer55]

Mark, Ugly or not, thats a great example of "thinkin out of the box"

Jim