Inexpensive tool ideas

[e-tek]

OK, so I was just posting a rant in the FabricatingForum about guys who only think the most expenive tools will do (even if they use them once a year!) and I thought there must be more guys like me out there who can make some tools, substitute this for that or sometimes even buy cheap stuff because it can work as good as the high dollar stuff. Not that I don't like expensive, well-made tools, I certianly do - but often it comes down to affording, timing and deciding when and where to put limited funds.

So, post your ingenious tool substitutes ideas, here, your one-off homemade ideas, pics of your latest homemade specialtly items, words of praise ofr a cheap welder or ??? Maybe we can save a buck from your ideas.

I'll start: even though I grew up in abodyshop I never saw a shot or sand bag for shaping metal. Once I saw and tried, I was hooked. But some places wanted nearly $100.00 for a GD bag of sand! My wife had some spare canvass, the lady next door double stitched it for me into a square and I filled it with coarse playground sand: cost = nothing!! I've already used it to shape the front and rear valenced on my Challenger!

 

[Danglerb]

80% or more of a pro's toolbox isn't to do the job, its to do the job faster or easier. Its a money thing.

BTW nice cars in your sig.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

Spark plug boot puller. Just a flat piece of thin stock iron. Heat up one of the ends and bent the bottom 2 inches back into a 90 degree bend. Then cut a rounded notch in the bend so it could grab the spark plug boots and pull them off the plugs.

Another home made tool for spark plugs, a small rubber tube cut to about 7 inches that I stick the spark plug in. Then I use the hose to run up the new plug. I do this because some of these new cars today, you can't get your hands in there to change the plugs, and dang it, I'm not disassembling my steering column to get the very last plug on the drivers side.

 

[wilbilt]

Used kingpins make good blunt drift punches.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Used kingpins make good blunt drift punches.

On a like note, simple round brass stock cut to the desired length will do the same thing as a high dollar set of fancy brass punches from the truck.

Better still, if you own a metal lathe you can taper them too, and if you really want to get fancy center drill a hole in the hammer driving end and turn caps of steel with a smaller OD finger sticking out of the underside to a press fit size and press a steel driving cap to the end of your brass punch!

Old broken hammer handles can be shortened and beveled on the edges to use as driving tools as well.

Old broken screwdrivers with no warranty, grind the end of the shaft to a point for a scribe.

On older HEI type distributors you can gut them and turn them into an engine primer to work the oil pump and distribute oil throughout your engine prior to initial firing of the engine on a fresh rebuild with the use of your drill on the top of the shaft once you have removed the counterweights and guts from the top.

By placing your ear to the wooden end of an old hammer handle minus the head, or simply placing your ear against the handle end of any screwdriver and placing the opposite end of either against either a component housing such as an alternator, or a bearing surface will act as a crude diagnostic stethescope for finding a bearing that is going out.

Instead of paying truck prices for the stick light that you clip on the sides of the hood to suspend the light from the underside of the hood, buy a cheap long stick light that has the plastic swivel hook attached to it's end then use a couple zip ties on the hook, and a couple more at the cord end and secure them to holes found on the underside of the hood. Snug things up and leave it there for the duration of the job then cut and remove the zip ties! It does not cost $100.00 and does the exact same thing.

An old discarded inoperative refrigerator can be used as either a poor mans flammable storage cabinet, or great for welding sticks to keep them dry. Just install a small light bulb that stays lit inside above the rods to keep moisture at bay!

While many dislike Craftsman ratchets there is one design in particular that due to it's design lends itself to a great poor boys compact 1/2" drive ratchet! Find one of the older teardrop head shaped Crafty ratchets (this trick will work on any drive size on this ratchet) Now clamp the ratchet in your vise and cut the handle off, right above the raised logo panel then use the bench grinder and grind a radioused edge around the end and wallah! you now have a compact that almost looks as though it was made that way! If you do not like the way the handle end looks take some electricians tape and wrap the end, or if you really want to get fancy dip the end in Plastidip.

For those needing line wrenches that are not ready to buy the real thing you can always take old extra box ends lying around and cut out a window for the line to slip through like many of the old timers did!

 

[rsanter]

most of the time the expensive tool is better. they are generally made better, of better material, to tighter tollerances.

the cheap tool does not have to be as good, it only has to be good enought to get the job done for you

I used to have a shop, and while I expected my guys to supply their own tools. there are some tools I had to supply and others that I had to supply just to keep the ball rolling. where I had to buy a tool that I was unsure how much we would use I would buy the HF version just to get the job done. if we used it at least three times a year, I would buy the SO or MAC version when the cheal one broke

bob

 

[george4]

On older HEI type distributors you can gut them and turn them into an engine primer to work the oil pump and distribute oil throughout your engine prior to initial firing of the engine on a fresh rebuild with the use of your drill on the top of the shaft once you have removed the counterweights and guts from the top.

Thats a blast from the past. Did that in about 1964 when I rebuilt the engine on my 56 chevy.

 

[kvom]

This weekend a friend and I were working on his power steering, and one of the bolts (1-1/8")was positioned so that it was impossible to get either a standard wrench or a socket on it. Made a stubby by cutting a cheap chinese wrench in two.

 

[Jiffycake]

I used a fork with bent prongs on my timing belt tensioner pulley. The tensioner tool is $15

 

[Uncle Buck]

Come on guys, there has to be more than this!

 

[kvom]

The lower edge of the cap from welding gas tanks is just the right diameter to seat pinion seals on a GM 14-bolt axle.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

how about a rock ?

substitute hammer

 

[Uncle Buck]

The lower edge of the cap from welding gas tanks is just the right diameter to seat pinion seals on a GM 14-bolt axle.

I know there had to be a case of beer involved when you figured out that trick!

 

[DarrenF]

Used shock absorbers have nice hard chromed shafts which make great punches.

I save all my old bearing races to use them for seal/bearing drivers, balljoint/bushing press adapters, exhaust pipe reducers. They are tapered and are great for reshaping exhaust pipe. Hold the right size race on the end of the pipe and smash with a hammer.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

forget Snap-on trim removal tools. bought one and it's no good for removing trim, only good for removing fuel lines off diesel filters and stuff.

VW T10236 trim removal tool is the one to buy. half the price of the Snap-on equivalent and it's far better.

 

[annoyingrob]

I know I've posted this before, but I'll post it again.

When I couldn't find my gear puller, I came up with this:

It may be a little less expensive than an actual gear puller, but a million times the effort.

 

[RickP330]

Not quite a tool, but I used a old fire extinguisher wall mount bracket welded to my MIG welder cart to hold the argon/co2 bottle. It looks 10 times better then the chain and holds it tight so it dosen't rock around when you are moving it.
RP

 

[riskyvt]

Another home made tool for spark plugs, a small rubber tube cut to about 7 inches that I stick the spark plug in. Then I use the hose to run up the new plug.

A LIVESAVER IDEA HERE!!!

I consider the short rubber hose used to thread in new sparkplugs one of the most valuable tools in my box. Using a small diameter hose that fits snug over the tip of the sparkplug allows flexibility in turning in the plug so all that's needed is to finish off the torque with a plug wrench/socket. Makes quick work out of a sometimes nasty job.

 

[gibbon_guy]

forget Snap-on trim removal tools. bought one and it's no good for removing trim, only good for removing fuel lines off diesel filters and stuff.

VW T10236 trim removal tool is the one to buy. half the price of the Snap-on equivalent and it's far better.

Where does one get VW T10236?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

local VW dealership parts deptartment. go in, tell them you want a T10236. confirm that it comes up on their system as "release tool" trim remover and order it. mine was £9.85 (it'll probably be like $10 over there) and it's worth every penny.

if they can't get you one, let me know and i'll get one and ship it to you.

 

[Speed-Racer]

Empty shell casings make great hole punches for gasket material. If you making a gasket, a single hole paper punch also works great.

Old computer hard drives have really powerful small magnets(be careful, magnets can pinch your fingers), you will need a small torx maybe a T5 or T6 to take it apart. Good for making all sorts of custom tools for dropped parts, tool storage, or assembly tools.

 

[isr2kba]

For those needing line wrenches that are not ready to buy the real thing you can always take old extra box ends lying around and cut out a window for the line to slip through like many of the old timers did!

I saw a few of those just the other day and had to ask to find out that they were "manufactured" at home. Word was they have worked fine over 20 yrs.


Whomever had the idea about the shell casings making good gasket punches, I'm going to look into that one.... Especially 'cuz

I Support the Right 2 Keep and Bear Arms.

Of course in MA, I have to keep my toolbox locked if I store used casings in it.

 

[BackTracker]

While many dislike Craftsman ratchets there is one design in particular that due to it's design lends itself to a great poor boys compact 1/2" drive ratchet! Find one of the older teardrop head shaped Crafty ratchets (this trick will work on any drive size on this ratchet) Now clamp the ratchet in your vise and cut the handle off, right above the raised logo panel then use the bench grinder and grind a radioused edge around the end and wallah! you now have a compact that almost looks as though it was made that way!

So for my first post...

Suddenly my crappy craftsman ratchet has a purpose. A glass of Wild Turkey later and I have the motivation... Viola I give you the Uncle Buck stubby ratchet!

 

[nissan_crawler]

Craftsman torque wrench broken by idiot calibrator + $9 HF 24" breaker bar =