Modified tools, show us yours

[WR250F]

I'm pretty sure everyone modifies a tool to fit a specific purpose once in a while.

I have a few chicom sockets, screwdrivers, pliers and ?? wrenches I've inherited/accumulated over the years, so I'm thinking since they are worth little, they might be used as a specific use tool with a little modification.

What tool(s) have you modified and what did you use the modified tool for ?

Looking for ideas, else I'm going to take all of the low budget (even for me) low quality pieces to the scrap man and sell them for dead weight.

I don't really want to do that, and selling them wouldn't bring enough to cover the gas to the mail box to send them off.

Pics would help tremendously if you have them

 

[Blackbomber]

You could make a serpentine belt tool by welding the square drive from a 3/8" ratchet to a length of flat bar stock.

 

[Appleyard]

Took a Phillips screwdriver and ground the tip down to a blade and the ground a "U" in the tip. Works pretty well for drum brake springs. Put the end of the spring in the "U" and push it where it needs to go and usually clips right in.
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[crewchief888]

matco 1/2"x9/16" moon wrench, bent a couple different ways.


anyone thats fought with the bottom manifold bolt on a JD 450 HLR will see the wisdom of this design

 

[J.Lind]

I've only ever ground a wrench flat in one (and it was a Craftsman, and I was so pissed at the time I didn't realize I ground the flats into the stamped size mark)

My dad, though, refuses to buy expensive tolls simply because he modifies them so often. He only ever buys cheap sockets, and it's been years since he's done that! Welds them together a lot.

 

[LWaite]

Took a Phillips screwdriver and ground the tip down to a blade and the ground a "U" in the tip. Works pretty well for drum brake springs. Put the end of the spring in the "U" and push it where it needs to go and usually clips right in.
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Great idea

 

[CatCow]

Anyone have a recommendation for how to deal with e-clips? I hate those things, I've seen a pic or two of modified needle nose pliers, but they were small thumbnails with little detail visible - and even those seem like they would be difficult to use since most things using an e-clip have rather limited clearances.

Harbor Freight copy of a Vise Grip clamp - took off a foot and cut out a notch for that pin you see on the back of that shotgun receiver, so that I could compress the spring behind it enough to screw the pin back in to where it was supposed to be. I have no idea how they got it in originally, and it certainly wasn't easy to get back in now...
Shotgun is an old(1930's probably) LeFever Nitro Special that I picked up for $100, sadly someone hacksawed the barrel off rather roughly - left just enough room to be legal after I cleaned it up with a file and put a sighting bead on it.

And I may have posted this somewhere else here already... A Harbor Freight bolt cutter ground down to crush rivets on an AK-47 receiver.

 

[Appleyard]

Great idea

Thank you

Made these up today. One of my ratchets jammed up and I didn't realize I didn't own a single pair of snap-ring pliers to remove the coverplate.
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Just the cheapo $2 needlenose pliers that didn't clamp tight enough anyways. Worked great for my ratchet. Interested in trying it elsewhere.

 

[blkadder]

Love the AK rivet squisher. I have been looking for some drawings to make up one of those. Might you have somewhere I could find a decent drawing?