You could just make that block thinner, it only acts as a stop. It was made for an 1-1/8" wrench, for use before I had a suitable socket.
Obvious tool hacks that you never thought of
- Thread starter PCustoms
- Start date
Skyman
Well-known member
Similar approach to a lanyard for the chuck key - haven't lost it yet:
Skyman
Well-known member
This one won't fit every wrench on the planet, but I didn't have to fabricate it myself, and it won't spread an open end:
Similar approach to a lanyard for the chuck key - haven't lost it yet:
Not picking this post for any particular reason, but I swear I saw either a lathe or a drill press in a lab that had a chuck key holder interlocked to the switch.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
@jayrush13 put a chuck key on a Klein screwdriver. I always thought that was an awesome idea.
The post and pics are here in the Klein addiction thread page 15:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-addiction-thread.368079/page-15#post-8943691
The post and pics are here in the Klein addiction thread page 15:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-addiction-thread.368079/page-15#post-8943691
Stick-man
Well-known member
But they don't make them in 1/2"I'm real happy with these from snap-on, they slipped inside each other and hold firmly and they're under 20 bucks
Stick-man
Well-known member
No way! Since the 80's I've been using electrical tape. Thanks man!
A former boss showed me how to use a hollow shank nut driver to add leverage to allen keys. Always carried some nut drivers anyways, so it was handy and a no brainer. And the handle on the driver is alot more comfortable under torque than a thin allen key. I still do it this way on occasion.
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bwringer
Well-known member
One principle has served me well ever since it first dawned: Tools are not holy relics.
Three examples of what follows from this enlightenment:
1) Worn out, broken, unsuitable, or unsafe tools should be discarded or destroyed immediately and with extreme prejudice. It's never worth it in terms of time wasted, parts ruined, and risks to life and limb to put up with bad tools. The instant a Phillips screwdriver displeases me, it now goes into the trash or recycling. All those crappy old K-Mart wrenches made of butter and sawdust were tossed into the trash years ago (I refused to contaminate the metal recycling bin). When my jack started leaking down, I immediately bought another rather than risking my life trying to limp through one more project.
2) Tools can and should be freely modified in order to accomplish needed tasks. For example, I keep a few reasonable quality 8mm and 10mm wrenches on hand as raw material for cutting and bending into specialty wrenches for reaching fasteners in weird places.
3) Extreme brand loyalty is silly. There are good and bad tools of every brand and made in every country. Judge each tool on how well it does what it does for you, not on how pretty it looks sitting in a drawer being useless, or where it was made. Obviously, there are tendencies; some brands and countries tend to make better or worse tools. But there aren't a lot of absolutes.
Three examples of what follows from this enlightenment:
1) Worn out, broken, unsuitable, or unsafe tools should be discarded or destroyed immediately and with extreme prejudice. It's never worth it in terms of time wasted, parts ruined, and risks to life and limb to put up with bad tools. The instant a Phillips screwdriver displeases me, it now goes into the trash or recycling. All those crappy old K-Mart wrenches made of butter and sawdust were tossed into the trash years ago (I refused to contaminate the metal recycling bin). When my jack started leaking down, I immediately bought another rather than risking my life trying to limp through one more project.
2) Tools can and should be freely modified in order to accomplish needed tasks. For example, I keep a few reasonable quality 8mm and 10mm wrenches on hand as raw material for cutting and bending into specialty wrenches for reaching fasteners in weird places.
3) Extreme brand loyalty is silly. There are good and bad tools of every brand and made in every country. Judge each tool on how well it does what it does for you, not on how pretty it looks sitting in a drawer being useless, or where it was made. Obviously, there are tendencies; some brands and countries tend to make better or worse tools. But there aren't a lot of absolutes.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Several hacks to my speed square:
Custom 1/8 scribe marks (long before the SSPro was available), blade wrench, 22.5° tick, 1/4” scribe, side scribes at 1.5 and 3”, deepened 1-1/2” and added 1/2” and 3” main scribes, radius pinpoint, additional seat cut reference mark, etc.
Custom 1/8 scribe marks (long before the SSPro was available), blade wrench, 22.5° tick, 1/4” scribe, side scribes at 1.5 and 3”, deepened 1-1/2” and added 1/2” and 3” main scribes, radius pinpoint, additional seat cut reference mark, etc.
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tool_scrounge
Well-known member
Next time you need to cut out an odd shaped metal piece on the bandsaw or drill a hole pattern, create a part outline and the hole pattern with center points using CAD. Print it out life size on a printer. Cut out the paper outline with a scissors and tape to metal part with double sided tape. Mark hole centers with a center punch. Cut outline using a bandsaw. Drill holes using a drill press.
I'll do you one better
I tack weld a washer onto my chuck keys, and put one of the retractable keychains on the drill press. The chuck key is now never more than 2 feet away from the drill press, ever. But it still can't get wrapped up by accident.
GaryM909
Well-known member
I cut the short legs off my extra Allen keys and use them with my drill instead of using the actual ¼” drive ones with the adapter. Less wobble and sometimes extra length.
It appears you can put a breaker bar (or ratchet) in the end of it as well.This one won't fit every wrench on the planet, but I didn't have to fabricate it myself, and it won't spread an open end:
Skyman
Well-known member
Hohn
Well-known member
I got around the chuck key thing by not owning any keyed chucks.
And you can always slip a pipe over that breaker bar if it's still not quite long enough...Yes. Thereby extending the extender.
Skyman
Well-known member
Gotta wonder which member of the stack would cry “Uncle!!!” first.
Wouldn't it be a hoot if you did that and the extender broke before the wrench?
RTM
Well-known member
When you are 16, and use a cast iron drain pipe as a cheater cuz you don't know better, it's not funny.Wouldn't it be a hoot if you did that and the extender broke before the wrench?
DAMHIKT
RTM
Well-known member
Just his pride. Fortunately Dad was the only one watching.
I'll do you one better
I tack weld a washer onto my chuck keys, and put one of the retractable keychains on the drill press. The chuck key is now never more than 2 feet away from the drill press, ever. But it still can't get wrapped up by accident.
I have one of those retractable keychains but it's magnetic. And, there's a rubber strap that goes over the chuck to hold it. Been on my drill press for years....
I figured that one out on my own when I was about 13, in my first job at the motorcycle shop. Necessity is absolutely the mother of invention.-This is an old one but I'll throw it out there for the new members of the Knuckle Busters Club
The other option, my hack is to put an appropriate sized magnet on the head of the drill press. Just stick the chuck key to it.
I can get a picture.
This works for other applications as well...I have a 6 inch scale with a small neodymium superglued to it, that stays on the front of the ways of my wood lathe. (you can order a selection of neodymium's in various sizes on Amazon...WAY stronger than conventionals!)
For those of you who could use a long "grabber" type of tool, I've found that old gun barrel cleaning kits are a goldmine. You can get them for cheap, especially if they're missing accessories. I just screw the cleaning rods together, and fashion a hook of some kind on the end. I used them to pluck dirty filters out of commercial units which I couldn't turn off (don't want to be reaching your arm into a running machine). You can usually just keep adding 6 inch rods together till you get the length you need, and disassembled they fit into pouch or box without taking up too much room.
Great for retrieving dropped tools, reaching wires behind things, etc. I made alot of grabbing tools with hooks, magnets, and ropes, but the gun cleaning kit idea really worked well.
Great for retrieving dropped tools, reaching wires behind things, etc. I made alot of grabbing tools with hooks, magnets, and ropes, but the gun cleaning kit idea really worked well.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
That works until you need a chuck bigger than 1/2"...
The big dogs still are keyed only.
The chuck key on my big lathe tailstock is welded to a length of chain which is bolted to the tailstock so it doesn't wander off.
Hohn
Well-known member
Here's my preferred source for magnets:
I use their super strong plastic coated magnets on oil pans and such.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Didn't I mention that all my father's chucks were keyless, fifty years ago? Some were quite large.
He blamed my brother and I for losing the keys until his dying day.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Not really a "tool hack", but related: Today I had to reconstitute my apparently eternal supply of Permatex Anti Seize. This is at least the second time I've had to do it for this at least thirty-year-old plastic bottle of A-S. Add a few tablespoons of mineral spirits to the 1/3 bottle of solidified A-S, warm in some hot water, stir vigorously, and, viola--it's ready to spread all over my shop, clothing and body with the slightest touch again!
Lol, I can still hear my dad bitching to put the damn tool back where I got it. He knew where everything was and didn't like wasting time looking for tools.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Which, ironically, sounds just like me these days!
bwringer
Well-known member
My Dad was the exact opposite. He never could find anything in the literal piles of tools and materials lying in the filth and on the floor, and sometimes gave me **** for pausing to organize and wipe the dirt off things.
Dad was otherwise a brilliant engineer and mechanic, and actually did very neat, tidy work of all kinds, but for whatever reason could not and would not keep any tools, parts, or materials in anything resembling order.
After he died, we excavated the back of his van and found nearly two dozen cordless drills and countless batteries (he was a retired engineer, but did handyman type stuff to keep busy; he was very much in-demand because he also rarely remembered to charge or collect payment). When he couldn't find a drill in the rubble right away, he would simply go buy another.
My reaction to growing up with this sort of chaos and waste was such that I could walk out to my garage right now and, mostly without looking, put my hand on the exact socket or tool I need. I'm certainly no neat freak, but I mostly know where my stuff is.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
I ha one of those. Snapped the first time I tried it. The bolt wasn't even that large or tight.This one won't fit every wrench on the planet, but I didn't have to fabricate it myself, and it won't spread an open end: