Show off your custom made tools!!

Hako86 · Jun 20, 2013

Show off your custom made tools! Please post pictures and mention for what particular job you customized it!

signcrafter · Jun 20, 2013

Hako86 said:
Show off your custom made tools! Please post pictures and mention for what particular job you customized it!

I was going to start one of these threads later tonight! I know there is a "homemade tools" thread but it's pretty old and was going to start a fresh one but you beat me to it!

I have a bunch of pictures of my homemade stuff I took for starting the thread that I will post later tonight when I'm at my computer. Where's your custom made tool pictures?

Hako86 · Jun 20, 2013

signcrafter said:
I was going to start one of these threads later tonight! I know there is a "homemade tools" thread but it's pretty old and was going to start a fresh one but you beat me to it!

I have a bunch of pictures of my homemade stuff I took for starting the thread that I will post later tonight when I'm at my computer. Where's your custom made tool pictures?

Haha, sorry man :bounce:

! I don't have any pictures on my computer right now but I will take some photos.

signcrafter · Jun 21, 2013

Alright here are some homemade things I made. I love making my own stuff. I have more time then money and have a descent supply of spare parts in my garage, I save everything.

First is a stant pressure tester. I had an extra one so I stole the parts and added a valve and a shop air quick connect. Honestly I don't even use it because I just grab my normal stant but if I ever have to test a semi or large diesel I have it.

Next is a homemade "fuse buddy" set up. I have to give credit to member Stick for this idea. It's just an old school bulb wired up. I made a bunch of adapters from male terminals that will go into fuse holders and alligator clips to clip wires and a length of wire. The bulb acts as a load so will stay on when there is a dead short and go off when you find the dead short. Pretty handy thing I made with parts laying around.

Here is a voltage drop adapter, another tool inspired by member Stick. Just a battery disconnect with some 6-32 screws drilled and tapped into it. Stick has a good write up on parasitic draw. This one is one that came with a meter I bought but I have another I made up a while back and think I have a thread on here about it.

Some male terminal adapters with banana plugs for my meter. Can plug into fuse terminal.

A door buzzer tool I made from a bolt. Just stick it in the door pillar to shut the chime off. Also works good for parasitic draw testing so you don't have to open the door and wake sensors up. Also some terminal adapters.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177915&highlight=door

A lower control arm tool that works great for replacing ball joints on fords. Makes easy work to line them up.

I'm sure I have plenty more but these are my main ones. I'm in the process of making some relay adapters, like relay break out boxes. Too cheap to spend the 120 bucks for a set of relay testers.

Radio Ron w4ron · Jun 21, 2013

I collect antique radios, I first made this test rig when I was working on
industrial electronic equipment.
It lets you monitor the AC line voltage a the AC current being drawn by
a piece of equipment.
It's one of the handiest pieces of test gear I own.

kunkernator · Jun 21, 2013

I made a very professional looking 4 foot long breaker bar using a mill and lathe......unfortunately, I did not know how to properly harden it, so it got real warped after some usage.

Hafen_Kafer · Jun 21, 2013

put the torch on it until its red hot and submerge it in motor oil.

signcrafter · Jun 21, 2013

Radio Ron said:
I collect antique radios, I first made this test rig when I was working on
industrial electronic equipment.
It lets you monitor the AC line voltage a the AC current being drawn by
a piece of equipment.
It's one of the handiest pieces of test gear I own.

I like this, simple but useful! I do the same thing with auto fuse panels. Use an inline fuse holder with male terminals on it to plug into the fuse panel and it makes a loop for your clamp.

signcrafter · Jun 22, 2013

In another thread I was reading this morning someone linked to a homemade tool on another site. I just spent two hours on that site that is full of homemade tools! http://www.homemadetools.net/

jakemac · Jun 22, 2013

I've cobbled together plenty of thingamajigs to get a job done over the years, but this has to be my greatest accomplishment to date.

It is a cup insert with a magnet on the bottom, so I don't spill my beer while mowing the lawn. Unlike the built-in jobies you find on new mowers, this one can be moved so that grass clippings don't "contaminate the workspace". (seriously - what kind of an idiot designs a cupholder on the same side as the grass chute?) It can also be used on any metal surface to prevent spills.

:Homer:

Kevin54 · Jun 22, 2013

Hafen_Kafer said:
put the torch on it until its red hot and submerge it in motor oil.

That all depends on what type of material was used to make it.

X1 Mike · Jun 22, 2013

jakemac said:
I've cobbled together plenty of thingamajigs to get a job done over the years, but this has to be my greatest accomplishment to date.

It is a cup insert with a magnet on the bottom, so I don't spill my beer while mowing the lawn. Unlike the built-in jobies you find on new mowers, this one can be moved so that grass clippings don't "contaminate the workspace". (seriously - what kind of an idiot designs a cupholder on the same side as the grass chute?) It can also be used on any metal surface to prevent spills.

How long till the safety Nazis check in? The only issue I see with it is your choice of beer. :lol_hitti

jakemac · Jun 22, 2013

X1 Mike said:
How long till the safety Nazis check in? The only issue I see with it is your choice of beer.

I thought that I would have already heard from them by now.

As for the beer, that's the brand that I call "camp beer". It's for sitting in front of the fire up at camp, letting the relatives "borrow", and for puttering around the house. If I mis-place it, no big deal. The good stuff is kept under guard, and is for "relaxin' ".

X1 Mike · Jun 22, 2013

That's funny, my pops used to drink that stuff and he would buy enough to fill up the coke machine he had out at his cabin. He disabled the coin thing off so it was free beer for anyone and people (me) still gave him grief... :lol_hitti

jakemac · Jun 22, 2013

We had a visitor from the Netherlands last summer. We had a wide variety of great micro brews available to offer, but he was looking for Bud or Coors (Imports in Europe). NOT IN MY HOUSE ! He saw the MB in the beer fridge, and thought it was literal. He wanted the "best that Milwaukee had to offer" and enjoyed it. :beer2:

ROTFLOL !!!!!!!!!!

jeffk14 · Jun 22, 2013

jakemac said:
We had a visitor from the Netherlands last summer. We had a wide variety of great micro brews available to offer, but he was looking for Bud or Coors (Imports in Europe). NOT IN MY HOUSE ! He saw the MB in the beer fridge, and thought it was literal. He wanted the "best that Milwaukee had to offer" and enjoyed it. ROTFLOL !!!!!!!!!!

I know it's OT for this thread but the truth about beer is that it's a lot like like *** and pizza. Some is better than others but even when it's "bad", it's still pretty damned good.

Anybody who disagrees, get over yer hyper-sensitive, metrosexual self! :lol:

Kevin54 · Jun 22, 2013

jeffk14 said:
I know it's OT for this thread but the truth about beer is that it's a lot like like *** and pizza. Some is better than others but even when it's "bad", it's still pretty damned good.

Anybody who disagrees, get over yer hyper-sensitive, metrosexual self!

Only in certain desperate situations :beer:

signcrafter · Jun 23, 2013

Here's one I put together last night. I got the idea from the site I linked to above and had the stuff laying around. Not much "custom made" here but more of just putting two different tools together. Here is the original site that I got the idea from, http://www.homemadetools.net/exhaust-tubing-expander. He used a HF hydraulic knock out tool and lisle exhaust expander. He had the issue of the HF having metric threads and the lisle having SAE threads. I bought a used green lee hydraulic knock out set many years ago for a good price. Don't use it much at all but it sure is nice when you need it. The green lee has SAE threads the same size as the lisle exhaust expander so all I had to do was thread the lisle tool onto the green lee tool. I won't be using this much either probably but it's nice to have another use for the green lee tool that mostly sites on the shelf. My lisle expander is about 15 or so years old and isn't as fancy as the new lisle kit that will do more sizes. If I ever have some extra money laying around I might order the lisle kit to make this work on more sizes of exhausts.

The lisle expander

Lisle expander on the green lee

Close up

All together

bentwrench54 · Jun 23, 2013

Nothing wrong with Milwaukee's best! I keep some in the garage myself!

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

jeffmoss26 · Jun 23, 2013

I will post some pics of various tools I have had made for lock picking and rekeying.

skeletonizer · Jun 23, 2013

Valve spring compressor. Made it because the firewall overhangs the #6 cylinder on my '94 ZJ with the 4.0, couldn't get my Craftsman spring compressor under there. Modeled it after the tool in a pic in the Hansen service manual. Used a garage sale flat bar and hardware I had lying about.

01ps · Jul 3, 2013

These are a few I made. They all work and I use them regularly.
-Long air blower made with brake line and a short blower
-Fuel injector cleaner, pressurize and attach to fuel rail fitting, used with gas/injector cleaner mix
-Caliper piston spreader made from caukling gun
-Plastic push clip tool
-Dual piston caliper spreader

01ps · Jul 3, 2013

A few more
-air hammer attachment for removing fan clutches and o2 sensors, both work awesome.
-long air hammer attachment made with old bit, tubing and a bolt
-my favorite, fuse loops for waveform testing and amperage testing
-compressor venturi vacuum made from brass fittings
-smoke machine for testing leaks (evap/intakes) made with glow plug, paint pail and uses mineral oil

Holt · Jul 3, 2013

bentwrench54 said:
Nothing wrong with Milwaukee's best! I keep some in the garage myself!

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

Over here its refereed to as Beast. I've never even heard it called by it real name.

Garage5.9 · Jul 3, 2013

Show off your custom made tools!!

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