Tips & tricks, uses for non tool items. Re-purposing, and home made tools

[rdn2blazer]

When ever you have taped something, and you're going to be removing the tape very soon after, leave a buddy tab so you can grab it easily. This is a MUST at my work. We use all kinds of different tape and people get pissed off when someone doesn't leave a buddy tab for the next guy. Will make your life easier too.

 

[chevyfumes]

I always do that, works great especially for clear tape. Other wise I bust out the pocket knife and just make a new end, that sh¡t will drive you mad.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Well gee, I guess I'll post up another good idea since nobody else seems to want to play .

Here's a super simple little custom tool I've had for near 30 years. I made this one but a boss made one and gave it to me when I was 18, then I made one too, thats how I first saw one.

It's just a simple scribe layout tool for general line marking and scribing on things. They can be set to within a few thousands just using a simple hundredths scale so very accurate line scribe work for machining or fabrication. These are just one of the many simple cool custom machinist tools that anybody can use for garage work. I WILL be machining and selling these eventually for dirt cheap. Mine will be anodized and probably some stainless ones as well, the aluminum one will and do wear, but last forever still. You can make your own of course too.

 

[sponsoredbydad]

Man I really (LIKE) this thread. I too will play, but I need to go take pictures first.

 

[bigjbear]

Well gee, I guess I'll post up another good idea since nobody else seems to want to play .

Most of the stuff I've made is of no use to the average guy. If anyone else out there works on jet liners I'll be happy to share Need a MD11 window retainer centering tool made from a plastic scraper? How about a B767 proximity sensor shim from steel banding? N2 speed card actuators from scrap brass and turnbuckle ends? Anyone? Anyone? And don't even get me started on thing I've used as a bucking bar.

About the best general purpose tip I have is if you have a quality extension cord with damage don't trash it or just tape over the damage. Cut it at the damage and replace the end with an outlet box. I use an "old work" style box and a metal outlet cover. Works great if you're using two electric tool on the same job- like a saw and a grinder. You won't have to keep unplugging one to use the other.

This also works if you have some leftover romex. Of course you'll need to buy the plug end, too. I made a super HD extension cord for my 110V welder this way using all 20A rated stuff.

 

[bigjbear]

Actually, now that I think about it I have the stuff to make a cool brass hammer from some stock and a B727 gear pin. If I get some time I'll have to finish it and get some pics. The pins pop up on eBay from time to time and are usually inexpensive. Search "B727 NLG pin".

 

[rdn2blazer]

Man I really (LIKE) this thread. I too will play, but I need to go take pictures first.

Thanks. I have A LOT of things I'd like to eventually post up. A lot of machinist tricks and what not that would help in fabrication of anything to do with fabbin at home in your garage. I've done alot and have gotten by on very little for years. Of course for years I've had my collection of tools and equipment too. But some method's and technique's are timeless and CAN'T be improoved on.

Thats why somethings get done to the exact same method as 100+ years ago. I dig that stuff, but of course I love current technology as far as manufacturing goes. Robotics, cnc machining, laser cutting stuff like that too. Pretty much ANY for of metal working and I AM all about it. I just love this crap . Next major metal technology I seriously want to get into is foundry work, and plastic injection molding.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Tip:

If you don't have a file or angle grinder handy you can debur a cut piece of steel or any material for that matter on the concrete. You can grind a pretty good sized radius on anything depending on how course the concrete is. For a smoother finish chamfer finish on smoother concrete.

 

[A1971Blazer]

Thanks. I have A LOT of things I'd like to eventually post up. A lot of machinist tricks and what not that would help in fabrication of anything to do with fabbin at home in your garage. I've done alot and have gotten by on very little for years. Of course for years I've had my collection of tools and equipment too. But some method's and technique's are timeless and CAN'T be improoved on.

Thats why somethings get done to the exact same method as 100+ years ago. I dig that stuff, but of course I love current technology as far as manufacturing goes. Robotics, cnc machining, laser cutting stuff like that too. Pretty much ANY for of metal working and I AM all about it. I just love this crap . Next major metal technology I seriously want to get into is foundry work, and plastic injection molding.

I've been machining for 40 years. You and I are "old school" "real" machinists .......but a dying breed.

Now days most are "button pushers"

I started before CNC was the norm and when it came along I learned to write G-code manually....(dam was that SLOW!)...but actually got really good at it until good CAM came along.

I've got a bunch of "neat sh!t" too but just don't want to drag it out for photos! Without a doubt, you and I both can make pretty much anything we need or want.

Now, the next wave I see is going to be 3D printing technology. I have some connection to a national lab and it's amazing where this technology is going.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Amazing third world fabrication. You have no excuses now. JaysinSpaceman over on OFN posted this, so I though I would share it here too. Humbling to say the least. Enjoy. Vids are not in English but just look at what can be made with little hand tools.

Vid 1

Vid 2

 

[rdn2blazer]

I've been machining for 40 years. You and I are "old school" "real" machinists .......but a dying breed.

Now days most are "button pushers"

I started before CNC was the norm and when it came along I learned to write G-code manually....(dam was that SLOW!)...but actually got really good at it until good CAM came along.

I've got a bunch of "neat sh!t" too but just don't want to drag it out for photos! Without a doubt, you and I both can make pretty much anything we need or want.

Now, the next wave I see is going to be 3D printing technology. I have some connection to a national lab and it's amazing where this technology is going.

Cool! I had no idea . Dying breed is for sure. At my work we can not find quality machinist's that can hold tolerance. The level of cnc artistry that gets machined there on a daily bassis though is impressive and incredible, but yet just the daily routine for the really skilled older cnc machinist's there.

Parts like you see in the thread below. This is not a current company picture of a part from my current job, but a part from my last shop. But this is the cnc and programming level of the work that gets done by the best guys at my work, and wherer I used to work as a machinist too. No, I do not miss doing super complicated parts. The level of stress is hard on a guy after so many years of holding precision tight tolerances for so many years. But I love having the knowledge of ther trade for damn sure. Would not give that up for anything.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169687&highlight=cnc+machined+work+art

 

[rdn2blazer]

Don't throw away those old junk cordless drill cases. I'm cutting the inner walls out of two old drill cases and using them for other storage. Excelent way to repurpose them.

 

[76zimmer]

I love this thread Rob, keep going man, I'm sure many are like me and just diggin the ideas....I've read a bunch of stuff like this in magazines, and I always think I could use that, or do that, or repurpose this, but generally its gets forgotten....This being in a thread will be easy to look up again...maybe we need it to be a sticky???

 

[rdn2blazer]

Ahh the old Wallet Chain. I remember when I thought they were cool to wear too . Then I grew up and realized I didn't need to look cool to be cool, I was already cool as hell . lol!

Anyways, I realized a long time ago that a wallet chain is an awesome tool in the garage as an adjustable method for suporting and making small incremental adjustments to things. I used it for the fabrication of the very first tube project I ever made and that was what ended up being my "White Rhino" tube bumper as someone so appropriately named it .

I recently used this same method to figure out how wide I wanted my new shelves I put up to be. I set the lid on my parts washer to a good working height so I could do all I needed to do in the washer without hitting my skull. It as expected worked great as a quick setup tool to do this. Now with the shelves up I can get the pig support and emergency drop setup incase of a fire.

 

[rdn2blazer]

And you can make cool shapes with a wallet chain too, check it out. A star and a chevy truck cab lol!

 

[A1971Blazer]

And you can make cool shapes with a wallet chain too, check it out. A star and a chevy truck cab lol!

Dude....seriously......you got too much time on your hands! J/K

 

[rdn2blazer]

TIP: Combination squares

How to set them to the thousandth for very accurate measuring and layout work. You'll need a pair of calipers. I use my Starrett square ALL the time. It's a machinist's combination square, not a carpenter's combination square. The difference is the precision and quality of the tool, and how they read in graduation.

A regular cartenter's square reads in standard fractional values of 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8th's, where a machinist's square is in 32th, 64th, 50th, and 100th. I use exclusively the 100th as this will get you as close as your going to get quickly, past a tape measure.

You can see in the pictures below (not a great pic, best camera would do) with an eye loup so the camera can see the immage, a 100th scale is marked at .010 per line increment. With an eye loup or a pair of Opti-Visors you can look at a 100th scale and get even closer to a very close somewhat precision tolerance, as close as .005 by splitting the two lines with a sharp scribe.

Thats machining tolerance some machinists's can't hold lol. I personally do not know of any that lame but for garage layout work and centerline hole marking for drilling this is an awesome method thats accurate and that I've used for over a couple decades now.

It should look like the last pic where I'm holding the calipers and square tightly together. You set your calipers to the dimension you want and lock them, then put the square flat against the back calipers and adjust the square. Bring them to to contact on both faces of the caliper head surfaces and keep it square together. Lock the square down while pushing against the caliper.

If you do it correctly then re-check it after tightening to double check it is set correctly, you should be set exactly or within a thou or two at most. This is just how I do all the work I do. I use tape measure all the time too, but if I want/need accuracy this is a great method. I don't know how others do their accurate measuring but this is how I do it. Share what you know or works for you, if you want to of course.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Dude....seriously......you got too much time on your hands! J/K

When you have a swolen brain, and a brain tumor, and are on disability because of it, this is what you do to keep your mind sharp. You'll see in a short time when I post the newly re-organized garage/shop pictures soon, just how OCD I have gone .

My buddy came over this past weekend, I was in the house in the back and he went into my garage as it was all opened up and I had been working out in it. I heard him shout as he walked in, "Holly ***k!!! , Then I walked in behind him, he says,"YOU have been one BUSY mofo***r!!!" I just said, "I haven't been being lazy, swolen brain or not, I'm a worker brother." He just shook his head, wide eyed in amazement the fact I've done what I've done in my shape and condition. Made me feel good .

I didn't have the time to do this before when I was healthy. Or I was too lazy I guess. Now that I feel like I'm on borrowed time, nothing is stopping me from making this dream of a machine shop come true, so I have to work HARD at it like anything you want in life. Now I have the time, but the health is NOT good, but I'm kicking cancers ass so it's all good, and I'm making major progress on my shop and I'm doing 100% of the work. Cancer... what cancer. Brain tumors... what brain tumors .

 

[livid4dirt]

Good stuff Rob! Neat thread.......and yes **** Cancer!

 

[A1971Blazer]

When you have a swolen brain, and a brain tumor, and are on disability because of it, this is what you do to keep your mind sharp. You'll see in a short time when I post the newly re-organized garage/shop pictures soon, just how OCD I have gone .

My buddy came over this past weekend, I was in the house in the back and he went into my garage as it was all opened up and I had been working out in it. I heard him shout as he walked in, "Holly ***k!!! , Then I walked in behind him, he says,"YOU have been one BUSY mofo***r!!!" I just said, "I haven't been being lazy, swolen brain or not, I'm a worker brother." He just shook his head, wide eyed in amazement the fact I've done what I've done in my shape and condition. Made me feel good .

I didn't have the time to do this before when I was healthy. Or I was too lazy I guess. Now that I feel like I'm on borrowed time, nothing is stopping me from making this dream of a machine shop come true, so I have to work HARD at it like anything you want in life. Now I have the time, but the health is NOT good, but I'm kicking cancers ass so it's all good, and I'm making major progress on my shop and I'm doing 100% of the work. Cancer... what cancer. Brain tumors... what brain tumors .

Wow! what great attitude.....my hat is off to you and even though we may never meet face to face.......my thoughts and prayers go out to you!

Also if you get all your stuff organized and get bored, feel free to come and do all of mine! I have a full blown machine shop already. It would be like you were in heaven without the prerequisite......

Keep up the good work and fight the good fight!