Homemade Tools!

[Ayers Garage]

The other thread got me fired up.

Let's see some of your custom modified or built tools.

Maybe some pics with description of what it does and how you made it if it's not obvious.

Hell, how about some off the wall uncommon tools you have.

[C9]

Dzus button sheet metal countersink thingy.

[C9]

Spark plug adjustable piston stop.

[C9]

1/4" aluminum double angle adjustable bandsaw vise spacer.

[C9]

Drill press no-clamp required stop.

[C9]

Dropped axle steering arm bending jig.

[C9]

Big puller - brake drums & other stuff.

[C9]

Drill/tap block.

[C9]

Deuce chassis puller together thingy.
(Fits across frame rails - transversely.)

[C9]

Home-made lathe tool block complete with external adjuster gadget - gadget next photo.

[C9]

Adjuster gadget for home-made lathe tool block.
Flat bottom of 1/4-20 bolt sits at height tool bit should be at.
Bit gets installed and adjusted with block off lathe.

[C9]

Here's why the adjuster gadget to the home-made tool block works.
The tool bits are supported top and bottom with 1/4-20 cup point allen set screws.
They're adjusted to bring tool bit to the proper height.

[C9]

Big circle cutting thingy.

Look on the shelf above and you'll see two home-made hammers.
The LFH and the MFH ... Little and Medium....

The MFH has a wooden handle and is well balanced and a pleasure to use.
The LFH has a knurled aluminum handle, is not so well balanced, but not bad to use cuz you just tap lightly with it in most cases.

Bad part for both is the brass alloy is so hard it will dent some metals if you get carried away.

Got a BFH brass hammer too, but no pics.
It's ok cuz it's a touch crude.
Big slug of soft brass tapped for a 1/2-13 bolt which is brazed into a short piece of galvanized plumbing pipe which has circular grooves ground in for a better grip.

Crude it is, but it does the job.

[C9]

"T" made from 1" square tubing, clamped in the vise to match the height of the drill press table for long stuff.

[skipstitch]

Aw...man..C9 took all mine http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Great pics!!!!

[C9]

An adjustable bracket for determining optimum height of grille shell for proper hood line.

[C9]

Simple spacers for setting up bolt-in lower Dzus button springs on hood sides.

[C9]

Home-made tool block on the little lathe.
(6 x 18")

Note the upper allen set screws are below top level of block.
That allows a flat bottomed adjuster block to be used for tool bit height adjustment.
The groove on the adjuster for the other lathe is required cuz the allen set screws sit above the top surface.

[burndup]

Volkswagen Restorer pisser-offer. As I'm an apartment dweller, this thing gets a lot of use.

[36-3window]

here's a tool i made to form a lip on a piece of tubing. i mostly use it to make radiator hose connections with stainlees tubing...the lip keeps the hose from sliding off the end

[36-3window]

i put the tube in my lathe,clamp the tool on the end of the tube and just turn it slow in back gear while putting pressure on with the adjusment bolt

[36-3window]

fixtures for bending heavier material in my hydraulic press

[Levis Classic]

Holly shot C9 you are the King of thinga ma bob tools!

[flatordead]

engine stand- scrapmetal and an reaper-binder hub.
http://www.oldhotrodparts.de/forum/enginestand.jpg

[C9]

Burndup, my dad had a vise set up like that.
A little heavier duty on a flat 1/4" plate you stood on, but it worked great for him.

36-3window, that's about the best idea I've seen in a while.
Looks like it turns out very professional looking tube ends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

Here's a pic of the lathe tool bit adjusting block set up as it would be used.
Makes things a little clearer I hope.

[C9]

Here's a four part pic.
The axle bench assembly tool in this one is on the upper right.

Assembly should be apparent, but all it is, is two pieces of 1" square tubing cut at an angle and welded together.
It's drilled to accept one 1/2" bolt per side.
One of the bolts goes through the upper bolt hole in the batwing.
The other bolt goes in the lower hole of the batwing and due to the axles weight distribution the lower batwing bolt lays against the upper part of the tool.

This is the Mark 2 version of the first axle bench assembly tool.
The first one was a piece of 1" square tubing that sat horizontally on the bench and a big bolt was trimmed down so it would fit into the axle perch holes and welded to the square tubing. Two of these were made, one for each side and they mounted individually and left free to swivel on the perch bolt holes.
A big washer on the step of the bolt and the axle was directly supported.
It's not required to bolt the tool to the axle, best if left free to swivel so the tool can be self-squaring.
(Self-squaring cuz the axle perch bolt holes are not square to the bench top.)

The Mark 2 version was made so the spring could be pre-assembled to the axle on the bench.

One big caveat with both of these tools is: when you assemble the hubs/rotors and calipers the weight is off-center and they will swing back and pinch your fingers and it's possible the unbalance could drag the whole outfit off the bench and onto the floor.
(The assembled axle with everything on weighs about 200#. You'll need a Cherry Picker or a couple more guys to get it off the bench and onto the floor.)
It's important you have either the tie rod installed or a temp tie rod made and installed. I used a piece of 1/2 x 1" rect tubing drilled for a 1/2" bolt for the temp tie rod.
The 1/2" bolt is the right size to drop into the steering arm's tie rod end holes.
Finger tight on the bolts is sufficient.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Other pics in this 4-parter are:

Lower right, final assembly of my 32 with the 2 1/4" exhaust which was replaced with 2 1/2" right away.
That due to an unplanned for conflict with the 32's depressed seat pan in the body. It cleared, but it was too close.
All was not lost though, the exhaust ended up on a 28 full fendered A roadster with SBC.

Lower left, the 31 on 32 rails roadster when the frame was first a roller.

Upper left, the 32's 462" Buick engine when it ran the big cam and dual quads.

[Hotroddder]

Here is a frame rotissery I built. Both ends are the same and have steering.......

[Hotroddder]

Nuther pic....

[desertratrodder]

I made this thing a while back to hold the rear end yoke so the nut can be removed or retorqued. It fits most yokes. It allows you to work on the vehichle in the air instead of using the wheels to stop it. A 1" steel bar welded to 2" angle 1/4" thick, flattened at the end. Works really well for its intended purpose, or you can go Medieval on someones ass with it too.

[Scott B]

C9, let me know when the folks next door move...I think I would be a great neighbor...

[C9]

Sounds good to me.
I need some hot rodder guys and gals in the neighborhood.

Cept ... once this house sells ... the neighborhood we'll be in will be Arizona....

[BELLM]

Homemade slide hammer-no photo, 5/8 sucker rod with washer welded on end using cluster gear out of 55 Chev 3 spd, about 30" long welded piece of flat metal on end, bent little more than 90 degrees, hole in center. Built for collision repair work but can pull axles, bolt all kinds of attachments on end will leap tall buildings etc. Downside gotta wear leather glove or hurts the hell outa yer hand. Cost 30 minutes of my worthless time used for almost 30 yrs now.

[Jethro]

Homemade sandbag and mallet.My wife saw me looking at Covells site and she said "We can make one of those!"and we did.My brother in law is a wood turner and he spun me up a maple head for a mallet..he also made his wood lathe...out of wood, naturally.

[Jethro]

Sheet metal brake...A guy I work with bought a book on making shop tools and said to me if I weld up one for him(a non welder) I could use the plans too. It works pretty good.Not real sharp bends, they have a slight radius to them but I've made several things with it ..2 gas tanks, firewall for my 39 chev,trans hump,several patch panels etc. It's been real handy to have.Several of my buddies are willing to store it for me at their shops...they're great guys, so helpful.

[flatheadpete]

Hey Flat or dead...Can I have that motor? I made a big ass cheater bar out a ....bar. works great!! Also doubles as a weapon if needed. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[onelow48]

Hay Jethro! What kinda $ did you spend to make the brake?

[flatheadpete]

Jethro, ya gonna share the plans for that brake with us? I'll give you my recipe for a big cheater bar. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Rocknrod]

Eh.. could we have the name of the book?

Home made shop tools... hmmm! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Crosley]

Tools I rounded up for a snap that i have at home & I could find...

most of them are for tranny work. Some are simply tranny parts modified for a different use.

Some are fully custom built. Others are copies of availible tools I built copies of for mucho less money.

My ford 9 inch diff housing narrowing fixture is too heavy for me to round up tonight...

[Jethro]

Hey guys, sorry it took so long to get back but I couldn't get a hold of the guy till just now. The name of the book is "The racers guide to fabricating shop equipment" It's by John Block and is published by Steve Smith autosports. It's a good book with plans for an engine stand, hydraulic press, flame cutter,metal brake, body rotisserie(I think)

Onelow48...It cost me about 50 bucks to build the brake.I had some of the steel just laying around ,but I had to buy some too.

[tommy]

http://fototime.com/{4B9A6E2E-1EBD-4A39-862B-CFBF48DA1428}/picture.JPG
I needed a tool to uncap my hot lakers when I get to the fair grounds...
.
.So I made one. Ya never want to scar up that pretty aluminum!
.
http://fototime.com/{F2F9841E-9280-4521-86B2-BEDA55C34E62}/picture.JPG http://fototime.com/{C57319BE-D27C-465C-97D2-00A6E82E82A1}/picture.JPG

[Flatdog]

Here are two homemade tools for working on flatheads. One is a tapered piston ring compressor for use with a releived engine and the second is a crankshaft turner for motor assembely.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass/Flathead_tools.JPG

[Flatdog]

And here's my homemade engine test stand:

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass/Test_stand.jpg

[atch]

so it's been four months now since the last reply. anyone got anything to add? newbies that never saw this before? oldies who missed it the first time?

b-t-w; this is a very cool thread; thanx to everyone who has contributed. i missed it the first time. i'll look around the shop this week. surely i've got something i can take pix of and add here...

[Stevie G]

How about a list of places that sell plans for homemade tools?

[ray]

so it's been four months now since the last reply. anyone got anything to add? newbies that never saw this before? oldies who missed it the first time?

b-t-w; this is a very cool thread; thanx to everyone who has contributed. i missed it the first time. i'll look around the shop this week. surely i've got something i can take pix of and add here...

psst, been a YEAR and 4 months! i was wondering why C9 said by then his house would be in Arizona!

it's ok though, good stuff here that somehow missed the tech-o.

[atch]

psst, been a YEAR and 4 months! i was wondering why C9 said by then his house would be in Arizona!

it's ok though, good stuff here that somehow missed the tech-o.damn!!! where did that year go???

[sawzall]

My power hammer (special thanks to clark for some of the parts)
NOT a planishing hammer.. a power hammer.. it smacks the crap out of stuff!


http://images6.fotki.com/v161/photos/2/206474/1978829/DSC00417-vi.jpg


and :
http://images9.fotki.com/v172/photos/2/206474/1978829/DSC01031-vi.jpg

my metalworking "center"

this makes a good deal of sense since I am working in a small space
The following tools fit into an area about 40 inches square...

grizzley shear/brake/roller
homemade english wheel
modified harbor freight bead roller
auction find throatless shear
small "trash picked" circle shear
another auction purchase.. shrinker stretcher setup
bench vise
and a slightly modified harbor freight ring roller...all fit in / on this machine..

this is mounted on casters and isnt too difficult to move around by myself.. lets just pray I dont have to move it too far... EVER...

from the side
http://images9.fotki.com/v171/photos/2/206474/1978829/DSC01032-vi.jpg

oh and i forgot it handles storing my clecos as well
http://images9.fotki.com/v168/photos/2/206474/1978829/DSC01033-vi.jpg

[30roadster]

Deuce chassis puller together thingy.
(Fits across frame rails - transversely.)

haha -I like your solution... your too refined....I opened up a can of red-neck and I just used a come-along...:D

[drhotrodmd]

Home made jack stand but not the safest.