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