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Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ron Brown, Jul 30, 2019.

  1. Doublepumper
    Joined: Jun 26, 2016
    Posts: 1,534

    Doublepumper
    Member
    from WA-OR, USA

    When wrenching on chrome or painted nuts, bolts or screws, use a small piece of vinyl between it and the wrench or driver tip, to keep from marring the surface. Use that thin clear vinyl from store packaging (bed sheets,curtains, etc.).

    Save the stuffing paper, that your box of parts is packed with to keep things from moving around during shipment. Un-crumple it, smooth it out, fold it up and stash it. I keep mine under a corner of some carpet in my shop to keep it flat. Use it for masking overspray and setting up a clean area on the work bench for rebuilding carbs or anything that needs a clean space.

    Used dryer sheets make good filters for stuff you want to strain into or out of a container. By folding the sheet or by using more that one, you can regulate how fine or course you want the filter to be. A new sheet stashed under the seat will make your heap smell nice.

    Keep glue and sealants in the shop fridge to keep them usable for a much longer period than if stored on the shelf. Put them inside zip lock bags to keep them from stinking up the brewskies.

    Save your plastic jars and use them to store nuts, bolts and smaller stuff. Sort and arrange them by size so their easy to see what's in them. When you need something, dump the jar onto a shop rag to sort through and get what you need. When done, use the rag to funnel the goodies back into the jar.
     
  2. sloppy jalopies
    Joined: Jun 29, 2015
    Posts: 5,256

    sloppy jalopies
    Member

    When you cut the bottom out of an A gastank leave about 1" plus a $0.25 piece size tab every 8" front and back...
    drill a 1/4" hole through the tabs...
    later you can suspend the wiring harness, radio or heater with they and a few wire ties...
    sorry can't find the pix...
     
    brEad, Stogy, Shadow Creek and 4 others like this.
  3. sloppy jalopies
    Joined: Jun 29, 2015
    Posts: 5,256

    sloppy jalopies
    Member

    duct tape the battery powered LED "light" that you would wear like a headband "up side down" onto the chin of your self darkening welding helmet...
    the extra light is great, it also helps stop rewelding because of the weld's shadow from your drop light not lining up...
     
  4. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,152

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    When I was young and dumb I used to drink at a local bar that had stamped metal ashtrays. The thing was his dog liked to bite thru them. Whenever a drunk would get a little too loud, he would pick up an ashtray and ask if he should let the dog in. Rarely did he have to open the back door for the dog. I once had a cop ask me why they never had to respond to that bar, I told him the dog ate the evidence.
     
  5. My wife works in a nursing home, she always comes home with a pocket full of latex gloves. One of her favorite toys is the magnet on a stick. Just a couple of weeks ago I had the idea to stick a glove on the magnet, as you can imagine, it worked very well. That’s just my little add on to your great suggestion.
     
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  6. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    I like to use Stax plastic potato chip cans to store hardware and parts in. I have about a 15 year collection of them, the lid can be written on with a Sharpie and you.can stand them up in a box or milk crate nicely. Very handy for restorations, especially if you like to seperate things out as much as I do. Need the door latch hardware? Grab the can. Need the window regulator hardware? Grab that can. Hinge to cowl bolts? Grab that can. Much simpler than some container labeled "doors".
     
    BradinNC, loudbang and Crazy Steve like this.
  7. Country Joe
    Joined: Jan 16, 2018
    Posts: 517

    Country Joe
    Member

    Here's a tip. I put one of these rubber chair leg bumpers on the handle of my floor jack in case the handle should fall down and scratch a nearby car. I had to scratch my car first before I thought of it.
    rubber.jpg
     
  8. weps
    Joined: Aug 1, 2008
    Posts: 544

    weps
    Member
    from auburn,IN

    I have used it successfully many times. I have it setup outside, so cant/don't use it in the winter time. Large plastic tub, standard battery charger, WASHING SODA and time...
     
  9. RMONTY
    Joined: Jan 7, 2016
    Posts: 2,540

    RMONTY
    Member

    A couple things I have found is to get the sacrificial anode as close to the piece being de-rusted without touch it. Also, make sure the part is fully suspended with nothing touching it or it touching the sides of the container.
     
    pineknot4, ratrodrodder and Stogy like this.
  10. X-cpe
    Joined: Mar 9, 2018
    Posts: 1,958

    X-cpe

    Cheap 1" paint brushes. Great for cleaning cracks and crevasses. You can cut the bristles for whatever stiffness you need.
     
  11. brad2v
    Joined: Jun 29, 2009
    Posts: 1,652

    brad2v
    Member

    Yup, I have a dedicated Rubbermaid container, on a plywood skid with castors. The anode is set up as a cage around the outside of the tub. Works like a damn. I'll often leave something large, and/or really rusty a couple of days or more. Shutting it off occasionally for a bit to avoid killing the battery charger.
     
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  12. clem
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 4,188

    clem
    Member

    Good idea.
    My rubbish bin sits under my drill press, so all filings fall straight into it. - never have to sweep up a mess !
     
    Rowdy69, Stogy, drdave and 4 others like this.
  13. Maicobreako
    Joined: Jun 25, 2018
    Posts: 144

    Maicobreako
    Member

    and old toothbrushes...
     
  14. Maicobreako
    Joined: Jun 25, 2018
    Posts: 144

    Maicobreako
    Member

    Used dryer sheets make good filters

    so do coffee filters and old nylons
     
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  15. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    When reconditioning old leather seats, use the Lexol that you buy at the tack shop, not the licensed crap that you buy at the auto parts store.
     
    Atwater Mike, slack, Stogy and 3 others like this.
  16. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,059

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    Copper sheetmetal, copper nail and a broom stick handle. Backing for sheetmetal welding.
    WP_20180425_16_14_44_Pro.jpg WP_20180425_16_14_55_Pro.jpg
     
  17. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    Car Show trick: if you run out of tire dressing, Ivory liquid kitchen soap will do the same thing....until you hit a puddle..
     
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  18. Tdesoto276
    Joined: Mar 22, 2006
    Posts: 206

    Tdesoto276
    Member
    from Des Moines

    Great thread.
    I use an old drywall mud bucket to store my electrical cords.. Cut a hole in the bottom and feed the plug end out with enough cord to reach your receptacle. I can get up to 200 feet of cord in a standard sized bucket. It will hang from a hook in the rafter if you want to keep it off the floor. Even my wife can't tangle the cord. HAMB Hack.jpg
     
  19. Cymro
    Joined: Jul 1, 2008
    Posts: 755

    Cymro
    Member

    Oxalic acid is really good at removing rust, totally organic, present in Rhubarb , mainly in the leaves which you don't eat because of this. A really old trick was to shred rhubarb leaves into a container add boiling water and the component that needed de-rusting and leave overnight, then rinse off, I used this method to salvage many old tools over the years.
     
  20. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,174

    manyolcars

    I don't buy the police advice to use lights. Back in the 70s I talked to a guy who said he drove around looking for things to steal. If the place was dark at night he kept going. Said he didn't want trip over something in the dark and break a leg. He only stole from places that were well lit.
     
    loudbang, 48fordnut, Truck64 and 2 others like this.
  21. 027A6B3E-207B-44A9-93AE-158A8C0D85D4.jpeg Here’s some more trash can tech. Hang your dust pan from your can. I used a welding rod, 7018 I believe :rolleyes:
     
    VANDENPLAS, Hamtown Al, Stogy and 5 others like this.
  22. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,707

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    When I was building my new carport, I was having trouble with carpenter bees boring into the western red cedar on the house. I took a couple of flesh colored plastic bags, filled them with paper and other bags, and hung them off the edge of the house. In about three days, no more bees or wasps. Apparently they think the bags are hornet nests and won’t come around anymore because supposedly hornets eat them. I can’t claim credit for this idea as I stole it off of Facebook. It worked for me even though I was skeptical of it. Haven’t seen any hornets trying to make a home in them, either, guess they don’t like the plastic either!
     
    Atwater Mike, Stogy, drdave and 4 others like this.
  23. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    When painting hubs you can mask off the wheel studs with cut off fingers from an old pair of latex gloves. Brand New, just learnt that today on an 8 lug 3/4 ton pickup :)
     
  24. sloppy jalopies
    Joined: Jun 29, 2015
    Posts: 5,256

    sloppy jalopies
    Member

    If you like the narrowed '37 truck grill look, buy a roll of 5/16" or 3/8" steel brake line, it is already bowed, easier to make match the grill's bow... I chop and narrow the grill about 3" and leave the top and bottom few teeth there as they are harder to fit... take the b/l pieces and roll them over a tire the right diameter to get a starting bow... they will bow more in the center and flatten as they approach the top and bottom … tack in a center strip to keep the bow right...
    should work on about any horizontal tooth grill.... maybe even a vertical tooth grill ? DSCN4390.JPG
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2019
    touring20, Stogy, barrnone50 and 3 others like this.
  25. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    Another one is using a Chore Boy for taking surface rust off of metal. The pad is bronze wool instead of steel and doesn't damage the surface. I use them on cars, chrome steelies, and even guns( it doesn't take the bluing off).
     
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  26. I use scrap copper pipe, flatten with a BFH and bend/shape for whatever task I'm working on. I've got a bunch of sizes and shape profiles.
     
    pila38, Trophyman, BradinNC and 4 others like this.
  27. flamingokid
    Joined: Jan 5, 2005
    Posts: 2,200

    flamingokid
    Member

    Last, but not least, tire siping. When I was a teenager in Omaha, we had an old guy up in north Omaha that used to sipe tires for better performance. He also put white walls on black wall tires and even did some red lines for my split window. https://www.lesschwab.com/article/performance-tire-siping.html
     
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  28. 65pacecar
    Joined: Sep 22, 2010
    Posts: 16,802

    65pacecar
    Member
    from KY, AZ

    A new sharp and clean flat razor blade, Spray Way window cleaner and A light touch will clean almost anything off without damaging the surface. Use plenty of the cleaner as a lubricant and don’t get into a hurry.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  29. If you get a sore neck while laying on the floor under your vehicle you can fill a 2 litre plastic pop bootle
    with warm or cool water (depending on the season) to support your neck, works for me.
     
    rpm56, Tacson, wulf powis and 12 others like this.
  30. 65pacecar
    Joined: Sep 22, 2010
    Posts: 16,802

    65pacecar
    Member
    from KY, AZ

    Be nice to your Neighbors and they will often ignore that painting, grinding or open header blast you do on occasion. I live in the country with pretty tolerant people around but still try to be courteous and help them when I can.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     

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