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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. Muckler
    Joined: Dec 16, 2019
    Posts: 16

    Muckler
    Member
    from NH USA

    pretty cool thread, heres an old trick I didn't see mentioned.
    Save old springs from screen doors, when bending tubing slide a good fitting spring over where you want to make your bend go slow and use common sense and youll be surprised how tight of a bend you can get when replacing a brake line , fuel line,..ect….
     
    clem, Shadow Creek, loudbang and 3 others like this.
  2. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 3,518

    deathrowdave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NKy

    What a Squid ?!!! Thank you for serving . You are the backbone of the good old US of A , brother .
     
  3. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    When installing carpet in a car with studs to mount the seats, lay the carpet on the floor and over the studs. Take a deep socket just bigger than the stud and hammer the carpet over the stud. The socket will punch the stud through the carpet and push the carpet down to the floor.
     
  4. 56 WAGON
    Joined: Feb 3, 2013
    Posts: 9

    56 WAGON
    Member
    from Arizona

    Where can I buy those? Do you have a link?
     
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  5. sloppy jalopies
    Joined: Jun 29, 2015
    Posts: 5,256

    sloppy jalopies
    Member

    snyders, mikes, brattons, macs, tamms, early ford restorations... etc.
    but there should be 1 brace, 2 cowl mounts on every bumper brace that has been removed from an A body as they are riveted on...bought a used pair for $12 on ebay a couple years back... vvvvvvxxxx.jpg
     
    Boneyard51, loudbang and mad mechanic like this.
  6. Ammo cans are great for logger chains. They stack easily, have a carry handle and are gasketed to keep chains dry. Even if thrown in the back of an open truck in the rain/snow.
     
  7. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    To check to see if a timing chain is stretched or loose, remove the distributor cap. Turn the engine counter clockwise until the rotor moves, mark the lower pulley and then turn the engine clockwise until the rotor moves again. Mark the lower pulley again and see how far the marks are apart. That is how much slop is in the timing chain, less the distributor gear lash which is minimal.
     
  8. Maicobreako
    Joined: Jun 25, 2018
    Posts: 144

    Maicobreako
    Member

     
  9. old man hal
    Joined: Jun 21, 2017
    Posts: 92

    old man hal
    Member

    Use a flat screw driver. Liquid runs through a oblong hole better than a round one.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  10. And catch on fire when welding, cutting, and grinding. I use grocery store plastic bags for trash in the shop and keep the big trash and recycle cart outside.

    Sent from my Nexus 5X using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  11. eicke
    Joined: Jul 30, 2012
    Posts: 63

    eicke
    Member

    Open a tube of caulk and the tip will dry up in short order leaving you trying to unblock it. Hang the tube, still in the gun, tip pointed down. Prevents drying. Try it, I did with silicone and it works even after days.
     
  12. TJohn
    Joined: Dec 13, 2019
    Posts: 9

    TJohn
    Member

    :rolleyes:
    Yep, been there.
     
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  13. Ryans65
    Joined: Apr 12, 2018
    Posts: 90

    Ryans65
    Member
    from Yulee FL

    yep all kinds of stuff inside that could go up in flames from a few errant sparks. One of the 96 gallon "toters" with the hinged lid is a nice outside unit. They run about $99 and will last forever.

     
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  14. slowmotion
    Joined: Nov 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,330

    slowmotion
    Member

    Funny you mention that, I just bought one yesterday at Lowe's, 96 gal & $99! Refused to pay the ransom from the trash company, bought my own...:cool:
     
    mad mikey, loudbang and mad mechanic like this.
  15. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 4,214

    ekimneirbo

    Keep your receipt and use a permanent marker to write the purchase date inside the lid. Then if the garbage truck manages to break it, you can get a replacement. I think mine is for 10 years..........
     
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  16. 20191219_172148.jpg Chrome clip tools? Yep, made out of a worn out sawzall blade... and one of my many homemade metal shaping tools.... 20191219_172008.jpg
     
  17. Up here you throw a chartreuse colored jig in front of a Walleye & you'll know that color for ever.
     
  18. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    Did I tell y'all this one?!
    After a fresh paint job its time to put the chrome back on....and not scratch up the new paint. I did this and it works! Get an old milk jug and cut out a square about 2" X 3" and slip that under the clips that hold the chrome in place. Its slick so the chrome slides under the clip pretty EZ + helps protect the paint from the chrome trim kinda scoot'in around. Once the chrome is in place.....pull the plastic square out and go to the next one! Mark the location of the clips on a piece of masking tape so when your snapping the chrome in place you will know where the next one is!!

    About the big plastic totes for 99 bux. I like to store my lawn mower gas/chain saw gas/flammable crap in a plastic tote OUTSIDE the workshop! The less flammable stuff inside.........the better! No smelly fumes from 'modern' gasoline either. Since the tote has a snap on plastic lid its weather proof also.
    6sally6
     
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  19. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Woosh!!
     
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  20. lonejacklarry
    Joined: Sep 11, 2013
    Posts: 1,498

    lonejacklarry
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Tip for today- Never walk around in your shop with a screwdriver in your back pocket.

    It will end up costing a lot of money before it is over.
     
  21. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    They say that experience is the best teacher; I did this almost 50 years ago. Never done it again.
     
  22. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,625

    atch
    Member

    Most folks on here have one or more air compressors. If you're like me it's a pita to drain the water from the tank. These pix show what I did to make it a piece-o-cake.

    1. I replaced the Mickey Mouse valve at the bottom of the tank with an elbow, nipple, and ball valve. This eliminates getting down on the floor to reach under the tank to turn a valve to let out condensation.

    Then so I don't have water spraying all over the shop I did the following:
    2. From the ball valve I installed a clear tube to a 5 gallon bucket. The arrangement inside the bucket is shown; it sends the air/water in a circular pattern around the inside of the bucket without splashing. You'll notice that the tube is pointed slightly downward also. Those are just common conduit clamps holding the tube inside the bucket, and the tube is attached with a barb fitting down by the valve.
    3. All I have to do is crack open the ball valve and the condensation in the tank gets blown into the bucket.
    4. Next time I've got a few minutes I'm going to make a "handle extension" for the ball valve so I don't even have to bend down to turn the handle. Basically just a steel or aluminum rod 2-3 feet long attached where the handle is and the handle relocated to the end of the rod, which will now be 2-3 feet higher off of the floor.

    b-t-w; even if you use an automatic drain you've still got to have a place for the water to go, so the bucket and tube still applies.

    20191104_170419.jpg 20191104_170357.jpg 20191104_170446.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2019
  23. Almostdone
    Joined: Dec 19, 2019
    Posts: 892

    Almostdone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Put your tack welds where you can get at them in case they need to be removed.
     
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  24. ratreo
    Joined: Jan 24, 2010
    Posts: 76

    ratreo
    Member

    6706F0AB-EA56-459A-9AB8-F3B514E110D3.jpeg I read through all of the pages but didn’t see these suggestions posted.
    20 years back someone shared with me the idea of installing 4 foot lights on either side of the garage doors so you still had good lighting when the garage door was up(covering some of the ceiling lights).
     
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  25. ratreo
    Joined: Jan 24, 2010
    Posts: 76

    ratreo
    Member

    F9BAE5A8-B19F-4020-B644-AEB7B5FF0E38.jpeg 720D4384-C1B4-43E8-9EA6-BB9B835ABC47.jpeg I’ve worked in quite a few shops where the owners have spent a fortune buying machinery but would never cover it up when welding and grinding around it. I use old shower curtains (cotton under/plastic over) to cover my equipment. I’ve got 15 to 40 year old machines that look and work like new
     
  26. ratreo
    Joined: Jan 24, 2010
    Posts: 76

    ratreo
    Member

    A316C0A4-C154-4550-ABA1-C5CD1A404775.jpeg The last one is pretty darn simple. I have replaced many of my primary entrance door handles with lever handles. When you’re carrying a bucket of soapy water in one hand and mitts in the other or if you’ve got greasy hands and don’t want to make a mess of the doorknob you can use your elbow to open the door
     
  27. Better yet.......car or home stuff, use a large gauge household wiring wire nut to screw on the end of the caulking tube. Works better than the hardware store thingies they sell for that that just push on. A wire nut with a metal insert works best, it'll actually form a thread on the end of the cartridge and seal really air tight. The wire nut will make the opening smaller, so you may have to recut to the size you need. I always wondered why the manufacturers didn't have a screw on tip on their cartridges.
    Speaking of cartridges.........looking for a strong adhesive that works on the difficult stuff like rubber, glass, vinyl, plastics, ceramics, etc? Liquid Nails Fuze*it. The package says bonds most everything, and it does!! It can be found in with the normal Home Depot/Lowes construction adhesives.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2019
  28. clem
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 4,188

    clem
    Member

    Or any other valuable part of your anatomy............
    (I know a guy that can testify to the above comment, after an incident with a 9” grinder).
     
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  29. jailbar joe
    Joined: Nov 21, 2014
    Posts: 415

    jailbar joe
    Member

    and another way is to squirt a little tail out of the tube and put the whole thing in the refrigerator (on paper)....i keep most of my tubes of adhesives and also felt tip pens in the fridge....last so much longer
     
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  30. error404
    Joined: Dec 11, 2012
    Posts: 383

    error404
    Member
    from CA

    I like that bucket and tube idea! Keeps from having to run a tube outside somewhere.

    Where I used to live, I put an electrically activated drain valve on the bottom of my compressor tank, and had it wired up to a switch on the wall. Every time I opened up the garage for the day, and also when I left the garage for the evening, I'd hit the switch. The electric valve would stay open for a pre-set amount of time, (10 seconds or so). I had an air vent in the back of the garage that lead outside, so I just ran my tube straight out there and blasted the water onto the yard.

    Amazing how much water accumulates in there. And me being lazy, I'm not going to bend down to hit the switch all that often, so mounting it on the wall right next to the light switch made it almost impossible to forget to do regularly. :)
     

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