home made tools and equipment...

Here's my homemade sheet metal brake
I hope you like it

Sent from my cell phone when I shoulda been working, using the H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That break looks a lot like mine!

 

So has anyone here built a combination gantry and body rotisserie? There is no way in the world I'm going to have room for both. But since I'm working outside height is not a problem.

 

I've not built one, but I don't see any reason why it couldn't be done.
In order for it to be a gantry, (obviously) there would need to be a beam of some kind on top.
And, the lifting assembly to attach to the car body on each end would have to be able to move vertically on the uprights. Square or rectangular tubes would suffice as long as the rotisserie height is reached.
The vertical tube of the frame that supports the lifting assemblies could be short enough at the bottom to allow the lift assemblies to be removed when not it use.
They could be raised with the gantry hoist or (or for instance) hydraulic lifts.
I envision the top beam to consist of a large square or rectangular steel tube with horizontal tubes as part of the end frame sub-assemblies that fit inside and telescope into the larger tube.
This would allow the overall length of the gantry to vary according to what is required. The trolley could ride on top of the beam. to gain some lift height.
However, if the telescoping idea is used at the top, lifting the rotisserie sub-assemblies via the hoist may or may not be feasible; depending on the extended length vs the collapsed length, and what travel is actually needed for the trolley. The trolley could ride past the end of the main top tube for lifting, then pushed back onto the tube to get to the opposite end. (perhaps a lead-in bevel on each end of the tube)
Pins could be inserted for the different length settings.
The end lifting assemblies may or may not need additional casters mounted to the end frames & towards the middle for support when making any length adjustments. However, these would make it alot easier to move the end frames into the main top beam.
All just suggestions Some parameters would help define it.

 

Here's a home made spring spreader that turned out to be more versatile than I thought!

Some time ago I needed to fit a stock 40 style spring to a 40 style axle, so I made up a simple spreader.

I used 25mm square tubing with a 2mm wall thickness as the main body. I then used some threaded bar 20mm diameter to make the two pushers.

I heated and flattened the ends of the bar to make a sort of blunt chisel blade type point, increasing the width due to the flattening.

I left the screwed rod as long as I could to give the best overlap with the tube and therefore the greatest strength. I left the tubing as long as I could while still being able to fit the spreader to the unloaded spring.

It worked really well. I then made some clamps (from odds and ends) to enable me to spread a reversed eye 40 style front spring. To fit the shorter spring I made a new centre piece of tubing, from the same material, shorter than the first, and had to cut a couple of inches or so off the insides of the threaded bar. the overlap was still plenty.

Again, it worked really well.

Still with me? Now here's the thing.. I assumed this spreader could only work on the 35-up straight springs. I was wrong. I just used it to remove and refit the reversed eye 32 spring on my roadster.

Because the spring was reversed eye, i used the clamping pieces previously used on the 40 front spring.. Using the clamps, with careful positioning of the clamping bolts allowed a straight shot across the back of the axle, and the spreader ends nestled snugly and safely in place.

It occurred to me that even with a non reversed eye spring (stock type) using the clamps (normally not necessary) would allow the use of the simply made spreader bar.

Ok? Obviously without pictures I'm lying, so here are a few from the refitting of the spring to my hybrid 35/32 acle (32 ends on 35 bell centres.)

Basic tube centre, Showing threaded bar left as long as possible.


Detail of the flattened ends.


Showing the improvised clamps. bolts are 10mm 8.8 grade


Showing the spreader nestled in the adapter clamps - note the long end of the bolts positioned to ensure the spreader end cannot slip out.


Showing the straight shot achieved across the rearmost part of the axle.


General view of the spreader doing it's thing.


And another. This is in the spread state. You can see that the length of threaded bar sticking out is very short.


As always there are the usual get outs - This works for me, you are welcome to use the ideas presented here at your own risk. Make sure the rig you make
is strong enough.

I can hear the "don't use all thread" people chiming in as I type. Well, if it is big enough, part sticking out is minimised, the part inside the tubing is maximised and there is no bending moment (it's a "straight shot"), then it will work as I have shown.

in summary I found the tool simple to make, from stuff I had around me, very useful for the intended applications (straight springs) and was pleasantly surprised that it would work equally as well on the curved rears too. Usage of the clamps normally required for reversed eye springs make it's use on curved springs possible.

Cheers.

Mart.

 

This is a really great thread, lots of really useful things to make/modify on here.

Holding small round pieces can be tricky in a drill vice even when there's a vee in the jaws. So I made this simple fixture using a couple of salvaged drill chucks from dead pistol grip drills and an offcut of black steel angle. These drill chucks pretty well always have a 3/8" or 1/2" UNF thread attachment, so are easy to mount like this.





I did mill the outer surfaces of the angle for this tool, the particular chunk I had wasn't dead on 90 degrees.

 

Great idea!

Could have used something like this many times in the past. Another project just added to my "to do someday" list.

Ed

 

Twist your 1"x 1" box section 45 degrees and it will be considerably stronger.

 

Only in bending perpendicular or parallel to the new diagonal axis.

Axial compression capacity and resulting buckling will not be affected.

 

Sorry Gatz. This is what happens when I quit reading too soon and skip ahead to the pictures.

 

My version of the vertical porta band, using an old Porter Cable saw from Craigslist, and my new MIG welder.




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^^^Nice. How about some more pics of different views? You know, like, the other side and how the saw is mounted to the farm you built?
Andy

 

David, very nice work, but I'd like to see some guards on those wheels to protect yourself. Stuff happens fast......

 

And maybe one over the electrical outlet too.

 

Here's the back side.





The main frame is 1 1/2" square tube. The base is roughly square. The diagonal piece was angled so the saw blade would end up straight ahead.

On top of the diagonal, I welded two pieces of 1" to form a channel for the "bottom" of the saw to sit in. The back brace I measured to "close enough" on the height and angle, then mounted it off a few inches. That gave me room for the 3" piece that was then bent to final fit after being trimmed and welded to the vertical.

I wanted the saw to be removable, so the back-to-back outlet boxes on the small vertical house the button switch and outlet. One bolt holds the saw where the knob handle was. A carriage bolt threaded in to the top of the small vertical adds support for the table.

The table is in two parts. The lower is a piece of 1" angle, cut and drilled to fit, with nuts welded on for the screws. The plate part of the table is a piece of scrap my dad somewhere that I've been holding on to for 25+ years. Perfect size and shape for this project. Sanded off the surface rust and coated with Gibbs oil.

The cord was scavenged from a dead sump pump.

There are dozens of similar builds out there. I won't claim any originality here. I took what I liked from several designs to make this one. The saw is an old Porta Band that uses bigger wheels, and longer bands than the ones that are being made now, so it's kind of an orphan. I rebuilt it over the winter, and it'll probably outlive me.



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Believe it or not, it doesn't appear that blade guards were ever part of this saws design. I thought about trying to add some, but I'll just keep my fingers out of the wheels instead.



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Yeah, I need to finish that off. I got the walls up in the fall, but haven't painted, or installed the outlet covers yet.



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

 

Sometimes you got to get into a tight spot and make a hole.

In addition to the right angle Drive I had to extend the input shaft considerably and cut a drill bit in half and sharpen it, in order to drill around a corner.

Anyhow I did this while I was working on my trailer.

It was damn hot out there too...

On the other side of the house the thermometer said 108 and the official Airport temperature was only 105 that day.

I was lying on the concrete underneath the trailer drilling holes around corners.

 

A mate of mine has just put together a 302 SBF motor for his '67 Mustang; he started the build with a load of odd bits, and once assembled, it turned out that the pistons came out the top of the bore by about .050" I got the job of skimming the piston crowns to avoid a silly CR and/or the pistons hitting the head. Normally I have done pistons with them very lightly held by the skirt in a big 3 jaw chuck bolted to the milling machine bed along with some extra cobbled up clamping to hold the piston down.

Obviously, this clamping setup wasn't going to work with the "Slipper" style piston skirts that the SBF pistons happen to come with.



Here's a simple jig/tool I made for holding pistons that need machining. It's made of 5/8" hard Ali plate. The 4 steel tabs are sized to locate in the oil control ring groove and are reversable which would allow the jig to hold much smaller diameter pistons than these SBF items.



Here's the jig on the milling machine table. The jig is clamped down with the steel studding and held parallel to the table by four 1 2 3 blocks. But the real work of holding the piston down is done by the piece of steel round bar that's placed through the piston pin hole.



And here with the first piston with .045" machined off the crown.



I have machined all 8 successfully now.

 

Stueeee:
Very good thinking and very nice work. Love your mill.
Are young folks in the UK still interested in learning the "machinist trade"?

 

I have an old version of this saw and really like it, but the drive chain broke and I haven't been able to find a replacement for it. I use a converted wood band saw for light cutting, but really miss not having my portable saw.
Great tip.
Bob

 

I had to do the front brakes on an Astro Van, and needed a better way to push the pistons back than using a big C clamp. I took the loose parts off my gear puller, made a base out of 1/4 inch plate to rest against the piston, and made a heavy washer to rest against the inside of the caliper. then I used my 1/2 inch impact to push the push the piston back.
It worked like a charm!
I apologise for not taking pictures, but I was in a hurry, and had to get the job done in a hurry.
Bob

 

What a timely post! It looks like I am going to have to do something similar to a set of Pontiac pistons and was wondering how to hold them still long enough to mill down the tops.

 

I like that piston jig a lot.

 

I decided that I was tired of not having enough space when my project was in my shop as I would always have trouble finding space to manoeuvre my shop crane around, so I decided to build a gantry crane over my main work area.
I now have a crane that will traverse about 16 feet in two directions and winch up 1750lbs of load.
My winch is electric and will lift as well as traverse in one direction under power.
Running the power cables took a little figuring out but once done it is great.
I am saving heaps on beer as I don't need to bribe my buddies over every time I need to move my body or do some heavy lifting.
I have enough lift height to be able to lift a stock model A or T body off and on the frame with ease.
My sore back is loving it...

 

Thanks for that kind comment.

Looking at the engineering companies around where I'm based in the south east of England, there doesn't seem to be many young people involved in "hands on" engineering nowadays.

Recently I needed some work done that required a really big press brake, Luckily, there is general engineering company that does all kinds of work just down the road from my workshop. When I picked the part up, I was chatting to the guys who work there, it turned out that we had all started out as apprentices; but the youngest person in their workshop is 55 years old. Apparently their management didn't have any plans to employ apprentices or other trainees. An attitude which seems incredibly short sighted, not just from the perspective of continuity of the business, but also the lost opportunity to pass on the superb level of "just get it done" skill that exists in that kind of non series production shop.

 

Better advise him to be sure to check his piston to valve clearance because those eyecuts are HIGHER too.

 

FiftyV8, that lift is a thing of beauty! Full on industrial PORN! I would bring you beer just to watch it work.....Nice job!

 

@fiftyv8
That looks like one of those projects that started out as a simple idea and turned into a whole lot of work. It came out beautiful though.

 

What size beams did you use?