home made tools and equipment...

Thanks guys for the vote of confidence.
Yes, It all started with me needing to work out a way to lift my current project engine being a Cadillac flathead with tranny attached, its estimated total weight was around 620kgs which got my attention real quick.
Originally, it was just going to be a lifting beam, as my shop mobile crane would not handle it and even if it could it would be tricky at best and got out of control from there.
It took more work clearing the roof operating space than building the gantry actually.
I had a little trouble initially working out how to get power to the winch due to its mobility.
It has turned out great and just so handy, without taking up any floor space.
I hunted around and managed to acquire some suitable slings so I am good to lift almost anything now.

 

What size beam do you have the trolley rides on?

 

I was moving some junk around yesterday and came across a tool my kid and I made 20 some years back, not fancy like some of the stuff here; but worked great. Use it to bend DOM tubing to make hairpin bones. Heat about 6" of the tube red, stick it in the hole, and pull it around. Makes repeatable bends in both 7/8" and 1" tube. Made several sets of front and rear hairpins along with some ladder bars. Sometime simple things do the job.

 

Nice!

 

Simple and effective. Exactly why this particular long-running category rocks!

 

Circa 1918 Brainard mill which was updated somewhere along the line, with a Model A Ford transmission to change speeds. I had the mill for many years and finally donated it to a local transportation museum for use as a diplay piece.

mill2 by TagMan, on Flickr

mill1 by TagMan, on Flickr

mill3 by TagMan, on Flickr

 

There was a beam already in my roof space that is about 27ft long and is unsupported, this is a 8"x 5 1/2" universal beam, while the beam attached to the wall for the other trolley is 7"x 3 1/2" universal beam.
The trolleys are made to suit the width of each beam. The bigger uses a 5"x 3" channel and the smaller uses a 4"x 2" channel with axles approx. 17" apart.
The unsupported beam I added a center point leg (with screw adjusted foot) that can be dropped down on a hinge to help out when I feel the weight is near my limit of 1 ton.

 

Copied a U-bend cutting guide from an earlier post on the HAMB and had to dig out another old tool, if I can even call it that, from the '70's. My simple; but really handy band saw table "enlarger". Still comes in handy a couple times a year.

 

Rich B, I did the same thing with my bandsaw. I tapped a couple of holes on the bandsaw plate and attach a piece of 1/8" plate with flathead screws. It does come in handy.

 

After a disastrous lesson that a clear vinyl pattern is considerably bigger at 95 degrees than when it was made at 60 degrees; I made a little tool this morning to transfer the hole location to the actual ABS door card once hung in place over the handles. Of course it started raining, so I won't get to start on the panels this afternoon.

 

There is a similar tool made for locating the hole centers for Dzus buttons in body panels.

 

My interpretation of the ClampTite and Haywire Klamper tools. Tightens wire into hoseclamps or whatever else you want to clamp. Perhaps not quite as fantastic as the sellers say (is anything?), but when you need to clamp something tight and don't have the right size hoseclamp this might just be what saves the day.

 

Copied the idea from a tool we had when I was an aircraft metalsmith in the Navy.

 

Hey does anybody have one of these belt sander adapters that goes on your bench grinder? I saw a heavy duty one at the welding store . . . looked to be well over $200, but it also has a Disc Sander.

I want to buy a bench sander but I really don't have the extra room on my bench and I already have 6" & 8" bench grinders available.

I guess I'd be turning my $600 bench grinder into a $900 sander . . . Maybe better to get another bench?

 

He

y there want to build a RF Choke so I can convert my arc

 

Hi there, would like to build a RF Choke to convert my arc to a T.I.G. Welder, any body got some plans that work well? I have the T.I.G torch already, and a ARC welder, all I know is they use a large capacitor. Any help would be great!!!!! Home built tools are the most!

 

This is probably a better use for a Model A transmission than running one in a Model A!

 

Like this one?

http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305

I looked it over at their booth at Power Tour. Looked good, not sure that I need it though. I've seen a few DIY examples on YouTube that could be inspiration for a home built one if I did.




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

 

Yes that looks like the exact one that I saw. I slept on this and decided that I need another bench.

 

I was trying the citric acid bath to clean and free up the seat tracks for 34 Ford Victoria. Been sitting in the bath overnight, and was trying to figure out a way to gently agitate the solution.
The dehumidifier in garage turned on just then. Hmmmm, there's a running device with a flat top. Note in the picture how the surface is not flat, but vibrating. Should speed up the process. Should work with carb cleaning, etc.

 

If you have a DC welder then it should already have a choke for smoothing the output. If yours is AC then you'd first have to build a full wave bridge rectifier to convert AC to DC and add the choke to smooth output. Chokes on DC welders typically use inductors rather than capacitors. Plenty of info available via Google on how to size the choke.

Just adding the choke to an AC welder won't accomplish anything. TIG welding with AC requires high frequency which is nothing more than a carrier current to prevent extinguishing the arc as the sine wave of the welding output voltage passes thru zero.

 

Just to add to what Metlmnchr wrote, to build the full wave rectifier, you need 4 diodes with twice the capacity of the working current. They are expensive, but you can find them at industrial electronic surplus stores.
A full wave rectifier will allow you to weld iron, but you need to use a copper scratch plate to start the arc. It does work, but you would pretty much be confined to using it on the bench.
Before buying a dedicated TIG unit, using the above method, I converted a 295 amp buzz box to DC and had an old Linde HF TIG box that attached to the output of the welder. This provided the HF needed to start the arc and weld iron, steel, aluminum, and stainless. You also need a regulator setup for CO2 or argon gas.
I sold my unit, but I will look for the pictures to give you an idea of what you will need.
I still have some matching diodes.
Just a note, a 1/2 wave ( single diode) rectifier will work, but lower current and basically unstatisfactory operation.
A full wave (two diodes) will work satisfactorily, and is the industry norm.
A full wave bridge (four diodes) will work the best. Because the output frequency is doubled, you get a smoother unfiltered output, and you can weld 7018 like butter.
Please remember, playing with large capacitors and high voltages can kill. They need to be discharged even after they have been sitting for awhile, because they can build up a residual charge.
I will look for the pictures, but I think I have deleted them.

 

I have deleted the pictures of the TIG unit, but to give you an idea of the price, it sold for $350. I am including a picture of the full wave bridge rectifier, and I can draw or find a picture for you if you can't find one.

 

I got my diodes and capacitors when the power plant that I was working at up graded the generator voltage regulator. They look a lot like yours except that I installed them in a ventilated box. I have never tried to weld cast iron but it will do an outstanding job with 7018.

 

That crazy Rube Goldberg arrangement of mine works perfectly and dissipates the heat like Jack the Bear.
I normally weld cast with the machinable nickel rod, but it is expensive. I did a couple of antique engine heads with the non machinable rods, and they also worked very well. Heating, and cooling are the secret to welding cast.
As an experiment, I once welded up a broken vise with 7018, by heating the vise, and hammering between passes. There were no cracks. I am still using the vise 25 after years. I won't say how it broke. except to say that I can use a much bigger bar when I want to secure something.

 

Ulu : For far less than $220 you can get a free-standing Craftsman belt/disc (6" x 48") sander from Sears, & even cheaper No-name brand from HF. My Craftsman unit has lasted me for 15yrs, & I picked it up as one of their "return tag" specials for about $75, so for the difference in money I certainly afford enough replacement belts(never did use the disc end).

 

I repurposed an old engine stand I had kicking around into a Ford banjo rear end build stand, works mint and breaks down for storage.

Link to it here on the HAMB. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/banjo-ford-rear-end-build-stand-made-easy.1053439/

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Like Cliff in the post above, I have been using engine stands for other stuff in my workshop. They're easy to adapt for other work by adding a couple of bits of scrap steel and are really useful for doing cylinder head work.



The rotate and lock feature of the stand makes access easy.



It also brings the heads to a good height to work on them whilst sitting down.



I have adapted my engine stands for rebuilding rear ends too; 12 bolt truck



9" Ford


Jag IRS

 

How about details on that grey stand? Also, I like the red one with the grid pattern of holes.

 

The grey stand is a British made "Churchill" engine stand.



It is labelled as having the same weight capacity as my other Cheapanese engine stand which supposedly has a 410 Kilo/900 lb capacity also. There's been no noticeable deflection on the Churchill stand even with a complete Jag XK engine loaded on; I don't think I'd try that on the other stand