Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

I tried everything possible for my carpal tunnel issue but finally had to opt for surgery.

It worked great even though back when I had it done the endoscopic method wasn’t available.

I have a thin scar from my palm to my wrist on both hands but I was able to continue my career.

Try being a high pressure piping TIG welder when your hands go so numb that you can’t feel the TIG torch or even the filler rod.

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.hop...-and-therapies/carpal-tunnel-release?amp=true

 

I started using "BiOFREEZE" a few months ago. Muscle cramps, sore knee, or stiff neck, pain goes away in a few minutes.

 

I think we have covered the medical topics. Can we get back to the garage tips?
Thanks.

 

I quoted myself to make a frame of reference here. The first post was about using a squirrel cage blower and slowing it down to make a nice quiet shop fan that works really well. Then Algoma mentioned doing the same thing.
One additional thing I discovered on my shops overhead furnace. Many overhead furnaces have conventional bladed fans pushing air thru them.....usually pretty quietly. Mine has a squirrel cage behind it. It was also noisy.

My shop is 40x60 with a 12 foot ceiling. Additionally I have an enclosed lean to on the rear which is about 14x60.
I have a large Rheem overhead furnace thats supposed to have plenty of capability to heat my shop. It didn't seem to be doing a good job. I could stand in front of it and the air didn't seem to be very warm/hot coming from it. I decided to try to slow the squirrel cage down to quiet the noise. Used a larger pulley. It quietened it a lot. The added benefit was now the air coming from the unit was much warmer and seemed to be heating my shop much better. I think what was happening was that the squirrel cage was blowing so much air thru the unit that it couldn't get the metal baffles(?) inside warm enough. When less air was forced thru the unit, the air became warmer and so did my shop. So, if anyone is having a heating problem and their furnace is noisy, you might try slowing it down instead of speeding it up.

 

Keep BiOFREEZE, NSAID, Pro-Emu, Blu-emu, CT wrist braces, compression gloves, Ibuprofen, a copy of DR Kate Montgomety's book, your surgeon's phone number and a pair of glasses in your shop. Also heed what your mom & dad told you or at least switch hands.

 

I have hanging hot water radiators plumed into the house system. Found that an adjustable electric fan speed control [M"Carr] will adjust fan motor speed very well, reduces cooling effect of fast air and reduces run time saving $$.

 

Man... this young and dumb kid learned about 10 years worth of stuff in about 30 minutes of reading through this thread. Thanks fellas!

 

As you work on things you will have to solve problems and discover little things (or big things) that others can benefit from. All of us old farts learned from even older guys first before we found our own way. Just pass it along to others when you can..........

 

The other day I was removing some shocks that had been on there since the stone age. Pin type mounting, 3/8-24 thread, usual thing. Lot of rusty thread to get through. Luckily I was able to clamp the shock body to keep it from rotating. Lots of penetrating oil. Slow, hard turning a flat at a time inside the fenderwell. Didn't want to torch it, other stuff in there.

Anyway what I noticed, as I have before, is that, I think, the nut heats up from the friction, and as long as you can keep going, it keeps moving. Stop for a minute, doesn't want to move again.

Ever notice that?

 

Also, those pin type shocks have a double D ground in the very end. There is a double D socket available to hold the pin while trying to loosen the nut.

 

Yep, that's where I was holing it until the nut covered it, and still wouldn't come off.

 

Snap-on and others made a cool tool for removing the pin type shocks. Only worked if you didn't plan on saving them.

It had a tall nut that you screwed on to the stud then a handle screwed into the side of the tall nut.

Work it back and forth a few times and pop the head of the shock right off. Unscrew the broken pin head out of the tall nut and go to the other side and do the same to remove that shock too.

I still have the set I bought back in the mid 80's. Used the crap out of it especially on the front of ford pick ups...

 

If you have room drop a 9/16 deep socket and extension over the stud and nut , work it side to side it will snap the stud off below the nut and out the shock comes . I have snapped hundreds this way , very easy way to remove the rusty shocks .

 

This has bailed me out of some tough situations.
Highly recommended addition to the war chest.

 

I remember when stud mounted shocks came with a stamped steel jamb nut that kind of cleaned the stud threads when you ran it off ahead of the real nut.

Gary

 

That is why God made cutoff wheels. "Let there be sparks"

 

That was a “ lock nut” .






Bones

 

Fastest way to get those off if you don't need to reuse them is an air hammer with a chisel bit. Split the nut vertically on one flat. Takes maybe 15 seconds per shock if you're slow. Did hundreds of them when I worked at a Sears auto Center back in the '70s.

 

That's the same way we did them at Sears here, early 80s. We didn't have time to waste, and once you figure out how to do it, it's as quick as removing the nut if it will come off.

 

I have inherited an old Dremel Tool from my Father-in-law and I've discovered its small size can get into some very confined spaces. The tiny "cut-off" disks can make short work of hardened steel. I even cut a 3/8 thread tap like cutting through a wooden stick (long story ).

 

Lots of gloves

 

My shop doesn't have water, I refill old milk jugs or 5 gallon buckets with lids to have some water there. A big gulp cup and a bar or soap works great. Suds up and dunk your hands.

 

Great idea. Plus the oil cans are available in many different colors. You can dumpster dive if you don't want to buy a certain oil with the correct color.

.bjb

 

Drill bit extensions. Only way to get a wire wheel into some locations

 

When I'm under the car/dashboard, any area where it's a pita to get back up and out from I grab a handful of bolts/lock washers/nuts even if it only requires a few for the job..inevitably I will drop one, two or more, saves me from stopping what I'm doing, looking for the dropped nut, bolt or washer, or continually getting up and going back to the nut and bolt drawer.

 

Thanks for starting this !! and thanks to all who sent tip's Hope I can do the same some day!

 

Buy a separate, new caulking gun for seam sealer.
Don't use the one with silicone smeared on it from the last time you did your bathroom.

 

Boy Scouts! Be prepared!

 

I'm re-learning to use the socket rails you carry around to the worksite with you. At some point I started using those stand up tool box socket holders and have realized that walking back and forth and getting up unnecessarily to fetch the right socket was wearing me out.

 

Spent most of the day putting a vinyl underlayment on the shop roof. Had to glue a couple seams, and the glue they sold me is this HH-66 stuff. Let me tell you, glue two pieces of vinyl together and they are stuck! Got all the nasty stuff in it, toluene, acetone, MEK.. I'll sure be saving the leftover for next time I need to glue some interior vinyl. Ever heard of it?