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Easy and usefull tips and tricks post

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Smokin Joe, Jan 27, 2005.

  1. Leadsled51
    Joined: Dec 21, 2001
    Posts: 333

    Leadsled51
    Member

    Go to a local sheet metal stamping shop, ask them if you can get a cupfull of the little punch outs that come from the press. Usually there are a bunch of different sizes that you can use to plug unneccessary holes in a firewall or bullet holes or ?. Just drill the hole a bit oversize, hold the plug in place from the backside with duct tape, tack into place, take tape off, finish welding and you have a nice filled hole.
     
  2. Jaypee
    Joined: Feb 3, 2004
    Posts: 595

    Jaypee
    Member
    from Finland

    Tip for getting new wiring look old. If you want braided fabric covers for your hot-rod etc, you can use cotton shoelaces. Easy to find, many different colors available... Just cut the ends of shoelace and push the wire/wires inside. Last you can spray your new oldstyle wires with clear laquer to get them stay in shape.

    Jaypee
     
  3. snortonnorton
    Joined: Sep 18, 2004
    Posts: 889

    snortonnorton
    Member
    from Florida

    excellent idea man, but i have a question, if we laquer spray the wires that are near heat, how well will the laquer hold up to that?
     
  4. Jaypee
    Joined: Feb 3, 2004
    Posts: 595

    Jaypee
    Member
    from Finland

    I would say it holds up pretty well, because laquer strikes trough cotton so easy. (sorry about my bad english)

    Jaypee
     
  5. Automotive Stud
    Joined: Sep 26, 2004
    Posts: 4,303

    Automotive Stud
    Member

    Heres some basic wiring. Whenever your wiring something up, always leave slack at the ends in case something needs to be moved or disconnected later.

    Use zip ties every few inches keeps everything orderly. You can make small harnesses for things and then tie the seperate harnesses together with more zip ties. Did a couple cars like this and it always comes out good. Makes it easy to troubleshoot later and add new accessories later.

    I also use one of those fancy label makers and mark all the wires to show where they go or what they are for. I try to mark them at the ends and somewhere in the middle a couple times, plus at the fuse panel.

    This works out good for doing a simple hot rod without too many electrical accessories.

    I also used two 6 fuse panels. One with full time power and one with the key on. It's more than enough for the cars I've done, where all you have are a radio, electric fuel pump, gauges, dome light, and some other little junk.
     
  6. Automotive Stud
    Joined: Sep 26, 2004
    Posts: 4,303

    Automotive Stud
    Member

    How about some shop tips? Put EVERYTHING on wheels. It really comes in handy for spring cleaning. My air compressor is on wheels, tool cart has wheels, tool box has wheels. Everything that didn't come with wheels I put them on.

    I got a benchtop media blast cabinet, I made a wood base to put it at workbench level. It has a shelf on the bottom to hold extra media and supplies, and wheels to move it. You really need to clean under that after using it. Parts washer is in the corner, but I made a rolling dolly from wood and angle iron that the legs to sit into and it is wheeled. It's suprisingly stable even being top heavy. I made a simmilar dolley for the woodworking bandsaw. My full size drill press has a base made from two heavy steel boxes welded together back to back. The bottom has legs on one side and wheels on the other. There is a bung welded on the front and a handle with a grip and a threaded end. Store it in one of the bottom cabinets with your drill bits, but if you need to move it, screw it into the bung and lift it. Rolls easily on the rear wheels. Even the two flattys in the corner are on roller dollies. You can move just about anything except the workbench with no trouble at all. Great for cleanup, keeping everything neat, and rearranging things around.
     
  7. texasgreazer
    Joined: Jan 31, 2005
    Posts: 57

    texasgreazer
    Member

     
  8. madgrinder
    Joined: Feb 5, 2005
    Posts: 323

    madgrinder
    Member

    I'll keep it neat.

    Old bent rims make good air hose reels

    If you have a clothes dryer in the garage, be sure to run some laundry on a cold night to keep your paint and filler from freezing

    Use a military footlocker to keep body hammers and dollys in, and save the "do not eat" silica packets to throw in there... keeps the rust away

    Use a separate air hose for painting, it will not have as much compressor oil residue as the one you use every day

    Buy a thermometer/barometer at the hardware store and put it in the garage... do not paint with humidity higher than 60% or temp lower than 70

    When your DA sander disc is worn out and you put a new one on, save the old one. You can use it on top of your drink to keep sanding dust out... since it's sticky it makes a good seal
     
  9. madgrinder
    Joined: Feb 5, 2005
    Posts: 323

    madgrinder
    Member

    If you buy a car with shiny paint, but want to flatten it, use a spray bottle full of soapy water and some 0000 steel wool and stay off the edges!

    use spray can caps for pinstriping... put the paint in the "center" section and thinner in the round outer section. Drag the brush on the rim for taper.

    Some exhaust tips make great carb stacks

    so do soup cans

    On my airbagged F100, I have a 9/16 wrench and a set of bumpstops in the glovebox... when the airride fails, I can jack it up and screw in the stops to get home

    install a separate washer tank and put fan-tip jets in your back fenders to spray the tires. lengthen your burnouts and impress girls

    more later...
     
  10. Automotive Stud
    Joined: Sep 26, 2004
    Posts: 4,303

    Automotive Stud
    Member

    So madgrinder, do you put bleech in the second washer tank? :D

    Save an old kingpin, they make great big punches for all your pounding and whacking needs.
    Keep 'em comin' guys :cool:
     
  11. Rocknrod
    Joined: Jan 2, 2003
    Posts: 648

    Rocknrod
    Member
    from NC, USA

    Kerosene/diesel will take oxidation off old paint. Dont know what it does to the paint, but it does work...
     
  12. Rocknrod
    Joined: Jan 2, 2003
    Posts: 648

    Rocknrod
    Member
    from NC, USA

    Great idea...

    Just dont keep the pricing so you never know whatcha got in it! That way you wont have trouble sleeping!

    I've been building on Atches tech file that he posted a few months back... Is your "bible" a paper version of that?
     
  13. Rocknrod
    Joined: Jan 2, 2003
    Posts: 648

    Rocknrod
    Member
    from NC, USA

    I saw this one on a car show on TV...

    To get a real hard to reach nut onto a stud... slide the nut onto a screwdriver, put the end of the screwdriver onto the stud... get it started and pull the screwdriver out.

    You dont drop the nut, and you can load it up with all the washers and all that need to go on.

    Works GREAT... as long as you can get a screwdriver on it. The longer the better though, gotta have your other hand out of the way most times.
     
  14. coupe33
    Joined: Nov 23, 2004
    Posts: 663

    coupe33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    nothing new but when I strip a car I use car skates (the 4 wheel car dollies) to load the engine & tranny onto it leaves a low center of gravity both motor and trans are still together and easy to move
     
  15. CLSSY56
    Joined: Dec 19, 2002
    Posts: 1,218

    CLSSY56
    Member

    A steam cleaner works really well.
     
  16. sixstringsamurai
    Joined: Apr 26, 2004
    Posts: 42

    sixstringsamurai
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    Coat both sides of your carb gaskets with chapstick. This keeps them from sticking to the carb and they can be re-used or saved for emergencies.
     
  17. This is a great old thread, so I decided to add to it rather than start a new one.

    Yesterday I had a small bolt fall back into a little cavity in an engine I was working on. Of course I couldn't find my magnetic parts retriever, so I used a trick a buddy showed me to magnetize a screwdriver...just wrap an insulated wire around the metal part of the screwdriver and touch the ends of the wire to a 9V battery or some other power source. I've seen it done on a car battery, but I thought the 9V was safer. Driver got magnetized and I got my bolt back.

    Anyone got any other tricks?

    Bryan
     
  18. Frank
    Joined: Jul 30, 2004
    Posts: 2,325

    Frank
    Member

    Where I live there is a chain of used book stores and I have found tons of old Haynes, Chiltons, etc. Sometimes you can find one for your car there for half the price or less than retail.

    I made a workbench/compressor muffler. I have a horizontal tank, 2hp. I forget the gallons. Anyway I had an old wooden crate that was the right size to cover the compressor. I layed down some scrap carpet on the floor under the compressor and up the wall behind it. I stapled carpet all inside the crate leaving the ends open for ventilation. I cut some 2 x 6's for the work bench top and fastened them down. It cut down the noise from my compressor greatly and gives me another work surface.....to pile things up on. I still need to add a remote means of draining the tank because it can be a bit clumsy pulling the crate away to get to it.
     
  19. chilimac
    Joined: Dec 31, 2005
    Posts: 127

    chilimac
    Member

    Keep Superglue around,it works great to hold washers on nuts when you are working in a tight spot.Blackboard chalk rubbed on your files keeps them from loading up with slivers.The best lube for drill bits is Boelube available from aircraft suppliers it also works on cutoff wheels.
     
  20. Abomb
    Joined: Oct 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,659

    Abomb
    Member

    Radiator leak in "deliverance" country, horse manure will fix it. In civilization, course ground black pepper will do the trick too. But I keep stop leak in the "road kit".
     
  21. HFKND1
    Joined: Apr 18, 2006
    Posts: 231

    HFKND1
    Member
    from Peoria, IL

    I found a free program that lets you resize your photos and its easy to use. It's called irfanview not sure what it means but it works Here is a quality pic I resized with it.
     

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  22. moparvetern
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 89

    moparvetern
    Member

    i use magnets to hold screws,nuts, washers, clips, etc. while working on my cars. they are cheap and plentifull. the best seem to be the magnet from an old speaker.

    for holding sets of parts while your rod is apart, use freezer bags with the write on labels. then you can tag and store all the various parts for waht ever your working on in one spot. old coffee cans work great too.
     
  23. Lon
    Joined: Sep 2, 2006
    Posts: 124

    Lon
    Member

    This might be to simple. Semi truck brake drums make great tool bases, for your bench grinders and vices. A local truck mechanic is usually more than happy to give to you to get them out of the way. Weld a peice of pipe or tube to it and put a steel plate for the vice or grinder on top. Also two bent semi truck wheels bolted together (like they are on the truck.) makes a good bar-b-q grill. Home Depot sells 22" repalcement grills. 15 dollars and you have a grill that lasts a life time.
     
  24. roadsterbob
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 94

    roadsterbob
    Member

    To clean up metal chips on a drill press or lathe, use a speaker magnet wrapped in a plastic grocery bag. Just turn the bag inside out for neat disposal and the magnet is clean again.
     
  25. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,244

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    For sloppy universal sockets wrap them in tape before you use it. Still swivels but easy to control.

    Silver paint from spray cans works real well on heated parts and lasts a long time. Great for exhaust pipes. Heat em up 1st and spray in a well ventilated area.

    Read this one somewhere and it REALLY WORKS!! Heat up a stubborn fastener or fitting and apply candle wax to it. In minutes it comes right out.
     
  26. Grinderspark
    Joined: Aug 12, 2006
    Posts: 213

    Grinderspark
    Member

    Alot of mid 50's cars have the old oil canister filters on them. Drain the canister, unscrew it, drop it down and remove the filter routine. The problem is trying to get it sealed up again when you reinstall it. The paper gaskets that come with the new filters are either too thin or not exactly the right size to fit the top of the canister, causing annoying leaks. And trying to buy the gasket by itself is next to impossible. Here's a tip:
    Go to the Home Depot or Lowes plumbing section and get a rubber drain gasket for $1.50. They are alot thicker than the stock oil gaskets, and come with an ID of 3 1/2" and an OD of 4 1/2". Most of the canisters are 4" across, so simply trim the inside of the rubber to fit the canister, and it'll seal up good the first time out.
     
  27. seabeecmc
    Joined: Jan 28, 2005
    Posts: 1,185

    seabeecmc
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I wish I had the forethought to use your approach. I posted a new thread "adaption" with some of my ideas. Would have been better to use the old thread as you did. Well, next time. Regards, Ron
     
  28. Tough call on that...I've seen threads come up that I know have been posted before still go for several pages. I wonder how many people would even go through a lengthy old thread before posting on it vs. posting on a new thread? Whatever the case, I liked your ideas and since this is a thread I saved for reference, I'll selfishly add yours :D

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138971

    Bryan
     
  29. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    I break off a small piece of speaker magnet and put it on the end of my drain plug the first time I change the oil in a newly purchased car. You would be amazed at the fine magnetic sludge that is stuck to it the next time you change the oil. Brian
     
  30. steevil
    Joined: Feb 18, 2004
    Posts: 676

    steevil
    Member

    Got a bunch of old engines or transmissions lying around the shop?

    Steal a couple of shopping carts and cut the bases off. They make great dollies you can move the blocks around on.
     

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