home made tools and equipment...

[kustombuilder]

...i know it's been done in seperate posts all over the HAMB at all different times but hows about putting a bunch of them together in one easy to find post. got some new ones we may not have seen before??? post em here!

i'll start the show with one i hope to build in the near future. this is GMgrunt's example. it's a home built disc sander. the disc is 12" in diameter. you'll have to ask GMgrunt to post up anymore details than that cause i don't remember much else about it other than it works like a friggin CHARM!! i've used Jeff's plenty and used Denny Lesky's at the Ionia Hot Rod Shop more times than that. oh yeah. Denny, Jeff and our friend Paul Beck all built these things at the same time with the same plans. it's gotta be better than the cheap ass Harbor Freight versions. this thing REALY kicks ass. i'm not sure how i've lived this long without one. i'd drive the 20 minutes to GMgrunt's house to use it if i had alot of grinding to do at once. it's that good!!

[29 sedanman]

When it comes to home made shop tools Kiwi Kev is the King!

These are always interesting threads.

[kustombuilder]

Originally Posted by 29 sedanman

When it comes to home made shop tools Kiwi Kev is the King!

These are always interesting threads.

don't i know it!! i've saved pics of everything of his i've seen. i should do a search just for his sheeit to see if i've missed any.

[Richard D]

I hope this thread takes off. I'd love plans for that sander.

[doubledawg]

That disc sander looks like it was built from the plans that American Rodder printed about a dozen years ago or so. It looked like a good design as a drawing in the magazine, but it looks even better seeing one well built like that one.
Darren

[Nicholson]

Good post kustombuilder! Here's one I came up with about 10 years ago. I had to get it out again recently for a '37 Ford. The base frame is made with 1 1/2" square tube and the removable legs are 1 1/4" square tube. It only takes one person to tilt a body over. It sure beats lying on your back working on floors. I also welded on some plate for some bigger tires in addition to the small casters.


'37 Ford body

'28 Model A ..................................'38 Ford Conv.

[leon renaud]

Originally Posted by Richard D

I hope this thread takes off. I'd love plans for that sander.

Ya what he said !can anyone post the plans or a link to them ?

[HotRodMicky]

There was a series on home build tool in American Rodder Mag in the late 80s early 90s.
There were plans for a disc sander , too..
Michael

[Dyce]

Kustombuilder
That looks like a brake shoe re-arching motor and grinder I have. What do you use for abrasive disc and adheasive? I've been going to build something like that but never get to it.
Jeff

[TxRat]

lets get the skinny on that disc sander. I gotta have one of those...

[CURIOUS RASH]

Those 12"disks are readily available.

We have a bunch of those grinders at work and I've been watching for a deal on one for my shop. Like Mike says, the HF version is crap and still pretty spendy...

I'd like the low down on that motor, HP/rpms and such, and I'd like to know what was used s the mounting surface for the abrasive....

The whole batch of plans would be nice!

That body frame is sweet too!

[C9]

Izzat a piece of 1/2" plate for the motor?
That must help make it run smooth.


Fwiw - I've got a Harbor Freight 12" disc sander and it works pretty good.
Other than the too small at times table, the table doesn't stay square with the sanding disc for long.

Some kind of steel adjustable brace would cure that.

Really nice part about a disc sander is how nice they are for sanding an aluminum or steel piece down to the 'design' line.

Makes home-made brackets etc. look very professional.

A little before and after the boring and disc sanding.
(Masking tape works great for laying out complex patterns on aluminum.)

[C9]

Since this is supposed to be about tools, here's a couple easy to make and not much $$.

First one is a drill press outer stand gizmo.
Works well if you have a bench mounted drill press.
As you can see, if your vise isn't too far away you got er made.
All it is, is 1" square tubing welded into a T.




The 2nd one is nothing more than a short 1/2" bolt with a couple of 3/16" or so thick washers.
It acts as a stop to keep stuff from spinning.
Works well with a single clamp as well as with hand-held when you can do it that way.

[Carb-Otto]

"How much can you create something out of scrap-metal?"

Here are my attempts;
-Easier to press valve springs. (What was that silicone for..? Thanks to someone.)
-Bead roller without any rolling parts...

-Otto-

[dirt t]

Great thread
Thanks

[C9]

Not home-made, but could be.
Especially the transfer screws.

First, pics of commonly available - and don't cost much at HF - Transfer Punches.
They do just what their name says, they transfer your pattern - which can be nothing more than the first piece you made - to another piece of steel or aluminum.
Don't get too crazy when you hit em with a hammer, just a light tap will get you a mark you can hit with a sturdier center punch later.



The 2nd pic shows a commercially available Transfer Screw.
These come six to a container and the container doubles as a wrench to screw the transfer screw in and out.



These are used to mark blind holes.
Not a hole that's not through drilled, but one you can't access due to the way the parts go together.
Like a lathe chuck and backing plate for example.

You use em as follows:

Mark the workpiece with some layout fluid - I find red Magic Markers to work well on aluminum and blue Magic Markers for steel.
Black Sharpies work well too. Nice part about any of these is they make a better mark than commercially available layout die in cans or spray cans. The MM and Sharpie fluid doesn't split, crack and break away when scribed.

Install one Transfer Screw, it doesn't have to stick out far, just enough to make a mark.
Assemble components, in the case of the lathe chuck and backing plate, if you have a register turned so they fit together well you can simply clamp it in a vise, tighten and the Transfer Screw will transfer the mark.

You can, if you want and if say three holes are required install all three Transfer Screws at once, but if a lot of precision is called for I like to do one at a time and bolt it together as I go.


If you look close at the design of the Transfer Screw you can see how easy it is to make your own.
A lathe is not necessary.

Get some setscrews in the thread you require.
Get an Allen Wrench to fit.
Cut a short piece from the Allen Wrench.
Chuck the Allen Wrench in a drill press or drill motor.
Spin er up and use a hand or bench grinder, whichever is required and grind a sharp point on the short piece of Allen Wrench.
Make sure you leave some hex on the Allen Wrench piece so you can remove it. Most times you can spin it out by hand, but once in a while a wrench is needed.

Assemble Transfer Screw by dropping the short piece of pointed Allen Wrench into the setscrew.
Use a small dab of epoxy to hold it together.
The epoxy not necessarily needed, but it does help to keep the pieces from coming apart, getting lost etc.

[36-3window]

i built one of those grinders from plans in American Rodder , i think it was around 1993. i use it all the time and it works great. the 12" disc are pressure sensitive adhesive.. or PSA..and i usually get them from Enco

i also built a brake from plans in Rodder's Digest by Just Steve. he posted the plans on here and they are in the Tech archive

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=2048

[bcarlson]

Originally Posted by Carb-Otto

-Bead roller without any rolling parts...

Holy crap that's obvious, and awesome!

Ben

[C9]

Other tools I've made.

Large puller.
Dzus button countersink tool.
Lathe tool block.
Lathe bit holder that's a touch different from the norm.
Simple metal-cutting bandsaw accessories, some no more than scraps.
Transverse spring spreader.
Solid axle perch bolt puller. (Works with both pulling and impact forces.)
Drill press stand to convert a bench mount drill press to floor.
Better bandsaw stand than comes with most of them.
EZ to make, but somewhat expensive workbench with a lot of drawers.
Drill and tapping blocks.
Mandrels - got a hacksaw and grinder?
Home-made hammers, some on the lathe, some not.

And some other stuff out in the shop, but it's 19 degrees outside and I ain't going out for a while.
Yeah, I know, sissy, but . . . the hot coffee's in here....

[C9]

I can think of a couple ways to do beads without rolling them, but I'd like to see Carb-Ottos.