home made tools and equipment...

[64 DODGE 440]

Salty, that may not be pretty, but it's functional. Cool solve to the problem.

[Salty]

Originally Posted by 64 DODGE 440

Salty, that may not be pretty, but it's functional. Cool solve to the problem.

Deffinatly not proud of the quality of the welds....I don't know what type of metal it was (looks like carbon steel but sure doesn't like to weld....maybe there is a reason that the caulk gun is hammer rivited together)....

I had thought about not putting it on the board seeing as I'm totally displeased with teh "looks" of the tool....but damn man, I am not going to spend 95 bucks for a tool I will literally use ONCE in 10-15 years.....

I just wanted to throw it out there for anyone in the same situation to show it can be done cheap/free to adapt and overcome.

Thanks bro, you made me feel just a bit better.

[nexxussian]

Originally Posted by 31Vicky with a hemi

Here's my bead roller. I bought it off a hamber a few years ago. Its built like a brick shit house and will roll a bead in 10 guage no problem. Has a adjusting fence so you can hold any edge distance on any shape or edge. It's very heavy and very stable.

I had a HF roll bender that really is a nice unit just a bear to work. I added a quick mount to the bead roller for the roll bender. Both bottom rollers are driven by the bead roller and boy is it a jot to work with. I retained the wheel on the top roller. The adjustment is complety independent of the drive. I made some spacers for the other dies.

That's neat.

Is there a build thread from the guy that built the bead roller?

[Piston Farmer]

Salty im happy you put that up here, SFT's (special fucking tools) dont need to look pretty just need to work for the task at hand. I think its a great idea

[LIGOOMBA]

Originally Posted by Salty

Warning, this is severe ghetto rigged tools born by cheapness....

So say you find a need to use a non-traditional application of 3M Panel bond but your too darn cheap to buy the expensive appicator gun (95 bucks)to do it....This was my instance, I found a need in which 3M panel bond was a better option than welding due to the large expanse of flat steel I didnt feel like warping by welding....I've never had the need to use it before and don't see another reason in a long time to use it again.

SO I bought a tube of the 3M panel bond and as you can see it's odd sized tube sizes....
Attachment 1598303Attachment 1598304

My original thought was to split the tubes and mix it like mud and manually apply it....then I thought, you know I have 6 caulk guns I bet I can figure out how to make one work.

Here's the two styles.
Attachment 1598305

I picked the one on top mainly cause I could fit the odd shaped tubes in between of the uprights. Cut the assembly off as shown.
Attachment 1598306

and trimmed the bottom peice to capture the odd sized tubes so it doesnt slide around.
Attachment 1598307

As you can see it's off center a bit as it needed to be a little centered for the plungers I'm about to make.

All of this was built with scrap 1/2" angle iron....it also should be noted that this took me less than an hour, did not use a tape measure (MK1 MOD 0 eyeball) and found that the metal that the chinese used to construct the caulk gun was absolute crap and did not like to be welded so it's UGLY.....like horible, not proud of it F'd up UGLY....BUT it works....

Attachment 1598308Attachment 1598309

and with the tube inserted

Attachment 1598310

And there you have it, a free tool to combat the expensive assed 3M gun.

Awsome !!! I am going to HF and getting a chaulk gun and getting to work.I have been looking for an answer toa 300.00 chaulk gun ! Thanks

[Chris Stapley]

Too bad you didn't have the 3M tool already, you could have bonded that stuff together.... the ultimate catch 22 right there...

Originally Posted by Salty

Warning, this is severe ghetto rigged tools born by cheapness....

So say you find a need to use a non-traditional application of 3M Panel bond but your too darn cheap to buy the expensive appicator gun (95 bucks)to do it....This was my instance, I found a need in which 3M panel bond was a better option than welding due to the large expanse of flat steel I didnt feel like warping by welding....I've never had the need to use it before and don't see another reason in a long time to use it again.

SO I bought a tube of the 3M panel bond and as you can see it's odd sized tube sizes....
Attachment 1598303Attachment 1598304

My original thought was to split the tubes and mix it like mud and manually apply it....then I thought, you know I have 6 caulk guns I bet I can figure out how to make one work.

Here's the two styles.
Attachment 1598305

I picked the one on top mainly cause I could fit the odd shaped tubes in between of the uprights. Cut the assembly off as shown.
Attachment 1598306

and trimmed the bottom peice to capture the odd sized tubes so it doesnt slide around.
Attachment 1598307

As you can see it's off center a bit as it needed to be a little centered for the plungers I'm about to make.

All of this was built with scrap 1/2" angle iron....it also should be noted that this took me less than an hour, did not use a tape measure (MK1 MOD 0 eyeball) and found that the metal that the chinese used to construct the caulk gun was absolute crap and did not like to be welded so it's UGLY.....like horible, not proud of it F'd up UGLY....BUT it works....

Attachment 1598308Attachment 1598309

and with the tube inserted

Attachment 1598310

And there you have it, a free tool to combat the expensive assed 3M gun.

[Cadzook]

Originally Posted by Chris Stapley

Too bad you didn't have the 3M tool already, you could have bonded that stuff together.... the ultimate catch 22 right there...

Chris, there are a lot of reasons not to spend big money on a special tool that one can easily fabricate. The point of this thread is to show others your home built tools and to get ideas from other people.

If you don't have/or don't want to spend $95 for a caulking gun, there is no catch-22!

~Alden

[onemintcaddy]

Yup,,,,, Just go's to show even if you did spend big money at one time don't mean you still have the same product.
I needed to modify my 95 $ gun to fit what I had on hand at the time. I can relate to welds like crap thing.
Now I need to find a way to spared the " CRAP " I have on hand now,,,

[Manimal]

as said already, this is an awesome thread. Some great ideas here. thanks to all for sharing!

[billb65714]

Hi Guys & Gals

This is not a homemade tool but it may have some use. In my younger days as a board draftsman I used several different flexible curves for laying out different designs. I think these could be utilized for sheet metal and template layouts. They come in various lengths. Just Google "flexible drafting curves" and see what you think.

Hope it helps

Bill

[venturesomerite]

Originally Posted by billb65714

Hi Guys & Gals

This is not a homemade tool but it may have some use. In my younger days as a board draftsman I used several different flexible curves for laying out different designs. I think these could be utilized for sheet metal and template layouts. They come in various lengths. Just Google "flexible drafting curves" and see what you think.

Hope it helps

Bill

Are you talking about "french curves"?

[chaos10meter]

Originally Posted by billb65714

Hi Guys & Gals

This is not a homemade tool but it may have some use. In my younger days as a board draftsman I used several different flexible curves for laying out different designs. I think these could be utilized for sheet metal and template layouts. They come in various lengths. Just Google "flexible drafting curves" and see what you think.

Hope it helps

Bill

I use them all the time especially for laying out flames and getting them to flow right before tapeing for paint.

[Probesport]

Salty, you have solved an issue that's been bothering me. Somebody gave me a bunch of tubes of that stuff and I haven't had a good enough reason to buy the gun. I guess I'll put one together tonight - thanks!

[Carnuba]

You guys are amazing

[billb65714]

Are you talking about "french curves"?

Not the basic plastic "french, ships or also called bulls cock" curves. These you can hand form or press up against a curved surface and it will retain the curve (within reason). I think they come in between 12" to 36" lengths.

Bill

[carbuilder]

I was looking for some pictures for a friend & found a misplaced camera chip. Here are some pictures of a double headed recrocating machine I custom built on order back awhile ago. I has dual 3/4 hp motors runs on 110 power with variable speed vfd & foot controls. The foot controls a hanging up in these photos. Nice thing about the dual headed machine is you can go from one step to the next with out switching tooling. Here it is set up to shrink on one end & smooth & planish on ther other. Tooling changes takes about 90 seconds per side & has dual height adjustability & 24 inch throats.

[Dyce]

That's a sweet looking setup Danny!! Who's is it?

[mr.chevrolet]

all that talking about curves & french curves got me to thinkin, i have quite a bit of refrigerator magnets (the ones that fit in the magnetic door seal) that i use to hold plastic sheet on my projects, those magnetic strips bend easily and can be used to make curves for tracing flame patterns or similar. i was also a draftsman and i had a long flexable magnetic strip that was used for the same purpose of making curved lines.

[carbuilder]

The guy lives in eastern Washington he just plays with his 55/57 chev pu's & stuff on his farm.

[Dawai]

Lemme catch my dues up on the board.
(1)
I cut a one ton dump truck down, frame and bed, the last part of the truck bed made a excellent heavy duty shop table.. hydraulic power pack is used on home made bender and hyd roller. (I'm dying to wire up one turn signal on the truck bed to mess with my alcoholic buddies)
(2)
Needed to build a tipping roller that did not require a ratchet or close to panel rolling.. (pizza cutter like wheel that rolls a break in metal to fold over) it is over a Northern Tool urethanec caster, which works well.
(3)
Needed to build a welding fab-positioner to roll driveshafts and other things slowly while I tig weld them.. Used a 82:1 gear-motor and old lathe chuck bought at auction, mounted on a large bearing I tore out at a sewage plant job. A buddy with a welding helmet works to roll as you weld, but very few friends come around any more..
I did a harley frame about a year back, tacked it up in the jig, then put a rod in chuck and tack welded it to the rear axle mount, rolled it over to weld instead of standing on my head. Bought a guitar waa-waa pedal and wired it into the VFD, it controls "speed and stop-start" of the 3 phase motor.. I use a old copper battery strap to make ground on the driveshafts as it rotates. (usually only goes one rotation) . a Vee pipe stand on the other end.
(4)
GO cart slick-bend roller.. forms a roll bend, driveshaft tunnels, slight curves, on the end of the C-press frame with acme screw-hand wheel adjustor. That C-press is the handiest thing I have ever built for my shop, will function as a ewheel too when pressed in center to stiffen it.
(5)
Radius roller "center" for ewheel frame allows to roll a "bump" for air cleaners or other circular projects.. (full stainless hubcaps) It bolts under the lower anvil cradle, you adjust the "center" in and out with the acme screw on the end.
(6)
CHEAP slappers, made from one ton truck spring. plasma cut, then you grind the rough shaky hand cut out.. I've gave away all the finished ones to newbie metal shapers. Bend a slight offset in it so you don't rap your knuckles.. POLISH.. it transfers a slick surface to metal you are forming.
(7)
Why do you need a 2x2 trailer hitch on your ewheel frame? To mount all the neat tools to save you a step from the dolly-sandbag-stump-tucking forks.. Note the 90 adapter I made, when I started doing this I could not just do sideways or vertical socket mounts, I did both. Note the 3" weld ell? it is a perfect dolly for fender shaping.
(8)
and I put them 2x2 mounts on everything.. used this brake-bender on the back of a service truck to bend copper bus bar in a switch yard..
(the bad? now my buddies are doing the same thing and want to borrow tools) I can drag the tools outside on a pretty day, on the back of the truck or a post dolly with 2x2 socket on top.