Shop Tricks

[BearKiller]

>> FORMING PVC PIPE <<


I had to make some weird bends and flatten a portion of some sch.-40 4-inch PVC to get it to fit where it had to go.

I fired up the "reddy heater" torpedo heater and, when the plastic became pliable, I shaped it as I wanted.

Since then, I have made numerous custom bends and also a few simple 45s and 90s when I was lacking an elbow.

There is a "sweet spot" when the PVC will bend and mold easily, just before it melts a big hole in it, so a keen eye and quick hand are imperative.

 

[BearKiller]

>> ROPE FERRULES <<

I wanted to put a snap on a length of 3/8 braided nylon rope.

Since the rope was barely long enough as it was, and tying the snap on would use up at least six to eight inches, I came upon the idea of using a ferrule; trouble is, I didn't have any.

I cut an inch length of copper plumbing tube, 1/2" I think, and used it for a ferrule.

I slid the copper onto the rope, added the snap, and folded the end of the rope over the snap, inserting it back through the copper/ferrule.

I used my large cable crimper to firmly crimp the copper.

It looks better than anything store-bought.

 

[BearKiller]

>> MEASURING JUGS <<


I keep every one of those clear plastic one-gallon jugs that HI-C, Hawiiain Punch, and the like comes in.

These are much tougher than milk jugs; and, they are clear, so much easier to see through.

I rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry until no trace of moisture is left.

While they are still wet from rinsing, I take a one-quart measuring cup and pour one pint of water into the jug, marking the level as "ONE PINT" with a permanent marker.

I dump this out and pour in one full quart, marking the level as "ONE QUART"; then, "TWO QUARTS", "THREE QUARTS", and "ONE FULL GALLON".

When I use one of these graduated jugs for the first time, I mark what it was used for clearly on the jug and keep it always for that purpose, thus I don't have to worry with rinsing or cross-contamination.

When messing with any liquid, this is one of the handiest things I have done.

 

[Taylortractornut]

One thing i rigged up to bend PVC for a rain barrel prject for a friend was we took a heating element out of a junked dryer then made a cord to run it on 110. up to 3 inch would fit in it and it heated it on all sides evenly.

 

[BearKiller]

>> RADIATOR HOSE REPAIR <<

This one is sort of a testimonial and tip combined.

After an extensive yet fruitless search for a new replacement bottom radiator hose to fit my 1972 R2500 Mitsubishi tractor, I decided I was going to have to repair it as best I could and run with it.

It had numerous nicks and several abrasions, but was leaking from a knife-like slit/puncture about half-an-inch back from the water-neck at the water-pump.

I was shopping at H-F and found this stuff :

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Not knowing just how good it was going to be, I only bought one roll; I wish now that I had of bought ten rolls.

I carefully followed the directions and completely cleaned the old filthy hose with naptha.

I stuck a pill-bottle into the end of the hose closest to the split place to support the hose and keep it round.

Starting at the end of the hose, I wrapped three layers, back and forth, covering the hose from it's end to about an inch past the split.

I then started at the other end, and half-lapping, snugly wrapped the entire hose until I ran out of tape on top of the first section I had covered.

With the entire hose thus wrapped, and all the abrasions and nicks covered with the silicone tape, I believe the hose is good for another 37-years.


I used the tractor hard today and there has not been nary a drip.


If anyone has old questionable hoses on any vehicle or tractor, especially those like mine that are near impossible to replace, I highly recommend removing said hoses, cleaning them up, and wrapping them from one end to the other, before they suffer a catastrophic demise.


I will admit I was skeptical about the outcome of this silicone tape, especially when I saw that it has no adhesive; but, after sitting all night, the tape has sort of self-vulcanized itself, and the ends and edges have just welded themselves into the layers beneath.


I intend to stock up on the stuff after seeing how good it works.

 

[texasjohn]

Bearkiller... some good ideas there... particularly about the Extreme Tape... I've gotta get me some of this miracle stuff, following your testimonial and HF'S claims:

• [FONT=arial, sans-serif]
• Works in any situation: underwater, on a hot muffler, or on a boiling radiator hose
• Silicon based
• Insulates to 8000 volts
• Flexible to -60ｰ Fahrenheit
• Sticks to itself
• Stretches to three times its original length to handle odd shapes and spaces
• Creates permanent seal[/FONT]

That's a deal for $4

 

[kenstrac]

Had a nat.gas job to do after hrs ordered all the parts had them delivered to job,got there and they supplied 1" close nipples instead of the 3/4 that I had ordered.The job had to be done that night and I needed 30 nipples,went on a hunt for a solution found an internal pipe wrench in tool box,I cut the 3/4 pipe to size and inserted internal pipe wrench in treading machine slipped unthreaded nipple onto internal pipe wrench and cut the threads.

 

[BearKiller]

>> LOCKABLE OUTDOOR STORAGE <<

Don't haul off that old refrigerator when it finally konks out; in fact, if your refrigerator is good for several more years, just head to the landfill and get someone else's junker, or two or three.

Clean the thing thoroughly, using plenty of bleach to kill that un-plugged refrigerator stench.

Put a pad-lock hasp on the door(s).

Paint it to match your tractor, truck, barn, or house.

Set it convenient to where you service your vehicles and stock it's shelves with such necessities as oil, steering fluid, brake fluid, grease-gun, wiper fluid, Rain-X, Invisible Glass, etc.

A second refrigerator can be used to store gasoline, chain-saw gas, and the like; better devise some sort of vent system on this one.

 

[Taylortractornut]

This is a quick fix for a washer. The month of October is a tight month here because I have several big bills that all work together and it really knocks a hole in the savings since all my extra work has slowed down. The other night my wife told me the washer quit putting out cold water. but hot worked ok. The man at the appliance store nolonger services and if he did it would be 250 minimum. My wife wont use hot wash any way and I was danged if i gave 250 for fixing my washer. I pulled the washer out and put the cold supplly hose on the hot and let it be. Works fine.
An old ringer washer does good for washing shop rags I have a friend who lets his wife do all the telling on the appliances and shop rags are off limits to her washer. He picked up one of the old hand wringers and does his pile of rags weekly.

 

[larryccf]

your washing machine issue might just be a clogged inlet screen - check where the hose was connected and you'll see a screen just inside the connection - they get clogged, cold water side first from debris coming in in cold water feel line

but another tip, if the solenoid is bad (that connection is a solenoid valve - go to www.sears.com, then up on top right to "PartsDirect"

once there, it'll ask you for the model number - you can punch in any tool number (drill, circular saw, washing machine, refrig, weedeater, whatever)

all you'll need is model number - it'll come back asking you to confirm that 's a Kenmore yada yada washer (or whatever make) - then it'll take you to parts page

i had a 30 yr old maytag washer start leaking on a saturday afternoon - pulled the front cabinet panel off, identified the small squiggly "S" shaped hose, identified it on sear's parts page, ordered it, $6.75 + $6 shipping (priority mail) and it was here on Tuesday afternoon

i've rebuilt tools (25 yr old craftsman circular saw, 20 yr old belt sander) off that page

and it doesn't matter if it's a brand they sell or not, their parts warehouse will have access to the parts

had a ryobi table saw, the dumbest part on the raising mechanism went bad - sears had it for $15

anyway, at worst you've got a bad solenoid valve which won't be much to buy, at best just a clogged filter

 

[BearKiller]

In Re: washing machine

I agree with the clogged inlet screen.

The HOT side won't clog on account of all the crud settling out in the HOT-water heater.

My COLD side clogged nearly weekly, until I got smart and put one of those whole-house filters in the COLD hose.

 

[Toffy]

I use a tap to remove pilot bearings. Insert the tap of proper size and when the tap bottoms out against the flywheel keep turning and it will
ppush the bearing out. Works every time

 

[BearKiller]

I use a tap to remove pilot bearings. Insert the tap of proper size and when the tap bottoms out against the flywheel keep turning and it will
ppush the bearing out. Works every time

That one's a winner.

I have read dozens of pilot-bearing removal tricks, but that is the first time I ever saw that one.

Thanks.

 

[sparker133]

Need to remove a broken key from a cylinder lock. Take a coping saw blade and break off one end pin, then grind a slight taper on the back side of the blade. Insert into the cylinder so that the blade's teeth grab the notches on the broken key and pull out the broken piece.

If you need to limit access to someone whom you trusted with a key--purposely break of a key that fits the lock and push into the cylinder--no other key can be inserted--the above tool lets you remove it when you want access. We used this trick to "lockout" tenants (illegal of course) when we needed to dunn them for overdue rent. Whose to say how a key got broken in the lock.

I am a electrician the florescent lights you are talking about are not very efficient compared to the new ones.

They were more than likely T12 bulbs, they will be removed form the markets soon just like the incandescent bulbs.

They will only be T8 bulbs available. There will also be a T5 bulb but they are more expensive and less efficient.

We have a contract with Orion lighting they make high bay fluorescent lighting. When we go into a facility and change out there old light with our new ones, it is twice as bright and only use about 1/4 of the power.

The last plant we did we change out 168 lights for about 38000dollars and in about a year and nine months they will recoup all of there investment in monthly energy savings.

They make fluorescent that will go in -40 and start with no problem every time. Technology changes every day. Soon the incandescent bulbs with be a thing of the past.

The screw in fluorescent bulbs use about a 1/4 of the energy as a incandescent bulb. A 26watt fluorescent is the same as 100w incandescent bulb.

Now you can get fluorescent bulb with a higher color rendering factor. The use a scale in K's a 3500k is a yellow light like a incandescent bulb. A 5000k is more like sun light. The real sun is 10000K. The 5000K make a big difference when you are trying to work on things and need good light compared to that old yellowish light.

The 8' fluorescent bulbs are also obsolete.

The other reason you hear homing and the bulbs pulse is because the old lights that you are talking about are magnetic ballast, they do not make them any more either. All of the new fixture use electronic ballast that do not hum or pulse and are quick starting.

My advise get a good electrician or a electrical supply house and have them look at your current lighting and see what they recommend. You might be surprised to find how much money you could save and how much fluorescent lighting has changed.

A good electrician should be able to replace your current lighting one for one and save you at least half the energy and get twice the light and a better quality of light.

I hope I enlightened you on fluorescent lighting. If any thing I said was unclear just ask and I will try to help.

 

[Bedlam]

do they or will they make inexpensive screw in (standard base)flor. that don't burn out way way to premature , ?
Such in my basement situation. Ill turn the lights one and walk down and out and shut off. These bulbs burn out way to soon. So I'm back the incandescent lights again.But in this application incandescent bulb will last years.
thanks for the explanation it is interesting

 

[Ken45101]

That's my issue too. I'm fine with replacing incandescent bulbs where they are used heavily (although they don't last as advertised). But out in the barn or the garage, the lights get turned on rarely and are usually only on for a few minutes. High cost to replace something that uses less than 25 cents of energy per year. And fluorescent bulbs don't last long in those applications. I think we need to start stocking up on incandescent bulbs while they are still available and affordable.

From an environmental standpoint, "proper disposal" of fluorescent bulbs is a high cost proposition. Most will be tossed with the regular trash. It would probably cost me $10-15 in gas to find a disposal location for fluorescent bulbs. I have 3 or 4 old 4' bulbs sitting in a corner for years that I can't get rid of. Tell me about how these are "more environmental friendly".

Ken

 

[cityfarma]

>> EXTRA LONG TEST LEAD <<


I took a male and a female 110-volt extension-cord end and wired two alligator clips into each one, connecting the white "common" and green "GROUND" to the black GROUND alligator clip, and the black "hot" to the red HOT alligator clip.

I used medium-large alligators, big enough to grab the battery posts, for the battery end and smaller alligators at the "test" end.

I can now plug my alligator-clip adapters into any old extension-cord and use it for an extra long test lead.

It is a good idea to keep these adapters locked safely away if idiots or curious children are about, as one might plug one into a wall socket and get a new hairdo.

I have always refered to a lead with a mains power plug and bare connectors as a "death lead". Even after 30+ yrs in electronics I won't have one around. I would NEVER mix a high voltage cable with low voltage fitting as you have done. If you must use mains cable, they should NOT have connectors that can be plugged into mains power under ANY circumstances.

Just reading this "hint" sent a shiver down my spine. Even your last comment about locking it away from idiots does not make an unsafe practice safe.

Cityfarma

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Now you can get fluorescent bulb with a higher color rendering factor. The use a scale in K's a 3500k is a yellow light like a incandescent bulb. A 5000k is more like sun light. The real sun is 10000K. The 5000K make a big difference when you are trying to work on things and need good light compared to that old yellowish light. ...snip snip...

Small correction - the real sun is 10,000F or 5780K (Kelvin).

Now I feel obligated to post a tip

To spray insecticide into a tree or the high peaks of a house where the wasps like to nest, tape the wand of a pump sprayer to your leaf blower so the liquid is entrained in the air stream. It works GREAT. Of course it's a super duper yard fogger too. Be mindful of prevailing winds.

 

[Bedlam]

Even to me (Mr cheapo) I could use the cord but remove the ends on it.(use just the wire itself). If it was a concern having the 'adapter' anywhere around.Perhaps even find an old cord in the dump.I reuse allot of vacuum cleaner cords all the time a few of these together would give the length.

 

[BearKiller]

I have always refered to a lead with a mains power plug and bare connectors as a "death lead". Even after 30+ yrs in electronics I won't have one around. I would NEVER mix a high voltage cable with low voltage fitting as you have done. If you must use mains cable, they should NOT have connectors that can be plugged into mains power under ANY circumstances.

Just reading this "hint" sent a shiver down my spine. Even your last comment about locking it away from idiots does not make an unsafe practice safe.

Cityfarma

Just like driving a truck, operating a tractor, or eating at a fast-food resturant, there are dangers all around us; having a 110/12-volt adapter or two around is way down on my list of ways to get killed.