Shop Tricks

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

I wish some of you were closer. Occasionally my food plant will buy sour cream or other ingredients in 5 gallon pails. The first hundred were easy to give away. The second hundred went a little slower. Now everyone who knows anyone who works here has all the buckets they can possibly take. A few months ago we threw about 75 in the dumpster.

one spot i worked the boss took the pails cut the bottoms out staked them to getter and made a conna tub and it will work for a culvert too if deep enough but but in the right direction to the water

 

[BearKiller]

This is not a paint remover tip but it does involve paint. I got it from a magazine about 50 years ago and use it, most of the time.

After opening a paint can, any size, use a nail and punch a few holes in the bottom of the groove around the top. After pouring paint from the can or wiping the paint across the top after dipping it into the can, the groove at the top of the can will fill up. These holes allows the paint to drip back into the can and not flow over the side and cover the instructions and down onto the floor. Or, it keeps the paint from getting splattered when the cover is replaced and tapped down.

Since the holes are below the grip point of the cover, air is not allowed to enter the can, so the paint remains usable.

Clem

Also, mark both the lid and the can such that the lid is always replaced exactly as it came off, thus any dents, distortions, or dried globs of paint will not prevent the lid seating fully. :thumbsup:

 

[BearKiller]

>>> KEEPING TRACK OF THE SMALL PIECES <<<


One of the local convenience stores uses tough clear plastic "clamshells" for such things as cheese-burgers and various sandwiches, instead of the usual white styrofoam ones.

I finally got wise and started keeping these containers, instead of tossing them.

Whenever I dis-assemble something that might not get re-assembled right away, I put all the bolts, nuts, springs, etc. in one or more of these clear plastic clamshells, then put the loaded clamshell containers in whatever big box/crate with the larger pieces. :thumbsup:

 

[BearKiller]

>>> MAKING STARTER BRUSHES <<<


Oft-times, with foreign-made or otherwise obsolete equipment, simple parts are either impossible to find, or not available.

I recently ran into just such a situation, trying to find a set of starter brushes.

Note the necessary thickness and width of the needed brushes.

Find an available set of brushes that are larger in all dimensions.

I used a bench-top disc-sander and down-sized both the thickness and width of a set of larger brushes in short order.


Here is the rest of the story :

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/mitsubishi-satoh/96915-r2500-starter-2.html


Enjoy.

 

[camoman]

Got this one from my Dad...

If you are looking for a way to organize bolts, nails or anything else and keep it visible to easily find simply take your peanut butter jars , jam jars or anything with a lid really (that screws on) and fasten the lids to the under side of a 2x4 or 2x6 with a screw, hang the board on your wall and now you can fill those jars with all sorts of stuff and simply screw them on to the bottom of the board! all your jars are hung nicely in a row and you can see whats in all of them (if they are clear).

:thumbsup:

 

[BearKiller]

Got this one from my Dad...

If you are looking for a way to organize bolts, nails or anything else and keep it visible to easily find simply take your peanut butter jars , jam jars or anything with a lid really (that screws on) and fasten the lids to the under side of a 2x4 or 2x6 with a screw, hang the board on your wall and now you can fill those jars with all sorts of stuff and simply screw them on to the bottom of the board! all your jars are hung nicely in a row and you can see whats in all of them (if they are clear).

:thumbsup:

Leroy Gibbs uses this trick in his basement shop on NCIS. :thumbsup:

 

[Toyboy]

I find the Folgers instant coffee jars work really good for me. Easy to wash out too.

 

[BearKiller]

>>> CABLE LUBE <<<


To reclaim old frozen cables, such as choke- or throttle-cables, etc., and to insure longer life of nice new cables, submerge them in a large shallow pan of very hot oil, and leave them soak for a long while.

This works especially well with those wire-wound cable-housings, as the hot oil will permeate through the wound wire along the entire length of the cable.


Using this method, old rusty cables can be revived from the dead.

Be careful how you heat the oil and don't burn the house down. :thumbsup:

 

[powerpace]

It's Jethro Gibbs.

 

[BXinNH]

Actually, you're both right, it is Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Matt.

 

[BearKiller]

Actually, you're both right, it is Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Matt.

I knew that.

 

[G.P.S.Investments]

I don't remember reading in this shop tricks,But anyways,to save a blister on the palm of my hand or a 80 mile trip to town to get a saw file handle,I just cut a peice of old broom handle or any wooden dowel to use 4inch chunk ,then drill a hole to put the power file into,then round the other end with the bench grinder.I learnt that that from my late father.Sure it works no worries to saw file out of my south paw.:laughing: just my :2cents: :drink:cheers:

 

[jimmer2880]

I don't remember who posted this, but THANK YOU!

In order to get a Bearing Race out, run a bead of weld on the race and let cool. The weld will shrink the race when it cools. One of my 2 still needed a little persuasion, but not much.

 

[49tandc]

New trick for cutting metal with a jigsaw - For getting straight cuts with a jigsaw, drill a small hole in the rear of the shoe, and drop in a small nail the width of the saw blade. If you can manage to make the first 4 inches straight, the saw will track true for the rest of the cut.

49T&C

 

[MichKubota]

How to "Drill Down The Center of a Rod". Wish I could say I thought of it.


Artifex: Drilling Down The Middle

 

[not2old]

So you are saying I won't be able to buy new t12 ho bulbs in the future?
I just spent a few hundred bucks putting up 8ft fixtures in my garage
They are the quick start cold temp ones. They don't whine, but they do cause radio interference.
I saw the t8 fixtures when I bought the t12's. I had no idea they were planning on doing away with t12's

The wholesaler I use tells me the lamps will be available until the demand is gone, but you can no longer buy the replacement ballasts.

 

[The Haymaker]

How to "Drill Down The Center of a Rod". Wish I could say I thought of it.


Artifex: Drilling Down The Middle

Pretty much the same procedure as drilling on a real lathe.

I've also turned down a 4" pvc end cap by finding center of the cap, drilling and putting a bolt with washers in. Place that in the dripp and then clamp a right angle grinder with thin cutting wheel in it to the drill table. Fire everything up and work cap slowly by wheel.

This is how the piston for my cannon was made.

E

 

[MichKubota]

OK - Some people will say "Duy Ya" but here it is:

I don't have a sink in garage or barn to wash hands so when starting a greasy dirty job:

1. Fill bucket with soap (dish detergent is best) and warm water. Add wash cloth and drying towel.
2. Take to job site (in my case it's the driveway).

No need to wait till job is done as soon as my hands are greasy/dirty use this to clean up. I may clean my hands 10 to 20 times throughout the day. They never get that down deep dirty that will only come clean after a week of growing new skin and finger nails.

Keeps my door knobs, phone, inside sink, tools etc a lot cleaner too.

I also wear surgical gloves (from HF) for a lot of jobs. I still use the cleaning bucket to wash my hands (with gloves on). Its easier then removing the gloves to answer the phone and my tools stay cleaner.

 

[Giles]

Ever needed a longer tube when spraying carb cleaner or WD40? These small tubes can be joined together by using a 1/4" cutoff section of most ball-point pens. Simply remove the ink tube and cutoff a section from the end opposite the ball-point. Most of the time, the spray tube will fit perfectly inside this cutoff tube.
I have done this many times and the tube can be made any desired length.
Just remember to save those small tubes.

 

[sodamo]

Another dirty hands trick. Useful for either greasy or when launching. Pour liquid detergent, like dish soap in your palm then work it in like a lotion, let dry before you start work. When you go to clean up a few hours later most every thing washes off easily - even in a bucket