Show What Tool You Made*

[Tor Arne]

Is a little unsure if it qualifies as a tool but it can certainly give someone a idea. Had a small project truing up a drum on a excavator, a piece of flat steel tacked to the machine to keep the grinder steady so I get correct diameter to fit new sprocket wheel.

 

[RitchElbe]

Thought ya'll would enjoy this. Pops came up with his back in 1999, been using ever since. Perfect for lining up round stock of wood, metal, etc for placing a straight hole or pass thru to the other side in alignment

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Thought ya'll would enjoy this. Pops came up with his back in 1999, been using ever since. Perfect for lining up round stock of wood, metal, etc for placing a straight hole or pass thru to the other side in alignment

Is your goal to drill the wood or the steel rod?

 

[RitchElbe]

This go round, I was drilling the wood and the rod. The "Roller" is for a weaving loom. We found that using a 3/8 rod pressed in 4" on each end and pin with a 1/8 roll pin provided the best results. the metal "axil" will mount into the loom allowing free roll of the roller.

 

[jhlittle]

Was having trouble getting the outer end off of a cv axle on my 4 wheeler. Just slide the pipe over the axle, put the axle in a vise and give the rod a couple good taps with a hammer.

 

[RitchElbe]

Great thinking

 

[jaotguy]

or for those without welding ... a piece of 1 1/2 water pipe and a T fitting ... screw the pipe into the leg of the pipe and slip over the shaft ... bang on the pipe close to the fitting ....

 

[jhlittle]

1 1/2 would probably be too big. The fitting needs to be just big enough to go around the axle. Too big and you would be hitting on the cage( I don't know what it's actually called) and they are fairly fragile. But I guess that would ultimately depend on the axle size.

This is the hardest axle I've had to take apart so I don't know if a T would have worked. The 1st tool we made was closer to a 45* angle and it wouldn't break it loose.

Also this wasn't my idea. I saw a video on YouTube where a guy had a tool he had bought that was made for that. His looked to be heavier duty than what I built and it only went halfway around the axle. But I'm happy with the results I got with what I made.

 

[jaotguy]

pickle fork would work too ( for splitting ball joints ) driven at a steep angle .... those e-clips can be a pain

also try putting the joint in a vise , an old sledge head and then a pair of grips on the shaft... ( slide hammer style )

not meant to detract from your tool ( it works well doesn't it ?) , just tossing in other solutions ( pipe fittings could be sized to suite application )

sometimes ya just gotta work with what you have hanging around ( or can fab up quickly )

 

[dieselcrawler]

I made up this little jewl at work a week or so ago. Doing body work on the boss' truck, welding in patch panels. My air chistle has a really neat off-set anvil attachment that is made for over-lap seams but it required about an inch of clearance on the back side of the sheetmetal. Where the inner cab corner comes out to meet the outter cab corner, it wouldn't fit. So, about 10 minutes later and a few scraps of metal, I made the anvil part that would fit in the tight spot, chucked up a dull-ish chistle, and finished the offset. Being 2 pc, it's a little more aqward to use, but it did what I wanted. More detail on my repairs can be seen in my thread 'F250 rust repairs'


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/318655-f250-rust-repairs.html

 

[chim]

Poured a sidewalk on Friday. The forms were mostly thin plywood strips. I staked it with (many) pieces of 3/4" EMT and then used self-drilling screws from the inside of the forms. Figured the easiest way to strip them would be to smack the conduit so the screws would break loose and pull the conduit out with a big pump pliers.

It all worked out fine until the pulling part. I didn't have near enough strength to pull most of them. Next attempt was using an old Visegrip pliers. I removed the adjustment bolt and ran it through the last link of a piece of chain. Then I used the FEL to pull the pegs. MUCH better!

 

[chim]

I dug this out for grading some of the fill along the sidewalk. The fill ranged from at least a foot down to nothing at the other end. It is a large pipe flange welded to a couple pieces of beam. It originally was a simple drag that I'd use with a lift boom and drag with chains. Last year I added the flange for weight and there's a pin in the front that allows me to rotate and lock it.

Here are pics that show the original on a B7500 (and I can't figure out why it's a link instead of a thumbnail), and the current configuration on a Ford 1210:

 

[k0ua]

I dug this out for grading some of the fill along the sidewalk. The fill ranged from at least a foot down to nothing at the other end. It is a large pipe flange welded to a couple pieces of beam. It originally was a simple drag that I'd use with a lift boom and drag with chains. Last year I added the flange for weight and there's a pin in the front that allows me to rotate and lock it.

Here are pics that show the original on a B7500 (and I can't figure out why it's a link instead of a thumbnail), and the current configuration on a Ford 1210:

That setup on the Ford, looks pretty darn useful. And the setup on the B7500, sure is a unique way to have a chain drag, and be able to lift it too!:thumbsup: I would never have thought of that...cool.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I made a really long handle mini-wire brush... thoes are 9" tiles, its about 24" long. Used it to knock off paint inside some truck cab door jambs where heat from welding floor panels in had made it peel. Another stick with a sponge stapled to it became a paint brush to re-coat the bare metal.

 

[Sodo]

Welded threads together to make a 'holder stud' for the fittings on the angle grinder. It screws into the hole for the handle. I never use the handle on the 4 1/2" grinder. This is a Milwaukie, thds are 5/16-18, and 5/8-11.
DeWalt uses M8-1.25 and 5/8-11





Here's another good place to weld a holder.

 

[Botheyesopen]

I have my eyes on a section of rail that appears to have been abandoned next to a track locally. it looks to be 12'+ long, and has been laying there rusting for nigh on 2 years.

Does anyone have any idea about how much that long a piece of RR track would weigh in at?

If its straight, hang it under your truck. I moved a 32' 10 inch "H" beam with 6" flanges under a Ford F150 a few miles once. You gotta be very aware of grade changes...no stopping at the Kwik Mart on the way...

Also, all rail in the US is "closed cycle" meaning its never not railroad property, so if you take that piece, you are stealing it. Just FYI, I'm not judging, I might snag it myself, but be aware that justice is usually harsh and very unforgiving when the railroad is the victim and the have their own police force.

 

[RitchElbe]

Rails are 30lbs per foot. Pops worked the rails back in the day..when I was a teenager and wanted a weight set..he brought home a few 10ft pieces for me to "work out with".

 

[skyhook]

Rails are 30lbs per foot. Pops worked the rails back in the day..when I was a teenager and wanted a weight set..he brought home a few 10ft pieces for me to "work out with".

That sounds about right, a 4x4 inch solid square piece of metal weighs in at 50lbs per foot.

 

[Cpjlube]

Rails are 30lbs per foot. Pops worked the rails back in the day..when I was a teenager and wanted a weight set..he brought home a few 10ft pieces for me to "work out with".

Some rail is 30 lbs/ft. If you get near rail and have a tape measure, you will see there are numerous different sizes.
Mainline "high" rail is usually the largest, heaviest rail. Usually welded, ribbon rail, no bolted connections.
Smaller rail for sidings and small branches is different size.
I worked for a small RR construction company in Columbus, Ohio. They built and rebuilt sidings and maintained track. As a 19 year old novice, I was given the exciting task of organizing the fittings or adapters to connect two different kinds of rail. Trust me, there are is a dizzying array of differing styles and sizes. Think of how long some rail has been in place, manufacturers long gone and new improved designs.
Some of the nomenclature escapes me but I seem to remember many types of rail refered to by weight of a three foot stick. So a 30 lb/ft rail would be 90lb rail.
The RR experts on here will correct me.

 

[Kernopelli]

I dug this out for grading some of the fill along the sidewalk. The fill ranged from at least a foot down to nothing at the other end. It is a large pipe flange welded to a couple pieces of beam. It originally was a simple drag that I'd use with a lift boom and drag with chains. Last year I added the flange for weight and there's a pin in the front that allows me to rotate and lock it.

Here are pics that show the original on a B7500 (and I can't figure out why it's a link instead of a thumbnail), and the current configuration on a Ford 1210:

Using the pipe flange is brilliant! Nice, heavy ( and easy) way to make a locking pivot......great idea!!