Tools you have made

[solarman216]

As title was thinking of starting a new thread on that very topic, what have you made to do a particular job, what do you all think? Rick

 

[solarman216]

OK so many looking but no comments so I will start the ball rolling, here are two drills I made in the mid 70's one a steel drilling twist bit extension, and the other a masonry drill extra long, made from solid stock with brazed tungsten carbide inserts fitted to some barrel with a turned down solid drill chuck adaptor, now this was in a time when such drills were so so expensive, when I said I made my own TC masonry drill people laughed, but here it is, over 40 years old, I also made a disk cutter from a washing machine motor around the same time, if there is interest I will get it out and take some pics, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

Sorry Rick, think I must be a bit dull cos I can’t think of any tools that I’ve made.

 

[solarman216]

Jim I bet you have, it can be just a simple purpose designed hook for instance, have a think about it, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

At the moment best thing I can suggest is that I used to build a lot of computers. In the back of the cases are some metal covers that were blanking panels for such as graphics or sound cards. As used to build up a handful of these plates probably around 3inch by half inch.

They turned out to be great to slide down the side of radio head units to release the clips so the radio could be pulled out. Kept one in the glove box so I could always nip the radio out easily.

 

[Davey Boy]

At the moment best thing I can suggest is that I used to build a lot of computers. In the back of the cases are some metal covers that were blanking panels for such as graphics or sound cards. As used to build up a handful of these plates probably around 3inch by half inch.

They turned out to be great to slide down the side of radio head units to release the clips so the radio could be pulled out. Kept one in the glove box so I could always nip the radio out easily.

Jim, that's a tool and a good tip in one post!:thumb2

Rick, I made a jig once that allowed me to create a radiused end to a standard bullnosed kitchen worktop, using an industrial router.
Sounds a bit dull, but nobody else was doing that at the time and made a unique feature.
That was nearly thirty years ago.
D

 

[Banshee]

I've cut a hole on the side of a socket with an angle grinder once to get an injector out :nenau :nenau

Nowhere near the level of making your own carbide drill bits though

 

[solarman216]

Jim, that's a tool and a good tip in one post!:thumb2

Rick, I made a jig once that allowed me to create a radiused end to a standard bullnosed kitchen worktop, using an industrial router.
Sounds a bit dull, but nobody else was doing that at the time and made a unique feature.
That was nearly thirty years ago.
D

There you go and I bet there are loads more "special" tools that you guy's have made and thought nothing of them so get your heads scratching, here is another that I made in the 60's from what was available in and around the workshop, anyone guess what it is for? I know at least one who will identify it and probably many more, it was beefy but had to be, Rick

 

[solarman216]

I've cut a hole on the side of a socket with an angle grinder once to get an injector out :nenau :nenau

Nowhere near the level of making your own carbide drill bits though

It worked though Zac so all that matters, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

I was talking to my nephew last week about his grandad from his fathers side. He passed away some years ago but he was a real motor engineer. He used to repair the family cars and made a lot of tools himself. One thing I was telling my nephew is that his teolley jack amd large axle stands are used virtually every time I need to jack the truck up and I often think about his grandad. He actually made some jigs to lift each model of car the family owned. Basically a long metal box section made to fit into the trolley jack in the centre with brackets and pads welded along to take the weight of the cars jacking points. Unfortunately there was no longer any use when he had passed away so they all went to scrap, seemed such a waste. I was not related to the gentleman but I had still have a hell of a lot of respect for him.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

There you go and I bet there are loads more "special" tools that you guy's have made and thought nothing of them so get your heads scratching, here is another that I made in the 60's from what was available in and around the workshop, anyone guess what it is for? I know at least one who will identify it and probably many more, it was beefy but had to be, Rick

Looks like some kind of puller.

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[Lazy-Ferret]

No photo.

I have never needed a brake rewind tool in the past, but when a friend asked me to do his BMW brakes, and at the crucial point I discovered the need for one. I used an old Angle Grinder tool and one of those clamps that work like a cartridge caulking gun, but I reversed it so the clamping action opened, rather than closed.

Bit fiddly but did the job.

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[solarman216]

Looks like some kind of puller.

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It certainly is a puller, but for what? Rick

 

[Davey Boy]

It certainly is a puller, but for what? Rick

Hub?

 

[solarman216]

Hub?

Sorry no, Ted should know, Rick

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Sorry no, Ted should know, Rick

The way Rick over engineers things, its probably for his solar battery terminals. Lol

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[macabethiel]

Special Tool for a Mini ADO15 Gearbox fix!

Back in the 1960's Minis would lose the drive in the gearbox due to the big nut coming undone on the mainshaft output gear.

They brought out a modified nut with a lock washer but the problem was getting sufficient Torque to stop it coming undone.

A mate locked it into two gears at once then gave it the 160 lb ft torque only to have a gear tooth break!

I got an old layshaft and had it welded to an old end gear so you could slip it on the shaft to hold everything tight from the other end. I binned it about 5 years ago after a big garage clear out. Not only did I use it a couple of times but it did the rounds with my mates who had the same drive failure.

Last time it was used on a Riley Elf in around 1974 - by that time it was no longer a problem as the modified production boxes were fine.

 

[solarman216]

Well I am surprised, it is a Mini flywheel puller, they were fitted on a taper and took a lot of pulling, Rick

 

[elty001]

I regularly design and fabricate jigs at work for the paint line.
Not everything we paint is as simple as a hook in a free hole.
I tend to have multi uses for tools.
Only thing that i have made that sticks in my mind is the bearing tool for the front wheel bearings.
A bit of tube with two dowels welded on and an M10 nut and bolt welded to the other end so i can fit a 17mm socket and ratchet to tighten/loosen the bearing lock ring.

 

[solarman216]

Yes I have been meaning for a long time to make a wheel nut tool, you have beaten me to it Elty, Rick