home made tools and equipment...

To try to avoid confusion I'm keeping the pictures on different posts My other crane is smaller and made from 4" I beams. Its set up to work with the two post lift, but not attached to it. On this one, the supports are outside the lift so I needed 2 crossbeams. One is in front of the lift and the other is behind it. Because of the pallet racking and some other existing shop items I did it this way. When we build the one in my sons pole barn we will use his lift as the main support and mount the I beams inside the lift posts. Then only one cross trolley will be needed. Its hard to get a good picture of these lifts that shows them well.

 

Here are the beams we are currently installing in my sons outer building. We are trying to get them installed so he can get the floor concreted. We built supports for rafters and then hoisted the beams up. Lotta work making the supports and only a few minutes to hoist them up. We felt it was too dangerous to try and lift them with the tractor. Last picture is some poles from industrial security fencing which the company I worked for cut down. Heavy duty and great for our crane.

 

This is the building where we are going to put up a smaller cranes with 4" I beams and use the lift as the center support for the crane. I have made some brackets which will bolt to the lift and support the center of the long beams. Either the pallet rack at the rear, or maybe a braced pallet rack will support one end. Where they protrude toward the front of the building we will make a traditional 2 post support with a cross beam and fasten it to the floor.

 

Here is a small little crane I made when I had some heavy stuff on the workbench on the left. I made the wooden workbench on the right about 40 years ago. I placed a stainless top from a school auction on top of it for working on messy jobs. Later I modified it with an engine stand attachment. The support for the engine stand goes all the way to the back of the workbench to provide enough support. It can be removed and stored when not needed. The little crane beam lets me lift the engines in place or set heavy things on carts.

 

Now for some smaller home made tools I made this Tig cart from an old Oxy/Acy cart from a yard sale. A fuel cell off ebay serves as the coolant tank. A soft drink machine pump circulates the water thru a homemade manifold and it passes thru a transmission cooler. Some old fans from some test equipment at work serve to pass air over the trans cooler. Lot more water capacity than the HIGH $$ name brands.

 

One last thing......Shop got robbed a few years ago and got me for some expensive stuff. I cobbled up a security system that provides light AND NOISE. Then put security cameras up. Lights don't scare thieves much...NOISE Does. Anyway, I used a motion sensor light from lowes along with an alarm siren (Ebay $10) one of those small transformer/chargers like your cell phone uses ($7) an off/on wall switch and some wire. For about $60 I have something that will get thieves attention. My camera system records everyone who shows up from Craigs list, and one camera even gets their license number as they enter the driveway. Don't be sorry, be prepared.

 

Damn, and I thought I had a lot of hoist on my roll around hoist!

 

Very impressed with your entire setup, ekimneirbo.

 

Thanks for sharing all of that @ekimneirbo! I know I’ll steal the wrench organization idea first!

 

Glad you like it. I got tired of always needing a metric instead of a standard and having to grab several wrenches to get the right size. I took an old Craftsman workbench on wheels that I purchased off Craigslist for $75. I put the pegboard on the back using a couple metal cross braces where I wanted to mount the wrenches. Then I bought a couple pounds of 5/16 x 4" bolts. Cut the heads off and screwed them into tapped holes. That allows you to hold several wrenches. I don't care much for the pegboard hooks. Under the pegboard, the workbench has sockets organized....though its pretty messy in my picture. If I need a different size socket, I just look at the wrenches to see what the next bigger size is, and grab that socket. Then the drawers in the cabinet hold ratchets and extensions. Below that, the drawers can hold whatever you want. At the sides of the cabinet are small wings for screwdrivers. Then I welded some short pieces of round stock at the side of the pegboard to slip some "cheater bars" on. Then I don't have to hunt for a suitable piece of pipe when I need more leverage. I put the cart next to my lift where its handy, but the wheels let me roll it wherever I need it. You'll like it if you take the time to make one. Here are a few more pics to see it better.

 

I had two offcuts (the bits knocked off with the sledgehammer) from the two little anvils I made, so I trimmed them down to leave just the base of the rail and skimmed them up with the flycutter to make a pair of plattens for the press.

Mart.

 

That's a great idea! thanks!

 

4 cylinder engine lifter.

 

Nicely done! I love using my lathe and my mill, and I'll remember your trick for when I have the time to make them for my press. I am so far behind because of my illnesses, that I can't get ahead on jobs.
Today, I had to service my excavator because I am getting ready to dig out over 2,000 yards of material, and then do the prep work, the foundations and footings for my new 2,000 sq ft two story garage. I already have the building, so it is a matter of getting everything poured and then assembly. The garage is the priority, everything else has to wait in line.
Bob

 

I did the same thing to bolt into my Chevy and Ford crankshafts, so I could move the blocks around before putting them on the engine stand. They save a lot of effort.
Bob

 

I found this tool in a pile of stuff at the recycle center. some one took some time making it. I hope I never need it.

 

Here’s a repurposed clothing display rack converted to an oil change catch all


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I have a set of 3/8 drive crow's feet wrenches that I adapted to a holder like that. Most of the time, I have enough room to use the crow's foot with a 3/8ths flex handle.
Bob

 

Here's my little contribution.
I recently needed a hub puller for a wide 5 banjo rear axle. A fellow HAMB'er loaned me his hub puller but its the kind the bolts onto the lug studs and the arms wouldn't go out far enough for the wide 5 pattern.
So, I took some 3/8" flat bar, 2.5x2.5 square tubing, 1/4 flat bar and some 5/8" hardware and cobbled together a hub puller that would slip over the should on the hub. All-in-all a fairly simple procedure...

 

Hot rodded my fishing boat with a too big outboard. Had to make braces. Used my front end loader as a press brake. 1x4 used as the dies which held up for the two bends I needed.

 

Three little easily made tools.
A low profile bracket for lifting flathead blocks.
A home made adaptor for holding a flathead on an engine stand.
Modifications to the engine stand to make it easier to transfer from engine hoist to the stand.

All in this video:



Mart.

 

Details on that lifting plate please.
Andy

 

I like your videos Mart!

Glenn

 

Thanks fellas.

The lifting bracket is just a piece of 3" angle 1/4 wall, about 11" long, with a tab welded on. It just slips into the valve chest. I want to put some blobs of weld onto it to stop any chance of it slipping back and forth. Maybe I'll show it in more detail in the follow up video. It wasn't my idea, just something I picked up from here or FordBarn, can't remember which.

Mart.

 

cylinder head lifting fixtures good for HEMI heads and inline/ flat head .... heads

and a fluid transfer pump I made from an old air ratchet and a speedo head from a ot Honda with variable power steering assist
Works absolutely amazing

 

I'm finally getting around to building my rotisserie, I first got the ACME thread and pipes almost 15 years ago lol. But until now I was able to use somebody else's, I still am but I also need to put a 69 charger on the rotisserie so I have the need for a second one. So I bought 80mm (3") and 70mm (2-3/4) both 4mm wall square tubing.

Instead of pressure screws I use pins which don't crush the tubes, the way I drilled 2 set of holes allows me to have about 2" of increments.

For the lifting I'm thinking of using hi lift jacks instead of hydraulic ones because I want to be able to pick a car from about a foot of the ground. I know they can be dangerous to use, but since they will be permanently in place and the locking will be the pins I will eliminate 2 of the danger related to those jacks. Only downside I see is it might be hard to have the jack locked and my adjustment holes to match. I might consider using an ACME threaded rod instead of the hi lift jack, what do you guys think?

 

Not as fancy as some of the other tools posted but to me if you have a Falcon/Comet/Meteor/Fairlane/Mustang essential for avoiding serious injury when taking apart the front suspension.

 

VANDENPLAS, what Honda did you get that off of? It looks like it could be useful for a few things.

 

Couldn’t hardly open the drawer any longer due to the weight of the clamps.

Made this little thing to consolidate and make the clamps easier to access.




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