home made tools and equipment...

I wish they had this for the autobody trade. Might save me some grief hiring guys!! When I started out there were still highly guarded secrets as to how to do it. The "old guys" wouldn't tell you nothin!! You had to watch over their shoulder while sweeping the shop or cleaning tools and hope to see how they worked thier magic. You actually had to pay attention and learn something. I've had the same kid working at the shop I'm at now for over a year, and I still have to tell him everything! AND I've been telling him how to do everything! Dumb ass kids!

To keep this rant on topic, here's a king pin jig I made when doing my brothers front end on his 52 chevy delux. It makes it easy because you can press it out. If it's stuck like this one was, a little pressure and a little heat= big pop when it finally comes out!


x

edit: That's Hellfire's chevy in the background. We did a blast job and a bit of metalwork on it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=481006

 

Here is some stuff I have made

English Wheel is 4x4 1/4 tube with a 36in throat. You can see the yellow rear leg from a POS HF wheel. The adjuster I used is parts from a old radial arm saw. For the upper wheel I called up Joe from Hoosier patterns and had him engrave are club name into it. I also got the quick release and lower cradle from him. The lower 3X3 anvils also from Joe I picked up off Ebay cheap. I still need to build a kick wheel for it I just need to find a 10in steering wheel. Once it's all done I'm going to shoot it with some Flake and do some crazy candy panels


Curved T handle is just some 5/8 round bar welded to some scrap


Timing cover I use on my plastic mock up block to check clearance

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLcc4jptcLs&feature=player_detailpage

 

genius!!

 

A big thanks to Tooljunkie for a great idea... just finished making a handle for my cherry picker.

 

thats why i posted it.i have used a couple ideas from this site myself.guess i should have posted pics of the depth guage on my hydraulic press.just a piece of tape measure and a pointer.

 

I need to make a pipe bender for bending bike frames. Anyone have any cheap, smart, innovative ideas? I have been looking at past posts but havent ran into any already postes yet

Thanks,
Skrach
www.VividlyVintage.com

 

Hello I am planning into make a tube bender

I have seen two options for the follower, will like to hear opinions on what is best????
roller or block

 

921
Here's some drawings I made to make mine. Make sure the throat that attaches to the arm is deep enough to allow movement up and down and that unit is centred for balance when in use. A couple of rubber pads on the angle iron so I won't slide around and that it is nice and snug.

 

My Tool cart Mods.

 

Neat!

I might think about locating the torch a bit further away from the towel roll and aerosol can though.

Ed

 

Nice, indeed. But just because one stores a torch next to towels and aerosol cans doesn't mean its used there.

 

awesome thread!

 

Since it's raining I have some time in the shop today so I threw a couple of scrap pieces together and made a handle (thanks tooljunkie) . Call it overkill if you want but I added a knob I had laying around on it. I've already tested it and it works real good.

 

Right!

 

that is a neat way of sand or bead blasting parts set it and forget it

 

That's a GREAT idea- and if you put an offset shield on the hose, you can hold on to more of the media.

 

@ lrapso.

i've build a bender myself and used a guide block and one thing you have to keep in mind is that the block needs to be elipticle (?)/ oval shaped so the pipe is bend in a counter shape so it won't deforme as much during bending. Sounds logic?

A pic of what i mean.It's a baileigh.... it made a lot of sense to me...



Post a pic when its ready!!

This is mine..(still in progress (for a while)).



I've made the guide block's before i talked to shane so its "crap" with thin walled pipe, you can see the D shape in de bend.....



Good luck!

 

i didnt realize how handy it was til i used it a few times,especially on the hydraulic press,makes for quick easy adjustment.no fiddling with a two foot long pipe.

 

looks like it would be pretty easy to ad a mandrel to your machine

 

Howdy,

Yup thats what i want to build when i have time left (first i have to finish it)

Got a shit load of pic's and idea's but also little time......

I was suprised how "easy" it is to build a mandrel at home!


But there is a lot more then only a mandrel to bend thin walled pipe...

bye

 

I just thought I would throw this up because a few of you like the other variations.

The part that connects to the jack in my press is a thick walled tube with a deep notch in it. It is then slid on and crimped together with a large pair of channel locks and a handle is welded on. From what I hear that handle has been on there for 20+ years. I will say it is very handy..

 

Simple yet elegant.

 

I really like that release on that jack, I may have to do something similar.

 

drill press fence.piece of angle iron,two slots on one flat,two 1/2" bolts up from bottom and two nuts with a washer welded to them and a rod on each nut to tighten them.i run the bolts up from bottom and snug using the bar welded to the nuts.
quick to use,makes one axis consistent and gives a vertical surface for clamping to.

 

i got tired of cleaning up under drill press,them damn curly hunks of steel are a b*%#h to sweep up.
here's my solution



i just brush the swarf or cuttings into the slots or centre hole on drill press table and it catches 90% of the mess

 

They just disapeared!! It's magic!

 

drill press guage.
very handy for straightening stuff,gives a reference point to work from.


the yellow ring slides down with the pointer,marks the last point i pressed to.

 

square reciever tube in concrete floor.i used construction adhesive to set it in the hole,a couple rods welded on the sides to help it hold.i have a ring roller and a manual tire changer that drops in.


not done yet.

 

my predecessor at work,made this boom for the welding shop,the mig hangs on it and covers the entire welding area.