[ProMetalShop]

Hey Guys, post some of your odd tools, some you found, some you made, or was given... Things you use as a tool that they weren't really meant for ! ! !

Here's one I made a few years back

Yup someone's missing a bottle cap

And a few hammers I made

This one a friend made for me..

Here's a piece off a big digging bucket I use as a large dolly or anvil.

And some home brew T-handles for shaping.

So post up, I'll post more later ! !

 

[1946Austin]

I'll have to do some digging around and see what I have. Not as organized as you!

 

[ProMetalShop]

Well I just look organized ! ! !

 

[56 VIC]

Prostreet - Steve, Cool idea for a thread Steve,,I have a couple that came to mind right away. One of them is a variation on a tool for wiring,,actually I believe it could be new invention if a guy wanted to move forward with it,, I have decided not to keep it to myself (at least I have not found anyone that has made it before and my gearhead friends have not heard of it either), I will dig it up and post a pic,,any maybe someone can make a buck off it or at least make one for themselves. It will be fun to see if someone here on GHR thought of or new of this little tool "years ago" which is sometimes the case with my ideas.

BTW,,I think that more often than not,, a well organized shop is a place were very LITTLE creativity occurs!!,,,At least thats what I like to tell people when they come buy and I have a real mess going,

Tom - 56 VIC

 

[56 VIC]

Steve, what do you use the "bottle cap" for?

 

[ProMetalShop]

Steve, what do you use the "bottle cap" for?

Tom I use the bottle cap for stretching metal in deep areas ! ! It's a bit unbalanced but not bad for the amount I have to use it...

 

[56 VIC]

Ahhhh, I see

 

[56 VIC]

My favorite tools

Here are a couple of pics of my tools that I actually feel warm and fuzzy about. These were my dads, he used them for his livelyhood for thirtyfive years at Convair-later called General Dynamics-here in San Diego, he worked on DC8's (passenger jets) near the end of his carreer.

He was born in Oklahoma and so the guys at his work nicknamed him "OKIE",, he engraved "OKIE" on his tools so they would not grow legs. He had the reputation of getting the hard stuff figured out.

When I pick them up, I sometimes think to myself, "lets go build this one together dad".

 

[56 VIC]

One of my Favorite tools,,I thunk it up, out of frustration!

So, let me know what you guys think on this one,,,

I made this tool about 4 years ago, for new wiring and looms.

I was wiring an entire dune buggy. I was using the ribbed, split wire loom (like in the pictures) and my fingers were getting completly raw from feeding together yards AND YARDS of several strands of wire into the looms. And, of course there were many different wiring looms of different sizes, going many directions through the project. I had never figured out a better way to get this job done.

Gloves don't work either cuz you need to feel the wires as they are routed into the loom. It is frustrating too, because after you have a length of loom and wires together, then if you don't handle it right, you can easily undo several feet of the work you just completed, very easily! AARRRRRGGHH! I hate when that happens!

I am probably preaching to the choir on this one,,anyway,,

After many hours of tedious, frustrating wiring,,,,,,the whole time I am thinking to myself this sucks, there has to be a better way,,,,,EUREKA,,I thunk up this tool.

I litterally stopped my wiring project, grabbed a block of Delrin and a Die grinder and started freehand grinding, gouging, shaping and drilling,,IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MAGICAL TIMES IN THE MAN CAVE I will never forget!

Made the rest of my project a breeze. Since, I have used it many times,,It is incredibly fast and works perfect.

After you initially feed the wire and the loom onto the tool, you can just grab both of them in one hand, the other hand goes on the tool, YANK,,,,and,,,BAMO!, you have just installed 5 to 6 feet of mulitple strands of wire into the loom.

For a while I was going to see if it would be a money maker,,I have abandoned that idea because I have been down the patent road on other stuff and I will be busy with those patents for along time. I would love to get your feedback on this one. Maybe its been done and I am just off in left field,,,

The only thing close that I have seen or heard of is a screwdriver type tool ,,where the shank is hollow and the hole goes all the way through the handle,,that one is good for feeding stuff through firewalls etc. and it does work for the scenario I have just described, but it does not work as well, the loom wants to slide off the shank, it requires a third hand/helper etc. Additionally it turns out that on the one I made, the loom does not come "undone" easily.

Anyway there you go,,one of my little inventions.

I have found MANY of us have great ideas for inventions. May even be a good idea for a thread?

 

[flyn A]

Tom, cool tool, I myself have run miles of wire in various types of cars, while working/ managing a hot rod shop. Those looms can cut and are abrasive on hands and fingers. I think i'll make myself one, thanks for the info.
Andy

 

[maddog3299]

Geez where was this 5 months ago. Really cool idea. Thanks for sharing. I saw something for doing this on epay, but yours looks like it works way better. If you want to make a few extras, I am pretty sure you could sell them here. Not a bad idea for a patent though, it is an orginal design from what I can see. Maybe go on that TV show about inventions

 

[ProMetalShop]

Hey that there is slicker then a bag a doggy dirt in a rain storm I like it the tool that is ! ! !

 

[Marks63PontiacGasser]

That is a great idea. I just bought a full car wire loom to install in mycar. I may need to make something like that to keep my little paddies all pretty and delicate, heh. Better than bloody stumps. Mark L

 

[1946Austin]

That loom stuff is a pain; literally! That's a great idea Tom!

 

[ol blue]

Here's a 5/16 tubing bender I made and an example of what it can do. I also made a 3/8 one but it doesn't work quite as well, I guess I tried for too tight of a radius.

 

[ProMetalShop]

Gary, that's cool ! ! Did you machine those tiny dies ?

 

[ol blue]

Gary, that's cool ! ! Did you machine those tiny dies ?

The roller on the moving handle I turned on my lathe. The radiused channel on the fixed handle I hand filed with a round file.

 

[ol blue]

Here is a simple and crude jig I made for leveling an engine to build or install mounts. I saw something like it on another forum. Inside the legs are threaded rods that let you level front to back and side to side. The crossbar and threaded rod I used was from an old treadmill I tore apart. Anything you have laying around. I just thought of posting this because I just cut it up today to make something else.

 

[1946Austin]

That's perfect Gary! I know exactly where those parts are for free, but too late now! Before I retired I had boxes full of adjustable legs for raised computer platforms on one job. I might have to go back and "visit" to see if they might toss me a few!

 

[56 VIC]

old blue Gary, I think your jig is great! and it makes me mad at myself at the same time.....I need to make the jig you just shared with us and I just threw out an old workout bench that has been laying around for years, it would have been perfect for my GASSER transformation(big block swap). GEEZ!!,, that happens so often to me, I throw something away and then I soon find a reason I should have kept that "old junk".
I am always telling my wife, "See, that is why I keep stuff" and " No, I do NOT have a hoarding problem".

56 VIC - Tom