Homemade and Unique Tools

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A slight variation on a brilliant idea for a valve compressor earlier in this thread.

A washer of appropriate size with the center drilled out a bit to improve clearance, and a "stirrup" made from three sides of a piece of 1" heavy square tubing. The whole works welded to the swivel pad on an existing C clamp with adequate throat depth and reach.

Total investment: about 50¢ worth of electricity for the welder. Picked the clamp out of the dump, and some scrap metal from my junk pile...er...I mean "inactive inventory".
 
Then after a trip through the hot tank and derust tank it'll look like these!:)
 

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I call this my "bored board". I'm slowly reassembling the engine from the parts bike I picked up and at the moment am on hold waiting on some brass washers for the head. I was casting about for something to do for the rest of the day and came up with this.

I intend to start this thing on the engine stand, and I got to thinking about how to wire up all the necessary bits to make it start and run.

I had previously tracked down, identified and tagged all the wires and connectors in the stock wiring harness and set it aside. It occurred to me that if I mounted it all to a board, all I'd have to do is connect a battery to the solenoid, and plug the alternator and ignition pickup connections in. Also mounted the throttle grip so I'd have the start button and kill switch right there and I can hook up the throttle cable as well. The coils and plug wires are off the the left, out of the picture.

Still some work to do, gotta run grounds to a couple of things, (ran out of 1/4" ring terminals) and figure out what to do about the missing ignition switch.

The plan is to clamp the board into my Workmate stand next to the engine.
 
That board smacks of "instructions". We are men, we don't need no instructions.

A valid point Sir. However, I feel my indiscretion is mitigated by the fact that I used power tools and fire (welder) to build it.

What say you, O Keepers Of The Man Card? :smoke:
 
I've wanted a nice little portable shock spring compressor for some time now. I have fittings made up for my hydraulic press but, well, that's not portable. Dennis Kirk has a nice portable unit but the price is ridiculous at $140+. I mean, it's nothing more than a couple pieces of square tube basically .....

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I knew I could build one for much less, and improve it probably as well. So I did, cost me about $10 .....

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The DK unit is made to be clamped in a big bench vice for use. Many of the guys I go over and help have zilch for tools so a bench vice is pretty much out of the question, lol. I built the base on a strip of 1/4" plate, hanging it out each end a few inches so the tool could be clamped to a bench or table top.

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If the handle pivot area looks familiar, it should. It's the top motor mount bracket from a scrap 650 frame. 3/8" hitch pins fit perfectly through the holes .....

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I plan on making a few more angle fittings, a thinner one for springs with tight wound coils and one with half moon plates for covered shocks, similar to this one I use on my press .....

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Three spring angle mount holes and two handle mount holes give it a range of from about 9" to a good 16" eye to eye shock length.
 
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To clean the female bullet wiring connections. A short piece of small diameter trimmer line, split on the end, fine steel wool and the hand drill.
 

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Excellent idea, weekendrider!

Got some fairly extensive maintenance to do to mine this winter, that will be included.
 
mrriggs,

I'd like to see more of what was involved in making that dyno. It looks awesome!
 
Not so much a tool? Depends. More of a helpful hint to those just starting mechanical DIY.
Not all the screws that come out will be the same length. Just dropped in a bag will mean sorting and measuring later. . . if you are like me it can be some time later.
If you get some scrap cardboard you can place them in the pattern you removed them.
A visual to help.
 

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I use that exact method to hold the screws for spray painting the heads black.
 
The helmet is for scale:wink2:. Unsure of age, but this antique 14" pedestal grinder is getting painted chrome caution yellow with a 5hp 3 phase motor hidden in the base. This man eater will have a sign adjacent: "If you 'think' you have lost some flesh.....tourniquets can be found in the infirmary!"
 

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