Homemade and Unique Tools

[BigGeorge]

The trouble for me is as most bottom cabinets, the large drawers are at the bottom. Being a lazy human, I tend to put the tools I most commonly use in the upper chest and top drawers of the roll can. The bottom, larger drawers tend to get filled with lighter bits that I don’t use often. This combination makes for a box that can tip over easily.

I think my Snap On cabinet has adjustable drawer positions so you can move different depth drawers up or down. I never did this and have left the stock configuration in place. At least on that box the weight is fairly well distributed.

I did the same thing. My chisels, punches, sockets, ratchets, hammers, etc were in the top box. The heat gun, hole saws, battery drill and small air grinder and pads, etc were in the lower box making it top heavy.

 

[GLJ]

I was told many years ago tipping a tool box over will never happen if you follow 2 rules. 1 only 1 drawer open at a time. 2 close the drawer when done getting or putting back a tool. I got in the habit of doing that and have never had a problem.

 

[BigGeorge]

I was told many years ago tipping a tool box over will never happen if you follow 2 rules. 1 only 1 drawer open at a time. 2 close the drawer when done getting or putting back a tool. I got in the habit of doing that and have never had a problem.

I had no problem with those rules or the toolbox for 23 years. I got careless.

 

[GLJ]

I got careless.

You hit the nail on the head on how most accidents happen. Glad you did not get hurt or nothing damaged.

 

[Grimly]

I had no problem with those rules or the toolbox for 23 years. I got careless.

Yeah, it's easy to forget *. First toolbox I saw topple was decades ago, when stacked boxes were starting to come into widespread use in places I worked. I've avoided that by never buying a bottom cabinet, although several times I nearly did (and might still do). Even the top cab on its own can show a tendency to tip. When I have them in a van, they're tied to the structure, so it's never been a problem there.

* Safety lesson forgotten - I got a shirt sleeve caught by an engine pulley, years after the lesson was drummed into me not to do that.

 

[BigGeorge]

Yeah, it's easy to forget *. First toolbox I saw topple was decades ago, when stacked boxes were starting to come into widespread use in places I worked. I've avoided that by never buying a bottom cabinet, although several times I nearly did (and might still do). Even the top cab on its own can show a tendency to tip. When I have them in a van, they're tied to the structure, so it's never been a problem there.

* Safety lesson forgotten - I got a shirt sleeve caught by an engine pulley, years after the lesson was drummed into me not to do that.

Most times when we get a bit careless we get away with it, but it's that one time it bites us back that we tend not to forget.

 

[40north]

Three >

Tiny bits that many may use magnets to hold (check balls especially) are often better handled with a vacuum...vac can be tricky to control. You'll have to build the tool. Make aspirator jar and add filter...keep pump clean.

A combination of anti-seize and red loktite works, fastener is easy to remove but doesn't fall off. In some applications it's my first choice. Taking the nut off does not take the stud too. Nice on outboard motors.

Magnetized taps snap, 'cause the chips jam in one place first.

 

[40north]

Oh, yeah, #4 > steel snaps off flush to aluminum case... ? Find a fella what's done this and get him to show you... Take sutable nut and place on the center of broken steel, hold it there with pliers or whatever... Stick the MIG wire right down through the nut and against the stud...trigger just a smidgen. Unscrew broken stud. Almost always works. Protect the shiny parts...do not ignite gasoline. Best!

 

[bosco659]

Stumbled onto this and found it quite clever. Mini hydraulic press.

 

[40north]

Chemical tool. methyl salicylate aka "wintergreen".
good for loosening rusted fasteners. (Ship engineers and boiler/turbine guys use it alot)
good topical anesthetic (read MSDS and cautions!)
good for restoring brittle aged rubber bits (may need periodic touchups tho) (XSrelevant!)
C8H8O3 CAS # 119-36-8
Amazon has it.
Don't overdose. (is possible)
Mix a bit with granulated sugar and crush the sugar in a dark room. Make light (not fire, light). Kids like that trick.
Best!

fyi a rather cool "Mr Wizard" site, just in case anybody has kids inclined to the hard science, good and decent lady runs it, I think...and sometimes topics of interest to motorheads. https://sciencenotes.org/
I think they did some "experiments" using wintergreen.

 

[BigGeorge]

Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part wintergreen oil, soak old hard rubber part for a few days and the rubber part will come back out of the solution soft and subtle like brand new.

 

[kshansen]

Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part wintergreen oil, soak old hard rubber part for a few days and the rubber part will come back out of the solution soft and subtle like brand new.

Back in my youth when playing with slot cars the oil of wintergreen was a go-to for cleaning tires for better traction. Sounds strange to use an "oil" on tires to increase traction but recall it worked!

 

[cavelux]

great stuffs

 

[40north]

Back in my youth when playing with slot cars the oil of wintergreen was a go-to for cleaning tires for better traction. Sounds strange to use an "oil" on tires to increase traction but recall it worked!

Yes "oil", actually an ester of an organic acid. Biodiesel fluids are, also, if I remember properly.
I was already in possession of a 750 Enfield when HO trains gave way to the slot car thing. - which reminds me of old time way to fill the unwanted holes in fenders...fluxed steel wool and 50/50 solder, then file and and smooothe as the road to windowrock with a quart of Kessler in a Studebaker pickup. The slotcars made far better crashes than the trains!

And, speaking of rubber...> gaiters, bellows, maybe hoses, UV and O2 weathering prevention> Drenching these when new install in silicone oil spray or silicone oil brake fluid, then wipe "dry", then wash up really well, then install. I don't understand how this works, but it has worked for me...on old stuff the alcohol/wintergreen treatment maybe first, then the silicone oil bath and wipe... neh, I'd try it. I speculate that the Silicone oil kills the O2 and UV. Mind not get silicone on surfaces you plan to paint. I've never combined the Si and the wintergreen on the same part, but probably will. I think the wintergreen gag is to be seen exampled on YT.
Best! Did the Si gag on some rare tires that were hard to get...they never weathercracked.

 

[ExSquid]

I'm going to add this to the tool section. If that's wrong please moderators put it where you feel it belongs.
For the past 23 years my tool box has sat in the same location in my garage and over those years I've added more and more tools. Well last week it tried to kill me.

Had a few too many drawers open, did ya?

 

[BigGeorge]

Had a few too many drawers open, did ya?

I did

 

[bosco659]

Mix 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part wintergreen oil, soak old hard rubber part for a few days and the rubber part will come back out of the solution soft and subtle like brand new.

When you treat the old rubber like this, how long does it remain pliable?

 

[BigGeorge]

When you treat the old rubber like this, how long does it remain pliable?

I treated a rubber tube that goes from the carb to a filter box (no longer available) on an old John Deere 400 lawn tractor and its stayed soft and subtle for 2 years now. It was hard as a rock before I put it in the alcohol / wintergreen oil solution. I soaked it about 4 days before taking it out of the solution.

 

[BigGeorge]

This is the wintergreen oil I used

 

[bosco659]

This is the wintergreen oil I used

Thanks. Where do you buy that stuff? Is it generally all the same? That looks like an industrial sized bottle. The stuff I’ve seen on line is only a few ounces max.