Shop Made Tools

[Evan]

Also, if anyone else has any shop tool ideas they would like to share, feel free to chime in.

This is my favorite shop made tool. It is a slotter that mounts on the cross slide in place of the compound on my South Bend 9. It can make gears, dial markings, cog belt pulleys, splines and of course keyways, internal and external. Different size tool holders can be fitted to the business end to work in small openings or large.

[terry_g]

Here is a selection of some of Cat and Cummins engine tools that I made a living with over the last thirty years. They are all well used. There were lots more that I sold or gave away. Diesel engine mechanic is heavy work and I'm getting to old for that.

Terry

[Frank Ford]

Here are few:

Air Turbine Tool Post Grinder for internal grinding:




Hand or Electric Screwdriver Powered Mini Tapper for ≥ #4 Taps:




Midget Follow Rest Built On AXA Tool Holder:



Pliers With Self-Aligning Replaceable Machineable Soft Jaws:




These are among the items I have on HomeShopTech

[bborr01]

Back again.

The mistake in the angle plate was the mis-matched step. The tapped holes were planned on and make for handy clamping.

Black Moons,
I didn't put my name on a lot of the tools I made or on ANY of my precision tools.
I figured I worked with an honest bunch and didn't need to tarnish my work with my name. I was mostly right. In 30 years on the job I only lost a 9/16 wrench and some allen wrenches. Of course, I had a policy that the job was not finished until all of my tools were cleaned up and put away. The clamps got left at the end of an overtime job that went into overtime.

Evan,
Nice work on the slotter. I'm guessing you also have an indexing plate on the other end of the lathe spindle.
How did you put the black oxide/blue bath on the dark colored parts?
I have a few things that I made that never got blue bathed and have thought about setting something up at home.
Like this next one.

Terry,
Thats a bunch of special tools. Did you make them or buy them? One of my brothers is a diesel mechanic. I will have to show this thread to him and see if he recognizes any of them. I especially like the puller that pivots to get through the hole.

To everyone,
Thanks for the kind words. More to come.

Brian

[bborr01]

Anyone have one of these or care to guess what it is?

[EVguru]

It's a hole transfer punch.

[Roy Andrews]

don't know about Evan but i use bluing salts. not for the faint of heart or use indoors but create a very nice durable finish. i use lye and a fertilizer from ace hardware, can't remember the exact name. don't breath it or spill it on anything you want to keep. if you want the recipe and instructions they are available on line or i could send you what i have found to work. i have worked with harsh chemicals most of my life and have the scars to prove it. if you're not comfortable with them don't try this.

thanks for your pictures and input.

[Evan]

I use ordinary cold blue but heat the work first with an electric heat gun. That makes the reaction much faster and permanent. It also releases fumes you don't want to breathe or have near your un blued tools.

[bborr01]

Paul, you are right.

It is not a tool I used very often, but when I was transferring holes that were over 1/2 inch and therefore beyond the range of my regular transfer punches they were handy. Another pic below of the unit being depressed.

Roy,

I would like it if you could pm me with a little more information on your method for blueing.

Evan,

I think you are onto something with the pre-heating. In our plant we had a blue bath line that was capable of blueing a ton of parts or so at one time.

The first tank was a cleaning/heating tank. Then a caustic solution. Then a rinse. Then and oil bath.

Brian

[Pherdie]

Nothing spectacular or new, but a good day project......

Some months ago my eye was caught by a tramming/taper/angle measuring device I saw in a popular suppliers catalog. A closer look showed the device to be rather simple, but the price seemed nowhere near what I felt was warranted. I then considered making my own and what critical issues had to be considered during construction. The key to the device appeared to be the installation of two, one inch travel DTIs such that they accurately reflect travel of the device. A simple final pass of the completed frame on the lathe and use of a surface plate to install the indicators, easily accomplished that goal. Subsequent use has shown a fair degree of accuracy. I have less than $30 in the project, including the cost of the indicators.



Fred