Shop Made Tools

[Tim Aldrich]

I needed a vee block to complete another tool. Quick, dirty and effective. A classic case of making a tool to make a tool to make another tool to ultimately make a part.

[im#2]

Tim: nice job, elaborate just a little, how you made it and all, the good work needs explained, some like my wrench years ago just a picture is enough!

[BCRider]

......A classic case of making a tool to make a tool to make another tool to ultimately make a part.

Oh man.... If I had a nickel for every time........

It never seems to get better either. Every project seems to need a tool for making a tool to make a jig that I need to make a part.

[grzdomagala]

Collet block for non-critical operations



Miniature sinuslineal and some magnetic angles created with it's help (yes, it's aluminum, but i use them only to quickly setup compound slide)

[Tim Aldrich]

Tim: nice job, elaborate just a little, how you made it and all, the good work needs explained, some like my wrench years ago just a picture is enough!

The block I started with was already machined square as I had used it as a practice piece some time ago. The V is 90 degrees and was layed out with a combination square. I set the block up in the mill vise using the head of a combination square so the block was tilted to 45 degrees. It simple matter of making small cuts to the scribe lines.

[ncjeeper]

Spanner wrench.

[SpoonerandForker]

Nice looking spanner!

By golly, I can't seem to find my screw driver. I swear it was around here just a minute ago...

[Stepside]

4 pin spanners. 2 of each size. They use them with a ratchet or a 3/8 drive impact wrench. I cut off some 5 inch 3/8 drive extensions. All the fits are a light push to a Loctite fit. After the Loctite cures I drill for 1/8 diameter roll pins.

[sasquatch]

Very nice work everyone!

[mars-red]

This is one of the last things I made before throwing the shop into the chaos of home renovation projects and setting up new shop space. The tiny heat bluing pan I made and posted about a while back works great for the tiny watch parts it was designed for, but often I need to blue parts that are a bit larger and I grew tired of using bent up scraps of brass, aluminum, or copper as makeshift heating trays. So I made this larger heat bluing pan from some 1/4" round steel rod, a small block of scrap aluminum, and some scrap wood that appears (to my untrained eye, at least) to be mahogany. The steel rod is threaded and screwed into the aluminum block, then I drilled through both and pinned them to keep it together. For a sense of the size, the overall length of the tool is just over 16".

[JCHannum]

When making my Stuart beam engine, I was casting about for a means to turn all the linkage pieces and I combined these parts from my collection of stuff. The live center is one of several makes that features interchangeable tips. This one is threaded as is the chuck. I turned and threaded the adapter in one setup to ensure concentricity. It proved useful for the intended application and has since proved very useful when tapping on the lathe.

[tompas11]

Nice spanners both ncjeeper and Stepside, but I wonder what are the purpose you are using them for?

[Stepside]

tompas11

The pin spanners I built are for a manufacturer of man-lift machinery. They are a dedicated size/job specific size to replace adjustable spanners that seem to disappear. They lost so many that the job was being done with all sorts of hacks that were damaging the appearance of the machines. The 3/8 inch socket also enables them to use a torque wrench instead of a "a guess by golly".

Pete

[ncjeeper]

Nice spanners both ncjeeper and Stepside, but I wonder what are the purpose you are using them for?

Mine is for my right angle mill attachment so I can draw in the collet or chuck.

[tompas11]

Thank you guys for the clarification.