Shop Made Tools

[nc5a]

Nicely done mattthemuppet. I too have your fixture on my very lengthy tools to build list.

[mattthemuppet]

thanks guys! I don't have much shop time right now so it's neat to knock something useful out in not too much time. I'll need it for boring my new spindle pulley too.

[tompas11]

Really nice attachment. I like it. On my list of future projects.

[DEVILHUNTER]

I want to make a 12 sides ER collet block so I need to hold the round stock in the vise. Entered the tool making spiral and made a V jaw for my vise.



Also finished the power drawbar, I hope to complete it's making post tomorrow.

[TGTool]

Nice looking tools

In connection with a 12-sided block you could get the 12 indexing by a hex block alternately square with the bottom and the jaw of a vise. It wouldn't answer every need but does provide that many stops without the need for a new tool. Not that only moderate need ever stopped most tool collectors and interested machinists.

[DEVILHUNTER]

Thanks TGTool!

I know, but that was one of the things I didn't want to, closing the vise against the corners. The point about the 12 sides is about versatility, you can set 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 positions.

Also it can be mounted directly on my spindle, so I can grab long reduced shank drills. The long shank can go through the hole of the spindle, since the collet block won't need a drawbar.

[Tim Aldrich]

One of my tool dealers handed me a chicken sketch a couple of months ago and asked me if I could make the tool. I asked what it was for and he told me another mechanic on his route needed something to push hubs out of Dodge trucks. From what I understand the hub's bolts are backed out almost all the way, this tool is placed on the bolt head and against the frame. The power steering is then used to "persuade" the hub out. I made the first one, gave it to the tool guy and said "Give it to the guy and have him try it out. If it works as intended, let me know." It did and last week I got a request for two more.

Tolerances are what I call "caliper dimensions". 4.75" long, 1.125" diameter, bore diameter .875, bore depth .425". The steel is whatever Ford uses to make drag links for F-550 trucks. "Mysteralloy". The first one (not shown) I cleaned up with some emery cloth. I didn't bother for these two. The first tool had the Ford oval stamped into it so I'm sure that will lead to some teasing from the brand-faithful

[mudnducs]

One of my tool dealers handed me a chicken sketch a couple of months ago and asked me if I could make the tool. I asked what it was for and he told me another mechanic on his route needed something to push hubs out of Dodge trucks. From what I understand the hub's bolts are backed out almost all the way, this tool is placed on the bolt head and against the frame. The power steering is then used to "persuade" the hub out. I made the first one, gave it to the tool guy and said "Give it to the guy and have him try it out. If it works as intended, let me know." It did and last week I got a request for two more.

Tolerances are what I call "caliper dimensions". 4.75" long, 1.125" diameter, bore diameter .875, bore depth .425". The steel is whatever Ford uses to make drag links for F-550 trucks. "Mysteralloy". The first one (not shown) I cleaned up with some emery cloth. I didn't bother for these two. The first tool had the Ford oval stamped into it so I'm sure that will lead to some teasing from the brand-faithful

Very nice! Ive had to do that job on my Dodge diesel a couple times....always used a socket. This will work better! Thanks!

[Ed ke6bnl]

yes, I was lucky mine just came right off must have been done before.

[Tim Aldrich]

Made a little tool to help me balance my lawn mower blades. Base and the cap are made of Mysteralloy and the pivot pin is hardware store cold roll. Sizes are mostly nominal. Cap was already that shape and it required little machining to achieve what I needed. Base and cap are 1.5" diam, pivot pin is .312 with a 1/2"-20 thread on the end. Cap has a drilled 5/8" hole drilled to a depth of 1". I made the cap with a 5/8" pilot to fit my blades but a cone could be easily turned for a more universal fit. The photo of a blade on the tool stinks, but you get the idea. Blade was out of balance hence the bottle cap sitting on one end.

[Dave C]

Good work. Definitely something to add to my tool arsenal, and certainly better that hanging the blade on a nail as I have been doing. What does the inside of the cap look like?

[Tim Aldrich]

Good work. Definitely something to add to my tool arsenal, and certainly better that hanging the blade on a nail as I have been doing. What does the inside of the cap look like?

It looks like this. The chamfer serves no purpose. It's just there because there were some dings in the steel. Looks a little better too.

[Bellingahmster]

Quick-n-dirty steady rest

Sometimes quick-n-dirty is the order of the day when there's a need to make a tool to make something else.
I don't (didn't?) have a steady rest for my lathe and needed to square the end of a 3ft piece of pipe with not a lot of time, so came up with this:

https://app.box.com/s/z2mvmbbhfxqxs5c63adw5ij5jpvvkth6

I flycut the bottom surface of the 4x4x1/4 angle so it'd sit flat on the ways, drilled and tapped the bottom for 3/8 for a clamp and some #10 screws to fasten a block of wood that fit between the ways to align and hold it in place. A couple self-evident notches in some scrap 2x wood, drilled through with 3/8 for threaded rod "diametetral adjusters". Centered the workpiece by eye and C-clamped the steady to the angle to keep it there. A little squirt of way oil on the wood and I'm making chips. It worked better than expected. It may even hang around for future use.

[RichR]

Nicely done. Just posting your image so it's visible in this thread and hopefully doesn't disappear over time.

[Toolguy]

Tall Part Mill Setup

Here is an easy way I came up with to work on parts that are too tall to hold in the regular mill vise. It consists of clamping a precision vise in the regular vise. The regular vise is trammed in and the precision vise is very accurate.

This makes it quick and easy to have the part very square in all directions. The vises shown are a 6" Kurt and a 5" precision. You can vary the size of the vises to suit the work.