Tools! - Crimpin ain't easy but it is necessary.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Tools! - Crimpin ain't easy but it is necessary.

«‹›675 »

Z3n: Jul 21, 2007; I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Sir Cornelius posted:

Try manually bleeding brakes on a motorcycle with a ratcheting wrench to control the caliber bleed nipple for example.

The real problem is that guns are widely ineffective at slowing a motorcycle down.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 01:53

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 14:34

Motronic: Nov 6, 2009

That is simply a caliber problem.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 02:32

the spyder: Feb 18, 2011

These. 100x over.
If you do any type of standard service on, well, anything, but these.

3/8 14.4v Ingersoll Rand Cordless impact + 1/2 19.2v Cordless Impact.

The only thing we used the air gun on was the flywheel.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 02:43

DEUCE SLUICE: Feb 6, 2004; I dreamt I was an old dog, stuck in a honeypot. It was horrifying.

A cordless impact would improve my life pretty substantially but I can't decide what system to go with.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 03:05

NitroSpazzz: Dec 9, 2006; You don't need style when you've got strength!

Anyone have the harbor freight inside track membership and is it worth it? I just bought a house and have very limited tools. I'm hoping to get some stuff from craigslist or estate sales but know there are some things I'll end up buying new.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 14:42

rcman50166: Mar 23, 2010; by XyloJW

FogHelmut posted:

My dad wants to use a Variac variable transformer to control the speed of his single speed angle grinder so he can use it to polish stone. I don't know how unreasonable this is. Any thoughts?

I've got that exact variac in the FSAE workshop. It's great for a makeshift powersupply but be wary. 300VA means that the current rating drops after 100 volts. It's only rated for 2.3A at 130V

# ? Apr 24, 2012 15:43

BrokenKnucklez: Apr 22, 2008; by zen death robot

NitroSpazzz posted:

Anyone have the harbor freight inside track membership and is it worth it? I just bought a house and have very limited tools. I'm hoping to get some stuff from craigslist or estate sales but know there are some things I'll end up buying new.

I had it when they had a special... I think I paid $25 for it. If you are just starting up and amassing a poo poo load of tools, yes its worth every penny. I paid for the membership itself with in 2 trips. Now that I have a decent set of tools, I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost.

Some times the coupons you find in the paper match the price, but its always the same things. The membership at least rotates through a decent selection of tools.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 16:21

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

NitroSpazzz posted:

Anyone have the harbor freight inside track membership and is it worth it? I just bought a house and have very limited tools. I'm hoping to get some stuff from craigslist or estate sales but know there are some things I'll end up buying new.

You get a gift card for the amount that you paid for the membership. How is that NOT worth it?

It's also nice to get random unexpected discounts on things.
I generally save an unexpected 20% every time I go.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 17:08

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

GnarlyCharlie4u posted:

You get a gift card for the amount that you paid for the membership. How is that NOT worth it?

It's also nice to get random unexpected discounts on things.
I generally save an unexpected 20% every time I go.

When did they start the gift card program? My father and I split a membership when it started and we didn't get squat!

# ? Apr 24, 2012 17:56

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

Rhyno posted:

When did they start the gift card program? My father and I split a membership when it started and we didn't get squat!

I've had mine for at least 2 years now, maybe longer. I believe it's still in effect.

# ? Apr 24, 2012 19:00

metallicaeg: Nov 28, 2005; Evil Red Wings Owner Wario Lemieux Steals Stanley Cup

Assuming it's the same nationwide, it's $30 to sign up, and $10 gift card in return.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 00:27

User Error: Aug 31, 2006

DEUCE SLUICE posted:

A cordless impact would improve my life pretty substantially but I can't decide what system to go with.

I love my Matco 19.2v cordless impact more than anything in the world. Spendy when new, but I got mine on Craigslist with 1 battery for $150.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 01:00

FatCow: Apr 22, 2002; I MAP THE FUCK OUT OF PEOPLE

I've used the Dewalt 18v in the past and just picked one up for myself.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 02:19

Jonny 290: May 5, 2005; [ASK] me about OS/2 Warp

I have sinned, and neglected my tools in the carport over some harrowing repairs that I've been doing this spring.

I've got sockets and bits everywhere, need to clean everything up.

Is there a particular method you all like for cleaning and shining up your stuff? I was thinking of a good strong Simple Green solution in a big tub and let the stuff soak and slosh around for a while, then rinse with distilled, blow off the air and let them all dry, then is there any sort of protectant I can/should use?

# ? Apr 25, 2012 07:51

camino: Feb 23, 2006

Use diesel instead of simple green.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 13:05

kastein: Aug 31, 2011; Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.

I keep a 5 gallon pail of acetone for cleaning everything off of anything.

Make sure it is an hdpe or metal bucket and comes with a gasketed lid if you do this.

I have the inside track membership, it got me 20 bucks off a 2 ton chainfall I have been lusting after for years, once I build a garage I am getting the 2 ton ibeam dolly to go with it and never using an engine hoist again.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 14:30

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

Vinegar works well for shining chrome or dissolving rust.
Just leave it in there for a while.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 17:25

NitroSpazzz: Dec 9, 2006; You don't need style when you've got strength!

Great, I'll pick up the inside track membership thing on my next trip.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I should go with a pegboard/workbench setup or a rolling cart. At the moment I'm not sure where I'll be able to have a large enough wall area for a nice work bench.

This is pretty close to the current layout

# ? Apr 25, 2012 18:50

R-Type: Oct 10, 2005; by FactsAreUseless

NitroSpazzz posted:

Great, I'll pick up the inside track membership thing on my next trip.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I should go with a pegboard/workbench setup or a rolling cart. At the moment I'm not sure where I'll be able to have a large enough wall area for a nice work bench.

This is pretty close to the current layout

So you have a fleet of ZX-14's eh? Nice.

# ? Apr 25, 2012 21:07

BrokenKnucklez: Apr 22, 2008; by zen death robot

The aspirations of an organized garage... How cute :allears:

# ? Apr 25, 2012 23:42

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

NitroSpazzz posted:

Great, I'll pick up the inside track membership thing on my next trip.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I should go with a pegboard/workbench setup or a rolling cart. At the moment I'm not sure where I'll be able to have a large enough wall area for a nice work bench.

This is pretty close to the current layout

I'd put it where the black car is, as it doesn't seem to be a terribly convenient spot to park anything you want to actually get in or out of your garage door.

# ? Apr 26, 2012 00:18

penis bandana: Aug 6, 2008

Remove the bathroom and just put a urinal on the wall somewhere.

# ? Apr 26, 2012 04:59

Uthor: Jul 9, 2006; Gummy Bear Heaven ... It's where I go when the world is too mean.

penis bandana posted:

Remove the bathroom and just put a urinal on the wall somewhere.

Get one of these to accommodate the ladies, too:
http://www.icanhasinternets.com/2010/05/i-hope-to-god-this-never-catches-on/

# ? Apr 26, 2012 06:29

peepsalot: Apr 24, 2007; ��PEEP THIS...
��BITCH!

penis bandana posted:

Remove the bathroom and just put a urinal on the wall somewhere.

Why? There's already a shop sink.

# ? Apr 26, 2012 06:39

PBCrunch: Jun 17, 2002; Lawrence Phillips Always #1 to Me

If you can only choose one, get a shop sink. If it has a garbage disposal maybe it could function as a toilet in a pinch?

# ? Apr 26, 2012 13:53

CornHolio: May 20, 2001; Toilet Rascal

buckets are cheaper and more portable.

# ? Apr 26, 2012 15:03

jammyozzy: Dec 7, 2006; Is that a challenge?

Where do you live that there aren't trees outside?

# ? Apr 26, 2012 18:22

dyne: May 9, 2003; [blank]

At the very least there should be a garage wall

# ? Apr 26, 2012 19:31

Slung Blade: Jul 11, 2002; IN STEEL WE TRUST

Old blacksmith shops used to just have a bullhorn (as in a literal horn cut off a bovine) driven through the wall with the tip cut off.

Put some gravel on the ground outside and you got yourself a ghetto latrine :science:

# ? Apr 26, 2012 21:22

Rubiks Pubes: Dec 5, 2003; I wanted to be a neo deconstructivist, but Mom wouldn't let me.

This thread convinced me to buy an Inside Track membership.

# ? Apr 27, 2012 01:55

Bulk Vanderhuge: May 2, 2009; womp womp womp womp

Broke my 1/2" drive breaker bar trying to unbolt a caliper bracket, website says its rated for 350 ft/lbs...

Does Princess Auto still do over counter exchanges without a receipt?

Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Apr 27, 2012

# ? Apr 27, 2012 04:01

BrokenKnucklez: Apr 22, 2008; by zen death robot

Rubiks Pubes posted:

This thread convinced me to buy an Inside Track membership.

If you just buy a few items a month, it pays for itself over the course of the year.

I haven't renewed my membership... yet they are still sending me coupons.. Go figure!

# ? Apr 27, 2012 04:29

PitViper: May 25, 2003; Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!

Review time!

First: Harbor Freight 20 ton Hydraulic Press
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

I picked this up in Feb, because I was doing a pair of press-in wheel bearings, and charging enough to buy the press. Since then, it's paid for itself a couple times over doing various press jobs.

Pros:

Cheap. I somehow managed to pay $140 WITH a service plan for it, probably because the cashier gets a spiff selling service plans. She rang some sort of coupon through that was under the register.
The top frame is welded, not bolted together like the 12 ton. Makes a bigger box to haul home, but it's definitely sturdy.
Easy to assemble. Took me less than a half hour to set up.

Cons:

Mine was slightly mis-welded, the gap in the top frame was too narrow for one of the return springs. I managed to use a chisel to spread the gap enough to make it fit. Not a huge deal.
The jack isn't attached to anything, really. There's a cup for the ram in the top bar, and it just sits on the flat base on the press bar. I could use a pair of U-bolts to secure it, but it hasn't had an issue yet.
The handle for the jack is crap. It's a 2 piece, but doesn't stay together very well. Luckily, the handle that my hoist uses is the same, so I just use that.
The cast arbor plates seem like a weak point. I might CAD up some plates and have the local metal shop cut me some new ones.

Overall, I think it was a worthwhile purchase. It's done everything I asked without complaint. I did buy a set of the aluminum seal/bearing drivers that HF sells at the same time, and they've been very useful. I cross-shopped with Northern Tool, but didn't feel like the step up to one of the more expensive ones was worth it for me right now. I'm sure I could sell this on Craigslist for some cash if I ever decided to upgrade.

Also helpful is having an assortment of scrap metal pieces for shimming stuff in the work space. I've got some 3/4" square stock, plus various thinner bits that I use to help balance pieces flat on the table. Old bearing races are handy as well, I've saved the ones that I've taken out so far just in case.

# ? May 1, 2012 00:05

PitViper: May 25, 2003; Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!

Next up: Pittsburgh 2.5 ton floor jack
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-68049.html

It was time to finally replace my 3 ton Craftsman SUV jack. It didn't clear the car after I lowered it, and the hydraulics were starting to get a little weak. I debated between this one and the 2 ton low-profile Pittsburgh, but liked the extra heft. I didn't want an aluminum jack, because I rarely have to haul it anywhere.

Pros:

Fits under the lowered car ('92 3000GT) easily. Has plenty of reach to hit both jack points.
Smooth lift all the way to full extension. Plenty of lift per handle stroke.
Cheaper, but well built. It actually has a grease fitting for the big arm pivot, and the casters seem more solid than my Sears jack.

Cons:

I wish the cylinder control were a bit smoother. Unless you turn the handle pretty gently, it'll drop the car HARD to the ground.
The jack doesn't roll terribly easily with a load on it. Doesn't sound bad, but unless you chock both sides of one of the wheels, the car won't drop straight onto the jack stands, but it'll sorta "rock" the stand as it settles. I've just made sure to chock both sides of the wheels when I lift a car.

Another decent purchase. It is a HEAVY jack, so if you're carrying it around to a track, I'd go aluminum. Otherwise for a home shop, it's ideal. I paid $85, again with a 2yr replacement plan. Same story as the press, I guess it's just something that the cashiers do at my local store.

PitViper fucked around with this message at 00:21 on May 1, 2012

# ? May 1, 2012 00:18

revmoo: May 25, 2006; #basta

Been using the 4-ton version of that jack and it is amazing. It's not portable in the slightest but other than that it is seriously fun to use. Solid, solid piece.

# ? May 1, 2012 00:50

metallicaeg: Nov 28, 2005; Evil Red Wings Owner Wario Lemieux Steals Stanley Cup

I've the 3 ton non-low profile and got nothing but great things to say about it. The handle also has been used to break loose some rusty lugs that I've had as well.

# ? May 1, 2012 00:59

kastein: Aug 31, 2011; Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.

I've beat the hell out of my 3 ton one and it has lived outside for the last 3 years or so. Still works great and still jacked up a front wheel on a 5-ton (actual curb weight: 19000lbs and change) military truck with only slight complaints.

The only thing that has failed on me was the bolt that held the two halves of the handle together. The top half of the handle went missing as a result, so I have to use a big chunk of iron pipe now if I need more leverage.

# ? May 1, 2012 01:52

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

PitViper posted:

Review time!

First: Harbor Freight 20 ton Hydraulic Press
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

I picked this up in Feb, because I was doing a pair of press-in wheel bearings, and charging enough to buy the press. Since then, it's paid for itself a couple times over doing various press jobs.

Pros:

Cheap. I somehow managed to pay $140 WITH a service plan for it, probably because the cashier gets a spiff selling service plans. She rang some sort of coupon through that was under the register.

The top frame is welded, not bolted together like the 12 ton. Makes a bigger box to haul home, but it's definitely sturdy.

Easy to assemble. Took me less than a half hour to set up.

Cons:

Mine was slightly mis-welded, the gap in the top frame was too narrow for one of the return springs. I managed to use a chisel to spread the gap enough to make it fit. Not a huge deal.

The jack isn't attached to anything, really. There's a cup for the ram in the top bar, and it just sits on the flat base on the press bar. I could use a pair of U-bolts to secure it, but it hasn't had an issue yet.

The handle for the jack is crap. It's a 2 piece, but doesn't stay together very well. Luckily, the handle that my hoist uses is the same, so I just use that.

The cast arbor plates seem like a weak point. I might CAD up some plates and have the local metal shop cut me some new ones.

Overall, I think it was a worthwhile purchase. It's done everything I asked without complaint. I did buy a set of the aluminum seal/bearing drivers that HF sells at the same time, and they've been very useful. I cross-shopped with Northern Tool, but didn't feel like the step up to one of the more expensive ones was worth it for me right now. I'm sure I could sell this on Craigslist for some cash if I ever decided to upgrade.

Also helpful is having an assortment of scrap metal pieces for shimming stuff in the work space. I've got some 3/4" square stock, plus various thinner bits that I use to help balance pieces flat on the table. Old bearing races are handy as well, I've saved the ones that I've taken out so far just in case.

I have this press and I can vouch for just how awesome it is. I got a smokin deal on mine though. They were out of the 12-ton press that was on sale for $80 so they sold me the 20-ton for $85+tax.
I didn't have an issue with the weld on mine like you did though.

Basically, it's a press. It's drat cheap (I could probably scrap it for more than I paid) and it works. If the fit and finish isn't exactly to your liking, it's real easy to remedy that.

# ? May 1, 2012 16:35

PitViper: May 25, 2003; Welcome and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart!
I love you!

Exactly. I know that the beam that the Jack presses on isn't super snug against the siderails, but I might pick up some thin poly sheet to make some thin shims to remedy it.

# ? May 1, 2012 17:37

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 14:34

GnarlyCharlie4u: Sep 23, 2007; I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

PitViper posted:

Exactly. I know that the beam that the Jack presses on isn't super snug against the siderails, but I might pick up some thin poly sheet to make some thin shims to remedy it.

That was my biggest problem and exactly what I was getting at. I just glued some custom plastic pieces in there and it was perfect. kills the clank when moved and makes the slide really smooth.

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic

(don't get acrylic)

# ? May 1, 2012 19:21

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