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.

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I love this thing:

10" adjustable with an over-centre clamp like a mole grip. Clamps up nice and tight so that unlike other adjustables, it doesn't slip off at inopportune moments. One of those things that you think looks like a really dumb idea until you find a use for it.

VVVVV: I'm a Brit, so Stanley stuff is available in pretty much every tool shop. Cost about �20. (Yes, I know Stanley's American, but their stuff is sold everywhere here).

In fact, they have a Zip Code search on their website for you:
http://www.stanleytools.com/default...justable+Wrench

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Mar 6, 2008

# ¿ Mar 6, 2008 18:43

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:31

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Endor posted:

Any suggestions for a good way to light up a dim garage? I've got one of those 1-car condo garages, which is barely wide enough to fit one car with some storage space against the back wall. Currently the only thing lighting it up is one sad 40 watt bulb, and the natural light that comes in when the door's open. I know I can get a much higher wattage main bulb, but since I only have the one light socket should I also look for some fluorescent lamps or something similar that I could hang from the rafters?

I say go with the tube lighting. My garage came with a lovely little three-bulb fixing right in the middle, and it was horrible for the 180W it was drawing, you couldn't see a drat thing. I've now got 5x5' and 2x4' fluorescent lights spread across the roof, and I can go in there and do whatever I need to at any time day or night. They don't pull any more juice than the filament bulbs that were there before. Ok, for a single garage you don't need as many, but a few 4' tubes would give you a ton more illumination.

Also, paint the place. I did my floor with a light/mid-grey paint, and all the walls white, and that made an absolutely massive difference to how light and airy the place felt.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2008 00:39

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I was in Cromwell's today to get some Loctite to go on my bike's crank splines, and they had a pile of uncollected special-order tools they were selling off. Picked myself up a 2000mm steel engineering rule for �10, which is just stupidly cheap. I don't need it right now, but I'll find a use for it.

Also, I found a pressure washer at Argos for �25, more significantly with a 3-year "accidental" damage cover for another fiver. It's done a fantastic job on my driveway and various bits of car, and if I manage to kill it in the next few years (quite likely), they'll give me a new one. Can't say fairer than that.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2008 00:12

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

whiskas posted:

I was wondering if it'll be sufficient enough to take the the track with me to inflate tires. Keep in mind I likely won't have access to a power cord, so assuming the 3 gallon tank is topped up to 100psi, will I have enough air to inflate 4 tires from 32psi to 45psi?

Eh, I highly doubt it - I have a little compressor (1.5 USG) that I use for topping up my tyres, and it won't up the pressure in one tyre that much without cutting the compressor in.

What's it's current draw? You might be able to run it with an inverter from the car anyway, but you're probably better off looking at the 12v compressors people like Viair produce

Contraband posted:

I really doubt that the jack was even lifting 2 tons.

I think he's more getting at the fact that, like my crappy back-up one, a "two-tonne" budget jack really earns its optimistic quotation marks.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2008 23:56

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Upgrayedd posted:

I pulled the jack up all the way by hand and filled the reservoir with brake fluid through that top hole, closed it up and bled out the air through the normal bleeding valve to let it down. Now it works perfectly and lifts my truck up to its full height.

You should probably use proper hydraulic oil - brake fluid can do nasty things to seals in systems designed for mineral oils.

# ¿ Jun 10, 2008 22:51

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

RealKyleH posted:

He was a welder by trade and I've never known a welder to measure anything so I bet they're barely used!

Except as emergency G-clamps for small pieces! :iamafag:

# ¿ Jun 18, 2008 21:49

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

oxbrain posted:

Check craigslist and start trolling garage sales. You can find an exact match for the kit that was in your truck at a suspiciously low price.

Fixed.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2008 14:07

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

For any UK guys, Halfords have got an offer on this weekend for 10% discount if you reserve stuff online, in addition to a pretty big discount on their socket sets (They're decent quality, and have lifetime warranty). I also picked myself up a new gadget. It's made by a company called Inovex, and is basically a five-gallon tub with a 12v pump and hose fittings, so you can run it off your lighter socket. It works pretty well - certainly good enough for washing the car or cleaning down mountain bikes, which is what I got it for. I wouldn't have paid �40 for one, but they're on offer for �20 at the minute, and at that price I'd definitely recommend it.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2008 22:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Nerobro posted:

contact cleaner?

Electrical contact cleaner? Yes. Contact lens cleaner? No.

# ¿ Dec 23, 2008 23:17

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

What you need is an adaptor of some kind that screws onto the grease gun at one end, and onto the threaded hole where the nipple goes at the other, that way the grease can't go anywhere except into the assembly.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2009 20:05

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

helno posted:

It doesn't look like it comes with a test source. Not much good without that to calibrate it.

Luckily, I know a couple of friendly physicists... :toxx:

# ¿ Jan 19, 2009 22:42

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Wagonburner posted:

So is CFM the actual CFM the compressor puts out? If it says 5cfm does that mean you can use 5cfm non-stop? If the tank is fully charged can a 5cfm put out a lot more than 5cfm until the tank gets depleted some?

Not usually. Most of the time the advertised CFM is the output from the compressor assembly, the output from the actual connector to your tool is the Free Air Delivery, and will be slightly less.

# ¿ Jan 22, 2009 23:03

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Those dirt cheap bit-of-tube-with-a-one-way-valve assemblies do actually work.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2009 21:26

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

oxbrain posted:

Lead hammer

Also, lead is nice and soft, so it isn't that likely to gently caress up castings when you miss, and a lead hammer wouldn't produce sparks, if that's a concern.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2009 03:09

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Hypnolobster posted:

For content, does anyone have a suggestion for a decent semi-hard tool bag? My mobile tool collection is growing entirely too rapidly and I need a good way to carry them around. I probably need a bag about 20"x12". It's mostly for electronics and small stuff. Lots of allen keys, screwdrivers, small pliers and electronics stuff.

Maybe a Park Tools backpack case? http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=19&item=BW-1 At $100+, though, it's pricey. I'd use one of those aluminium cases with dividers and foam for that kind of thing.

If anyone needs tools for working on bikes (the kind you pedal), I'd definitely recommend Park stuff. Not the cheapest, but they're really good quality.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2009 21:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Hypnolobster posted:

The mid to late 90's was a great time.

Rigid bike with anodised purple componentry and canti brakes. An elegant weapon for a more civilised age.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2009 23:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Wagonburner posted:

What can I use to fill a transfer case? Well, fluid, duh, but how do I get it in there? The fill-hole is up high. The bottles don't have the barbed end on them you can put a hose on, some kind of adapter or pump I can get at HF, oreilly, autozone, walmart?

Garden hose with a funnel jammed in the end. Just cut to the right length to have the funnel where you want it.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2009 21:26

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

ease posted:

If you have your tires put on by a shop, you should probably have a pipe in your car that fits over your lug wrench.

First thing I do is undo the nuts at home and redo them myself with a torque wrench. I'm a pretty beefy guy, but I've had wheelnuts that took all my strength to get off. As in I twisted my crossbrace in doing so, and my shoulder ached for a day afterwards.

Also, make sure your wheels aren't seized onto the hubs while you're at it. That's an arse.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2009 23:19

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Phone posted:

I need a heat gun. Is the HF good enough for peeling off vinyl stripes?

I used one that cost �5 to do some, so I'd guess so, but it fell apart shortly after.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2009 21:48

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Pissingintowind posted:

When I was asking about anti-seize, I meant along the lines of lithium grease or something I can spray onto the wheel hub in advance, rather than something I can use when things are already stuck together. Is there a specific brand of lithium grease I should look for, or is it all the same?

A thin smear of copper grease works well on the hub faces. If you want an easy way to apply it, Loctite do little "lipsticks" of their popular compounds.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2009 12:07

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Korwen posted:

seriouspost - I may have a line on a used Craftsman 25gallon 4hp compressor. Guy says it works, but you have to disable the safety valve. I imagine that's important.

Is there a way to replace/fix this valve, if so any idea how much? He said he'd sell it to me for $40. If I can get this valve fixed for $20 or so, $60 for a 25gal compressor would be

Should just be a screwed-in fitting. They're basically set to open and relieve pressure if the motor doesn't stop when it should, but sometimes get a little eager to vent.

Or he could mean the pressure switch that cuts the power to the motor automatically, I've had a couple of cheap ones fail on me before. Again, should be replaceable with simple hand tools.

Don't know about the USA, but I'd be looking at about $20 for a safety relief valve, or about $30 for a complete pressure-activated switch assembly. I'd be very surprised if they weren't cheaper than that in America.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2009 22:52

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Wagonburner posted:

What's a better 12v tire-inflator compressor?

I've had several of the $15 coleman or campbell hausfeld cheapy things and they take 30mins to add a few PSI and then they quit working after using them 3 or 4 times.

something that will inflate quicker and last. Hopefully not have to be turned off for a cool-down every few minutes either.

Try shops catering to the off-road market, they tend to have beefier compressors available for guys who air their tyres down frequently. More expensive, but probably what you're looking for.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2009 17:38

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Wagonburner posted:

I need to cut some exhaust pipes while they're still installed. A hacksaw, or die-grinder or standard tubing cutter will not fit up in where they are at.

My brother was telling me I should get a tubing cutter that uses a chain. I know I've seen what he's talking about but don't know what to call it. I searched for "cutter" on harborfreight.com and didn't see anything.

He means one of these:

It's like a chain wrench for oil filters, but with blades on the insides. I don't think they're at all cheap, but you might be able to hire one. The sawzall seems like the sensible option.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2009 22:14

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

mod sassinator posted:

So I just rounded off my oil drain plug bolt. There's one good side left that I can probably get some vice grips on, anyone think that will work? How well do those gator grip sockets work?

gently caress 12 pt. box wrenches though, christ!

Irwin do removal tools for rounded fasteners, kind of like inside-out easy-outs:

I've found Gator Grip sockets aren't really that wonderful, to be honest.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2009 20:38

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

oxbrain posted:

Keep in mind, your compressor doesn't need to actually do 20cfm to run a 20cfm tool, that's the whole reason for having an air tank in the first place.

This is true. Media blasting is very greedy for air, but if you allow time for the compressor to catch up, it should be ok.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2009 20:35

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

MattO posted:

Cool, thanks for the info. I'm going to get some gear to start stripping the badly fading paint off my '65.

Clean'N'Strip discs for grinders, which are a very open sponge mixed with abrasives, are very effective at removing paint without gumming up or trashing the metal underneath. Using these to do larger areas, and media blasting tricky nooks and crannies, might be faster than blasting the whole lot if you don't have a full-on industrial rig.

Also, wear good overalls with tight seals around the cuffs for your gloves. Aluminium oxide gets everywhere.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2009 21:38

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

hippynerd posted:

I got one of these, I think it was 35 grit (lavender colored), you still have to be real careful with it, and it will scratch the metal even if you are careful. but drat it works fast.

Hmm, I've never had that problem, but I haven't used the purple ones (XTs?), and not always genuine 3M types. I tend to buy the black/dark grey version from wherever's cheap:

# ¿ Sep 5, 2009 10:40

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

oxbrain posted:

1 minute of welding for 9 minutes rest isn't really that restricting for a novice/hobby welder.

Can we put a UAW joke in here too?

# ¿ Oct 6, 2009 18:02

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

grover posted:

Compressors don't like to run for long periods of time, that's why the professional ones always use air bottles.

Even then, I've destroyed a couple of small, tank-equipped compressors before biting the bullet and getting a reasonably sized one.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2009 21:54

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

oxbrain posted:

Is there such a thing as a tap to clean up the threads on a flare nut?

A plug (bottoming) tap in whatever thread size the thing is?

# ¿ Nov 28, 2009 22:57

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

scapulataf posted:

Do you have a dremel with a good quality carbide ball grinder?

Lighting smokes with a torch is nothing, I do that on a weekly basis, now lighting them off a glowing piece of metal that was just cut off/had a piece cut off of it, is AI as gently caress. As is lighting smokes on an exhaust manifold of an engine that has spent the last 10 minutes running at full throttle and then some.

You forgot brake discs...

# ¿ Dec 14, 2009 19:23

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

frozenphil posted:

Edit: Found the name. Apparently they are called engine hangers and look like the one below, only not so home made and scary looking. Any brands better than the others or any to avoid?

I can't really see anything wrong with that. Should be plenty strong enough to support the engine. Why pay for one when you only need it for one job?

# ¿ Jan 6, 2010 21:07

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

UK guys: Aldi has small ultrasonic cleaning tanks for �16.99 right now. Picked one up on a co-worker's recommendation from last time they had them, will see how effective it is.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2010 19:20

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

jammyozzy posted:

My Google skills are failing me, does anybody in the UK know where I can get hold of a set of spline drive sockets in a real brick and mortar store? If you cold narrow it down to Berkshire that'd be a bonus. I was planning on swapping out the driveshaft on my Polo tomorrow, but didn't realise until just now that the thing is held onto the diff with spline bolts.

When you say "spline drive" I assume you mean Torx-style six-lobe? Internal or external? Like echomadman said, try Halfords, their tools are pretty good, or you can try Machine Mart.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2010 23:38

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

jammyozzy posted:

The bolts look like Torx-style ones, but with 12 lobes, internal. The Haynes manual calls them spline bolts so I just took the name from that.

Hmm.

I think the fasteners should be 6-lobe interface - Haynes won't say "Torx" because it's someone's trade name. :jerkbag:

If you do have 12 sharply-defined points, like a 12-point ring spanner, that's different. Same if they're square-profile splines.

EDIT: Well, pissflaps. Did some Googling. Looks like they're actually XZN triple-squares: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_square. Doubt Halfords have them, but Euro Car Parts or German, Swedish & French should be able to sort you out.

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Jan 17, 2010

# ¿ Jan 17, 2010 00:19

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Gorilla Salad posted:

I had this. It sucked arse. I threw it out.

To be fair, it did the job. It just didn't make it easy. The lack of spring loading made using it a chore and it never stripped in one go, I always had to fiddle about with it.

I always bend the bloody things. Not my fault, monkey bastard hands.

I found one of those ratcheting types at a car show cheap (�8), and while it's not perfect, it's much better.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2010 13:29

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Money Walrus posted:

Cutting fluid!

I like Rocol stuff, mainly because it looks like Predator blood.

Also, the trick to a good-cutting drill is having the correct grinding on the tip. Doesn't matter what it's made of without that.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2010 18:50

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

scapulataf posted:

Yes, steel. Sorry I figuerd metal would be descriptive enough, but obviously not.
Mostly mild steel, rarely aluminum or stainless.
The main problem is when doing thicker poo poo, like 1" or 1 1/4" thick steel that needs something like a 1/2" or bigger hole in it.

Maybe buy a heftier drill press - say a used one from a machinery sale. I've drilled a 1" diameter hole straight through 1" steel with nothing more than a squirt of cutting fluid and just hanging off the handle. Gets a bit boring (sorry) after a hundred or so, but the point is that a good, burly machine with a half-decent drill will just eat through mild steel all day long.

Edit: Also, don't baby it. You want to cut into the metal, not just rub the cutting face of the drill onto the workpiece (which'll do a fine job of overheating and blunting it). Get the speed and lubrication right, and put your back into it.

quote:

This 118* that is the angle on the point I assume?

Yes. Quick way of checking is to put two hex nuts together to give a 120 degree inclusive angle "gauge" between two faces, which is close enough most of the time.

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 19:47 on Jan 20, 2010

# ¿ Jan 20, 2010 19:44

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Z3n posted:

What's the best/easiest way to measure bolts? I've never really had to deal with this before, thanks to always using OEM stuff, but honestly, getting reamed for 10-20x the cost of a bolt because you're getting it from a motorcycle dealership gets really old.

A cheap digital calliper and a small pitch comparator gauge to double-check the thread with.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2010 21:56

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:31

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

RealKyleH posted:

Also learn bolt grades because hardware store bolts are often grade 2 or 5 and are not appropriate replacements for grade 8 or 8.8 bolts that youll find in most applications.

I don't know if you meant to give that impression, but an 8.8 is not equivalent to a grade 8, it's more like a grade 5. Grade 8 is equivalent to 10.9.

If you want a good general guide to fasteners, Carroll Smith's Nuts, bolts, fasteners and plumbing handbook is very good.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2010 22:24

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