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Making/improvising Special Tools

Discussion in 'The Tool Shed' started by timgr, Jul 12, 2016.

  1. Dec 15, 2020
    Mcruff

    Mcruff Earlycj5 Machinist

    Albertville, AL
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
    Messages:
    5,349
    I just machined mine out of a piece of bar stock. Took about 15 minutes.
     
  2. Dec 22, 2020
    windyhill

    windyhill Sponsor

    PA
    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2006
    Messages:
    1,502
    show off..
     
    Lockman likes this.
  3. Dec 22, 2020
    Downs

    Downs Rattlecan All The Things!

    Hunt County Texas
    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2020
    Messages:
    579
    I make things as I need them nothing like what I've seen in this thread though lots of good stuff. Damper rod holding tools out of a properly sized nut and a few pieces of all thread plus my welder. Yoke holding tool out of some scrap plate and tube. When I was rebuilding my T150 and Dana 20 I made arbors for the countershafts using different sized pieces of wooden dowel. Just got a piece that was close and sanded it down to fit properly. Worked great. D30 seal driver/puller out of all thread, nuts and washers.

    I don't mind buying a HF tool and modding it as needed.
     
  4. Jan 3, 2021
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2019
    Messages:
    1,765
    My big 30 cfm. air compressor kept making huge amounts of water condensate in the tank. In my southern humid climate I would get about a pint or more of water per hour from the automatic tank drain. The tank would get so hot you could feel the heat coming off it from 2 feet away, and you certainly could not touch it. There was still so much moisture coming thru to my sand blast cabinet the media would clot and plug my nozzle constantly. If it didn't plug it would blow out water with the media and wet what ever I was trying to blast. The cabinet would fill with fog from the hot moist air and mix with my media, what a mess.:banghead:
    So what to do? I tried adding some moisture trap/filters (2 of them) in my air lines, helped a bit but not alot. Then tried making myself an air cooler out of some copper tubing with drains at the bottom loops, helped some but still got water on long blasting episodes. Would need to stop every 20 min or so to drain all the filters. :n: I was looking for an extra tank of some kind to run the air thru to cool it when my neighbour replaced his outdoor AC compressor/condenser unit at his workshop. He gave me the old unit.:) (1st photo) I thought humm- possible air cooler.
    So I removed the old compressor unit. The condenser and fan were fine. Also said factory pressure tested to 300 psi on decal.
    I found the condenser is made up of 6 separate or individual cooling coils so I made an inlet manifold to connect all 6 of the individual cooling coil inlets together. Then another manifold to combine all the outlets of the 6 individual cooling coils- LLJL6652.JPG IMG_1671.JPG IMG_1738.JPG IMG_1739.JPG with a water seperator at the exit end. Now I could have a dedicated inlet manifold and a dedicated outlet manifold for connection to my compressor (2nd photo).
    I connected the air compressor directly to my inlet manifold and then my outlet manifold/water separator line back to the air compressor tank thus cooling and dehumidifying the compressed air before entering the tank(3rd photo).
    On testing I found it works great with most (about 80-90 percent) of the moisture being removed as the air exits my cooler at the dedicated auto drain water separator. The remainder is removed at the tank drain and subsequence inline dryers. The compressor tank temp went down from what I guess was about 180+ degrees to room temperature.
    The total cost of project was around 75 dollars as I had on hand the pipe fittings, copper tubing, and hydraulic hoses, only purchased a 30 amp breaker (220 volt) to run the fan and a few fittings. I placed the unit on some old chair casters so to move around more easily. (4th photo) completed unit.
    Just my 2 cents worth, thought this might help someone with similar problems.
    Ok, what do you all think? Comments, suggestions, I can even stand some criticism if I have to.
    Jim
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2021
    Danefraz, Lockman, tripilio and 7 others like this.
  5. Jan 3, 2021
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
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    Aug 3, 2003
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    Genius.
     
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  6. Jan 4, 2021
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
    Messages:
    4,716
    A+
     
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  7. Jan 4, 2021
    Downs

    Downs Rattlecan All The Things!

    Hunt County Texas
    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2020
    Messages:
    579
    Now that's -pretty dang cool, no pun intended. Also great use of recycling existing components.
     
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  8. Jan 4, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    5,626
    X2
     
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  9. Jan 16, 2021
    boopiejones

    boopiejones I can’t drive 55

    California east bay
    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2020
    Messages:
    545
    [​IMG] Here are some improvised bike tools I’ve made.

    I own a chain whip, but needed a second one to remove a specific brand of bicycle freewheel. I was going to add a hook to the end so I can easily hang it on the side of my bike stand, but then realized if I shaped the hook correctly, it would double as a bottle opener.

    I cut some material off the end of a small piece of c channel to make a suntour free hub tool

    and a piece of rebar welded to a bent piece of metal to make a disc brake piston spreader.
     
  10. Jan 18, 2021
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

    Florida Keys
    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2014
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    4,170
    I think I'm going to have to do this same conversion of an A/C condenser. Great idea!
    -Donny
     
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  11. Jan 18, 2021
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2019
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    1,765
    If I can help let me know. I have done some research on the subject and found that there are a lot of different types of ac condensers out there. Some will work better than others.
     
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  12. Feb 26, 2021
    boopiejones

    boopiejones I can’t drive 55

    California east bay
    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2020
    Messages:
    545
    Made a Pitman arm puller using some scrap metal and a large bolt I had laying around. Pulled off my pitman like butter 6808698B-232D-42ED-93B7-E09B92BAB56E.jpeg 33BF0DC1-3629-4B8F-AFF7-1E0B7D609392.jpeg
     
    Lockman, dozerjim, Ol Fogie and 3 others like this.
  13. Feb 26, 2021
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
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    Aug 3, 2003
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    Nobody wants a buttery pitman.
     
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  14. Feb 28, 2021
    windyhill

    windyhill Sponsor

    PA
    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2006
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    1,502
     
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  15. May 4, 2021
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Apr 8, 2008
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    Not as epic as ol fogies but... tada!

    [​IMG]20210502_193333 by Joe with a jeep, on Flickr

    Good ol HF never pump (actually still worked but never fast enough) pump removed, mr T added, then regular hose couplings but there is a check valve at the Male fitting:

    [​IMG] KLN-52831
    Air Compressor Components, Inline Check Valve - 1/4"F NPT to 1/4" M NPT
    (Mfr. #: 52831)

    so all I do is plug and unplug. No leaks no mess no sorry thumb from holding the Schrader valves and bikes /soccer balls don't stand a chance.
    Also when working on the house I can run the air line to this as a surge tank and use the air nailer with 100' of hose.

    And if I ever put the York in the jeep I have a portable tank for using tools and such.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2021
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  16. Feb 3, 2022
    SoCalNickG

    SoCalNickG Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Whittier, CA.
    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2017
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    346
    What do you use to install the rear seal on a D-18? I read some where the seals can be installed using PVC pipe. Does anyone have details? A better idea?
     
  17. Feb 3, 2022
    Big_Rob2020

    Big_Rob2020 Member

    New Braunfels, TX
    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2020
    Messages:
    80
    yes pvc pipe works great
     
  18. Feb 5, 2022
    Lockman

    Lockman OK.....Now I Get It . 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Silver Hill,...
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    Dec 4, 2018
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    2,698
    Simply Brilliant engineering, Sir. I'm saving your entire tutorial for future reference. Thank You.
     
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  19. Feb 6, 2022
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

    Southern...
    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2019
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    1,765
    Thankyou, After using it somewhat I have learned that it works very well. I have discovered that it it also capable of cooling more air than necessary even with my compressor producing 30 plus Cu.Ft. per minute. My cooling unit takes up quit a bit of space in my shop. If I had it to do over I would have looked for a smaller AC condenser unit, maybe a 1 ton unit or less. Also I would search out different brands of AC units. It appears some of them use metric copper tubing that is difficult to find fittings and adapters for. I did work around this but it was somewhat harder than if I had a unit with standard size tubing.
    If you should decide to build one let me know and I can help with my learning experiences. Jim
     
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  20. Feb 6, 2022
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2003
    Messages:
    9,754
    In my toolbox I have a stepped swaging mandrel for re-sizing copper tube. Basically flares it out to whatever next-size-up that you need. Might work.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2022
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