Thread: Show The World How You've Modified Your Tools To Work For What You Needed/Razors etc

Originally Posted by walleyeman

I will say gents that if you have spent very much time around tools and used them somewhere you have modified or made a tool or two to get the job done. I will post some later. I am at the house and the shop is 316 feet from the house. Between the shop and house is 5 degree air temp with a 30 mph wind making it a rather uncomfortable walk. Plus any metal in the shop is hard to get unstuck from your hand!

Ray

Well while Ray is Thunkin about when it's warm enough to show some of his modified tools I'll show one or two

Some of you have seen razors sitting on this hunk of steel. It was Dad's 'Field' anvil. He had a vice which he had made a platform for that could be installed in the stave pocket of a pickup he would install this piece and do all kinds of work on it, and it showed the wear and tear from all of those years.

Well I decided to take advantage of the Mass/weight and took it to a local machine shop and for $15 they milled both sides, I then spent a considerable amount of time with first a mill file (it was Dad's) and then with my palm sander and Wet-n-Dry sandpaper and then Mothers Mag Wheel Polish.

It's worked very well, very stable.

On another note, while I don't do a lot of pinning I do have some basic washers here but trying to get them out of the little baggies that Microfasteners send them in was a Major Pain In The Keester! I tried using old spice jars but they would hold enough to even supply Glen for a lifetime! So I went looking and found some 2 Dram Glass Vials with plastic screw on caps. I really don't think that they were designed to hold micro washers and my extra 5/64tth drill bits but they do work well. The vials are available via Amazon. The measure 5/8+ OD and 2 1/2" tall. Cost me $11 delivered. Shipping was almost as much as the vials but I think it was well worth it. If I'm not mistaken it can be added on to get the free shipping for X amount of purchase.

So here are both for all to see.

This is what the entire surface of the steel looked like from Dad's abuse;



And here's the vials standing on the polished pinning surface;



I hope all have enjoyed

Originally Posted by Chevhead

That is what I use.

Same here! They don't have all junk tools!!! I have found a few useful things at Harbor Freight. I bought a set of hole punches at Harbor Freight to punch holes through masking tape to put around pins on scales in case I do slip for protection of the scales. I made my own pin punch out of a bunch of allen wrenches I have. I cut the L part off with a cutoff tool & use a bench grinder to grind it down to size. When I was turning wrenches on Harley's, accessories would come with allen wrenches in the kit & they make good home made tools. I have a baggie full of different size allen wrenches. I have used carbide burring bits in an air tool to put a concave on a 1/16" punch to round the tops of pins.

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Back in '79 when I gave up turning wrenches for a living and went to work as a grocery clerk, then meat cutter I loaned my dad all of my larger wrenches, starting with two 1" and up to 1 1/2". When he was going to retire from being a machinist, mechanic he asked that I come up to the companies shop and pick up my tools.

When I arrived he had me park close to his tool box and roll around and started digging. He then started producing my wrenches in order saying; "Here's your two 1", here's your two 1 1/16' etcetera , until he came to the two 1 1/4" saying here's your one 1 1/4" and handed it to me and then in a bit he said Oh, here's the other one. When I went to take it in one hand. Half of it fell to the floor!!!! God Damn did he laugh. He needed it in a tight space on a machine so he'd modified it. He then said, don't worry, here's mine. He then proceeded to return the others.

When he passed all I asked for was his tools and tools chests.

Here's my 'Modified Tool' curtisy of my dad. I sure miss that ornery old fart!

Attachment 189731

I think many of us miss our dads, I know I do! I miss my dad dearly. Every time I had a problem I'd call him because he was so smart, he could fix anything. After he passed, I caught myself wanting to call him when I had a problem with something but finally got used to the fact that he was gone! As far as tool modification, I've had to cut some wrenches down or fire up the old Victor wrench & heat them red hot to bend them various shapes to work for a certain application!

This thread is a good idea.
My first tools when I graduated aviation were from my dad. Proto open end offset wrenches were in that kit, I still own those thin tuff bastards. And miss that less thin, equally tuff bastard I called my dad...he too loved Proto,, and Craftsman.
Now as to the topic. I built this just for razors. Currently running 2"x30" belts in a variety of grits above 400.

While I could buy a belt sander, I wanted variable speed, and different interchangeable radius wheels for the front. I mounted an adjustable uhmw strip under the belt for support while in operation. I also made a couple of belts out of some leather and croxed one, diamond coated the other.
So far, I've only cleaned up one razor on it but it helps me maintain a steady stroke while cleaning the sides.
Anyway, cheers.

I like your machine! Sound thinking there. I think we talked about the same idea about my homemade variable speed buffer. Let the machine do the work, without the heat and Lots Of Control!

Now! A picture of your heirloom wrench, maybe two or more????

Yup, we did Cuda. The idea was forming then..
I will dig out the proto's when I can get into the shed. Frozen shut at -15c up here tonight..
Cheers.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Yup, we did Cuda. The idea was forming then..
I will dig out the proto's when I can get into the shed. Frozen shut at -15c up here tonight..
Cheers.

I was an August baby and I'd rather sweat than freeze! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr That's Cold! Give my July any day!

Oh I hope you will enjoy;

Heat wave here...-14C now to -21C by morning. And up to a 40MPH. 6oKph wind
~Richard

Awesome.
One of my personal favorites.
http://youtu.be/yfgonv2UvSs

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Awesome.
One of my personal favorites.
http://youtu.be/yfgonv2UvSs

Mike that was Great Humor!

Now to a wrench that was modified for a specific use/I've never used it/but Dad somehow needed to do the modification



It's 1" on the straight side and 15/16 on the bent side. Go Figure!