Custom made shop tools

[Moparmat2000]

I have a wire coat hanger I have unbent to make straight , and put a tight hook on it. I fashioned this up years ago and it's in my toolbox. I use this for snaking wires above headliners and through firewalls etc. Very handy tool, and free. Heres pix with the latest wires I had to run today.

 

[Moparmat2000]

I unbent a second wire hanger, and fashioned a tight hook on the end, then bent the "hook" to 90° and used JB weld to glue a rare earth magnet to the end. This is great to bend into shapes to try to retrieve magnetic stuff dropped inside a framerail.

 

[Orpedcrow]

I unbent a second wire hanger, and fashioned a tight hook on the end, then bent the "hook" to 90° and used JB weld to glue a rare earth magnet to the end. This is great to bend into shapes to try to retrieve magnetic stuff dropped inside a framerail.

That’s an excellent idea. I’m stealing it.

The giant 24” zip ties that can usually be found in the plumbing section make for good snakes too. I used to keep several in my bag. You can tape them together. One had a couple holes drilled in the end to feed 14 gauge wire into that would hold with out tape.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Not really a custom shop tool, but since my fleet is all different vehicles I have placarded all of them with oil type, quantity, oil filter part number, and drain plug size. Makes things a lot easier. Also I slap tape in the door jamb with date I changed the oil, and the miles when it needs to be changed again. The sample pic is the wifes car. Pop the hood write it down and head to Walmart.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Again not really a shop tool, but a helper to a tool. Awhile back I bought a harbor freight mechanics service cart, made a frame out of bed frame rail and turned it into my shop welding rig. This thing houses all my sheetmetal and welding tools in one spot. Ever since then I had these cheesy little brackets C clamped in place to hold all my welding cables, and extensions etc. Not an ideal solution, but it was fast for the time, then I just suffered with it that way for a few years lol. Needless to say another emergency welding project today prompted me to finally make some serious brackets to hold all my cords today.

 

[GrimsterGMC]

Again not really a shop tool, but a helper to a tool. Awhile back I bought a harbor freight mechanics service cart, made a frame out of bed frame rail and turned it into my shop welding rig. This thing houses all my sheetmetal and welding tools in one spot. Ever since then I had these cheesy little brackets C clamped in place to hold all my welding cables, and extensions etc. Not an ideal solution, but it was fast for the time, then I just suffered with it that way for a few years lol. Needless to say another emergency welding project today prompted me to finally made some serious brackets to hold all my cords today.

I am the same. It's funny how we persevere for so long when it would only take a moment, while welding something else, just to knock up some custom brackets.

 

[Orpedcrow]

made a frame out of bed frame rail

Have you had issues cutting or drilling bed rail frame? I’ve got some in the shop that seems to be either made of ar500 or is work hardening

 

[Moparmat2000]

Have you had issues cutting or drilling bed rail frame? I’ve got some in the shop that seems to be either made of ar500 or is work hardening

Cutting, and welding, no problem. Drilling is a problem though. You cant drill that $hit to save your life. I tried with cobalt bits and just burned em right out.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Back to shop cleanup, and found a swap meet bench grinder and clean up ground to a halt. I repaired this years ago then set it off to the side. Meant to make a plug in base for it like I made for my bench vise. My workbench has 2&1/2" square tube in 3 spots so you can mount your bench vise or remove it for space. I just did the same with the bench grinder. Now it's back to shop cleanup again.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Next thing I want to do is drill holes in the 2&1/2" tubing, and weld nuts to it. Then thread bolts in that will pin the vise and the grinder in place. I thought about hitch pins, but that requires precision drilling so they are interchangeable in all 3 spots, and they would be a little sloppy when installed.