Home made "A" Tools

[Leathernek]

I searched the forum last night and got the plans to build the spring spreaders. Today I went and bought the materials for the front spreader and am currently building it. I was wondering what other model a specialty tools other people have built? If you have a link to the instructions, or pics- feel free to post and brag a little!

Thanks,
Josh

 

[Jim Parker Toronto]

So, what did the materials cost, if you don't mind............

 

[VWJoe]

Don't forget a box of Band-Aids .

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Several years ago when we held a Fordbarn Workshop at my shop, we closed off the weekend by setting up two tables where attendees brought & displayed their home-made tools. I'd bet we spent 2-3 hours just standing around the table admiring everyone's creativeness. Sadly those pictures disappeared with Shelly. I may have some of them on the shop computer but outside of that, Will C. & Jim Mason are about the only two I know/knew who had homemade tools listed on their sites.

 

[Craig Lewis]

Here's some stuff I made when assembling my chassis.

 

[329s]

Several years ago when we held a Fordbarn Workshop at my shop, we closed off the weekend by setting up two tables where attendees brought & displayed their home-made tools. I'd bet we spent 2-3 hours just standing around the table admiring everyone's creativeness. Sadly those pictures disappeared with Shelly. I may have some of them on the shop computer but outside of that, Will C. & Jim Mason are about the only two I know/knew who had homemade tools listed on their sites.

Brent,

Any chance of contacting Ms. Shelly for the photos? If she still has them.

Pluck

 

[Don/WI]

Here's some stuff I made when assembling my chassis.

How about explaining the tools that you show (except for the blue hub puller which is obvious) ? Thanks. Don/WI

 

[James Rogers]

See here.

http://www.mantiquesresto.com/TipsTricks/Tools/tools01.html

There are several pages of tools.

 

[Leathernek]

So, what did the materials cost, if you don't mind............

1- 3/4'' all thread $9.99- Tractor Supply
1- 1/4'' x 1 1/2'' flat stock 12.99- Tractor Supply
3- 3/4'' nuts & 2- 3/4'' washers 2.92- Tractor Supply
1- 3/4'' x 48'' black pipe 9.78- Home Depot
_______________________________________________
Total $35.68 + tax

So I saved a little bit on having to order one (I think the one at Synder's ran about $41) and saved on shipping. Plus, I gained a little more needed experience in welding!

*UPDATE* I just tried it out and had to cut an inch and a half off because my spring fully flexed upward due to not having any weight on it. Also, what the instructions forgot to mention is you need to tack weld the center section or it will turn on you when trying to compress the spring. Anyways, it worked like a gem and the project left me with a great sense of accomplishment for the day......


Josh

 

[Craig Lewis]

The centre tool is a brake adjusting shaft gauge.
When regrinding the end on a used adusting shaft, the shaft is dropped into place on the pin and compared to the fixed angle of the shoe. The shoe can be loosened with a wingnut to slide fore & aft to allow for different length shafts. I copied the tool from a picture someplace.

The bottom tool is kind of a "forge" I threw together one afternoon using some scrap iron, the welder & metal lathe. It's for shaping repop brake rod eyes...you know the ones with the big square corners that won't even fit through a return spring eye?
Basically you heat the eye(on the new brake rod) and pound it to a closer semblence of round(like the original donut shape) untill it almost fits inside the tool. Then it's heated red hot again and sandwiched inside the forge which has one side clamped in the vice with the pins facing up & then you drop the other half onto the pins and pound away with a BFH. The above procedure takes place pretty quick as you have only a few seconds after taking away the torch and your glow is gone.
I finish up by running a drill through the centre hole to re-establish centre on the reformed eye.

The finished, reamed, powdercoated rods show the flashing line just like originals have...it's from being clamped& stamped from the end when they were originally forged and that's the parting line flashing. If you look carefully I ground little parting lines into the tool to re-create these lines.

Sorry that I'm not all that good at explaining stuff...I throw these things together when a creative moment occurs...mostly from neccessity to maintain some measurable degree of accuracy on my car.

 

[Craig Lewis]

Here's a tool to reface your manifold flange. Made from a junk Model A valve, more scrap and a carbide lathe bit.
Sorry bout the farmer welds ... again I threw it together in a hurry with no thought of ever showing it and having to explain.

 

[Leathernek]

Here's a tool to reface your manifold flange. Made from a junk Model A valve, more scrap and a carbide lathe bit.
Sorry bout the farmer welds ... again I threw it together in a hurry with no thought of ever showing it and having to explain.

NICE!

 

[85930tudor]

Very nice Craig. thanks for sharing..

 

[Tom Endy]

Photos are of a tool to pull the pinion assembly and drive shaft out of the banjo without disturbing the pre-load setting (if one is actually still there). Comes in very handy when installing an overdrive where all you want to do is pull the drive shaft assembly without disassembling the entire rear axle assembly.

Please feel free to down load and use any of my photos.

Tom Endy

 

[Roger V]

I had most of Tom's rear end tools made from his seminar handout at the Dallas World Meet. They all worked great and much better than the light weight AC & R rear end tools. Roger

 

[Craig Lewis]

When I had my block machined for inserts they neglected to machine the rear thrust
...so I made this simple tool from a piece of bar stock machined to .001" less than the bore.

That's an old Model A wheel bearing on the adjusting side. You adjust the large bolt against the bearing, which pulls the cutting bit into the block at the opposite end.
Next, the entire assembly is turned with a 9/16 wrench & the bit carves your thrust surface onto the cap & block.
It takes several adjustments, taking thin shaves off the soft cast iron...but in a few minutes you have a deadly accurate base for the thrust rings.

 

[ctlikon0712]

Very nice Craig, I like the idea. Using a carbide lathe tool or high speed steel? Also of note, I guess you need to grind a cutting face with no back or relief angle to keep the mating surface flat.... or do I misunderstand the pics.
Craig Likon

 

[klrh20frank]

Photos are of a tool to pull the pinion assembly and drive shaft out of the banjo without disturbing the pre-load setting (if one is actually still there). Comes in very handy when installing an overdrive where all you want to do is pull the drive shaft assembly without disassembling the entire rear axle assembly.

Please feel free to down load and use any of my photos.

Tom Endy

Tom, I see you are still sharing your experience with others. Thanks again for your help in vancouver with my rear end.

 

[Craig Lewis]

Very nice Craig, I like the idea. Using a carbide lathe tool or high speed steel? Also of note, I guess you need to grind a cutting face with no back or relief angle to keep the mating surface flat.... or do I misunderstand the pics.
Craig Likon

It's a brand new highspeed tool bit & I don't think I even sharpened it cuz it came with razor sharp edges.

*CORRECTION* I just dug out this tool & looks like I DID grind the side of the bit (it was a few yrs ago, sorry)
...I've added a picture below.

I clamped it flat on the trued end of the bar.
That old fender bolt with the intigrated hardened washer does a nice job of holding it flat. The cast peels off with ease...in fact with the wrench in your hand it feels & sounds exactly like cranking a pencil sharpener.

 

[Jim Parker Toronto]

Here's something I copied from a friend for setting and measuring the A2042 brake adjusting shafts