Tool thread

[Dr.Jeff]

I guess that title could be about certain types of people, or about the instruments we use to work on our Fiats. In this case I intend it to be about the mechanical one (for any 'tools' out there, that means the second definition).

I don't recall, have we ever done a thread just about tools? Like sharing about a tool you find to be really useful or particularly well made. Or your favorite tool to use for certain jobs. Or great tool deals. Maybe tell about a tool you made instead of bought.

Seems there are a lot of members that do their own work, including some very talented ones that create amazing cars. So I'm sure there must be plenty of tool related thoughts to share?

 

[lookforjoe]

From my Son's FB page:

 

[Integrale]

I really like my Milwaukee battery powered ratchet, though it doesn't work too well in close quarters due to the bulk.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

I really like my Milwaukee battery powered ratchet

I've been getting more and more accustomed to using "cordless/battery powered" tools rather than corded. For a long time they weren't nearly as powerful as a plug-in model, and the batts needed recharging too often plus slow charge times. But with the improvements in batteries they are much better now. And I'm tired of dealing with lots of cords in the way. Seems they are finally making the cordless tool bodies more compact also.

For ages I had "Craftsman" brand cordless tools. However every generation of them was worse than the prior in terms of lifespan. So I've been replacing them with DeWalt ones. Hopefully they last longer.

 

[dllubin]

I switched to Ridgid about 8 years ago because they have a lifetime repair/replace policy including batteries. I had been having bad luck with batteries but none of the Ridgid stuff has failed yet.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

they have a lifetime repair/replace policy including batteries

Wish I'd known that. Hopefully they continue making the same system (compatible batteries, etc) in the future so you can still get replacements. That was one reason I used to buy Craftsman cordless tools, they made a promise to keep making the same cordless system forever. Prior to that, if a battery failed you had to buy a new tool because they no longer made those batteries.

Speaking of lifetime tool warranties. I mentioned the Craftsman brand, which always had an excellent lifetime policy for all of their hand tools. Growing up there weren't a lot of tool options where I lived, and Sears was America's largest retailer (pretty much the only big store in our little town). They frequently had great sales on their tools, so that was the bulk of what I bought. For a "lifetime tool" the prices were a fraction of other brands (SnapOn for example). And for decades I'd go into any Sears and hand them a bag full of old tools and they'd give new ones, no question asked. However now that Sears no longer exists, does anyone know if any of the other chain stores that carry Craftsman (ACE, Lowes, etc) will honor the lifetime warranty? I haven't tried yet, but if they do I wonder if you can still just bring them in and get easy replacements? Or will they only honor the warranty with a receipt from their own stores?

 

[DaveR]

Lowes will take back Craftsman tools, Ace would not. I exchanged a ratchet at Lowes. The quality of the replacement (China) seemed to be lower than the original. Summit does have replacement parts for Craftsman ratchets.

Lowes took it back no problems, receipt not required. It was as easy as Sears.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Lowes will take back Craftsman tools

That is great to hear. Did they ask for any receipts or give you any hassles? Or was it as easy as Sears used to be?

The quality of the replacement (China) seemed to be lower than the original.

There has definitely been a reduction in quality for Craftsman tools over the years. At a major tool trade show several years ago I spoke to the Craftsman corporate people about that (this was before the demise of Sears). They admitted that the production had been moved offshore. Apparently the original tools were made by a small manufacturer in America. That changed when the producer was bought by a larger tool maker, and then again by yet another. For quite some time they used two sources; tool "sets" came from one and "individual" tools from the other. So there was a noticeable quality difference between the same part numbers depending if it came in a set or individually (full sets were higher quality). That was one problem with exchanging a tool from a set for just the individual tool...it was better to return the entire set and exchange it for a new complete set. But even that changed when Sears started going under and began making all of their tools overseas. Since then things have changed again. Stanley Tool bought out Craftsman a few years ago (part of the Sears sell off). I'm not sure if that changed the source yet again but they seem to be even worse quality than ever to me. That was for the last few tools I exchanged at the only remaining Sears store near me (couple of years ago). As I said, I haven't tried to make any exchanges since then.

 

[Janis]

Once because of lack of know-how bent a flat head screwdriver changing a waterpump un bmw
This srewdriver/mini crowbar is unreplacable.

 

[dllubin]

Lowes will take back Craftsman tools, Ace would not. I exchanged a ratchet at Lowes. The quality of the replacement (China) seemed to be lower than the original. Summit does have replacement parts for Craftsman ratchets.

Lowes took it back no problems, receipt not required. It was as easy as Sears.

I need to check that out. I've go a Craftsman vise that had the threads fail where the lead screw goes through. It was actually a replacement for a vise purchased in the late 60s that failed in the late 70s. The Sears store in San Jose (long gone) replaced it with no issue. Last I checked, no replacement parts were available and the rumor was it was made by Wilton. I'm not sure if the later vises had lifetime warranties, but the old ones did. I thought about replacing it with an HFT vise, but after reading the reviews it looks like they are crap - lots of reports of cracked casting when actually used as a vise.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

bent a flat head screwdriver

I've done that many times for various needs. We have a tool supply company that sells low quality stuff very inexpensively. At times they even offer items for free when you buy something else. I have several of those screwdrivers just for this purpose - to modify when a special tool is required.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

I've go a Craftsman vise

I recall a lot of Craftsman equipment used to be covered by the lifetime warranty. But over the years they seemed to change the policy and would no longer honor the coverage on many things. For the most part in more recent years they only exchanged "hand tools". But even then there were things they would not do. Especially now that Sears is no longer available to deal with, I kind of doubt they will exchange a vice...if that vice is even still available. But certainly worth a try. Sometimes it comes down to who happens to be working and what they know (or don't know).

 

[dllubin]

I recall a lot of Craftsman equipment used to be covered by the lifetime warranty. But over the years they seemed to change the policy and would no longer honor the coverage on many things. For the most part in more recent years they only exchanged "hand tools". But even then there were things they would not do. Especially now that Sears is no longer available to deal with, I kind of doubt they will exchange a vice...if that vice is even still available. But certainly worth a try. Sometimes it comes down to who happens to be working and what they know (or don't know).

Unfortunately, the hand tool only thing has been going on a long time. I think the odds are against me on this but since an equivalent quality replacement is probably several hundred bucks, it may be worth a try. When I exchanged the original, it was out of production so they gave me the same size in the latest version. This version has been out of production so long that replacement parts are not available. I have not checked out the latest Craftsman vises, so it is quite possible I could end up with the same garbage HFT has if they did agree to exchange it.

 

[lookforjoe]

There are a number of tools that I find essential. My 1/4" (mostly) Snap-on stuff would be #1. I don't take the Fiat on long drives without it, along with the pouch of small wrenches.

This MAC tool I bought many (35+) years ago, specifically for removed fan clutches on Volvo 240/740 models. It has proved invaluable for many other uses - most recently, to remove the VTC side screen on the head. There is zero room for a socket or regular wrench on the lower bolt, unless you remove the belt tensioner, which means removing the AC compressor & mount bracket...

This is another indispensible tool - copied by many other manufacturers - I've alos had this for over 35 years

These I used to use all the time - for Garett turbos on '80's Volvos. Haven't used them for much else since

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Media blast cabinet.

Having the ability to sandblast parts for refinishing is a huge benefit when doing restoration work, and so much more. But typical 'home' style blast cabinets can offer a bit underwhelming performance sometimes. Several years ago I purchased one from Harbor Freight, mainly due to the low price. And it has worked pretty well for the most part. One thing I found out right away is the quality and type of blast media used in the cabinet makes a bigger difference than any feature of the cabinet itself. But there are a host of YouTube videos with upgrades for the HF unit to make it work better. So the other day when it was time to change out the media in mine I decided to take care of a couple of additional maintenance issues and see about some upgrades.

The biggest issue I was having was leaks allowing the media dust to escape the cabinet and fill the workshop with a cloud of dust. Turns out the sealant used at the factory had deteriorated and come loose from the all the seams. In order to reseal it I needed to disassemble portions of the cabinet, clean everything, and apply a better type sealant (at least I hope it will be better).

In the process I performed some of the suggested upgrades. However it seems that my HF cabinet is not like most of the ones in the YouTube videos; apparently HF has changed several design features, and it is those changes that the videos complain the most about. Mine already has many of the upgrades that others perform to the newer ones. So I guess the older style is better?

Dust control is one area that all blast cabinets battle with. On mine the lighting fixture on the top allowed dust to cover the bulbs, significantly reducing the light output. And the main window had a plastic layer on the top (outside) of it that also trapped dust between the layers and clouded vision. So I reworked those areas to try and better seal them. Something I did to it awhile back was to convert the ventilation system to a "blow through" design instead of a "suction" one. The cabinet is always pressurized by way of the constant incoming air flow from the gun, so I closed off one of the vents and routed the other vent to a simple water filter. The water filtration concept is a principle used with lab equipment; the idea is to pass the dirty air through water so particulates get trapped by the water and the clean air bubble out. This has worked very well, until the cabinet started leaking at the seams. With a pressurized system any leaks become a real issue. Hopefully my reseal will stop that. But I've also considered using a "cyclone" trap and vacuum dust removal system instead. Has anyone done this?

The other major upgrade I see in a lot of the videos has to do with the media pick-up suction tube. There are a couple variations of pick-up tubes used on these cabinets, and some seem to work better than others. Mine is the type that some of the videos recommend, with two tubes side-by-side.


But the most popular option is to eliminate the suction tubes completely and add a "metering valve" at the bottom of the hopper to feed the gun. A company by the name of Tacoma makes this conversion. It looks like one of these:

The principle is similar to the "pressure pot" soda blaster's valve I've discussed in another thread. I did not have great luck with it there, but this is a different application and not the exact same design so who knows. Has anyone tried this mod?

I've made several other minor mods. Like converting the gun's air control to eliminate the trigger. Air is now controlled by a ball valve on the side of the cabinet so I don't have to hold the trigger down all the time. Since I'm left handed I relocated the hose connections to the left side of the cabinet and added a filter. In the process I also installed better quality hoses and clamps. Adding castors to the bottom of the legs makes it much easier to maneuver. Vinyl protective caps over all the bolt ends to prevent scratching things. And I made the bottom screen removable while the pick-up tubes and hoses are still attached.

What mods have you found to be helpful on a blast cabinet?

 

[bpimm]

Media blast cabinet.
The principle is similar to the "pressure pot" soda blaster's valve I've discussed in another thread. I did not have great luck with it there, but this is a different application and not the exact same design so who knows. Has anyone tried this mod?

I've made several other minor mods. Like converting the gun's air control to eliminate the trigger. Air is now controlled by a ball valve on the side of the cabinet so I don't have to hold the trigger down all the time. Since I'm left handed I relocated the hose connections to the left side of the cabinet and added a filter. In the process I also installed better quality hoses and clamps. Adding castors to the bottom of the legs makes it much easier to maneuver. Vinyl protective caps over all the bolt ends to prevent scratching things. And I made the bottom screen removable while the pick-up tubes and hoses are still attached.

What mods have you found to be helpful on a blast cabinet?

I have the HF blast cabinet as well, I bought mine second hand from a guy that had done a lot of mods and was in need of money... I bought the blast cabinet, a powdercoat system and a drill press.
It has the metering valve you show, it works good. I also have the vacuum dust correction system and have been thinking about adding a cyclone to increase the time between filter cleanings. The other mods are a foot control for the air supply and raising it about 6" so I can stand upright to work in it.

Here are the metering valve and the foot control

Vacuum system

The PO had also added this water trap and regulator, I think I will replace the regulator with just a pressure gauge as I have never used it, I just leave it wide open. My shop air is regulated already.

The most important thing I have found is having a good supply of clean dry air. I was having problems with water in my air supply, my automatic tank drains failed (Harbor freight) so when I re did my air system I went overboard, maybe.

I have an old 80 Gallon tank compressor, I put a 5HP motor on it, no idea what it's rated for. I ran the output of the compressor head through a "Franzinator" air dryer then into the tank, that did a pretty good job of cooling and drying the air but I still got moisture in the tank. The rebuild left these items as they were except for replacing the HF auto drains for some electric ones I got off of Amazon. Before the rebuild I was just running a 3/8" air hose into the shop for an air supply which restricted the flow, with that setup I was able to maintain 45 PSI at the blast cabinet running the blaster wide open continuously. I plumed in a 3/4" PEX air system from the compressor to the shop, I also increased the pulley size on the motor to bring the compressor RPM up to 400. Now the system will maintain 70 PSI at the blast cabinet wide open which works much better and there is no waiting for the compressor to catch up. I also added a regulator/ moisture trap followed by a desiccant air dryer I built from a water filter housing followed by an oil/water filter, then each drop in the shop has a water drain incorporated in it but so far about 9 months in I haven't had a drop of water in any of them.

This is the compressor and air system. You can see in the pic it's about time to recharge the desiccant it changes color from blue to pink when it is saturated. That is the original batch from 9 months ago, my air system probably runs an average of 2-3 days a week.

This is the franzinator, you can search that term and get all the info you want on how it works and how to build one.

You can see the auto drain on the bottom of the unit, there is also one on the tank drain. These are designed to be on all the time and open for an adjustable amount of time on an adjustable time schedule. I don't run my system continuously so I didn't want to have to remember to turn it on and off so I tied it into the contactor so it only has power when the compressor is running, when the compressor kicks in it opens for 3 seconds and then about every 15 minutes when it's running continuously.

This is the overhead drop for the blast cabinet feeding the 1/2" air hose down to the unit.

This is a closeup of the air outlets I made to terminate the drops, The inside is bored almost the full depth to the tap size for the 3/4" pipe fitting in the top to make a water reservoir with the drain in the bottom and the air outlet higher up on the side to help capture the moisture.

The other mod I have is a platform to stand on to make the foot pedal more ergonomic for those long blasting sessions.

Really relieves the stress on the ankle.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

from a guy that had done a lot of mods

Thanks for the input. Yours looks like it has all of the mods I've seen in the various online info, and nicely done. As I described, I've done several mods but there are a few more I'm considering. I think the "metering valve" setup is the biggest one I should do. My current 'twin-tube' media pickup works pretty good, but this is supposed to do better. Your feedback on how it works is very helpful - I tend not to trust the views of most YouTube videos, they all claim to be perfect.

My air supply setup is very similar to yours. I also built a water collector from large pipe (didn't know it was called a "franzinator") and desiccant bottle, added the typical filter unit (but mine isn't the cartridge type like yours), plus I added a collector pipe system with drain valves (see diagrams found online below), as I was running my air system for many years living on the SoCal beaches with very high humidity. But now I'm in the desert and water isn't an issue anymore.

I have something like this...

With the desiccant, filter and regulator on the end, kind of like this....

But I like the sounds of your automatic drains. I haven't seen the electric type you describe, only the mechanical ones that don't work - as you found (I also tried one and tossed it). Do you have any more info about the electric ones you have?

Getting back to the blast cabinet. You can get one of those cyclone units for a fraction of the usual cost if you buy it directly from the source:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32939601278.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.49192e0e0fw4vZ

I'm considering switching mine from the 'pressure' fed water-trap to 'vacuum' drawn with one of these. My current setup works well to control dust, so long as there aren't any leaks in the cabinet. But over time it leaked more and more. I just completely resealed it so I'll have to see how it works now.

 

[bpimm]

That's one advantage of the vacuum system, if it leaks it leaks in still not letting the dust out.
Another mod I have that I forgot to mention is another air line going into the cabinet for a dedicated blow gun so you can blow the dust off of parts and ledges before you open the door.

Wow that is cheap, I've never used the cyclone separator, I have built a couple separators using a thein baffle for my wood working dust collection system. Those cyclones are so cheap I may just order one instead of building my own.

 

[bpimm]

Here is the auto drain I used.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Here is the auto drain I used.

Thanks for the link, I'll look into these.

Back when I was living on the beach I did quite a bit of research on how to remove the water from a compressed air system. Lots of theories, approaches, and confusion frankly. What I came up with back then may not be the best approach however. After going through my blast cabinet the other day, I'm now considering a redo of my air supply as well. So I've been doing a bit more research on related subjects again.

A couple of points that seem to make the most sense to me:

Cooling the air temp is a huge step in removing water. And doing that in between the compressor head and the air holding tank will offer the largest water removal. So I might rearrange my air lines to place my "pipe cooler" there instead of after the tank.

A air pressure differential, from high pressure to low pressure, also removes a lot of water. So locating the pressure regulator before any water traps will help them to work more efficiently. Therefore I may relocate the regulator as well.

The large air holding tank creates a great expansion of the air as it enters the tank. This allows moisture to drop out of the air, which is why the tanks seem to collect so much water. So adding the automatic drain valve (like you have) to the tank will constantly remove that water. To be honest I do not drain my tank very often, so this automatic device is a great idea for me.

The "Franziner" does the same thing as a couple of the above descriptions. Therefore I really don't need one if I rearrange my components accordingly. I actually did not reconnect my Franziner when I setup my system here in Vegas because it had rusted from all the years at the beach.

And the desiccant bottle and filter unit should remain as the very last items in the chain.

Something else I discovered years ago is that "quick disconnect" air line couplers create a large drop in air flow (CFM). So I replaced mine with some high flow models and eliminated any that weren't absolutely necessary.