Tools making tools...

Edke6bnl

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Don't laugh now. I've been known to use my log splitter as a brake and a tire bead breaker.
my boy gave me a 8500 lb pallet jack that the legs got spread apart from miss use I put it in my log splitter with a chain a pulled them right in line.
 

Edke6bnl

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this was a quicky to cut up some long thinner logs to get ready for the splitter. the upper arm support stays on top of the unit till you bump it with the log and it falls down and captures the log for cutting20210313_123347.jpg20210313_125611.jpg
 

PILOON

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Hobart 200 stick
my boy gave me a pallet jack that his company through away for osha because it had the forks spread apart, I put it in my log splitter with a chain and straighten it out.

LOL, log splitters with the wedge remouved make great hydraulic presses!
 

bplayer405

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I'm sure this has been done before, but when you have a shallow socket and need a real deep one... this one works great on the deep oil sending units...20210605_133217.jpg20210605_140837.jpg20210605_144837.jpg
 

California

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Wow. You guys are getting some real use out of your welders. I see some beautiful work in this thread.

My recent welding project to modify a tool, was on a farm implement to make it simpler to hook up.

With emphasis on functional rather than elegant.

 

CA_Bgrwldr

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Grass Valley, CA
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Hobarts
A couple of new creations.

After being quoted $20/tire to have tires dismounted for my trailer project, and needing at least 8-12 done in total, I decided I could likely build my own bead breaker/tire remover. In the past I used a bottle jack under a drop hitch, which works fine when in the field or for one or two, but I wanted something easier.
TM 1.jpgTM2.jpgTM3.jpg
The original bead breaker was flat, but wouldn't bite into the old trailer tires, so I welded some teeth on it, of course the teeth are no good for tires I am reusing, which is why there is a cap made out of electrical conduit taped on it.

TM4.jpg
The bead remover needs some work, the spoons I have are short, and trend to want to flt back at you when under tension. They work well with cheater tubes on them, but plan to buy a good bead remover tool, and design a hub that allows me to walk it around removing the bead over the rim edge.

Also made this,
Wedetr handle 1.png
While not a tool, it makes using a tool much more comfortable,
Wedetr handle 2.jpg
Now no more stooping due to weed eaters being made for average height or shorter people
 

Gary Fowler

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A couple of new creations.

After being quoted $20/tire to have tires dismounted for my trailer project, and needing at least 8-12 done in total, I decided I could likely build my own bead breaker/tire remover. In the past I used a bottle jack under a drop hitch, which works fine when in the field or for one or two, but I wanted something easier.
View attachment 1627View attachment 1628View attachment 1629
The original bead breaker was flat, but wouldn't bite into the old trailer tires, so I welded some teeth on it, of course the teeth are no good for tires I am reusing, which is why there is a cap made out of electrical conduit taped on it.

View attachment 1630
The bead remover needs some work, the spoons I have are short, and trend to want to flt back at you when under tension. They work well with cheater tubes on them, but plan to buy a good bead remover tool, and design a hub that allows me to walk it around removing the bead over the rim edge.

Also made this,
View attachment 1631
While not a tool, it makes using a tool much more comfortable,
View attachment 1632
Now no more stooping due to weed eaters being made for average height or shorter people
I like the hand extension idea and have never thought of doing that, BUT I may do that now. I dont do a lot of weedeating now (I prefer to hire some teenagers to do that) but I do have the same problem with having to stoop so I do see a project in the future.
As for tire bead breaker, it looks great but, I cant recall the last time I had a flat tire that I had to change myself. $10 is easier to part with to have someone else do it rather than the sweat and energy that I would need to do it (plus buying all the tools).
 

bplayer405

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My scrap take on a board bender. They're used to tweak straight warped boards when building a deck. I had a bought one years ago, but it was stolen. We're building a dock for a customer at work and the decking is 2×6 material. This will come in handy and was a good project to try out my "new to me" Miller T94 helmet which worked perfectly...20210829_183136.jpg20210829_185848.jpg20210829_190052.jpg20210829_193447.jpg20210829_195132.jpg20210829_195540.jpg
 

California

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Beautiful workmanship but how the heck do you use that thing?

We need one more photo - the tool in use!

We used Pony Clamps for that when I was a Carpenter 50(!) years ago.
 
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bplayer405

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Here's a pic of it in action. The two pegs lock onto the joist and as you rotate the arm towards that joist it draws the board its pushing against tight against the previously installed board. It got tested pretty good today.20210830_110205.jpg
 

Gary Fowler

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I like the hand extension idea and have never thought of doing that, BUT I may do that now. I dont do a lot of weedeating now (I prefer to hire some teenagers to do that) but I do have the same problem with having to stoop so I do see a project in the future.
As for tire bead breaker, it looks great but, I cant recall the last time I had a flat tire that I had to change myself. $10 is easier to part with to have someone else do it rather than the sweat and energy that I would need to do it (plus buying all the tools).
I guess I need to update this. My front tire on my B26TLB started leaking at the rim and I found a lot of rust. I ordered 2 new tires since the tires are original (2009). I then took it to a local tire shop and they couldnt break the tire off the rim. Even after cutting thru the steel cords with a grinder, the tire refused to come off. I think it took 5 times to cut the steel cords before he could break it off the rim. I remember having to pull the B26 sideways out of my pond when it sank and it popped the bead, but I just aired it back up. That was about 4 years ago. After the tire finally was removed, the inside of the rim was corroded totally around with the worst at the bead seat. I took the rim home, brushed it down with an angle grinder, then used my needle gun to chip away at the hard rusted areas. It took me almost an hour to remove all the rust. I then mixed up some epoxy and painted the bead seat area on both sides. After that dried, I put a couple of coats of rusty metal primer (sanded between coats) and finally a top coat of orange color. I was really surprised that it came out pretty good . I was thinking that I might have to buy a rim.

I decided not to mess with the other tire since it was still holding air and wasnt worn too badly after comparing the tread depth to a new one. Now I have a spare tire for when the other tire goes bad. That little front tire were a booger to get on the rim also. I wouldnt have wanted to tackle it at home.
 

Gary Fowler

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Another tire problem was getting my new ATV tires seated. The came off and new ones went on very easily. My tire shop couldnt get them to take air (he didnt have a bead blaster tank). I took them home, got some starting fluid on the way home and tried that, no success, all it would do is burn after initial woosh. I removed the tires, put some wood blocks inside to stretch the side walls overnite and tried the starting fluid again. This time I got a good pop and it seated. Nothing I could do would seat the other one, so to the Firestone tire shop in Hot Springs I went. They tried a small tank bead blaster 5 times and it wouldnt seat. Then they got a bigger tank bead blaster and tried , still no luck. Then they tried doing it with both tanks, still no luck. Finally the shop manager made some suggestion and gave a helping hand and after 2 more tries, they got it seated. Best $10 I ever spent.
The other little tire shop charged me $20 to remove/ replace the 1 tractor tire and 2 ATV tires. So all told $30 but about 100 miles in driving back and forth tire shops to get it done.
I guess if I had a good air powered tire machine, I could have done all but that one ATV tire myself. No way could I have gotten that last ATV tire to seat by myself.
 

CA_Bgrwldr

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Another tire problem was getting my new ATV tires seated.".................."
If you come across this issue again, try using a ratchet strap around the center of the tire, it will force the tire sidewall out towards the rim. This is how we reseat a blown bead on a 4wd trail rig that won't seat under the low volume onboard air systems we use.
 

bplayer405

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Yep, use the ratchet strap on small tires all the time. It works. Had to use one on a zero turn mower just last week to re-seat. I have some golf cart tires I'll be swapping to atv tires pretty soon and I'm sure I'll be using strap on the narrow front tires at least.
 

Gary Fowler

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If you come across this issue again, try using a ratchet strap around the center of the tire, it will force the tire sidewall out towards the rim. This is how we reseat a blown bead on a 4wd trail rig that won't seat under the low volume onboard air systems we use.
Did that, one first then put two and sprayed with starting fluid. Didnt work. Even after stretching the sidewalls out overnite, nothing worked. The first one I tried after overnite stretching, spraying with a generous dosing of starting fluid with the air hose blowing it, got a good pop and seated right up.
#2 just didnt want to seat as mentioned about how much trouble the tire shop had even with using 2 bead blaster tanks at the same time. I sure hope I dont have a flat with that one and loose the seat.
 

Gary Fowler

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Yep, use the ratchet strap on small tires all the time. It works. Had to use one on a zero turn mower just last week to re-seat. I have some golf cart tires I'll be swapping to atv tires pretty soon and I'm sure I'll be using strap on the narrow front tires at least.
A strap works fine on my lawnmower tires and I use it all the time, in fact, no other way to make it seat. But this big ATV tire from my Kubota RTV900 just didnt want to seat.
 

bplayer405

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A strap works fine on my lawnmower tires and I use it all the time, in fact, no other way to make it seat. But this big ATV tire from my Kubota RTV900 just didnt want to seat.
Pain in the butt when they ship atv tires folded in on themselves. Had to deal with only one set so far and a strap did them, but they were only 25"...
 

Gary Fowler

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Pain in the butt when they ship atv tires folded in on themselves. Had to deal with only one set so far and a strap did them, but they were only 25"...
Actually they were shipped strapped on top of each other and looked pretty good but the side walls were just too soft to stand out like they should. My TLB tires were/are so stiff walled that they dont even flex when they have no air in them unless I fill the FEL with dirt or something. They are a booger to remove also but do seat up just fine with an 8" wide tire on a 8" wide rim.
 
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