Building your own tools

Discussions of tools wether you bought them or made them yourself. Anything from screwdrivers to custom chucks and drilling rigs.
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KurtHuhn
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Building your own tools

Post by KurtHuhn »

You know, once you start making your own tools, it becomes almost as addictive as buying them - perhaps moreso.

I'm building a KMG clone, as I posted here before, and I decided to go with a DC motor. Somewhere along the line I decided to get *two* motors, and add an analog speed control to the pile. No idea what it will be used for, but I got a good deal and I figure I can use them somewhere - maybe for a VS buffing station, or a spindle sander, or if I get the shell of an old milling machine, or... jeez, who knows. That dedicated buffing station sounds like a capital idea.
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hazmat
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Post by hazmat »

I always get an idea in my head to make a machine or two for my shop, but I have no experience in doing so. I end up getting stopped before I even get started for fear of totally borking something completely. In that case, what's a guy to do? Just forge ahead and see what happens? I'm not terribly mechanically inclined. I'm surprised I managed to learn how to grind spade bits and use my little lathe to turn out stems.
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JHowell
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Post by JHowell »

Yes, just forge ahead and see what happens. Unless you're the kind of guy who plans everything out down to the last detail and then follows through (I'm not), if you don't get started you'll never get done. What happens with me is that I usually whack something together just to see if the concept works with the intention of making something better later if it does. Of course, if it does work I don't have time to make another one so I stick with it until if falls apart, which sometimes is never.
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Post by KurtHuhn »

Hell, man, I have no idea what I'm doing half the time, I just go and do it! That's most of the excitement in doing something new - when it all turns out okay, despite the frustrations and irritations along the way, it's a major rush. And if you can use what you just made to make or do something else? Well, there's no comparison to that anywhere.

Start small, and build your way up. I learned long ago that trying to jump in and make the biggest, bestest, most incredible doesn't work. Before you make a grinder, make a french wheel or a bulldog ring cutter. Before forging out a big blade, assemble a kit knife. Turn a pen before trying to turn a platter. Etc.
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Post by JHowell »

Bulldog ring cutter?
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Post by Charl »

Would love to see that! :)
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KurtHuhn
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Post by KurtHuhn »

JHowell wrote:Bulldog ring cutter?
I made a funky little tool for cutting the rings on a bulldog. I've been plagued by barked knuckles trying to get a skew chisel in to cut rings on bent bulldogs and rhodesians, and I finally had enough. It's designed to go at the bowl from the top, and avoid the shank entirely. I'll try to take a picture some time this weekend if I can find a spare moment.
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Post by hazmat »

All I want to make right now is a nice lil' sanding/buffing station.

Kurt, you listed all the parts and pieces and I wrote them down and still have it tacked to the wall in my shop. I just need to do as you're all suggesting and forge ahead. When I think about it in my noodle, putting the thing together wouldn't be all that difficult. It's when I sit down and start thinking about doing it that I get the sweats :oops: I'd hate to invest the money in it only to screw it up, but I guess that's part of the process, no?

If I could talk myself into cannibalising my little benchtop drill press, I'd be most of the way there already. I just can't seem to part with it despite the fact it doesn't drill straight and is nothing more than a trumped up buffing station. Once again, afraid to move forward. I gotta work on that!
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Post by JHowell »

KurtHuhn wrote:
JHowell wrote:Bulldog ring cutter?
I made a funky little tool for cutting the rings on a bulldog. I've been plagued by barked knuckles trying to get a skew chisel in to cut rings on bent bulldogs and rhodesians, and I finally had enough. It's designed to go at the bowl from the top, and avoid the shank entirely. I'll try to take a picture some time this weekend if I can find a spare moment.
Ahh, right. I did that, too. Mentioned in the same sentence as a buffer, "ring cutter" had me thinking contraption rather than tool. A little L-shaped cutter.
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Post by KurtHuhn »

hazmat wrote:All I want to make right now is a nice lil' sanding/buffing station.

Kurt, you listed all the parts and pieces and I wrote them down and still have it tacked to the wall in my shop. I just need to do as you're all suggesting and forge ahead. When I think about it in my noodle, putting the thing together wouldn't be all that difficult. It's when I sit down and start thinking about doing it that I get the sweats :oops: I'd hate to invest the money in it only to screw it up, but I guess that's part of the process, no?
Oh yeah, you betcha. I hate screwing stuff up as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's part of the learning process. You have no idea how many knife blanks I screwed up trying to get a handle on brine quenching. Or how much wood I've screwed up learning how to build furniture. Or how much wood I've screwed up learning how to do a particular kind of pipe. Most times, though, if you're careful, you can salvage your efforts and make lemonade - if you know what I mean.

But, the goal really is to be careful and not screw up, so you don't have to try and salvage things. :-)
If I could talk myself into cannibalising my little benchtop drill press, I'd be most of the way there already. I just can't seem to part with it despite the fact it doesn't drill straight and is nothing more than a trumped up buffing station. Once again, afraid to move forward. I gotta work on that!
I try not to do things like that. A lot of times even cheap drill presses can be fixed - but if it truly is broken, you just need to be sure that the pulleys and such will fit whatever shafts you have available. Watch out for the pesky metric->English conversion! 12mm != 1/2" :)
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Post by hazmat »

Thanks for the advice, Kurt. Appreciated. It's funny, I don't mind screwing up making pipes and stems. Like you said, there's ways to save things. For some reason, my brain doesn't work the same when it comes to machines. I think when I consider moving parts, my eyes glaze over and I start to drool a little bit. :shock:

As for the drill press, that's exactly my issue. I don't want to convert it to something else because as soon as I do, I might need it! I'm sure it can be fixed, I just wonder if it's worth it at this point. I've had the thing for 7 years and I haven't drilled a stummel on it in at least 2.5. I have a Smithy mill/lathe at my disposal and it works much better for that operation than my little Craftsman ever has. It literally is a buffing station and nothing else. Hence the thoughts of tearing it apart and using the parts to make something useful. I'm sure I could find a proper shaft for the step gears. I wouldn't even have to render the thing useless just to measure up the diameter to be sure. Currently, my mini lathe motor doubles as my shaping motor and it's a real PITA moving it from one duty to the other, especially while I'm in the heat of creativity.

One thing I know for sure, I need a buffing/sanding station that's ready to go when I want to use it rather than one I have to goof with for 20 minutes before I can start working on it. It's the one process in my shop that isn't ready to go at a moment's notice.
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Post by KurtHuhn »

hazmat wrote:One thing I know for sure, I need a buffing/sanding station that's ready to go when I want to use it rather than one I have to goof with for 20 minutes before I can start working on it. It's the one process in my shop that isn't ready to go at a moment's notice.
Yeah, that's a real PITA. It's also most of the reason why I took the plunge to make one. I hate fiddling with tools when I just need them to work right the first time.
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

hazmat wrote:All I want to make right now is a nice lil' sanding/buffing station.

Kurt, you listed all the parts and pieces and I wrote them down and still have it tacked to the wall in my shop. I just need to do as you're all suggesting and forge ahead. When I think about it in my noodle, putting the thing together wouldn't be all that difficult. It's when I sit down and start thinking about doing it that I get the sweats :oops: I'd hate to invest the money in it only to screw it up, but I guess that's part of the process, no?
Matt, as Kurt & Jack have already said, make a start on the project. If you get stuck, or get to a point where you think the next step you might cock up big time, hop on the forum and ask questions. There's a good chance you'll get a couple or more useful suggestions. I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason why Kurt created this section - to get pipe tooling ideas flowing.
Regards,
Frank.
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