Shop Tips

[BigBry]

Give me a tip!!! We are creating a show with little shop tips and I thought it would be fun if we encoporated some of your tips as well. If we like your tip we'll throw it in the show.

We'll of course will take all the credit for it, but I'll let you know if we use yours before hand.

It could be about anything from engine work, to welding, to drilling, anything in the shop...

here are a few welding tips

Be familiar with your welding equipment.
Always wear protective equipment.
Always wear a welding helmet with visor.
Always wear safety glasses.
Always wear welding gloves.
Keep your workspace clear and free of chemicals, paints and other flammable materials.
Weld in a dry area such as a garage or workshop which provides ventilation.
Use a welding table to weld small parts.

[danny]

don't wear rings and watches where you could short out(coils and alternaters) electrical devices by accident. also if wearing long sleeve shirts make sure the cuffs are secure. never try to torque or tighten a fastener with greasy hands-busted knuckles are not fun.

[carsandcycles]

If you are drilling in a drill press or a hand drill and the drill you are using is flexing enough to wander around your work, rechuck your drill so that only an inch or less is exposed from the end of the chuck. This will, in effect, stiffen the drill shaft and reduce or eliminate wander.

If you are drilling metal with a radius and it does not lend itself to center punching, you can regrind the drill bit, making a point in the center of the tip that will grip the work until the cutter can take a bite. (I use this method to drill holes in oil filters so I can drain the oil that is trapped inside, for recycling)

If you are installing an older style mechanical fuel pump and the actuator rod has dropped and will not remain in the shaft while you are trying to install the new pump, coat the rod with grease, the extra surface tension will hold the rod up while you are wrestling the pump into position. The grease will be absorbed, in due course, by the crankcase oil circulating when the engine is back in running condition.

When pouring most any liquid, from a container, if the spout is off to one side, pour with the spout at the highest level of pour. This will reduce or eliminate the glud, glud spitting of liquid because of air bubbles.

About drilling since carsandcylces brought up the subject.

One thing I see almost all people do when they chuck up a drill (bit) is not properly tightened it. Use all holes (3 in most chucks, 4 in larger ones) to tighten. Each hole tightens one jaw of the chuck. This will prevent the drills from spinning. If they do spin or have spun, grind them down smooth again carefully.

When drilling stainless steel run the machine slow and use lubricant. I like to take a piece of plywood and put against the back of the SS or clamp it on the drillpress table. The plywood will draw the heat from the SS and make it the drill (bit) last longer.

The important thing in drilling is a long chip. So slow speed and steady pressure. When you push on a hand drilling machine always push directly from the back. This gives maximum pressure and helps keep the drill straight.

Oh, one more important thing, ALWAYS clamp the piece down and make sure if something happens that it spins away from you. Not into your stomach or hand. Resting it against the drillpress post works nicely.

Hope this helps.
Jeff
20 years as a driller on nuclear subs and 12 years as the nuclear instructor.

[k98k]

i have lots of tips, i just don't remember them right now, Doh
ok, heres one. i have 2 floor jacks that i use to jack one side evenly at a time. in other words, if i need the left front up, i jack the whole left side evenly. its to keep from twisting the body/frame. i do this on my hot rod, not normaly on my everyday beater. not much of a tip, but there it is

[BigBry]

These are great. You have the idea. How about some more engine building ones.

[k98k]

i had to change a broken valve spring one time with no air. so i got an old spark plug wire, cleaned it and cut one end off. then cranked the piston down and fished the wire in the plug hole. then hand crank the piston up = holds the valve up very nicely.

[BigBry]

Come on guys, show me your tips!!! That's with a 'p'!!


I would love to give you guys the opportunity to help with the show so give me some more tips. I'm just looking for quickies. 15-30 second quick tips. Could be about absolutely anything. We want this show to cook with as much useful info as we can.

Thanks in advance.

[carsandcycles]

-When changing or inspecting spark plugs, a couple of things to keep in mind. Allow the engine to cool before removing spark plugs (especially alluminum heads). Before removing the spark plug, blow any dirt away from the spark plug recess (an air compressor works great but you can also use a plastic tube or rubber hose and just blow). Index your plugs so the gap is exposed to the incoming charge (shims may be required but sometimes, just by trial and error you can get a good line up by trying different plugs at the different locations). And finally, use a little antiseize compound on the spark plug thread to make your next change that much easier. Also making removal easier the next time; apply some silicone dielectric grease to the inside of the spark plug boot (and it also helps make a water tight seal)

-When changing your oil, and to reduce the time your engine is running with no oil pressure, fill your oil filter with as much oil as you can without having it spill (of course this is only possible when your oil filter mounting is in a hanging position) and don't forget to rub a little oil on the oil filter gasket before installantion (it keeps the gasket from sticking on your next oil change and also makes removal easier by reducing the force needed for it to be removed). Don't overtighten!

Pretty basic stuff but it may be helpful to some of the new guys.

When jacking up any vehicle always use jack stands. I have seen many of my friends jack up their vehicles without stands and I've seen the vehicle fall of the jack. Which can hurt you and the vehicle. Don't be stupid, use the stands, that's what they're for.

Originally posted by carsandcycles
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-When changing your oil, and to reduce the time your engine is running with no oil pressure, fill your oil filter with as much oil as you can without having it spill (of course this is only possible when your oil filter mounting is in a hanging position) and don't forget to rub a little oil on the oil filter gasket before installantion (it keeps the gasket from sticking on your next oil change and also makes removal easier by reducing the force needed for it to be removed). Don't overtighten!

Pretty basic stuff but it may be helpful to some of the new guys.

always make sure that you remove the old gasket, if it by chance sticks to the engine a mess is sure to follow.

always remove and install head bolts in the manufacturers order and to the exact torque.

when using torches or welding equipment make sure there is no flamable liqued in the area, may sound simple but you would be surprised at the people that ignore this.

[danny]

you can use a piece of rubber hose to start your spark plugs, that way you cannot cross thread them as they will not have enough force applied to them to cause cross threading.