Home made tools

you're dead on........let me make one suggestion. get a smaller bolt.......I had to put a pretty big hole in the sq. tube because the head didn't offer much clearance once I attached the gauged metal. If I build more, I'd go for something in the #8 or #10 range, maybe even with a standard screw type head, that way the shim plate would have a nice little seat. And don't waist your money on buying gauged metal, if you know anyone or work somewhere with a steel banding machine.......the banding works great! Make sure you have a high speed drill when you drill it.

I don't mean to hijack, but here's how I made mine.

Would there be a problem if aluminum tubing was used for the but clamps?

My thinking is that the aluminum tubing would be easier to cut, especially the slit, on a table saw.

I would think aluminum would be OK. Don't know if it would give you trouble crushing it down the road?? [S

Neverdone said:

I would think aluminum would be OK. Don't know if it would give you trouble crushing it down the road?? [S

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I would not use aluminum, even the steel ones deflect and have to be re-aligned at times.

Dirtyrat said:

I would not use aluminum, even the steel ones deflect and have to be re-aligned at times.

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Never used a set, wouldn't know.

Mike S. said:

I don't mean to hijack, but here's how I made mine.

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MIKE!!!!!

I found this picture on the other site..........much thanks!!

I built mine from Mike S. I can't take credit for it.

IronFreak said:

MIKE!!!!!

I found this picture on the other site..........much thanks!!

I built mine from Mike S. I can't take credit for it.

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No problem, I am glad they worked for ya. They sure are handy little suckers!

I was gonna add...initially I couldn't get a decent straight line cut across the bottom of the tubing so I made a little table saw fixture for my cut-off wheel. It worked really well and sped the process up a lot.

holy crap........yeah, I straight lined and just hand cut it........most likely a lack of patience......

Sweet little jig ya made there!!! I am about to make some, but I am also impatient, so I think I am going to slit them with the band saw....

I did mine in 2' sections. Layed out the slot on one side, and drilled the holes on the other side. Then cut them into the separate pieces.

they're easy enough to slit with a 4" angle grinder using a 1mm thick stainless steel cutoff disc. Just mark it out with a pencil line and follow the line, golly you only gotta do a slit 1" long . [

Mike S. said:

No problem, I am glad they worked for ya. They sure are handy little suckers!

I was gonna add...initially I couldn't get a decent straight line cut across the bottom of the tubing so I made a little table saw fixture for my cut-off wheel. It worked really well and sped the process up a lot.

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Now we are talking - a home-made tool to make.......

home-made tools!!!!

Here's mine.........1" square tubing, allthread, washer & wingnut, 24 ga sheetmetal (side of a junk microwave) and an 8 penny nail.

2.3Turbo_T said:

Here's mine.........1" square tubing, allthread, washer & wingnut, 24 ga sheetmetal (side of a junk microwave) and an 8 penny nail.

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Love your signature man!

Looks like most of us have made their own butt weld clamps....

home-made tools are the best........even better when they actually work! My next venture is going to be a ring roller, then a modified HF bead roller.

My next will be a slip roll and a small break...

I didn't post to this one?!
Hum.

Well here's my contribution. I didn't make it, but I bought it from an old timers son. Apparently the old timer was pretty handy
$50

So you just move the belts around for different speed

Honestly took me a minute to figure out what it was. I was over thinking it