Essential “homemade” tools

[KaneH]

Morning all,

First tig project with the stealth almost complete so I’m looking for something else to move onto. Thought it might be an idea to have a crack at making up some tools / equipment to simplify jobs going forward while also getting a bit of torch time under my belt.

So the question is - what homemade tools / equipment would you say are essential to a hobbyists workshop? If you’re able to put a link to a recommended build thread or plans next to the suggestions then that would be great as it could make a decent reference for folks going forward.

Thanks in advance

Sheet metal folder
- https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/box-and-pan-folder-plans.55775/

Shrinker / stretcher

Hydraulic press (10T...)

...

 

[Munkul]

Sounds simple, but... scrapers. A few of them And the best material for scrapers ever, is old power hacksaw blades... the ones that are around 25-30mm wide... cut in half, grind the teeth flush, wrap some duct tape around one end, and sharpen the other end.

If you have a shop bought one and a homemade one next to each other, you'll reach for the homemade one every time, they're sharper, bendier, hold an edge, and generally just better. And you don't feel bad about grinding them to bits to fit whatever nook/cranny you're trying to clean up.

erm... onto things that are a bit more of a "project".... a good work bench, if you don't have one...

 

[KaneH]

Great tip, thanks Munkul!

I put together and fair sized bench when moving into the house in August there - scaffold Plank top, timber base etc. ~2300x1000mm in size so should see me through most things. Plan is to add a steel top to 1/3 or 1/2 for the welding side of things. Likely to be built up off of the timber to avoid scorching.

 

[Ashley Burton]

I made a puller for when I need one!

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/homemade-puller.88734/

 

[voipio]

An equipment case priser-aparter, made from a decent sized hacksaw blade. Used many, many times!!

A press stud fastener tool made from a pair of molegrips and tig-welded-on cup and closer, looking suspiciously like this one:

https://www.ironwoodpacific.com/res...er-open-med.jpg?bw=1000&w=1000&bh=1000&h=1000

Very useful for fitting said fasteners to boat awnings in situ.

 

[Arc Tourist]

A light weight portable vice stand is a very handy thing to have. I built one decades ago by using a steel car tire rim as a base with a piece of 3 inch pipe welded to it bringing it up to bench height, then added a flat piece of steel plate top to mount a medium size bench vice. Don't have a photo as I left it over seas, but I'm sure there are videos on you-tube showing how to build one.

 

[AndersK]

Something to make weld projects easier is a weld table, insert clamps and an adjustable shop stool.
Torch holder, saves some broken cups...

All these can be made simplified, but that's not me working for myself

 

[KaneH]

A light weight portable vice stand is a very handy thing to have.

Trouble is I don’t have a vice.. don’t worry it’s on the list! Does sound useful to avoid taking up too much bench space. Think something similar for the bench grinder would also be handy - bloody thing is always getting in the way!

Something to make weld projects easier is a weld table, insert clamps and an adjustable shop stool.
Torch holder, saves some broken cups...

A proper table is on my list but it’ll have to wait for a while. That chair does look the ticket though! I’ve been perching on an old beer keg with a sheet of mdf atop up until now which works but your **** certainly goes numb after a while

 

[MysterG]

That chair does look the ticket though! I’ve been perching on an old beer keg with a sheet of mdf atop up until now which works but your **** certainly goes numb after a while

I bought a chrome tube bar stool with a padded top from a charity shop for a fiver. Just the right height for me to sit and work at my bench.

 

[Parm]

It all really depends what you do, what your into, what your hobbies are?

I’ve made all sorts of homemade tools. Some are for that special one off job others are things that get used time and time again

The last custom tool I made was a 500mm long spade drill. Just a regular 25mm spade bit brazed into a hole in some 10mm diameter bar

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Hydraulic press (10T...)

If I can make one, anyone can

 

[Turbo]

I was sorting out bits of steel earlier tonight to make a stand for filling & holding a gravity fed spray gun. You can buy cheap ones but they look flimsy, decent ones are not cheap!

 

[Munkul]

I feel like you can't do very much in a workshop without a vice. I highly recommend getting a 5-6" vice ASAP.

 

[KaneH]

It all really depends what you do, what your into, what your hobbies are

Mostly automotive stuff for now and likely some furniture making in the near future also. So really just light fabrication, sheet metal work etc.

If I can make one, anyone can

Looks good slim. Did you find plans for that one online or make it up yourself?

 

[Morrisman]

Great tip, thanks Munkul!

I put together a fair sized bench when moving into the house in August there - scaffold Plank top, timber base etc. ~2300x1000mm in size so should see me through most things. Plan is to add a steel top to 1/3 or 1/2 for the welding side of things. Likely to be built up off of the timber to avoid scorching.

When I built my last workshop I planned to put a long bench down two sides, but a workmate pointed out that you only ever use about a metre of it, the rest just collects ‘stuff’ and becomes storage.

I scoffed, but he was right. My current bench is 3 metres long, only a metre is clear......

 

[Dcal]

When I built my last workshop I planned to put a long bench down two sides, but a workmate pointed out that you only ever use about a metre of it, the rest just collects ‘stuff’ and becomes storage.

I scoffed, but he was right. My current bench is 3 metres long, only a metre is clear......

View attachment 201174

That is so true.
I struggle and always fail to keep any horizontal surface, let alone one at a nice handy height, clear for 5 seconds.

 

[Morrisman]

Trouble is I don’t have a vice.. don’t worry it’s on the list! Does sound useful to avoid taking up too much bench space. Think something similar for the bench grinder would also be handy - bloody thing is always getting in the way!

I made a couple of brackets so I could mount my bench grinders in my vice, to save cluttering up the bench, but soon after I made a dedicated shelf for the grinders. More of a design exercise than a real need, but it was interesting and passed a day.

 

[AndersK]

If you do panel beating a bunch of different stakes and formers are usueful, as well as a beater bag stand

 

[Munkul]

you only ever use about a metre of it, the rest just collects ‘stuff’ and becomes storage.

That's only if you're a slob It doesn't matter how big a bench you have, you can always let it fill with stuff or keep it as clean as you like. A 1m bench is pretty tiny, a 2m bench with vice at one end is pretty darn useful. Over 2m... depends how many "ongoing" jobs you need, I suppose.

 

[arther dailey]

its official then Ime a slob...