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Don't Pick It, Dip It
I was putting a knurl on some knobs and got myself into a little
jam. Apparently the alum bar I picked up at the scrap yard was
in "O" condition. Yes, it does come in "O" condition. This is
not a problem if you put a little lube on the knurls. I put too
much pressure on the knurls (and no lube) and proceeded to fill
them with alum. This bar was so soft that I only had to use my
fingers to tighten the knurler. I didn't forget the lube the
second time. The lesson here is, tighten your knurling tool
slowly and put it on a slight angle to the part (2 or 3
degrees) seems to work better??? Before you can do anything,
the alum. had to come out of the knurls. I started with a pick
and gave that up quickly. A flashback came to me from when I
repaired Go-Kart engines (1960's). Whenever a piston would
seize, it would leave a deposit of alum. stuck to the liner. To
remove the alum. I simply swabbed the deposit with muriatic acid.
The alum disappears and you are left with a clean cylinder. So I
took my gummed up knurls and dipped them into straight muriatic
acid. In about 15 to 20 minutes the alum was gone and the
knurler was ready to go back to work. Be sure to neutralize the
tool and oil it up or you will get rust. This can all be
avoided by lubing the knurls in the first place, but just in case
you have to get rid of some built up alum. somewhere along the
line, here you go. Use safety precautions when handling any
acid, and never never add water to acid. ALWAYS acid to water.
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Give It Some Space
When press fitting parts together, make sure you give the air
you are compressing a place to exit. A little grinding and
problem solved. A hole through the top also works.
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RAVS (roll around vise stands)
Here is a nice improvement to the stand. If your stand is not
too top heavy, just tilt the stand back and roll it to the next
work area. The roller works better with a square base rather
than the round one I have on mine. This stand is actually
hauling a good size vise and would be used for different
applications than mine. If you decide to build one, make sure
it's got a weighted bottom.
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Stowing Measurement Tools
When your finished using a mike or caliper, open it up a bit
before you put it away. A change in temperature with the jaws
closed could damage them. I couldn't prove this, but a old tool
and die maker (remember them!!) passed this tip on to me and I
liked it.
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MATS (material and tool savers )
Generally these mats are used to stand on. I'm sure they work
for that purpose. I use mine for a different one. No matter how
careful I try to be, I always manage to drop a tool or part to
the floor. This usually ends up marking or damaging it.
Placing rubber mats in the "drop zone" will protect the items
somewhat. It's not foolproof, but it works for me. Also, if
your feet get tired you could always move the mat over and stand
on it.
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Adjustable Spacer
While widening the fenders on my '41 Hollywood, I had to hold
the flopping fender exactly 12-1/2" from the inner panel. I
won't go through the wood and duct tape I tried to use, but this
worked for me. The same old magnetic base I used for the welding
positioner works here. You could use any kind of magnet for this
tool. You could even use a magnet on both ends. As I think about
that, that's a tool that could really be helpful. I'll make one
for the next tips.
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