Author Topic: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked  (Read 20591 times)

Offline bonneyman

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2018, 10:44:58 PM »
Came across an old formula for making your own dry chemical fire extinguisher. All commonly available chemicals - will have to try it.

48 parts baking soda, 12 parts boric acid, 4 1/2 parts cream of tartar, and 1 1/2 parts borax.

Offline goodfellow

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2018, 12:04:52 PM »
Old laser printer cartridges are a goldmine for various springs, gears, bushings, washers, small precision bearings, and small dia. metal rod stock . I take them apart and throw the pieces in an old cigar box. It's saved my bacon on several occasions when looking for a spring or replacement gear.

The metal rods are easy to machine for making custom fasteners and small tools.










Offline bonneyman

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2018, 12:34:33 PM »
10-4 GF

Offline bonneyman

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #18 on: November 06, 2018, 11:28:29 PM »
Oriental barometer
Made something like this in grade school. Soaked pieces of heavy paper in cobalt chloride solution. Let the strips dry, then hang them from a wire in a glass jar with holes punched in the lid. When it's humid out, the strips turn pink. When it's dry, the color turns blue. Won't tell you % of relative humidity but it was a fun way for us kids to see science. never wears out, though CoCl is poisonous, so watch it around smaller kids.

Fire extinguisher "bombs". Found this in the Chemical Formulary book volume one. Take old burned out incandescent light bulbs, and remove the glass rod supporting the metal filament. Filled with carbon tetrachloride, and seal the ends with wax. Keep them around the workshop. If a fire breaks out, throw the bulbs at the base of the fire. The glass breaks, and the carbon tet smothers the fire. I have more modern ones filled with halon (same operating principle).

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.38035/page/n365
« Last Edit: November 07, 2018, 11:39:46 AM by bonneyman »

Offline Papaw

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #19 on: November 07, 2018, 01:09:04 PM »
I am enjoying all the hacks shown here ! I don't work on stuff much these days, but I remember a few that I did when I was working on motorcycles.

An old spark plug hollowed out with an air chuck brazed on was used with low air pressure to hold a valve closed to replace the valve spring.

A 9/16 box end wrench cut off to about 3-4 inches helped me get to the base nuts on an H D engine.

The magnet out of an old speaker tied to a string picked up metal dropped on the shop floor.

« Last Edit: November 07, 2018, 08:36:44 PM by Papaw »
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Offline bonneyman

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #20 on: November 07, 2018, 03:35:07 PM »
I am enjoying all the hacks shown here ! I don't work on stuff much these days, but I remember a few that I did when I was working on motorcycles.

An old spark plug hollowed out with an air chuck brazed on was used with low air pressure to hold a valve closed to replace the valve spring.

A 9/6 box end wrench cut off to about 3-4 inches helped me get to the base nuts on an H D engine.

The magnet out of an old speaker tied to a string picked up metal dropped on the shop floor.

Oh, now that's a trick!  :)

Offline Papaw

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #21 on: November 07, 2018, 08:42:04 PM »
I am enjoying all the hacks shown here ! I don't work on stuff much these days, but I remember a few that I did when I was working on motorcycles.

An old spark plug hollowed out with an air chuck brazed on was used with low air pressure to hold a valve closed to replace the valve spring.

A 9/6 box end wrench cut off to about 3-4 inches helped me get to the base nuts on an H D engine.

The magnet out of an old speaker tied to a string picked up metal dropped on the shop floor.

Oh, now that's a trick!  :)

The spark plug with air chuck saved one of our club members ! We were all ready to ride and his Triumph Triple broke a valve spring on an outside cylinder We were at my shop, so I put backup on the alternator nut, air on the cylinder to hold the valve closed. I had some valve springs from a Triumph 500 in the shop, so I replaced his broken spring "In Situ ", and we then went riding !
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Offline john k

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #22 on: November 07, 2018, 08:57:49 PM »
A no-power condition from dirt in the carburetor main metering jets, was not uncommon in older trucks and tractors.   You could remove and disassemble the carb, if you could make it home.   Or, reverse two park plug wires,  let the engine idle for a minute,  this made it backfire,  pressurizing the intake,  and blowing the dirt back into the carburetor bowl.  Would replug eventually, but you could make it on into town.  Taught to me by an old mechanic in the 60s. 

Offline bonneyman

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #23 on: November 07, 2018, 10:25:38 PM »
A no-power condition from dirt in the carburetor main metering jets, was not uncommon in older trucks and tractors.   You could remove and disassemble the carb, if you could make it home.   Or, reverse two park plug wires,  let the engine idle for a minute,  this made it backfire,  pressurizing the intake,  and blowing the dirt back into the carburetor bowl.  Would replug eventually, but you could make it on into town.  Taught to me by an old mechanic in the 60s.

I take it that won't work on EFI?  :))

Offline john k

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #24 on: November 08, 2018, 10:23:23 AM »
With EFI, sure, try it and let me know!   Hmm, with integral individual coils one would have to rig some spark plug wires!

Offline pep

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #25 on: November 11, 2018, 10:09:54 AM »
Not an old trick, but something I've discovered and developed. Could be useful to someone  that has a need using a digital caliper.

Turning or milling a larger piece of stock, to fit a smaller application.
Example:
Problem:
Hole .5 round bar .75

Solution:
Indicate the hole  .5
Zero the caliper
Indicate the round bar .25
Machine to zero 0.000

Perfect fit

Pep
1776 ................... what happened!

Offline Lookin4_67GalaxieConv

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #26 on: November 12, 2018, 12:29:08 AM »
Oooh, I love MacGyver tricks!

Here's some of mine.

Tired of caulk drying up in a half used tube? Fashion a tip "plug" out of a rubber wine cork. They're cheap, readily available, and work well. Or you can buy these caulk saver thingys. They're not bad.
https://www.amazon.com/Caulk-Saver-Color-Coded-Pack/dp/B002ZJJXO8

I've always used a threaded hook and duct tape.  Works well.
boop/bop/beep

Offline goodfellow

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #27 on: August 22, 2019, 12:42:14 PM »
Been a long time since this was added to, so here goes. When using a power tool to drive wood, deck, or sheetrock screws; keep a bar of soap in your toolbox and scrub the screw over the soap bar to deposit some soap shavings into the threads. The screw will drive much smoother, easier, and in most cases it won't split the wood (in case you haven't pre-drilled a hole)

Offline jabberwoki

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #28 on: August 22, 2019, 01:03:59 PM »
Got hard old rubber parts that need a refresh , just soak them in lacquer thinner . They come out soft and clean.
Is the need enough? Or does the want suffice?

Offline fatfillup

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Re: old timer's tricks, hacks and cobbles that worked
« Reply #29 on: August 22, 2019, 07:55:16 PM »
^^^^Good to know