View Single Post
  #12  
Old 12-15-2013, 10:16 PM
GregWeld's Avatar
GregWeld GregWeld is offline
Lateral-g Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Scottsdale, AriDzona
Posts: 20,642
Thanks: 504
Thanked 1,076 Times in 384 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dontlifttoshift View Post
Blue sharpies are faster and easier than Dykem for small layout work.


Great tip! I keep Dykem in the brush on and the rattle can version -- but love the sharpie idea!



I keep an assortment of various sized washers for layout work. If you want to drill holes in the corners of a square plate 1/2" in from all edges a washer with a 1" outside diameter will put the center of the washer at the center of the hole. Way easier than measuring.



^^^^^This! And something else I've learned to use in the opposite fashion -- I use my transfer punches to scribe stuff -- a half inch transfer punch will scribe a line 1/4" from the piece you're tracing etc.



I use the washers for layout of lightening holes as well, usually on the aforementioned chipboard.

Automatic center punch.....get one.



Way more accurate!!!


And if you want to transfer a hole from a piece your trying to mount -- USE A TRANSFER PUNCH -- and your holes will come out perfectly so you can mount the piece!!


Kwik Scribes are worth their weight in gold. https://socalsac.com/tools/kwik-scribes

In General, Minimum bend radius = material thickness = material used to make the bend. A 90* bend in 16 ga (.063") will "use up" a 1/16 so cut your blank 1/16 big.

Measure twice, cut once. Never "burn" an inch when using your tape measure, it always ends badly. Also make sure the hook on the end of your tape is straight and square.



I burn the tape for accuracy -- and it's cost me lots of lost time because the piece I'm working on ends up 1" short. So much for being accurate! I hate that!! LOL




A 6" piece 3/8" rubber fuel line slipped over the porcelain on your spark plugs makes installation and removal easier around headers when you can't get your fat fingers in there.



I've always used a straight plug boot -- and a bit of plug wire…. same effect and a HUGE time saver!!!




Always torque your wheels immediately after installation.....always.



If we're at the track -- we might torque them two or three times in a day!




You can use the open end of a wrench as a caliper to measure round stuff. Not sure if that bolt is 1/2" or 7/16" grab a wrench and find out.



How easy is that!!! Never thought of it!


I'll add a "plumbing" tip -- a half inch "pipe" measures 3/4" outside diameter -- so a 1/4" pipe measures 1/2". If you measure the PIPE -- subtract 1/4" from the OUTSIDE DIAMETER and that's your pipe size.





When making brackets for various items, always radius the outside corners and then deburr them. Sharp corners under the dash can cut wires, hands, and foreheads.

Take care of your hands. This is right up there with safety glasses and ear plugs. If your hands are dried and cracked they don't work as good and little scrapes and cuts that aren't usually a big deal last forever when you work with your hands all the time. Your wife/girlfriend/sister/ mom has at least 10 different kinds of lotion, steal some and use it......on your hands. I wear gloves whenever I am working with metal.



SUPER GLUE -- best thing in the world for small splits in your fingers -- or cuts in the shop!! IT was originally made for suture-less emergency wound closures! It won't hurt you a bit and dries instantly - stops the bleeding instantly -- and those little splits? They heal from the inside - and the super glue kills bacteria (which is why they hurt so bad!) and you'll have zero pain in 3 seconds!

My hands are ALWAYS a mess….I can't seem to keep them together.





Good thread, Greg. Should be all kinds of neat ideas come out of it.

THANKS!! I hope so!! There's so many sweet little tricks that really make a job faster of better…

I remember when a guy showed me to measure the center to center of two holes…. I always tried to hold the tape on the centers - it never worked out. Then he showed me to measure from the edge of one to the same edge of the other -- BINGO! So simple… but who knew??
Reply With Quote