Post Your Favorite Easy Shop Tips!

[55 Rescue Dog]

I'll throw this one out I just freshened up. Easy to make bench vise soft jaws. Just take some scrap 1 inch aluminum angle, by 1/16 thick, cut to length, formed to top of vise, then just duct tape it. Works so much better for gripping almost anything without damage, than the steel jaws, and if you need the steel jaws, just flip them back, or peel them off if you need to heat/bend something. They last for years, and cost almost nothing!IMG_0835.JPGIMG_0836.JPGIMG_0834.JPG

[55 Rescue Dog]

Another vise tip. When bolting down your vise, make sure the fixed jaw is in front of the edge of the bench so you can clamp something long. I've seen it done wrong many times. IMG_0837.JPG

[Rick_L]

Duct tape on the aluminum jaws just gets in the way when you want to use the originals, and the adhesive makes a mess.

[55 Rescue Dog]

Duct tape on the aluminum jaws just gets in the way when you want to use the originals, and the adhesive makes a mess.

Thanks for that useful tip.

[chevynut]

What else do you expect, RD?

If you're making something out of aluminum and need to sand it, get some beeswax and put it on your sanding or cutting discs. I use bowstring wax in a small tube that costs about $3 and goes a long ways. I just hit the tube with the rotating disc. WD40 works but it's messier and the beeswax lasts longer. You'll be amazed at how much better the cutting action is.

[MP&C]

This one is borrowed from Laszlo,





This helps to keep the door flush, just don't push hard on the sanding block. Let the paper do the work.. If it needs additional stability, grab the rear door and b pillar in one hand, sand with the other..

[55 Rescue Dog]

Whenever you need to disconnect a brake line it usually makes a mess, empties out the lines and the master cylinder which makes bleeding more difficult.
Simply use a prop rod to depress the brake pedal part way, which blocks off the outlet ports inside the cylinder. Then all the fluid is stays in the reservoir and lines down stream. Like filling up a drinking straw with water, and it stays in the straw when you block one end with your finger. IMG_0843.JPG

[55 Rescue Dog]

If you need to mark round tubing, a stainless hose clamp works great. You can make pie-cut marks to alter the radius, or a single cut to change directions, and it helps keep the tubing cut round.
IMG_0849.JPG

[Troy]

If you need to mark round tubing, a stainless hose clamp works great. You can make pie-cut marks to alter the radius, or a single cut to change directions, and it helps keep the tubing cut round.
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You can also use hose clamps with holes punched through the band to clamp tube joints together then tack the tubes together through the punched holes.

[55 Rescue Dog]

While my wife was gone for the afternoon, I thought I would try her Roomba robot vacuum out in the garage I had just swept. I couldn't believe how much it sucked up I couldn't see. Mostly dog hair. Even goes under the car that's hard to clean. Emptied out a full bin 4 times on one charge. I just need to wipe it down, and get it back in the house before she gets home. IMG_0850.JPG

[Rick_L]

I should have offered an alternative to the duct tape on the vise jaws.

If you're going to bend up some jaw protectors, add a tab that can be bent down to hold them in place. If you're clever enough and the vise shape allows it, make the tab make a snap fit, not requiring it to be bent each time.

There are also some reasonably priced jaw protectors out there that fit and close down on a hex shape, great for AN hose fittings.

[markm]

Rick Speedway has magnetic backed alum jaws very reasonable price.

[Rick_L]

Good call, are they the ones that can correctly hold the hex shapes too?

[Custer55]

You could also use the thin business card size refrigeratormagnets glued to the home made jaw protectors. They are easy to cut to size with a scissors.
Brian

[Belair-o]

You could also use the thin business card size refrigeratormagnets glued to the home made jaw protectors. They are easy to cut to size with a scissors.
Brian

Brian, Great idea - I had picked up a 1/8" aluminum angle piece from Home Depot, and was about to drill holes to epoxy super magnets into to hold the pieces on the vice, but you saved me from that unnecessary effort. Thanks!

55 Rescue Dog, thanks for the great idea of the jaw liners. I have previously imprinted the waffle pattern from my vice jaw faces into pieces I clamped in the vice. I never stopped to think of a fix, just filed the pattern off. Thanks! Doug