By Dave Kellogg In many cases a tool is more pleasant to use if there is a shallow depression to help locate the user’s finger. Consider, for example, a rotary knob a couple of inches in diameter that the user spins, such as a radio tuning dial. Another example might be a lever the user [...]
By Chuck Dorcey I had considered replacing the tailstock clamp on my Jet BD-920 lathe (which requires a wrench to adjust) with a cam-operated mechanism, but before going that route, I asked myself, "Why isn't a quarter turn of the wrench enough to release the tailstock?" The answer is that when the clamp under the [...]
By Roger W. Thomas Oversized taps are available in the marketplace and the common size is +.005". They are typically used when sending a part to be heat-treated. Since you normally get shrinkage when heat treating, it is proper to use an oversized tap. What do you do if you have an odd tap size [...]
By Mark Jachniewicz I recently needed to drive some pipes into the ground to install Malibu pipe lights. I have a Harbor Freight electric, heavy-duty impact drill, but I couldn’t find an appropriate fitting to drive the pipe. Time to cannibalize – the job needed to get done! I started by cutting the head off [...]
By Daniel Burgoyne I was working on a small project this weekend using M3 flat head screws, pulled from spares of a European radio-controlled racing car with the intent of keeping costs to a minimum and completing the project before Monday. Unfortunately, I did not plan my project ahead and did not have a 90° [...]
By Keven Coates Do you have any plastic gauge faces that have become so hazed by sunlight or so scratched up they are unreadable? Ten minutes and some auto parts store rubbing compound may be all that's needed to make your gauge functional again. In my case, I had a portable air tank used to [...]
