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Re: Useful Tools.

Ian Dunford
An Imperial combination ratchet spanner set would be the world's greatest gift to mankind.


Prepare to be overwhelmed:
https://primetools.co.uk/product/king-dick-kgw2228-7-pce-whitworth-ratcheting-combination-spanner-set/
Expensive for a set of spanners but a very cost effective way to bring joy to mankind

Charles

Re: Useful Tools.

Ian
Have a look on the net for prime tools they do them and a good make
Bob

Location: Surrey

Re: Useful Tools.

Oooh I want those!

Perhaps we could each buy one spanner and share? ;-)

Location: North Herts

Re: Useful Tools.

After seeing Ed China on 'Wheeler Dealers' using ratchet spanners I searched the web for an imperial set and found that King Dick do them. I then went via one of their outlets, Yarmo Tools, and was absolutely gobsmacked to find them available at ridiculously low prices -1/4 BSF was 97p and the 5/16 was £2.20. Clearly a mistake but who am I to point it out. I staight away ordered a full set and waited for them to realise their mistake, but a set of beautifully shiny spanners arrived just in time for Christmas. I tried to share my good luck with other Sheffield Seveners and Dave W sent off for an similar batch. Sadly for him Yarmo had realised that a gooley had been dropped and sent his money back. Imperial ratchets are not now on Yarmo's list!

They are super spanners though!

Location: Sheffield

Re: Useful Tools.

Well.
My ghast is flabbered.
There's YET another thing I never knew.
I have already started saving up.
Many thanks to you all.

Location: Bristol

Re: Useful Tools.

I recently bought one of these:
https://www.stanleytools.co.uk/product/147567
It works very well and can be clamped firmly in place. Good when the bolt/nut is damaged.

Re: Useful Tools.

Well I never. I couldn't find one so modified the metric one, well done Charles.
Here's another item that I started to use only recently, interdental brushes for cleaning jets before putting them into service.


Interdental toothbrushes

Location: Deepest darkest Kent

Re: Useful Tools.

https://primetools.co.uk/product/king-dick-kgw2228-7-pce-whitworth-ratcheting-combination-spanner-set/


Brilliant - I have just ordered them !

Location: The Centre of the Universe

Re: Useful Tools.

A couple of odd items.

A home made tool to reduce the amount of brute force and ignorance required to install the front main bearings. I made it from a piece of 20mm studding with Austin's weird 5/8" x 16 TPI thread screwcut onto the end that goes into the crank nose.



A counterboring tool for cutting "big" inlet valve throats concentric to the valve guide axis -this block is getting Mini/Morris Minor inlet valves.



Location: N W Kent

Re: Useful Tools.



Pipe bender for making bodywork. If you do it slowly it doesn't crimp the tube. Good for making headlamp bracketry on specials, too.



Small metal hammer has a hardened 'pick' on one end to let you bash tiny components and gets into places normal hammers can't reach. The big wooden hammer is made from a section of staircase and has a great mass behind it but a fairy soft surface so is ideal for bashing sheet metal. Neither cost me any money to make.

Re: Useful Tools.

Having managed to destroy two hub pullers (sheared bolt, stripped thread) I welded a puller to the hub, broke the welds, welded again and finally removed the hub, I refashioned one of the pullers into this ugly but functional tool... With a cheap 3 legged puller it never fails me!

 photo 20161010_211549_zps8fdvat2v.jpg

 photo 20161010_211429_zpsezwr7ymp.jpg

Re: Useful Tools.

My daughter bought me a 1/4" drive metric socket set to make life easier when fixing her Beetle. The thing is I use it more on the Seven, the sockets are a single hexagon not bi hexagon and the 11 mm socket is a ideal for the dynamo bolts.

Re: Useful Tools.

Dave Mann
the sockets are a single hexagon not bi hexagon and the 11 mm socket is a ideal for the dynamo bolts.


I have exactly the same Dave - one of my favourites!

Re: Useful Tools.

Geoff Greineg writes:

Thought you would be interested in the attached photos. I’ve been venturing in to panel beating as you can see!
The ¼ rear panel is my biggest attempt so far (on old piece of used aluminium from a broken-up caravan). I’m quite pleased with the result.
It’s been a steep learning curve, looking at quite a few utube videos,buying a cheap set of panel beating tools together with a bossing mallet,
setting up a suitable tree trunk with a shallow hollow on top, and making myself an 18” dia. Sandbag (see pic.) from scrap leather off-cuts obtained from ebay.

I feel quite confident now that I could shape the full size cover at some time, so have bought a new sheet of aluminium for just this. I’ve learnt one
very important thing – many light taps with the hammers rather than few heavy bangs, and definitely wear ear defenders! I find it quite therapeutic, but of course it takes time to get the desired shape required. As the finished article is going to have wadding and then rexine, or whatever, over the surface, a super professional finish to the aluminium is not really needed. It will no doubt get dented as per my old YW 214 did! Makes me wonder, while I’m at it, if I should make a second complete spare boot lid for ‘Sundays’ !!

Maybe you could post the sandbag photo on ‘Useful Tools’ for me at some time.


 photo Image 60-3_zpscvmmndjk.jpg

Re: Useful Tools.

This shows just how easy it is to OX/A weld aluminum. I have used one of these for 30+ years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upE-sOIHjGo

Re: Useful Tools.

Charles P
Ian Dunford
An Imperial combination ratchet spanner set would be the world's greatest gift to mankind.


Prepare to be overwhelmed:
https://primetools.co.uk/product/king-dick-kgw2228-7-pce-whitworth-ratcheting-combination-spanner-set/
Expensive for a set of spanners but a very cost effective way to bring joy to mankind

Charles

After 45 years of conventional spanners I've bought a set of these whit ratchet combo's,WOW. I took the rear springs out of my sports shooting brake special to add a couple of leaves at the weekend,they made the job much easier,could even get on the 1/4" cotter nuts easily.Converted.

Re: Useful Tools.

I fit the block to the crankcase with pistons and rods dangling through the bottom.To stop the pistons popping out of the top I drilled and old piece of aluminium channel (Out of a double glazed window frame)for three of the centre head studs with a couple of bits of tube as thick as the head to tighten the nuts to.Alternatively you could use a piece of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 timber.

Re: Useful Tools.

Charles P
Ian Dunford
An Imperial combination ratchet spanner set would be the world's greatest gift to mankind.


Prepare to be overwhelmed:
https://primetools.co.uk/product/king-dick-kgw2228-7-pce-whitworth-ratcheting-combination-spanner-set/
Expensive for a set of spanners but a very cost effective way to bring joy to mankind

Charles


ok, so I started trying to sort my spanners. And now I'm looking at this thread...

The question is, if one, in a theoretical world, bought the supadupa spanner set, would one generally still need standard ring spanners because the ends of the ratchets will be too bulky in certain circumstances? Or will my standard Austin spanners suffice in those cases...

Or should I just buy a set of Whitworth ring spanners for 15 quid and wait ten years until I can possibly justify to myself buying the others...

Re: Useful Tools.

As I get older I find I like to take my time and savour the things I enjoy. I'm not sure what the benefit of these is other than finishing the job quicker?

Rather than buying a set, why not drop some serious hints to the family about getting one each for you (or clubbing together) to get something you actually want this Christmas?

Strangely enough my step son kindly bought me a metric set last year. They are one or two that occasionally seem to fit, but they are basically useless to me. Now I begin to wonder if it was due to me complaining about spending so much time fixing his Discovery.

Location: Essex

Re: Useful Tools.

I bought the full set a few weeks ago - sweaty brow moment placing the order and all that!

Jobs done to date that have been made much (much) easier:

1. Magneto engine front camshaft bush nut - the tricky one between the block and the dynamo housing (had to grind the outside edge a bit (more sweaty brow moments) works a treat!

2. Ruby rad cowl bolts - total dream installation using the ratchet spanners.

3. rear O/S engine mount nut on all 4-speed crankcases - oh joy!!

4. Bell housing nuts - 3 and 4 speed gearboxes - oh joy!

There will be more....

Re: Useful Tools.

Get one of these, ideal when stripping down where nuts are often of different sizes and always seem just too tight for your fingers to hold and only about £3.00

 photo spanner.jpg.

Location: Piddle Valley

Re: Useful Tools.

One big advantage to having a couple of Rosengarts, THEY ARE ALL METRIC 😄😄😄😅

Location: Oakley hants

Re: Useful Tools.

I have an old offset ring spanner which gets in to a lot of otherwise difficult places such as the long bolt holding the dynamo housing to the crankcase and updraught manifold nuts.
Like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Williams-Superrench-Forged-USA-Chrome-Alloy-3-8W-5-16W-No-W8729-/351897666585?hash=item51eebc4419:g:ESIAAOSwzaJX2VS3

Re: Useful Tools.

The nut on a 1938 / 9 Ruby and Big 7 rear axle bearing is 1 7/8" , I did not want to Drift the nut off but found the spanner size was the same as an early Harley Davison flywheel nut , I found a box spanner of that size from www.fecked.com

Re: Useful Tools.

A few years ago I used to visit the car boot sale at the new Manchester market off Ashton Old Road, there was a guy there selling second hand tools, probably from clear outs of closed down engineering works. He had everything you'd need for any job from a Seven to a locomotive, mainly imperial, you just had to be prepared with gloves or get you hands dirty. I found spanners for the rear hub bearing nuts by the dozen and loads of 1/4" x 5/16" open end, ring, offset ring, combination and all good gear King Dick, Stawille etc no Chinese and all at yesterdays prices.
There was everything imaginable for sale at the market, all cash and don't ask where it came from.

Re: Useful Tools.

Jim Holyoake
I have an old offset ring spanner which gets in to a lot of otherwise difficult places such as the long bolt holding the dynamo housing to the crankcase and updraught manifold nuts.
Like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Williams-Superrench-Forged-USA-Chrome-Alloy-3-8W-5-16W-No-W8729-/351897666585?hash=item51eebc4419:g:ESIAAOSwzaJX2VS3

many thanks Jim - I just found another identical ebay one for 2.98 posted from "grandadsclearout'...

Re: Useful Tools.

Fished out this home made tool last week as needed a set of tappet guides to shorten to work with a high lift cam.



Location: N W Kent

Re: Useful Tools.

 photo 20170103_092248_zpsqch50jui.jpg

Jig for bowing front beams.

Location: Ireland

Re: Useful Tools.

John L.
 photo 20170103_092248_zpsqch50jui.jpg

Jig for bowing front beams.


Interesting looking device. what powers the actual "bowing" piece? even when the beam is red hot it must need a fair bit of force to re-shape it.

Location: N W Kent

Re: Useful Tools.

It does require alot of pressure. I used a hydraulic ram which pushes the piece of box iron. The back of the ram sat against the upright support I have at the end of the 4" channel. The ram is pressurised by a hand pump.
This jig was welded to a big old flat bench when I used it which prevented distortion.

Location: Ireland

Re: Useful Tools.


 photo 20170104_100527_zps9ypilmv2.jpg


This is a basic tool that I made up to hold rear hubs while tightening and opening half shaft nuts. It holds all three studs.

Location: Ireland

Re: Useful Tools.

John,
Thanks for posting the photo of your bending jig, I have a much clearer idea about it now.

Below is a photo of the Hub Holder I have produced locally for members of the NZ VAR.

 photo Hub Holder_zpsvljymhtz.jpg

Marcus

Re: Useful Tools.

You are very welcome. that is a much more professional looking hub spanner

Location: Ireland

Re: Useful Tools.

I am a sucker for nice measuring kit. I bought this proper machine engraved 2foot rule on ebay and use it regularly.



And on the back....



Anyone else got any ex longbridge tools?

R

Re: Useful Tools.

The other tools we have been producing locally are these:

 photo IMG_1054_zpszdnt7gtd.jpg

A is designed to keep in the car, it fits the rear halfshaft nut so that if you have a mishap on the road you have something on board to deal with a broken key or halfshaft, you can of course also use it in the workshop, it also fits the starting dog on the front of the crankshaft.

B is to fit the thin nut that holds the rear hub bearing on, this has usually been removed and fitted in the past with a cold chisel because no-one seems to have had a spanner to fit.

C is designed to fit the large brass nut that is on the end of the steering column and screws into the steering box, the other end is the octagonal shape to fit the alloy dust caps on the front hubs to protect the wheel bearings.

Re: Useful Tools.

Excellent!

Re: Useful Tools.

Hello Marcus

Those are very nice tools indeed, might I enquire as the price and availability ??

Kind regards
Greig

Location: Sunny South Africa