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This has probably been covered a million times, but what's a decent crimper? I'm done with the lovely stamped steel ones, and I have a set of Harbor Freight crimping pliers somewhere but I'm not to fond of them. I'm about to build a new wiring harness and distribution box for my Chumpcar and want to do it right.
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Jun 10, 2015 04:32
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Daniels if you have the money, These if you want decent but cheap red-blue-yellow's. I have a set, and they're pretty good for the price (coming from someone who uses Daniels at work regularly).
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Jun 10, 2015 04:52
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I bought the blueprint crimper. It was a bit pricey, but it crimps perfectly every time. I highly recommend it if you can afford. Edit: oof. Less than the Daniels! I'd be curious to try those because I've been very happy with the (cheaper, never thought I'd say that) BluePoint. Edit 2: This one. Krakkles fucked around with this message at 07:08 on Jun 10, 2015 |
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Jun 10, 2015 05:08
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In my searches I somehow missed this Gearwrench combo set. This has apparently been a thing for a long time but this is the first time I've seen it. So I guess it's good that the metric set I ordered needs to go back.
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Jun 10, 2015 05:14
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Dannywilson posted:Daniels if you have the money, These if you want decent but cheap red-blue-yellow's. I have a set, and they're pretty good for the price (coming from someone who uses Daniels at work regularly). Used Daniels or Molex or Sargent on eBay if you have time...
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Jun 10, 2015 05:38
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sharkytm posted:Used Daniels or Molex or Sargent on eBay if you have time... Are the dies on all these ratchet crimpers interchangeable/replaceable separately or a standard size? I'm in the UK and have a generic set of ratchet crimpers and apart from the handle they look the same as the linked ones and the die looks the same sort of size
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Jun 11, 2015 21:58
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Dannywilson posted:Daniels if you have the money, These if you want decent but cheap red-blue-yellow's. I have a set, and they're pretty good for the price (coming from someone who uses Daniels at work regularly). I did my engineering internship with them. Excellent company. Setting the standard level of tool quality. I own an HX4 and 2 die sets for some specialty stuff. Good deals to be had on eBay. That said for regular ol' RBY butt/ring connectors I use harbor freight ratcheting crimpers and at a MINIMUM UL listed wire and terminals from a reputable source. I have done tensile testing and the wire and terminals you buy are very important. Milspec is much better than UL.
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Jun 12, 2015 01:12
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Tomarse posted:Are the dies on all these ratchet crimpers interchangeable/replaceable separately or a standard size? Very rarely are there interchangeable dies. For coax and some telecom stuff, yes. Otherwise, no. I used to work for a company that did robotics, and we had a literal wall of crimpers, probably 80+ different frames and dies, with multiples of many of them.
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Jun 13, 2015 14:33
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I got this set when my HF crimper finally wore out: http://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-18920-Ratcheting-Terminal/dp/B0002STTTI Happy with it so far, it has a second set of RBY dies that are a bit tighter and work well for heat shrinkable crimps.
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Jun 13, 2015 18:55
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I need to re-glue some door cards after all the existing glue died in a heat wave (along with all the door fabrics and the headliner, fml). Obviously the OEM glue is off the table. So is there anything particularly great that works on fiberglass, cardboard, and styrofoam and is good up to at least ~250 degrees F while under tension? I'll need to run a bead about 4 feet (around) so anything that sets up really fast is no good.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:16
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Splizwarf posted:I need to re-glue some door cards after all the existing glue died in a heat wave (along with all the door fabrics and the headliner, fml). Obviously the OEM glue is off the table. So is there anything particularly great that works on fiberglass, cardboard, and styrofoam and is good up to at least ~250 degrees F while under tension? I'll need to run a bead about 4 feet (around) so anything that sets up really fast is no good. Contact cement applied to both surfaces then allowed to dry tacky before mating those surfaces? Worked pretty well for most of my MG interior and our awful Ford door vinyl that failed. It's a lot cheaper than any of the 3M aerosols, too.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:25
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Splizwarf posted:I need to re-glue some door cards after all the existing glue died in a heat wave (along with all the door fabrics and the headliner, fml). Obviously the OEM glue is off the table. So is there anything particularly great that works on fiberglass, cardboard, and styrofoam and is good up to at least ~250 degrees F while under tension? I'll need to run a bead about 4 feet (around) so anything that sets up really fast is no good. Just in case no one pops in to give you a specific answer from experience, check out This To That. 3M makes some nifty marine epoxies that were used at a fiberglass company I worked for, but I'd double-check if contact with Styrofoam will just eat it.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:27
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Arriviste posted:Just in case no one pops in to give you a specific answer from experience, check out This To That. 3M makes some nifty marine epoxies that were used at a fiberglass company I worked for, but I'd double-check if contact with Styrofoam will just eat it. Yes, 3m 4200 holds the majority of my sailboat together. Use 5200 if it absolutely, positively, must never come off.
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Jun 15, 2015 21:56
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Splizwarf posted:I need to re-glue some door cards after all the existing glue died in a heat wave (along with all the door fabrics and the headliner, fml). Obviously the OEM glue is off the table. So is there anything particularly great that works on fiberglass, cardboard, and styrofoam and is good up to at least ~250 degrees F while under tension? I'll need to run a bead about 4 feet (around) so anything that sets up really fast is no good. I did the door cards on my E36 about five years ago and I just used JB Weld and office binder clips all the way around to keep everything snug while curing. Still holding. For headliner, use headliner adhesive. Use more than you think you need.
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Jun 17, 2015 15:20
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Any recommendations for a paint gun to run off my compressor to do latex paint? Once we buy a house I'm sure I'll have several painting projects. I'm not worried about my compressor, its got enough cfm to run pretty much any paint gun.
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Jun 18, 2015 18:49
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Any recommendations for a paint gun to run off my compressor to do latex paint? Once we buy a house I'm sure I'll have several painting projects. I'm not worried about my compressor, its got enough cfm to run pretty much any paint gun. Generally you would rent an airless sprayer, and the prep work so you get a good result outweighs the effort of the brush and roller. Especially if you're doing different colors in different rooms at different times.
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Jun 18, 2015 19:31
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I've got to do front struts on a friends Focus, and in an effort to save him money I'm going to finally pick up a spring compressor instead of just buying loaded struts like I normally do. http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Tool-Design-ATD-3054-MacPherson/dp/B000OUW78O/ref=pd_sbs_263_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Y0FKX8545X0719SM9WS Decent choice, or is one of the other 400 different designs better?
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Jun 18, 2015 23:04
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Warning to people, don't use the cheapo battery disconnect from Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-disconnect-switch-97853.html Just figured out the cause of some no-start and other electrical gremlins being corrosion and overall crappiness of that switch. I actually bought a new one to replace the old and it was cross-threaded right out of the box. Threw both in the trash and replaced with a normal lead terminal and no more bad ground starting issues. Avoid!
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Jun 18, 2015 23:09
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Hypnolobster posted:I've got to do front struts on a friends Focus, and in an effort to save him money I'm going to finally pick up a spring compressor instead of just buying loaded struts like I normally do. Those particular ones seem expensive - there are cheaper ones that look the same like these. I used to use a set of 3 really cheap ones (mine don't have a retaining clip to keep them on the spring and are basically just a threaded bar with hooks on). They are quite scary to use but they will do the job. They tend to try and slide around the spring. I always tighten mine very evenly and often space them using small open ended spanners. I have since got one which is similar to this type (except mine doesnt have interchangeable dies for smaller springs) and it is much nicer to use and a lot less scary but will cost you more
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Jun 18, 2015 23:22
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You could try almost any autoparts store. Advance auto will lone you one for like a week or so for free, so will most other national chains.
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Jun 18, 2015 23:42
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Call around to local shops to see what they charge to tear down and rebuild struts that you carry in. Wall mounted spring compressors are the only way to go. You can buy one for about $700 or find a shop that will break down and rebuild yours for $50 or so. It only takes a good tech about ten minutes to do four struts.
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Jun 18, 2015 23:45
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They can be a bit of a pain to fit around the struts etc, but they do work. Though with some struts I've found the amount of pre-loading is so low that I can just wap the nut off the top while leaning on them, and it's fine.
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Jun 18, 2015 23:49
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I have a very specific question. I'm designing a wrench to tighten a nut that is 41mm wide across the flats. I'm having trouble finding a standard for what the min/max of the wrench opening should be. I found a table for SAE wrenches (ANSI B18.2.2) in a Machinery Handbook, but I can't find something similar for metric hardware. Help?
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Jun 19, 2015 20:03
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Uthor posted:I have a very specific question. As such, I'd suggest you make your lower limit on the wrench at least 41mm, unless you're also making the nuts and can tighten up the tolerance window on them too. If you make wrenches smaller than the max allowable fastener wrenching configuration, do not be surprised if a fitter decides to find you and take a poo poo on your desk! I guess upper limit on the wrench's tolerance window depends on what you feel you can work too happily. I would also point out that a 1-5/8" spanner is 41,28mm, and should work just fine if you can source one of those easier than making a custom metric one.
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Jun 19, 2015 20:44
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Yeah, once things get to that size I have zero qualms about using an SAE wrench on a metric fastener and vise versa. 1 7/16" is a great fit on 36mm axle nuts for example. I have a 1 7/16" 3/4-drive socket for my breaker bar, I do not have a 36mm.
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Jun 19, 2015 20:52
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InitialDave posted:I would also point out that a 1-5/8" spanner is 41,28mm, and should work just fine if you can source one of those easier than making a custom metric one. This is custom because it needs to fit in a tight space. The customer has a design (and a casting) that they already use, but for a much bigger nut. I just need to modify the 12-point cutout for the smaller nut and adjust the thickness of the piece to make it easier to use, but have to keep the overall shape unchanged so they can just machine the blanks they already have on hand. B18.2.2 has DIMs for a 1 1/2" wrench (38.1mm) and a 1 5/8" wrench (41.275mm). The tolerance of the wrench opening on the 1 1/2" is +0.008" +0.020". The tolerance on the 1 5/8" wrench is +0.009" +0.021". Right now, I split the difference and converted to metric, though it would probably make more sense just to use the 1 5/8" tolerance as it's so close. I'll keep looking to see if there's a metric standard I should apply, but that should be good enough for a tool they'll only make a few of. I think they'll need to make somewhere in the tens of these every year judging by the current volume.
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Jun 19, 2015 21:03
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Uthor posted:This is custom because it needs to fit in a tight space. The customer has a design (and a casting) that they already use, but for a much bigger nut. I just need to modify the 12-point cutout for the smaller nut and adjust the thickness of the piece to make it easier to use, but have to keep the overall shape unchanged so they can just machine the blanks they already have on hand.
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Jun 19, 2015 21:16
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Hypnolobster posted:I've got to do front struts on a friends Focus, and in an effort to save him money I'm going to finally pick up a spring compressor instead of just buying loaded struts like I normally do. As said, that one can be kind of big and clunky to fit in between some coils. Aside from that, it will do the job. The set I use the most is the one with the small u-bolts that attach individually. They give you the most flexibility compared to the built in hook design. edit: Like this one I really want a wall mounted strut compressor. Those are the best. FuzzKill fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Jun 20, 2015 |
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Jun 20, 2015 15:36
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For everyone who wants a wall mounted spring compressor. You really should check craiglist. There has been three for sale local to the chicagoland area for a while. And there being sold dirt cheap because its from a shop that closed down. Matco man brought me my 1/4 ratchet. This thing is quieter then my air ratchet but not by much. But holy poo poo is it nice not to have to lug a big dirty loving air hose everywhere. I was using it in an s550 we were doing struts on. And the air hose would have gotten the car dirty and led to me having to clean the seats. The battery operated ratchet made short work of the backseat in that lovely benz. edit: I speel GUD
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Jun 20, 2015 16:34
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Anyone have thoughts on oil extractors? I had a ripoff version of the mityvac a while ago and I found it to be slow to remove the oil and messier than just laying on my back (because of oil on the tube, in the tube, in the mityvac... it seemed like it got everywhere). I was just reading that evidently you're supposed to warm the car up a bit to help the flow  . Curiosity led me to this old spergy dude (who could easily be a goon) talking about leftover fluid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65MMnubY4DA. It seems like it'd still be a pain to deal with, but I guess they're probably nice to have for mowers and other small engines.
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Jun 20, 2015 19:26
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I went into that video thinking "good lord what a dumb thing to get all excited about, a little leftover oil isn't a disaster" and now I sort of want one. Mostly for not-engine oil things. e: not supposed to be used with gas, that's disappointing. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Jun 20, 2015 |
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Jun 20, 2015 20:15
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Hypnolobster posted:e: not supposed to be used with gas, that's disappointing. You can get some with viton seals that are safe for use with fuels. Although, sometimes they're HUGE as they're what companies that do wrong fuel extraction use.
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Jun 20, 2015 20:50
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PBCrunch posted:Call around to local shops to see what they charge to tear down and rebuild struts that you carry in. Wall mounted spring compressors are the only way to go. You can buy one for about $700 or find a shop that will break down and rebuild yours for $50 or so. It only takes a good tech about ten minutes to do four struts. Eh, those are rad but they take permanent wall space and cost $700, compared to the $50 Autozone unit that you can rent for free. I can assemble 4 struts in 10 minutes with that too, using a drill with a socket adapter. The wall-mounted unit will never pay for itself.
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Jun 21, 2015 09:19
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This is on sale, got it for my fiance's dad on Father's day. Seemed like a decent deal, more sturdy than I'd thought for $115 (there are also coupons available online that apply to bring the price to $105).
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Jun 22, 2015 07:39
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Splizwarf posted:Eh, those are rad but they take permanent wall space and cost $700, compared to the $50 Autozone unit that you can rent for free. I can assemble 4 struts in 10 minutes with that too, using a drill with a socket adapter. The wall-mounted unit will never pay for itself.
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Jun 22, 2015 13:56
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So I bought a second seven-drawer tool cart for cheap, second hand. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that it wasn't identical to the original one I had - smaller, worse engagement of the drawers. Same part number though - stop doing that, people!! I'm trying to flip it, but at the offers I'm getting I'll just keep it. Seriously, less than half price of a new-condition cart, never held a single tool, with receipt and everything? Go gently caress your hat. For that money, I'll just keep it. Now, my biggest gripe with it is that the mechanism for ensuring that only one drawer at the time can be opened is wayyy too tight. I have to yank extra hard, making the whole thing move about. Is there any way to disable that function? For some reason there's a plastic rod that moves in a slot on the bottom, is there a reason this is exposed? The whole thing seems very hard to get into, as far as I can discern, the drawers are mounted, then riveted in place. I'll try to grab some pictures when I get home, but here's a stock photo (of the old version, I think): 
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Jun 29, 2015 08:37
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bolind posted:Tool cart Where did you purchase it from? Can't you return it, especially if it's incompatible with your older box? I had a hell of a time finding a craftsman middle chest to accommodate my older box, since they don't make that particular line anymore and now make much shallower chests with completely different dimensions. I lucked out though, and after talking with several different representatives, someone was able to point me towards the professional line which still made a middle chest that fit my older stuff. Quality wise, only difference I can tell is the color and grip latch drawer pull.
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Jun 29, 2015 12:19
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OSU_Matthew posted:Where did you purchase it from? Can't you return it, especially if it's incompatible with your older box? Blue and of questionable quality? It's probably from Biltema  That's not to say that all of their tools are poo poo, most of it is actually quite decent, but they do have some real stinkers here and there.
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Jun 29, 2015 12:35
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OSU_Matthew posted:Where did you purchase it from? Can't you return it, especially if it's incompatible with your older box? KozmoNaut posted:Blue and of questionable quality? It's probably from Biltema You write my posts for me, Mr. Naut. I bought it used, and while I have the receipt, the return period is long gone. OSU_Matthew posted:I had a hell of a time finding a craftsman middle chest to accommodate my older box, since they don't make that particular line anymore and now make much shallower chests with completely different dimensions. I lucked out though, and after talking with several different representatives, someone was able to point me towards the professional line which still made a middle chest that fit my older stuff. Quality wise, only difference I can tell is the color and grip latch drawer pull. Yeah, that's kinda the issue I'm battling. It's relatively cheap stuff, though. The old box was just over USD300, the new one I got used for USD200. KozmoNaut posted:That's not to say that all of their tools are poo poo, most of it is actually quite decent, but they do have some real stinkers here and there. I think in general they offer a good price/performance point. Not as poo poo as poo poo tier, not as expensive as pro gear. But, I agree, some real stinkers in between. This new box is the same price as the old one, but it's smaller, and the feel is definitely inferior. I have half a mind to rip it apart and fully disable the latching system. Perhaps a strategically placed neodymium magnet to keep the drawers somewhat in place.
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Jun 29, 2015 13:10
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e: I guess it's cheaper at Lowes... Woot.com has a deal today on some power tools - seems like a good deal to me for some 20v stuff. PORTER-CABLE PCCK618L6 20V MAX 6-Tool Combo Kit - $299  I wish I had $300 and no power tools 
Astonishing Wang fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Jun 29, 2015 |
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Jun 29, 2015 16:10
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