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Mad Dragon posted:How do you balance them? MomJeans420 fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Oct 4, 2010 |
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Mar 5, 2008 17:06
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Why go with air tools over electric ones? From what I can tell the air ones have more torque, and it seems like if you need a variety of powered tools air ones are much cheaper because all the energy comes from your compressor, so each tool is cheaper. The electric ones seem a little wimpier and have a smaller initial investment (also don't have to worry about running out of air), but if you need multiple tools could be more expensive in the long run. Is this pretty much it? It seems like if the only powered tool I really need is an impact wrench I'd be better off buying a $35 HF electric impact wrench rather than buying a compressor and air impact wrench, unless I needed the additional torque that the air tools have. Anything I'm missing?
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Apr 26, 2008 09:49
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I'm not sure if this is the best spot for this post (maybe DIY forum?), but what tool would you guys use to get a broken bolt out of a concrete wall? I have a wooden gate that is bolted to a concrete wall with 2 big rear end bolts, but it's a very narrow squeeze for my car + my wife's car. When I first moved in I managed to hit the gate with my wife's car, and apparently lovely old rusty bolts are no match for toyota's amazing 325 lb-ft of torque. The bolt sheared off with part of the bolt stuck in the wooden gate (which I removed easily) and the rest firmly stuck in the wall (and now bent at an angle). I tried using a big screwdriver and a hammer to chisel it out but that was definitely not going to work (at least not in a reasonable amount of time). I bought a diamond point bit for the dremel http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-7144-Diamond-Taper-Point/dp/B00068OUMU but haven't tried it out yet. It looks like it's meant for fine engraving but I'll see tomorrow. Also, is there a good way to get a new bolt to stick back in? My ghetto fabulous plan is to get the bolt out, stick a new bolt through the gate into the hole left in the concrete wall, and then fill it in with pieces of broken concrete (have a bunch of it lying around) and concrete cement. I don't really have a great selection of tools (just the minimum I need to work on my car and various assorted others) so I'm trying to make do with what I got, no way to stick a new bolt into concrete (that I know of at least).
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May 22, 2008 06:39
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What's the consensus on Armstrong tools? A guy I know who owns a machine shop swears by them, so I figure they're more than fine for a home mechanic?
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Dec 22, 2008 11:07
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I know it's been discussed in the tools thread before, but I just got a harbor freight aluminum racing jack and so far it's been great. (this is a link to the blue one, my local HF only had it in blue, which costs $20 more online but only $10 more in the store). http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=40105 Coming from a $30 autozone jack I was surprised at how much bigger the HF one is, and it got the car up on jack stands much quicker. It also lifts up to almost 18", whereas I think my old jack is only good for 13". My car is pretty low but the jack was able to fit under without any problems (although I don't think I can get it under the front crossmember without driving up on some wood first, I just did each side individually). If anyone is thinking of getting a super cheap kragen/autozone jack, I'd recommend just purchasing a HF one instead.
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Jan 21, 2009 06:43
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RealKyleH posted:HF 20% off coupon again! Goddamn, 2 days after I spend a couple hundred at HF - 20% off is a great deal.
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Jan 23, 2009 02:55
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atomicfire posted:(lots of info) Thanks, that was informative. After I read "intercooler" I had been wondering wtf a compressor needs an intercooler for, but you got that part covered.
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Mar 1, 2009 08:22
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mod sassinator posted:Can anyone comment on a random orbit wax/polish tool like this Harbor Freight one? Can they damage the finish if you're not careful or are they less powerful than more professional buffing tools? This weekend I want to clay bar, polish, and put a couple coats of wax on my car. I'd love if a power tool can save me some pain with the polish and wax. Seconding what RealKyleH said - the general consensus on the detailing forums is don't bother buying anything less than the porter cable. All the $30 units don't seem to do poo poo apparently, unfortunately a porter cable is significantly more money (and that's before you throw in the pads and backing plates and all that). It depends on the car, but I had a 1999 Acura where polishing by hand seemed to help at least (I would use some touch up paint, sand it level, use rubbing compound, then polish by hand). I currently have a 2003 Nissan and the clear coat is hard as poo poo. I'm guessing this is good for paint protection, but there seems to be no point in even trying to polish by hand. I bought this porter cable kit: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-udmsfx-kit.html which comes with 6" polishing pads, and had to go down to 4" pads to get enough cutting power. I'd also recommend the XMT polish over the Sonus. Your needs might be different, but I bought a used black car and it looks like the previous owner took it an automatic car wash weekly - swirl marks everywhere. The porter cable with 4" pad and the XMT intermediate swirl remover helps, but it still takes multiple applications of polish to get an area looking better.
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Mar 6, 2009 19:09
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mod sassinator posted:drat, I'm in the same boat with a black car that is loaded with swirl marks from what looks like a carwash. I think the PC one is out of my budget and experience right now. I'm going to grab a Craftsman 7" random orbit polisher and give it a shot this weekend, worst case I'm only out $30. I'm hoping clay bar, scratch remover, polish, and wax will at least knock down the swirl marks. The main thing I noticed when looking at the craftsman 7" RO polisher is there don't seem to be pads available for it, just bonnets. They call them polishing bonnets but they're really for applying / removing wax, not polishing. When using a porter cable part of the polishing process is selecting the proper pad (they're usually color coded, yellow has the most cutting power, then orange, then white, etc). Of course some of the reviews said it works ok, so who knows, and I'm sure you could rig up a way to use pads (just add velcro that's sticky on one side I guess).
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Mar 7, 2009 08:44
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I'm trying to decide if it's worth buying a pressure washer over renting one. I can't find prices on home depot's web page, but I've heard people say $50 - $100 to rent a gas powered, 2000psi washer from home depot. I've seen 1400 psi electric washers go for $100 online, and (supposedly) 2000 psi electric washers for $150 (no name brands though). I just want to clean my deck and various other things around the house / yard, not strip the paint, so am I better off buying a cheap washer? *edit* What about a Karcher 1800 psi washer for $179, like this one? http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Karcher-K3.48M/p1466.html?source=froogle&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=shop+portals MomJeans420 fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Apr 14, 2009 |
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Apr 14, 2009 23:27
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How am I supposed to get a torque wrench on these bolts? I actually need to torque to specifications because apparently that's the reason I have a "clunk" sound coming from my suspension, especially when braking while turning sharply while going downhill (sounds like a rare occasion but I hear it every time I come down my driveway). The TSB for this says you don't even need to take off the wheels, which would be true if I could fit a torque wrench between the bolts for the upper link and the spring, but I can't. I'm using pretty short sockets too, but both my wrenches are 1/2". Maybe I need to find a 1/4" torque wrench with the smallest socket set I can find? Actually looking at the photo now, maybe if lowered the car on a jack a bit to compress the spring it'd make room?
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May 7, 2009 01:35
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I went to look for some crowfoot wrenches but OSH hardware only had them in sets for $60. I wouldn't even bother with a torque wrench except for apparently the reason it makes a sound is it comes over torqued from the factory. Apparently I suck at estimating because I sheared some really soft bolts off in my door, which is a pain in the rear end. I think seeing what that torque feels like on another bolt and then recreating it with a box wrench is my best bet, so I'm going to try that out tomorrow.
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May 8, 2009 05:36
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My harbor freight aluminum racing jack has started to make a god-awful noise when it gets around 13" or 14" high, then continues to make the sound when you lower the car with the jack. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do in terms of maintenance with this jack, it's the first jack that I actually use all the time because it's so quick and easy (today used it to jack the car up so I could polish the hood without bending over so much - I'm tall and my car is low). Is there something I should be doing to keep it in good shape? Bleeding the fluid or something? I can't find my manual for the jack anywhere.
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Jul 14, 2009 23:56
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Autogeek has a 20% coupon going on until Sunday, Aug 16th: MIKEPHILLIPS Doesn't apply to "extractors, air compressors, car covers, polishers & polisher kits, vacuums, VIP specials, Buy One, Get One Free items, Pro Detailer Kits, garage flooring, gift certificates, complete wash systems or any item as noted on product page."
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Aug 14, 2009 00:12
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From what I gathered reading the tools thread, if I wanted to spend up to $200 on a compressor I'm better off buying a good brand used one rather than something from HF. What are the good brands / features to look for? The only thing I remember is thinking that I want ones that require oil (quieter / indicative of higher quality? I don't remember why...). I'm just checking the los angeles craigslist tool section: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/tls?query=compressor&catAbbreviation=tls&minAsk=min&maxAsk=200 *edit* I heard Chicago Pneumatic or Ingersoll Rand, but all the Ingersoll compressors on CL are > $600. I probably should have said I'm hoping to run just your standard air tools (impact wrench and ratchet), but ideally it'd be possible to use a die grinder with it (without having to wait too long for it to catch up). MomJeans420 fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Dec 2, 2009 |
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Dec 1, 2009 23:51
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Thanks for the recommendations! Another dumb question - is there a good way to make sure it works? My plan was just to have them turn it on, and I figured the seller would likely have an air tool that I could hook up just to make sure it works. Anything else? (I've never used a (large) air compressor or air tools before)
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Dec 3, 2009 06:30
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mod sassinator posted:Get that and a nice jack with jack stands like everyone's favorite Harbor Freight aluminum floor jack (don't forget some tire chalks to be safe too). It seems like every car magazine I get has a coupon to get the harbor freight aluminum jack for $60, so if you do buy one go pick up a magazine and bring the coupon with you. drat it's only $80 without a coupon now, when I bought one the cheapest price was $100 I think.
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Dec 9, 2009 21:00
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Are electric leaf blowers any good? I want to get one so I can use it to dry my car, and for the other odd times I need one (getting pine needles off the roof, etc). They seem to be a fair amount cheaper than the gas ones (especially since I'm in CA and have to buy a CARB certified one), and less effort / hassle (and I imagine quieter).
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Dec 15, 2009 00:50
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Home Depot has a sale on a Husky 45 piece stubby set. It's hard to get a good look at it on the web site, but for $8 I'm just going to buy it. I'm hoping it will be helpful for all those bolts that are tight on space, and if nothing else it's some more spare sockets for $8. http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...catalogId=10053
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Jun 25, 2010 16:29
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I have a bunch of trees on my property, and live in a city that calls itself "Tree City USA", so I can't cut any of them down (at least not the oak trees). This means that most of the year I end up with a crazy amount of dust and pollen on my car, even when it's parked inside a closed garage. If I wash my car and then immediately park it in the garage, I'll have a decent layer of dust on it by the next day, let alone a couple days later. As spergy as it sounds, I've been thinking about putting some sort of dust / HEPA filter in the garage, and putting it on a timer to run a couple times a day. Has anyone tried this, or done anything similar to this? I'm open to any suggestions. A lot of the $100 dust collectors from HF look like they're just meant for attaching to hoses and picking up sawdust from woodworking, so I'm not sure what the best way of cleaning the air for a 2 car garage is (or if I should just give up on the idea).
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Aug 12, 2010 21:31
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I know this has been discussed before in the tool thread, but I don't remember the consensus. What's the preferred way to make electrical connections for car audio work? I'm an rear end who used electrical tape, but now I have to change things around and it's all messy from the tape. Also, what's the best way to make connections for wire that will be handling 110V that is also outside? The people who owned my house before me extended the cord for an outside light by cutting off the plug at the end of the card, then using electrical tape to connect it to an extension cord that was cut in half. I figure this can't be a good way to handle 110V near sprinklers...
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Nov 17, 2010 22:59
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I got a cheap ELM327 clone and tried out a number of programs with it, but I had the best luck with the version of ScanTool.net that came with my reader. If you go to scantool.net now they don't seem to offer it for download anymore, but they do have a free piece of software you can try out: http://www.scantool.net/obdwiz/ I'm guessing this is just the newer version of the old ScanTool.net software, as the version I have is from 2006.
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Dec 13, 2010 23:23
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Ahh yeah, you're right, it's just that it ships free with their tools. Here's the program I have, it's GPL'd and comes with the source so this isn't  http://www.future-shocked.com/files/data/cafdb13483834807eae2aca86b58ad83.zip If you use a newer version of the ScanTool.net program, it won't work with an ELM327 clone (it can detect that it isn't a real ELM327 chip). *edit* This isn't the installer, just the directory it installed to, but you can try it out at least and see if it works
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Dec 14, 2010 00:34
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So has anyone here tried the plastidip method of painting anything? I saw the link posted a few pages back and it seems like a pretty cool product. I have chrome wheels but hate chrome wheels, I was thinking of trying it out on them. I can't imagine it will cause any problems if it's safe enough for auto paint. My car also came with an aftermarket front fascia that was poorly prepped before it was painted, and is now peeling in some areas / severely rock chipped. I had been trying to work up the nerve to strip all the paint then buy the appropriate color spray can online, but I've been worried I'd turn out even worse (and I don't want to buy a compressor and paint gun). Now I'm thinking I could plastidip the front bumper, then try the spray can method over the plastidip. If I do a horrible job or it looks worse, I'll just peel it off.
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Feb 23, 2011 21:54
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Phone posted:I'm painting my Miata with it. I've had some mild success with a fender, but I need to sand down some runs and get a really good coat in. So are you using it as a base coat on your fender, then spraying color matched paint over it? I can't decide if I should just completely strip and prep my front fascia and do it the old fashioned way, or try this out since I'm not sure about my ability to paint a huge piece of the car and have it turn out decent.
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Feb 24, 2011 23:20
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I've seen a number of people online who've painted their wheels and it looks fine, not sure how the spray touch up paint and some clear coat will hold up on it though. I think the people doing their wheels in colors are just getting spray paint from the hardware store, and sometimes some clear coat from the store. I guess the nice thing is I can try it out and just peel it off if it doesn't work, but I hate loving with bodywork and I have visions of taking my front bumper off and it being a bitch to get back on.
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Feb 25, 2011 01:26
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Bloomberg Businessweek had a short thing about Autozone's profits being up a lot this year, as everyone is holding on to cars longer rather than buying new ones. That might explain why they're popping up all over the place.
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Mar 7, 2011 19:21
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Trip report on plasti dip. I tried it out yesterday, but due to time constraints I only ended up getting 3 coats on. It was a learning experience, 2 of the wheels have some spots that need at least 1 more coat, the other 2 look good. It was really easy to miss getting the very edge of the wheel, which is noticeable in the pics below. I also ended up getting very thin coats inside the wells for the lug nuts, which I then scraped a bit putting the wheels back on. I also had 2 of the playing cards I was using to mask off the tire fall onto the wheel as I was spraying the first coat, which left a mark that is still visible after the 3rd coat. I'll probably just peel it off and start that one over again. Despite these issues, it still looks a million times better than chrome. The pics below show the the 2 worst wheels (by the time I did the passenger side I had my technique down better), especially around the edge of the wheel. I'm hoping 1 more coat will take care of that (might not even have to take the wheels off).  
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Mar 9, 2011 23:56
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NinjaTech posted:I painted my rear bumper with the red plasti dip spray. It took me four cans. It didn't turn out as well as I hoped, but I could have prepped it better. It looks good from 5-10ft though. Maybe it's just the photo, but it seems to match pretty well.
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Mar 30, 2011 21:58
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NinjaTech posted:The color is pretty close match, it's just a matte finish. The picture does make it look much better than it is. It had to go on pretty thick for the black plastic to not show through. you can also see where some of the old paint was that hadn't flaked off. Overall I'm fairly happy with it. It's one color now so it looks less lovely. You're supposed to be able to spray clear coat over the plastidip, but I haven't investigated to see which kinds work best. I still have clear coat meant for auto body paint, so I figured that would work fine if needed. If you care you might want to search for other people who've done it and see which one works best (or just stick with the matte finish).
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Mar 31, 2011 06:43
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I don't have any tools for wood working right now, but I could use something to let me do basic things like cut 2x4s. I got a $50 gift certificate to Sears, so I was going to go buy a circular saw. Is there anything in particular to look for? I won't be using it very much, but I'd like to do some things like build a new gate for my trashcans and other simple home improvement projects. I was thinking of this one: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00910871000P?prdNo=1 but I'm not sure of what features I'm really looking for.
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Jan 3, 2012 19:27
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grover posted:If this is your only power saw, the most important is a tilting base, and every circular saw on the market has one. Honestly, the $31 craftsman looks just fine for what you need. Thanks for the advice, I went to Sears looking to buy the cheaper one, but due to online pricing vs store pricing and some kind of sale going on, I got the more powerful circular saw with laser guide for less than the saw that was cheaper online. I'm not sure how that worked out, but no complaints here. The next step will be not cutting my fingers off with it.
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Jan 5, 2012 06:00
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Are any of the electric paint sprayers decent enough for painting a bunch of lattice / wood outside? I read that they're not great for painting the inside of your house, as you have to thin the paint down too much, but I'm wondering if there's any way to speed up a shitload of painting I need to do outside. From looking at home depot, it looks like there are probably some that are decent if you want to spend lots of money, but I was hoping for something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100661562/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=paint+sprayer&storeId=10051 *edit* Maybe I'm better off renting a quality sprayer? MomJeans420 fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Apr 12, 2012 |
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Apr 12, 2012 23:00
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I've had the HF torque wrench for 5 years now - do I need to replace it? I've been careful to never drop it, but I have no idea how long they stay accurate. I'm not doing things that would require high accuracy, just basic car work. I know you can test them, but since they're so cheap it's not worth spending the money to test or recalibrate them.
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Sep 6, 2012 05:33
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I need an impact wrench because I'll be doing a bunch of work on my suspension in the near future. I was thinking of getting a corded one to keep the cost down, but I want to make sure I get one with enough power to actually be useful. Would something like the Dewalt DW293 7.5 1/2" be sufficient? At $159 on amazon it's easy to justify buying it over just going to a mechanic (plus I want one anyway).
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Apr 30, 2013 03:38
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Mat_Drinks posted:Holy crap, I've got a sump in my basement too and now that I've been finishing it it'd be really bad if the power went out in a rain/wind storm. I somehow hadn't even considered it until I read this post. Time to generator shop! One thing to consider besides a sump pump is some kind of alarm in case your pump fails. I've had sump pumps fail twice, which is a huge pain in the rear end when your heater is in the basement and prone to expensive damage when it floods. I eventually got an alarm that runs on batteries and detects water, it wasn't the Leak Frog, but something similar.
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Jul 21, 2014 07:07
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Are these brake fluid testers any good? Usually I assume that any car I work on probably needs the fluid flushed, but they're cheap enough that I was thinking of buying one for the hell of it. http://www.amazon.com/Brake-Fluid-Tester-calibrated-fluids/dp/B005HVG4GQ/
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Dec 11, 2014 02:34
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Are there any 12v compressors for filing tires that don't suck? I have a lovely car & driver one right now that takes forever and reads double the correct PSI, but I wouldn't mind a nicer one. If all the 12v ones suck, what's a good cheap compressor for the garage for filing tires? I saw a Dewalt one recommended somewhere, but $130 seems steep for something that can't run air tools.
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May 21, 2017 21:52
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I was tempted to go with the Ryobi 18v one, which would make inflating my motorcycle tires a lot easier as I wouldn't have to park next to the car, but I don't have any of their chargers and batteries yet. I ended up going with the Viair 85P, which was the most powerful one that should work with my cigarette lighter outlet in the car. If it draws too much power for the outlet, I did see adapters on amazon that hook up straight to your battery.
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May 22, 2017 01:55
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Sadi posted:Yeah. The Armstrong shutdown is sad. They are putting a ton of effort into growing gearwrench. They are gunning for Matco and Snapon. drat, I hadn't heard Armstrong was shutting down. I have a wrench and socket set from them that has taken tons of abuse and I've never had anything break.
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May 23, 2017 17:26
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