Tool Talk

Fordman said:
So this could be a first!
Firstly spray paint the car, then sand it down for a better finish!
Love what you can do with an old car and get away with. 👏👏👏👏
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Colour sanding a car is quite normal. It how you remove orange peal and denib it if your not a good painter. All show cars will be colour sanded to get a mirror finish without orange peel. Its nothing new :)
 
bob said:
G'day,
in....
https://www.aussiefrogs.com/forum/index.php?threads/car-lifting-alternatives.141638/
cheap air bags gets a mention, are these any good ?
The BA is too close to the dirt at the front to get ramps past the body bits and there's no hard standing here for reliable jacking...
thanks
Bob
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I had an airbag jack once, and I cant remember the exact details of the 'incident' but it scared the bejesus out of me and meant the air jack got relegated to the last line of defence.
I think it had to do with the fact that it is actually a spring of sorts so if the load above it slips around, a whole different level of danger is present, as opposed to a bit of hydraulically controlled steel that might slip from where you set it, but still stays at the same size.
Jo
 
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I have a set of the common Stanfred ramps, and on their own the C4, the C5 and the DS3 all foul the bodywork as they go up forwards. The extensions are expensive.

The solution is simple. Any car can climb a 50mm step without trouble.

I keep four offcuts of 200x50 pine about 600 long I got from a building site. They are laid out in front of the ramps. I used to put them over the ramp rail to anchor them, but found that with front wheel drive it isn't required - just butt then up and the wheel prevents separation when the tyre starts to climb.. One of these cars prefers two blocks high, so the short block is on top. The others need only one, ie nominal 50mm of pre-lift. In fact with more care all can get away with one.

The steel ramps have the rubber anti-skid pads fitted so there is no problem with everything flying away coming down,.

For a simple oil change on the smaller cars I have been using only the blocks to get at the sump plug. Dropping off 100mm if the car goes too far forward isn't a worry, though it hasn't happened yet with 600mm of travel on the block.

For extra safety the jack stands are used too. They stop rolling off.
 
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I have a set of no-name ramps that date back about 35 years. I bought the Stanfred extension ramps a few years back for about $70 - at the right time on sale. They don't fit my ramps perfectly, but they function as intended. For the increase in function for my ramps I consider the cost acceptable.

I also have a set of home made 'mini ' ramps that raise the car enough to get a standard height trolley jack under any car, including my Megane. Simply a couple of pieces of tyre width ply with the leading edge chamfered.

mini ramps.jpg


I would personally consider an airbag 'jack' too dangerous to climb under the car with and would only use them in an emergency to change a wheel.

Cheers

Justin
 
N5GTi6 said:
I have a set of no-name ramps that date back about 35 years. I bought the Stanfred extension ramps a few years back for about $70 - at the right time on sale. They don't fit my ramps perfectly, but they function as intended. For the increase in function for my ramps I consider the cost acceptable.

I also have a set of home made 'mini ' ramps that raise the car enough to get a standard height trolley jack under any car, including my Megane. Simply a couple of pieces of tyre width ply with the leading edge chamfered.

View attachment 128373

I would personally consider an airbag 'jack' too dangerous to climb under the car with and would only use them in an emergency to change a wheel.

Cheers

Justin
Click to expand...
Should not climb under any car that is supported by just a jack whether it is hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical, they can all fail. You should be putting jack stands preferably where the jacking points are, but lumps of wood or even spare rims lying around can be placed under the chassis rails.
 
COL said:
Should not climb under any car that is supported by just a jack whether it is hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical, they can all fail. You should be putting jack stands preferably where the jacking points are, but lumps of wood or even spare rims lying around can be placed under the chassis rails.
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I will admit I often worked under a jacked car...But I had a lump of hardwood I could place into the trolley jack to inhibit its fall.
Of course, being placed there it never did.
I also had offcuts of railway sleepers lying around, which were always so handy.
The fuego was low-is, but I could still drive it up onto those blocks, or jack it up onto them.
They could also get turned onto their sides for extra safety under the car on stands if very robust activities were taking place, like swearing in an engine mount.

For clarity, the airbag jack I was referring to in my criticism, was a workshop only tool which resembled a twin airbag like you'd get in a modern dropped car retrofit (those ridiculous ones that can dance).

Jo
 
G'day,
not what I'd call a 'proper' review. The shortcomings with the ram finish seem to be well known, similarly, others indicate lashings of grease does wonders for them. He then suggests that you go and get a 'Zendex' brand article, which is much nicer, it oughta be, at about ten times the price :)
The Zendex jack was free it seems for the reviewer....
cheers,
Bob
 
G'day,
or with normal inflation after just a few years !! That oriental rubber doesn't do too well on the hand trucks and other stuff we get with their tyres and tubes...
Likely a tool you can expect to replace sooner rather than later, just as well they're cheap... :)
Bob
 
Just bought a decent brick cutter for a few big jobs coming up.
From Able Machinery - $950 - sounds expensive but cheap for one of these. Have bought Able stuff before, no frills Chinese made, but pretty rugged construction, semi-commercial use.
One would think it best to hire a brick cutter, but at $150 per day, I thought how pissed off I would be when I went down for the seventh day to hire one! Also then you are on a time limit every time, and loading on and off the trailer - no thanks.
I have this garden bed to edge (1st job), then the carport to be paved with probably about 100 pavers to be cut (2nd job) and then about 80 square metres of driveway paving with curved borders. Now whether or not I do it myself, or get a young fella to help me, still need a brick cutter.
When I went to pick it up it was in a bigger box than expected, lucky I took the trailer.
It is heavy, about 85kgs, needs 2 blokes to move it around.
I've got it set up under a portable gazebo and today used it for the first time. Cuts through these 80mm thick x 270mm deep concrete blocks with ease, although I did push it a bit too hard (see video) and it stalled, but recovered when load taken off. Have since cut quite a few blocks with a steady even light pressure and it does a great job.


A few photos:
IMG_20201127_145814316_red.jpgIMG_20201127_161241047_red.jpgIMG_20201127_180817595_red.jpgIMG_20201127_180923617_red.jpgIMG_20201221_124123605_HDR_red.jpgIMG_20201202_135223186_HDR_red.jpgIMG_20201221_154143445_HDR_red.jpgIMG_20201221_145005089_red.jpg

It has adjustable stops for 90° and 45°, and I have added an extra stop to get 22.5, so I can get neat 45° corners on my garden edging blocks, that is what I am cutting in the video, and the last couple of photos.

Now to keep my family's hands off it. No, just joking, already have offers from family and neighbour to HIRE it from me at some stage, which I would gladly accept for this thing, because it is fairly expensive.

Cheers.
 
Fordman said:
Just bought a decent brick cutter for a few big jobs coming up.
From Able Machinery - $950 - sounds expensive but cheap for one of these. Have bought Able stuff before, no frills Chinese made, but pretty rugged construction, semi-commercial use.
One would think it best to hire a brick cutter, but at $150 per day, I thought how pissed off I would be when I went down for the seventh day to hire one! Also then you are on a time limit every time, and loading on and off the trailer - no thanks.
I have this garden bed to edge (1st job), then the carport to be paved with probably about 100 pavers to be cut (2nd job) and then about 80 square metres of driveway paving with curved borders. Now whether or not I do it myself, or get a young fella to help me, still need a brick cutter.
When I went to pick it up it was in a bigger box than expected, lucky I took the trailer.
It is heavy, about 85kgs, needs 2 blokes to move it around.
I've got it set up under a portable gazebo and today used it for the first time. Cuts through these 80mm thick x 270mm deep concrete blocks with ease, although I did push it a bit too hard (see video) and it stalled, but recovered when load taken off. Have since cut quite a few blocks with a steady even light pressure and it does a great job.


A few photos:
View attachment 128644View attachment 128645View attachment 128646View attachment 128647View attachment 128648View attachment 128649View attachment 128650View attachment 128651

It has adjustable stops for 90° and 45°, and I have added an extra stop to get 22.5, so I can get neat 45° corners on my garden edging blocks, that is what I am cutting in the video, and the last couple of photos.

Now to keep my family's hands off it. No, just joking, already have offers from family and neighbour to HIRE it from me at some stage, which I would gladly accept for this thing, because it is fairly expensive.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
Looks like a good thing. Need to have more water flowing to cut down on the dust.

When I did the paving in my drive way I hired a brick cutter after I laid all the full sized pavers. I was flat out that day cutting and laying pavers, I can see why you bought one.

Hire it out to a few people and you will soon get your money back and your pavers cut for free :)
 
I laid a larger curved brick drive years ago using the traditional tools - a bolster and club hammer. It doesn't take much practice to get a quick clean cut. The negative in Sydney's climate is keeping it moss free. Bleach works for least cost.
 
Fordman said:
Just bought a decent brick cutter for a few big jobs coming up.
From Able Machinery - $950 - sounds expensive but cheap for one of these. Have bought Able stuff before, no frills Chinese made, but pretty rugged construction, semi-commercial use.
One would think it best to hire a brick cutter, but at $150 per day, I thought how pissed off I would be when I went down for the seventh day to hire one! Also then you are on a time limit every time, and loading on and off the trailer - no thanks.
I have this garden bed to edge (1st job), then the carport to be paved with probably about 100 pavers to be cut (2nd job) and then about 80 square metres of driveway paving with curved borders. Now whether or not I do it myself, or get a young fella to help me, still need a brick cutter.
When I went to pick it up it was in a bigger box than expected, lucky I took the trailer.
It is heavy, about 85kgs, needs 2 blokes to move it around.
I've got it set up under a portable gazebo and today used it for the first time. Cuts through these 80mm thick x 270mm deep concrete blocks with ease, although I did push it a bit too hard (see video) and it stalled, but recovered when load taken off. Have since cut quite a few blocks with a steady even light pressure and it does a great job.


A few photos:
View attachment 128644View attachment 128645View attachment 128646View attachment 128647View attachment 128648View attachment 128649View attachment 128650View attachment 128651

It has adjustable stops for 90° and 45°, and I have added an extra stop to get 22.5, so I can get neat 45° corners on my garden edging blocks, that is what I am cutting in the video, and the last couple of photos.

Now to keep my family's hands off it. No, just joking, already have offers from family and neighbour to HIRE it from me at some stage, which I would gladly accept for this thing, because it is fairly expensive.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
That dust is terrible, don't breath it!!!!!!! I bought some diamond blades from ALDI for my drop saw. I ended up wearing my air fed mask (normally used for painting) and I think I killed half the entire suburb with dust from it. Never again! I assumed a wet saw wouldn't make dust?
 
COL said:
Looks like a good thing. Need to have more water flowing to cut down on the dust.
Click to expand...

Yes, and at this very minute that is what I am doing (after using it the first time). The hoses going in each side of the blade have a brass fitting which stops 20mm away from the blade, and with quite low pressure doesn't reach the blade, especially on the "down" side with the angle of the blade. By chance the ID of that fitting on the inside is about 9.3mm, just right for a 1/8 BSP tap, which I have just put into it. Tomorrow I hope to pick up a couple of 1/8 BSP nylon adaptors which I can trim to clear the blade by say 1mm. That's what you get with these cheapo machines, probably adequate for someone who doesn't care, but with a small mod should be good. At least the fittings are brass and screwed in, so quite workable. I was hoping for no dust, and I think this will make a big difference.
Cheers.

Edit: Shane, yes, I was wearing a mask - and earplugs - and gloves. Never used so much safety equipment! But hopefully will fix the dust problem as above.
 
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Why not turn the tap on more?

But if I had to modify I would forget fittings and stuff but just solder some extensions (maybe with a smaller hole) to the existing brass fitting. You can get some tube of whatever diameter you need from hobby shops if you have no better idea and the advantage is after soldering you an flatten the outlet to make a nice fan jet on the disc.
 
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