# What MacGuyver tools to use? or Ways Around the High Cost of Tools!



## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Face it, I am a cheapskate, no matter how much I tell everyone how frugal I am.
I'm so cheap I would pull the other side of the two ply toilet paper apart after use if I could find someone to use it.

This thread is about home made tools.
Kind of like some books that have been written about kitchen and household shortcuts.

Let's see what simple ideas ya'll can come up with and use all the time to make working in the shop much easier.

I'll start this out with this one:
I do a lot of work on 2 stroke engines. You know, weed eaters, chainsaws, leaf blowers, etc.
There are normally 2 or 3 kinds of carburetors used on them and within those types of carburetors are only about 4 different kinds of fuel adjustment.
1.) Pac-man, Looks like a pie with a slice out of it.
2.) "D" A circle with a slice off one side.
3.) "Double D" NO, not Pam Anderson, Actually a circle with a slice off each side.
4.) Spline….. a circle with a bunch of lines down the sides.

What all these have in common is they are pretty much the same circumference screws and purposely built to keep the user from adjusting the carb at home.
The EPA awhile back made it illegal to sell the proper tools to adjust these carburetors at home so the price on them has really gone up, from about $2.00 for a screwdriver with all four tips plus a flat and a phillips 5 years ago, the price is now up to almost $30 for a single type driver, (If you can even find one).

I use to pull the screws out and cut slots in them for a regular screwdriver, but it's a slow process and not all that effective.
Then one day I was messing around replacing fuel lines, (A constant chore on most repairs), and couldn't get to the customer's H-L fuel screws no matter what I did, (I normally used a tiny set of needle nose pliers I ground down to fit in the holes).
Then while I was trying to mark the screw with my mechanical pencil I ran out of lead. I grabbed another, got the screws marked but couldn't find a way to turn them, then i a burst of inspiration, I grabbed the old mechanical pencil, (Zebra M-301) and looked at the barrel. It was too large. I took it apart, and trying different pieces finally found that the lead reservoir, (a white plastic tube), is the perfect size for pushing over those screws and later I found it fit perfectly on all the other types of adjustment screws on the small 2 stroke engines.

Now it's your turn!


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I don't have homemade tools so much. I simply want to say yay for cheapskates. My father was one of the great cheapskates and I hope I learned plenty from him.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

I found buying poorly made tools or tools that are made by factories where they've only seen blurry pictures of real tools to be the worst way to spend tool money. I've not yet started making my own tools (for my vast repetoire of projects I really probably have way more tools than is required ;-) so I buy tools and I've found costly tools doesn't necessarily relate to expensive tools. I guess the saying buy it right the first time is more frugal than buying a bunch of tools that either aren't up to doing the job effectively/safely or just plain out just break or wear out far too early requiring you to buy yet another of the same tool.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

*Mark Shymanski,* This thread isn't about well made tools or poorly made tools.
What it is about is ways to get around over priced, over valued, hard to find, greed driven profit tools.

Why would I want to pay $30 for the same cheap tool I could buy 5 years ago for $3 just because the government says I'm not capable of adjusting something?

For another example, (so as not to sound hateful - which I really don't), 
Every major 2 stroke engine builder recommends buying a special screw in plug with a stud on the end of it in order to lock the cylinder.
In case you ask, you want to lock the cylinder in place in case you might happen to want to change the clutch, like on a chainsaw or weed eater.

An easier and cheaper way is to use a piece of clothesline or heavy shoe string down the sparkplug hole.
Pull the piston around until it's at the bottom, feed the string into the sparkplug hole until no more will go in. Pull the piston up until it no longer moves and the cylinder is locked with no damage.

From your reply it seems as if you don't do any repair of your own tools or if you do you send it off to the repair hell.
Many of us do stupid things like repair our own stuff, modify tools to make them do what we want them to do and don't believe that paying a lot of money for a name brand tool is the answer.
(I fell into that trap with MAC, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc. when I was doing 56 jobs, 24 hours a day as a trucking company owner).
I at one time had a $9,000 tool box, not counting tools.
It didn't work any better than my $1600 worth of tool boxes from Northern Tool and Harbor Freight.

When we got rid of the business the Snap-on guy offered me $1500 for my box with all the tools.

Never again.

I have always been known as the guy who could fix stuff. In fact many of my jobs, (I mostly have worked contract jobs all my life), were simply because I can fix stuff. Anything from a 1/6 hp fountain pump to a 300,000HP steam turbine in an old war ship.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

Needed to r/r the fuel filter on a 2002 F150. The tool required to do this is like a set of pliers, each jaw of which is half a cylindrical tube about 3/8" diameter, to go around the fuel line and push into the fitting to release it. I cut a slot down one side of the body of one of those fatter Bic pens and pushed with that. It didn't last very long, since it's quite a bit softer than the proper tool, but I only had to do it once.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

I freaking love homemade tools. I have some cheap tools, and some high end tools. But nothing gives me the satisfaction of using a homemade tool or "machine".


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

The last time I made my own tool I nearly put my eye out and needed stitches.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

*darthford*

Your mom told you that would happen.

Either that or you would go blind!


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

I'm so cheap I use an old 5" spiral nail as an awl/scriber. If I put a wooden handle over it I guess it would be an awl.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Many years ago, I rebuilt the differential in my '64 Impala. I had to turn the bearing holders to adjust the ring and pinion backlash. I made a spanner from a piece of angle iron and two 1/4-20 bolts rather than buy the tool. Quicker and cheaper than the "correct" tool. I still have it, if for nothing else than having the metal.

I fixed the brakes on a truck at the side of the road once, with a pair of screwdrivers. The brakes had overheated, and then when they cooled, the drum contracted, locking the brakes up. I managed to back the adjuster off, and got the guy rolling again. My Boy Scout troop called me MacGuyver after that. It really wasn't a big deal, if you know what to do. But I did save the guy a tow bill from nowhere to civilization.


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## bkillen (Oct 8, 2013)

I believe in buying good tools when you can and I preach "right tool for the job" like when my wife is trying to drive a picture hanging nail with the butt end of a screwdriver, however…

years ago before I had much in the way of tools. my "torsion box" assembly table was an old hollow core door on sawhorses. I would screw a wooden straight edge down, glue up my panels, screw down another straight edge and drive shims in to clamp it. built several kitchen cabinet doors that way. I didn't need no steenkin clamps. Door had been painted with a slick oil based paint, panel would pop right off after glue up.


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## unclebenny (Apr 5, 2013)

I've only been woodworking for a little over a year. I have had a great time building some of the various jigs, sleds, etc that I'ge seen here, woodsmith, and other places. Some of them I use all the time, some of them not so much. Looking forward to getting some new ideas here…


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Anything can be used as a hammer depending on the situation and how mad you are at the time.


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## darthford (Feb 17, 2013)

I'll show you MacGuyver, hey yellow jacket nest get some! That's a 16' tree trimmer pole with a 6' shop broom pole duct taped to it, and one of those wasp and hornet killer plastic gizmo's you can operate from a distance with a pull string.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

I think Stumpy owns this category.

Yesterday I stuck a large nail into a big piece of cardboard and on that nail I put a Stanley No. 8 Y lever fork, and I bent the cardboard at the right angle so I could spray paint it. This is why there will never be a prime time TV show about my life as a crazy-think man.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

Not woodworking related, but on my motorcycle there are nuts that only have 2 slots on them. The manual calls for buying the dedicated sockets from the manufacturer themself. I just took some cheapo Chinese import sockets with a dremel tool and cut the socket such that it fits.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

*I like wedges*. 
For my purposes, my bench with its wedge leg vice and two wedge wagon vices is as useful as one with the expensive hardware.
I like it so much I'm going t build another (smaller) one at my winter place very soon. The wedge idea may be MacGuyver-esque but I really didn't go that way just to be cheap. I did it for the challenge and because I saw no reason to buy expensive hardware if it wasn't required..


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Some great answers so far.

I am trying to set up a studio so I can have friends in and record what may or may not pass as music.
I didn't have any microphone stands so I improvised.

I have cheap camera tripods, a handful of heavy decent Shure and CAD mics, but no good way to connect the two.
Along comes a 5/8" dowel rod and a 1/4" bolt.
I ran the dowel through the table saw for about 8" to make a flat side.
Then to the drill press to bore a 1/4" hole about 6 1/2" up.
Bolt to the camera tripod, use plug cutter on hand drill on the other end to shave off a bit so the 5/8" mic. holder will thread on.
Attach mic. holder and mic add a bit of weight on the back end to stabilize and counter balance and Waa-Laa….. you have a handy boom microphone stand.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Hey Dallas… when I worked on those little carbs, I used to heat the end of a small screwdriver and poke it into the little plastic caps on those adjuster screws. Pull the hot screwdriver out and let it cool for just a minute, re-insert it and adjust away!


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

I can vouch for Paul's wedges.

Very effective both for holding things and cost wise.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Joe, I haven't seen many of those plastic caps in the last few years. 
Stihl, Poulan, Husky, Echo and Jonsered all come with a hard steel screw, no cap.


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## reedwood (Jan 27, 2011)

I don't know if this counts but, I replaced the broken handle and rivets on my very used large pooper scooper with a longer broom handle and s.s. screws….. saved a whopping 18 bucks, and my back!

my wife poked fun of me because it was a nasty job but hey, I refill my plastic water bottles, so it made sense to me. Plus, I built it Better!


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Of course it counts Mark!


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

I've always enjoyed making my own tools. I've made 3-4 planes using flea market find blades, scrapers from old saw plates, marking knives from saber saw blades, squares from scraps. A few years ago I decided it was time to go the whole way. Made the tool box and filled it with all home made tools.




































I had to remake many of the tools as the entry criteria for the Colorado Sate Fair required everything be made since the last fair. Won Blue ribbon and Judges choice. The box and tools are now in the shop and in regular use. I had to buy new wood to make the box, but everything else came from on-hand materials. I don't have a picture of the back, but the hinges are oak with brass pins. Old files became chisels and a blade for the smallest plane. Old planer knives became chisel knife blades. You get the idea. I did make one exception and included some old drill bits that I had accumulated over the years, but I did make the index,

I've added a number of tools to the box since the pictures were taken, but only tools I've made.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Dallas. I make special tools all the time and also work on 2 and 4 stroke engines on weed wackers, snow blowers and leaf blowers…etc. when I see those adjusting screws down inside a pocket like that, I take a hacksaw and sometimes a cut off wheel on a Dremel and cut a slot through the screw and the housing around it. then a flat blade screw driver works right away. I usually have to buy new diaphragms for the 2 stokers . Those plastic carbs they use on the Bolens mowers are nice with no adjustments..just have to clean the inner tubes out and they usually start on one pull

I even made 2 1/2" and 3 1/2" spade bits for round bottom pockets in a Sungka game I made..you can't buy them

cheers, Jim


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