What new tools have you got lately?

[Frankenchevy]

Those crimps are way better than what I get with my hammer crimper. And I thought I was fancy with my hammer crimper... I used to crimp cable lugs with a hammer and punch, lol.

I finally graduated from squeezing the terminal in my vice with a ball bearing or rod. Like many things, it would’ve worked better if I had three hands.

 

[Ricko1966]

I’d tell you to swing on by for an amateur alignment, but I’m a long way from Kansas!

I've had the angle iron alignment jigs and the Caster camber gauge for sh#t about 30 years 1994 to now. Have never had good cable crimper though and messed my hand up on my last one. Using a homemade crimper that uses a bolt as a vise trying to use it in car I held it with my hand thinking the rat a tat tat of the impact would run it down without spinning it in my hand. Nope,won't make that mistake again.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Since we are talking wire crimper, I've always wanted to just grind the jaws on one my 37 pair of bolt cutters to use as cable crimper. Thinking just grind triangle into each jaw so when they were shut the 2 would make a square. Or I could grind a half moon into each jaw and end up with a circle,but I don't know the dimensions for a good crimp, can anyone with round or square jaw crimper give me some dimensions. These into these,but bigger for battery cables ,Also have thought of grinding 1/2 moons in 1 side leavingbthe other jaw flat like the vise use like american auto wire crimper, if I have to by these to copy the cut outs.

Making a slip on set for some filed down jaws on a bolt cutter wouldn’t be a bad idea.

We always called bolt cutters master keys. Then again, we also called a sledge or door breach a master key as well…

 

[Ricko1966]

Making a slip on set for some filed down jaws on a bolt cutter wouldn’t be a bad idea.

We always called bolt cutters master keys. Then again, we also called a sledge or door breach a master key as well…

I have too many sets of bolt cutters I'm just going to regrind the jaws on a pair,I'd rather have 5 bolt cutters and 1 dedicated crimper instead of 6 bolt cutters.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I have too many sets of bolt cutters I'm just going to regrind the jaws on a pair,I'd rather have 5 bolt cutters and 1 dedicated crimper instead of 6 bolt cutters.

If you consistently make the same few sizes of crimps, that should work out. I was suggesting some dies to slip onto the jaws for interchangeability.

FWIW, my hydraulic tool was less than $100. I use the heck out of it, so it was worth the money to me. I’ll be honest though, I’ve been known to go looking for projects to justify a new tool purchase. It’s an issue I inherited from my dad.

 

[Ricko1966]

If you consistently make the same few sizes of crimps, that should work out. I was suggesting some dies to slip onto the jaws for interchangeability.

FWIW, my hydraulic tool was less than $100. I use the heck out of it, so it was worth the money to me. I’ll be honest though, I’ve been known to go looking for projects to justify a new tool purchase. It’s an issue I inherited from my dad.

I know what you mean,I have too many of everything,I need a drill and I'm too far from home I buy a drill,etc.etc. I'm going to try to start repurposing some of my multiple tools. Seriously was thinking about it the other day,all my life I've been upgrading,upgrading,but always hanging on to the old. I don't need 700 13mm sockets 97 sawzalls 6 bottom boxes idk how many top boxes,welders,aircompressors,oops forgot the bottom box I use as my chop saw table. But I only have one lift. Yep jinxed myself there,now I gotta look for another lift.

 

[mxer147]

Bought a power steering pulley puller. Also bought new abrasive and wire wheel for the bench grinder, they were toast.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I know what you mean,I have too many of everything,I need a drill and I'm too far from home I buy a drill,etc.etc. I'm going to try to start repurposing some of my multiple tools. Seriously was thinking about it the other day,all my life I've been upgrading,upgrading,but always hanging on to the old. I don't need 700 13mm sockets 97 sawzalls 6 bottom boxes idk how many top boxes,welder,aircompressors,oops forgot a bottom box I use as my chop saw table. But I only have one lift. Yep jinxed myself there,now I gotta look for another lift.

I’m currently looking at lifts. I’m choosing between Mohawk and Challenger CL series. They are the only two actual American made lifts I can find.

 

[bucket]

Making a slip on set for some filed down jaws on a bolt cutter wouldn’t be a bad idea.

We always called bolt cutters master keys. Then again, we also called a sledge or door breach a master key as well…

And bricks are "universal window openers".

 

[SirRobyn0]

I was in HF the other day, picking up rubber gloves, a tarp and a couple other misc stuff. Always have to visit the clearance / open box shelf, but rarely is there anything I want. Well there was a 1/2 cordless bauer impact for $35. Other guys at the shop have tool truck brands of cordless impacts, but with me wrenching less, even in a regular priced bauer seemed like to much money to spend. But $35, sure, I've got other bauer cordless tools on the farm, drills, saws ect, so I already had batteries and a spare charger I could take to the shop. Well it's not got the power of some of the other cordless impacts have, but it certainly has enough go power to wrangler all but the most stuck on over torqued lug nuts out there. We will see how it holds up long term, but it's certain powerful enough to play with the big boys, and given that my drill and impact driver on the farm have been forgotten in the rain, dropped in the chicken coop mud, and years later are still going strong. So I'd think the 1/2 will have a respectable life expectancy.

 

[hoagster]

Are you using too small of a die on those? With mine, it produces a nice hexagonal crimp. The areas highlighted in orange are getting squished between the flat areas of the dies outside of the hexagon, if I’m looking at your picture correctly.

You must be registered for see images attach

If that’s the case, it may tear the copper or aluminum and weaken the terminal. On occasion, I will size down on one of the halves to crimp a metric sized wire.

Then again, I may not be seeing what I think I’m seeing and your dies are different.

No it was AWG 6 die and wire, could be a learning curve. But those lugs aren't coming off I tried believe me!

 

[Snoots]

Just a hand pumped hydraulic cylinder for terminating lugs onto wires.

Here’s some 3/0 cable I made for a ground wire on one of my trucks with a 370amp alternator. I can hang from these terminals.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I did a resistance test on a spool of cable with the terminals on both ends and they are as good as any other connection for heavy gauge wire.

I want to see a pic of that 370 amp alternator.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I want to see a pic of that 370 amp alternator.

Doesn’t look much different than a stocker. It’s a MechMan 370a for a 5.9crd. I redid a good portion of the engine bay wiring in this project. Some related to the alt, some for piece of mind.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Big Ray]

I had to buy myself a crimper after seeing this one.
Came with cutters, a seal rebuild kit, and gloves! Lol

Goes to 2/0.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[AKguy]

Purchased a new valve spring compressor tool #648615 from Advanced Auto here. It could not budge the Comp springs on my 454. So I bought a large C clamp and made my own. Works great.

You must be registered for see images attach