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When working in a greasy situation, put about a teaspoon of dish soap on your hands, then rub together until dry. When you
are finished, just wash your hands, and they are as good as new. (careful, hands might be slipery)
How many times have you wanted to hold a part in your bench vise but were afraid the steel jaws of the vise would mar
the part? Cut a couple of pieces of wood about the save size as the vise jaws and fasten magnetic strips to the wood with
glue or heavy staples. Just stick the wood to the vice jaws when you have a more delicate part to hold.
Sometimes you need to clamp a part in your vise that is an odd shape and the vice just can't get a good grip on it. Clamp
a big piece of angle iron in your vise, drill appropriate holes. And then bolt the part to it. After a while the angle iron
will be full of holes that can accommodate a variety of parts.
Plastic bags are great for holding small parts, because you can see through them long after you've forgotten what you
put inside. Use a marker to write on the bags to help remember where the parts came from. Aluminum foil and plastic cling
wraps are great for masking off irregular shaped items when painting nearby them or for sealing parts like the carburetor
or generator when steam cleaning an engine.
Just open up a dictionary and look at the definition of cheap insurance, and you will see a pair of goggles. Your eyesight
is priceless and good quality safety goggles cost about two bucks. The problem is the goggles are in your toolbox or under
your workbench and you're too lazy or forgetful to get them every time you use your drill press of bench grinder. The solution
is simple. Buy a half-dozen pairs today and keep one hanging on each tool or piece of equipment in your shop that could injure
your eyes. That way you'll have to pick up the goggles before you can use the equipment and it will become second nature to
put them on.
When painting in tight spots, it's difficult to apply paint in spots that are inaccessible with a brush or spray can.
A great technique is to place the spray cap and thin applicator tube from a WD-40 can on a can of spray paint. The thin paint
moves very easily through the tube and can travel several feet. Great for inside a frame rail. Always pre-spray a shot of
paint to remove any WD-40 form the applicator tube and when finished painting replace the cap and give it a shot of WD-40
to clean the paint out of the tube. Be conservative when painting because a lot of paint moves through the tube very quickly
and could cause runs. Also be certain the tube is seated tightly in the cap, or it can blow off and not only make a mess but
can be a real mother to find.
Keep some short pieces of PVC pipe in your toolbox. Roughly the same diameter as your heater hoses and your upper and
lower radiator hoses. When you are on the trail and you or someone else blows a hose, simply cut the hose in half where the
hole is and insert the appropriate size of PVC pipe. Seal the connection with those extra hose clamps you brought with you,
and you're ready to roll. Don't forget to check your coolant level.
Make a waterproof container for tools , food, etc., out of 3 or 4-inch PVC pipe. Glue a smooth, permanent cap on one end,
and keep a threaded removable cap on the other. That way it's easy to keep tools and other items dry and out of the way. Its
easy to bungee cord it to the floor or side of the truck or fasten under the seat. It also fastens really nice to a rollbar.
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