I thought I'd start a thread on cool tools - those things that you have found that are a bit off beat, but make your life a lot easier. They don't have to be expensive or rare, just things that other people might not have thought of. I'll kick off with my punch set.
When you are fixing old machinery, gaskets are a problem. I first hit the problem fixing up a 1946 Field-Marshall tractor. I needed to make a rubber gasket for the top of the gear box with about 50 bolt holes in it. The first attempt was with a knife and a drill, and it was rubbish. Then I found the punch set and suddenly life was a lot easier. Fixing up old saws and other machinery presents the same problem: gaskets are "NLA", and you're a bit stuffed if you want to do a proper job.
So here is my gasket making kit:
The punches are in the red box on the left. They are a set of sharp steel rings in diameters ranging from 2mm to 50mm. You mount the rings on the punch handle, whack it with a mallet....and a perfect hole is created. I bought a supply of gasket paper (cork and paper), but any sheet of card will do - I've used cereal packets in an emergency.
Getting the outside of a shape is pretty easy for small items such as saw carbs - just clamp the item to a board and cut round it with a sharp knife.
Then punch the holes:
You can see the punch body on the right hand side of the picture. If you press the gasket paper onto the item, it generally transfers the outline of the holes, which allows you to position it correctly.
Another neat trick is that you can punch rings by mounting two cutters into the punch body at the same time. You don't get the cork gaskets in a Tilly HL "small" repair kit...but they're easy to make:
When you are fixing old machinery, gaskets are a problem. I first hit the problem fixing up a 1946 Field-Marshall tractor. I needed to make a rubber gasket for the top of the gear box with about 50 bolt holes in it. The first attempt was with a knife and a drill, and it was rubbish. Then I found the punch set and suddenly life was a lot easier. Fixing up old saws and other machinery presents the same problem: gaskets are "NLA", and you're a bit stuffed if you want to do a proper job.
So here is my gasket making kit:
The punches are in the red box on the left. They are a set of sharp steel rings in diameters ranging from 2mm to 50mm. You mount the rings on the punch handle, whack it with a mallet....and a perfect hole is created. I bought a supply of gasket paper (cork and paper), but any sheet of card will do - I've used cereal packets in an emergency.
Getting the outside of a shape is pretty easy for small items such as saw carbs - just clamp the item to a board and cut round it with a sharp knife.
Then punch the holes:
You can see the punch body on the right hand side of the picture. If you press the gasket paper onto the item, it generally transfers the outline of the holes, which allows you to position it correctly.
Another neat trick is that you can punch rings by mounting two cutters into the punch body at the same time. You don't get the cork gaskets in a Tilly HL "small" repair kit...but they're easy to make:
Excellent work there. I'll give them a proper home.
