Often it is necessary to space the work piece up in the mill vise or off the machine’s table, when drilling or boring, etc. In addition to typical set of milling parallels, these shop-made variable height fixtures have proven to be very handy. Tom Nichols Automotive...
When I'm recharging my spray wash, I have a coffee can with small holes that I use to dissolve the detergent. It allows the water to fill and mix with the detergent and lets me stir it if needed as I'm adding. This prevents the detergent from setting and caking on the...
Freshly bored blocks leave a sharp edge on the bottom where the skirts protrude. I've found one of these little belt sanders are perfect to break that edge and add a chamfer. The outboard side I do from the crankcase and the Inboard side I put the sander through the...
Sometimes when chasing the head bolt holes on Chevy blocks, you'll hit a casting knob. Then you think, will the bolt thread in far enough. I use a 7/16 valve guide and some washers to mimic the cylinder head thickness. This saves time by not having to measure every...
As we get older our vision gets worse, and I have found these inexpensive sewing machine lights help a lot. I have several around the shop in places like at tool setting fixtures, the ring grinder, the valve grinder and more. Arus Kinney AK's Engine And Machining ...
Sometimes it's nice to be able to test what effect adding weight will have to a crankshaft balance. Since modern balancers also read cross planes, the placement can sometimes get tricky. This is especially true if the opposite side is close to the edge of the...