Toolbag Tales-Homemade and improvised tools

[Gibbo2286]

Need to clear my small workshop of ALL the tools/kit, anyone like to make an offer for some or all of it?

[mickthemaverick]

Have you got a lathe among your collection Gibbo?

[Gibbo2286]

Did have Mick but it's already gone.

[mickthemaverick]

That's a pity. The only other thing that might interest me would be torque wrenches. I have a couple, small and large, but neither are in the best of health!

[mickthemaverick]

The simplest of homemade tools!!

When we had a new open gas fire fitted I was very pleased with both the look and the performance:

MTM Original

However there was a problem, the control knob is not easy to access and I was concerned that when turning off a hot coal could be accidentally disturbed and roll down onto the hand on the knob:

MTM Original

MTM Original

So I made the simplest tool of all which does have the knob's chamfer so has a top and a bottom:

MTM Original

MTM Original

Simply inserted through the front the knob is under complete control

MTM Original

and when not in use it stores away safely out of site but preventing access to the knob so the tool is not forgotten!!

MTM Original

[mickthemaverick]

I see you have decided to get rid of your workshop stock Neil:

Click on the image to enlarge for reading

BFTW

Details here if you are interested!

[Rp0thejester]

The simplest of homemade tools!!

When we had a new open gas fire fitted I was very pleased with both the look and the performance:



However there was a problem, the control knob is not easy to access and I was concerned that when turning off a hot coal could be accidentally disturbed and roll down onto the hand on the knob:





So I made the simplest tool of all which does have the knob's chamfer so has a top and a bottom:





Simply inserted through the front the knob is under complete control



and when not in use it stores away safely out of site but preventing access to the knob so the tool is not forgotten!!

my wife read that and said she forgot she was reading about a gas fire!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

I see you have decided to get rid of your workshop stock Neil:

Took a while to make the connection Mick, but yes Falcon Workshop Supplies had to go,

Neil

[CitroJim]

Excellent!

[NewcastleFalcon]

How to remove the "label" from the lid of a "Celebrations" tub.

This may have a very niche application. Say you were wanting to create an homage to a level crossing gate with a cross in pristine white painted wood, and a bright red circle at the intersection.

You have no appropriate tools to cut such a circle neatly out of wood/hardboard/ply/metal.

Answer adapt the bright red lid from a "celebrations" tub. Perfect...the face side is red for your project but the other side has the logo, pictures of small Bounty, Mars, Snickers, Galaxy, Galaxy Caramel, Milky Way, Mars, Maltesers, and Twix in a whole lid "label" which is stuck to the red plastic, with the most immovable glue known to man.

You tube uselessly suggests a range of ineffective methods and solvents, so out comes this bit of improvisation

Yes a folded-over can lid
The worlds most effective label remover and glue scraper

I would describe the finish as perfect, in the sense that it is perfectly adequate for the illusion in hand.

Neil

[myglaren]

I usually find Acetone to work well, sometimes to well as a splash of it has spoiled one of the laptop's keyboard.

[Armidillo]

When the usual options of eucalyptus oil, metho etc. fail, I find petrol is a very good solvent, and readily available - don't think I'd be using it on a laptop however!

[CitroJim]

Petrol used to be the go-to solvent for all sorts of things...

I've used it on clothing to remove oily spots before now...

[MarcusMcGuinness]

Lighter fuel, the sort you put in a Zippo, removes sticky label residue very well.

Mac

[NewcastleFalcon]

Thanks all but I remain unconvinced that any of the solvents mentioned will pass the test of removing the label and its glue from the lid of a celebrations tub and that the folded over metal can lid is the only method by which the label can be removed.

As such I throw down the "Celebrations Lid Challenge".

Bring to the thread picture or video evidence of the successful removal of the label from the lid of a Celebrations Tub by any method or solvent you choose.

Bon chance!

Neil