Bulk Wrenches

Either nitric acid or alum is claimed to dissolve steel without harming aluminum. Alum is a harmless ag store supply while nitric acid may raise red flags.

I can get either, but you missed the part where I am prototyping in 1018 because its cheaper, and I have it on hand not dogeared for another project already.

What I usually do on a non cosmetic (prototyping garbage or reject salvage) through hole is back drill it, and drive out the offensive item with a punch. On items that must be blind holes I often scrap the part because its cheaper than screwing with it for hours or days. If its purely cosmetic I can back drill, drive out the bit, and then ream and plug, but only for my own use. Bearing and sleeve locker for a slip fit plug works, but a press fit usually looks better. It can be almost invisible.

As to your other comment, I seem to recall that aluminum is mildy reactive with acids, but aluminum oxide is very resistant to acids.

However bases are really hard on aluminum oxide which is why lye (desmut solution) is often used as a preparatory step for anodizing. It removes the natural aluminum oxide so your anodizing process in acid bath can grow a harder oxide coating.

Aluminum is also highly reactive with air, and forms an oxide coating that protects it from the air/moisture almost immediately.

Its what sometimes makes learning to weld aluminum tricky. Aluminum oxide also melts at a higher temperature.

For those without CNC, the hole on the back side can be centered under the spindle by clamping an upright point, plug or stub drill shank in the vise and positioning it under the spindle to locate the hole on. It could be transferred from the chuck. Tee slot clamps could hold the part in place on the vise jaw tops.

The drill may be damaged or break at contact with the stuck one, I'd use a small easily replaced bit like 1/8".

Or since I know all the reference points and locations, I could just use an edge finder to set my zeros and move to the location. Can be done with hand wheels or with a DRO.

Or I could use the working model with a transfer punch... after I knock the tangs out of the Helicoils.

Trust me I don't like programming up a tiny little job if I don't have to.

It doesn't bother me in the least to waste a drill saving a part. I buy common sizes in batches in screw machine lengths. 7, 21, D, F of course, but a few others as well. When drill two hits drill one it ruins the point, and I still have a web of metal, but usually a punch will go through it. The biggest issue really is if I have enough lead in to keep the punch straight. I suppose I should make up some sort of chuck to use pins on one of the presses for that, but its not something I have to do everyday.

Usually I don't throw the drill away. I just put it in my drill dispenser drawers loose so I know its used and probably needs to be reground. New drills stay in the tubes they came in.

Or since I know all the reference points and locations, I could just use an edge finder to set my zeros and move to the location. Can be done with hand wheels or with a DRO.

Or I could use the working model with a transfer punch... after I knock the tangs out of the Helicoils.

Trust me I don't like programming up a tiny little job if I don't have to.

It doesn't bother me in the least to waste a drill saving a part. I buy common sizes in batches in screw machine lengths. 7, 21, D, F of course, but a few others as well. When drill two hits drill one it ruins the point, and I still have a web of metal, but usually a punch will go through it. The biggest issue really is if I have enough lead in to keep the punch straight. I suppose I should make up some sort of chuck to use pins on one of the presses for that, but its not something I have to do everyday.

Usually I don't throw the drill away. I just put it in my drill dispenser drawers loose so I know its used and probably needs to be reground. New drills stay in the tubes they came in.

I suppose the difference is that I live where I need powered outdoor equipment to deal with nature in summer and winter, and it's either very expensive and unrepairable plastic if new or requires metal work when old, when I acquire it. Road salt is the cause of most of my vehicle repair, without it we'd have much more crash repair.

Well transfer punches are a pretty basic way to locate holes, and even with this "precision" part its good enough for salvaging a scrap part for personal use. You have to have some way to gage or measure when back drilling the blind side of a hole with a broken tool in it.

NO, I DO NOT, buy every size of drill by the dozen. I buy half dozen to a dozen at a time of a FEW common sizes I use regularly. Would you be surprised to know I have multiple drill (jacobs style) drill chucks for a couple of my CNC machines and I almost never use any of them. I only drill 4 size of hole routinely on the CNC machines and only have 5 or 6 preloaded in tool holders. On the two X5 Speedmasters I only drill D, F, 7, and 21. On the Tormach I add an O drill for 5/16 clearance, but I probably haven't used it in year. I recently added some micro carbide drills (1/16, 3/32, 1/8 and 3/16 very cheap) to the Tormach for the slide bar and the rotating assembly on wire bender.

Quality individual drills aren't expensive either. I buy name brand HSS drills 6-12 at a time from McMaster or MSC (double check brand if buying from MSC, they have some cheap stuff too).

My drill dispenser cabinet is for the standard 115 pc set, but I didn't buy a dozen of each. I emptied out all my old partial set drill indexes gathered up over the years, and many slots in the drawers. I had a tool box drawer full of loose drills as well which I went through, measured, and placed in the appropriate drawer slot. No its not a fancy 3 piece Huot drill dispenser cabinet (although it looks very similar). It was a Vevor closeout that was marked wrong so they were getting rid of them at cheaper than China prices. The new one is still a lot cheaper than a Huot.

I think you mistake me. My first machining projects were done with no more than a drill, a circular saw with an abrasive blade, and a bench grinder. One of the first projects I asked for help with in this group around 30 years ago was making a recessed panel on blank aluminum electrical cover plates.

I was installing photo electric beams tied to counters in a US port of pedestrian gate turnstyle area. I found mini almost recessed photo beams with a 5 year warranty, studied the load of the counters, protected the contacts with MOVs, and built the power supply. (Yes at one time I was a government contractor). My biggest concern was in the close quarters I was afraid the clothing and stuff people were carrying rubbing against them would abrade the lenses and cause them to fail. My solution was to mount them in electrical cover plates with a recessed panel to reduce (not eliminate) contact and extend their life. It worked.

I made a set of press dies out of A36 with the circular saw (K-mart special Black & Decker), a hand held drill (Might have been my K-Mart Black & Decker, but I might have owned a Makita (corded) by then), a jig saw (Black & Decker), the bench grinder (Olympia), and a Dremel(tm) tool I borrowed from a friend. I carefully placed the cover plate over the close fitting bottom die, placed the top die by eyeball, and squished them with the 12 ton press I just retired. It worked. My biggest disappointment was nobody noticed or appreciated the work I did to make that happen.

I guess I am a machinist now, but I am very much a use what I got kinda shade tree mechanic. A few tools I bought because I wanted them, but

I still struggle with each new challenge, and I still giggle a little inside if it works out. I don't JUST HAVE a bunch of stuff, and I specifically recognized your "common man" approach with other options.

I admit I do have a bunch of stuff now, but it was hard earned by not having stuff.

-------------------------- Please don't take my low tech approach comments as aimed at you, they are grouped with yours to appear if someone else finds and reads the discussion. Someone starting with basic equipment, perhaps.

Then you should have mentioned using a nail as a scratch awl and locating everything with a ruler. The nice thing about a nail is it low tech AND it can serve multiple purposes. Scratch awl, crude drill bit, tire marking gage for wheel alignment, and as a fastener come to mind.

Okay the marking gage requires an accessory 2 by 4, tape measure and an assistant who isn't totally incompetent which might put it out of your set containing only low tech solutions. If you accept that putting those parts together can still be low tech it can then be used as a booby trap after you are done doing a shade tree wheel alignment. Just toss it out in the yard where your enemies are likely to be walking.

(P.S. I have aligned wheels that way, and even used it to check trailer axles before and after bending.)

(P.S. I have aligned wheels that way, and even used it to check trailer axles before and after bending.)

-- Bob La Londe CNC Molds N Stuff

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The low tech wheel alignment I learned was to jack them up and scribe a line in the adhering dust with a screwdriver tip on a steady rest (jack stand?) while rotating them. That was for dirt track racers, I used spray paint and marked while wet. The line may show you why not to use the tread pattern. Lower them, roll back and forth to settle and measure between the lines fore and aft. If lacking a tape measure and assistant, long enough wood or metal can be raised on boxes and aligned on one side, then marked on the other.

The front wheels must be straight ahead, they turn to different angles to compensate for different inner and outer turning circles.

In the rare case of having a Chilton's or Haynes manual it may give the acceptable range, though for my Ranger Haynes says go to a competent alignment shop. This trick can at least get you there. The factory manual gives +/- 0.13".

Writing this was useful, it led me to the bag of roof rack mounts I need to reinstall, which were under the Ranger book. It would have been in the truck but I stripped the cab of all but the driver's seat to patch rust holes in the floor. The rack interferes with clearing off snow.

See, you had to go complicate everything. A nail makes a nice mark all by itself (when pushed through a 2x4), and its easy because all you have to do is stand on the 2x4 when you spin the tire. A nail is also a lot cheaper or maybe even free.

See, you had to go complicate everything. A nail makes a nice mark all by itself (when pushed through a 2x4), and its easy because all you have to do is stand on the 2x4 when you spin the tire. A nail is also a lot cheaper or maybe even free.

My first lesson in automatics was at about 8 years old when my dad gave me a socket set for Christmas. When we went back to work the next day at the grocery store he walked me out back, pointed at the M38 engine (I know what it is now) that went in his GPW, and said "Take that apart and sort out the pieces on sheets from cardboard boxes.

Our smaller Kasernes lacked an exchange so most GIs

If I used a screwdriver as a scratch awl I would have gotten my ass beat (until I was big enough to fight back), but there were always old boards with nails in them laying around. As a kid I put a nail through my foot while bending over nails with my foot to keep other people from stepping on them. LOL.

I have used match book covers to set points gaps. Cleaned off carbon arc with sand paper wrapped around a popsicle stick too. I still think it worked better than an actual points file.

Errrr... auto mechanics.

was at about 8 years old when my dad gave

I actually have a couple points files now, but I have a whole case of popsicle sticks. Popsicle sticks are much more useful for the genericness of their use.

I recently used popsicle sticks to make a car accessory, a backup camera mount that extends through the center of the rear hatch mounted spare tire, like on a Bronco. I turned the oak filler plug and chiseled the end to a pencil trace of the hole, then filled it out to tightly fit the opening with JB Weld under plastic film, so the weight of a tire sliding off or on won't shift it. The plug will be inside a metal sleeve and end cap after I decide how to waterproof it. An extra lugnut holds the camera bracket.

I stocked up on point files as they became obsolete because they are compact and valuable for emergency kits to sharpen saws and axes etc. Around here tree parts are the key to getting a vehicle unstuck alone. Lean rocks on the tires and lever up the axle with a small dead (stiffer) tree trunk, the rocks fall into the hole. Once up, crosswise branches pave the mud.