Author Topic: Cool Tools.  (Read 88082 times)

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Offline dave500

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #650 on: November 27, 2025, 01:30:10 AM »
Here's my homemade cool tool to press on a harmonic balancer, It's a threaded rod welded to a bolt, a mustang 2 strut washer, and some nuts and bolts and then here's a store-bought kit. The kit includes a bearing that keeps things sliding smoothly.

theres something about homemade pullers I like!I have a few made for one off jobs.

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #651 on: December 28, 2025, 03:08:19 PM »
In response to a PM earlier today: Here is the tank mount I made for my S/C tank. The “Paintless Dent Removal” guy did an outstanding job, but he needed a way to secure the tank, in his shop. The underside of the plywood “tray” has a 2 X 4 glued and screwed to it, so he could clamp everything into a large vice.

Offline Ozzybud

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #652 on: December 28, 2025, 03:44:23 PM »
Just got this flex shaft polishing tool for Christmas. What a game changer for polishing parts on our bikes in Situ.
500 to 25000 rpm with a foot pedal.
1976 Z50A PARAKEET YELLOW
1970 CT70  CANDY SAPPHIRE BLUE
1971 CT70H CANDY TOPAZ ORANGE
1972 CT70H CANDY EMERALD GREEN
1973 CL200 CANDY RIVIERA BLUE
1974 CB350F GLORY BLUE BLACK METALLIC
1973 CB350F FLAKE MATADOR RED
1975 CB360T LIGHT RUBY RED
1975 CB400F VARNISH BLUE
1975 CB550 FLAKE SUNRISE ORANGE
1976 CB750F CANDY ANTARES RED

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #653 on: December 28, 2025, 05:11:43 PM »
Just got this flex shaft polishing tool for Christmas. What a game changer for polishing parts on our bikes in Situ.
500 to 25000 rpm with a foot pedal.

Wow !  That's a Beaut  8)
Could I get a better look at the box ?
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Ozzybud

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #654 on: December 28, 2025, 05:37:08 PM »
Just got this flex shaft polishing tool for Christmas. What a game changer for polishing parts on our bikes in Situ.
500 to 25000 rpm with a foot pedal.

Wow !  That's a Beaut  8)
Could I get a better look at the box ?

Here is an Amazon link.  I found the lowest price the box was not. Marked. Looks like the same unit is marketed by many sellers. I payed $54.00
Some of the others didn't say the chuck went up to 1/4  inch. A lot of my instruments have 1/4 shanks

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rotary+tool
« Last Edit: December 28, 2025, 05:41:07 PM by Ozzybud »
1976 Z50A PARAKEET YELLOW
1970 CT70  CANDY SAPPHIRE BLUE
1971 CT70H CANDY TOPAZ ORANGE
1972 CT70H CANDY EMERALD GREEN
1973 CL200 CANDY RIVIERA BLUE
1974 CB350F GLORY BLUE BLACK METALLIC
1973 CB350F FLAKE MATADOR RED
1975 CB360T LIGHT RUBY RED
1975 CB400F VARNISH BLUE
1975 CB550 FLAKE SUNRISE ORANGE
1976 CB750F CANDY ANTARES RED

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #655 on: December 28, 2025, 09:44:59 PM »
Just got this flex shaft polishing tool for Christmas. What a game changer for polishing parts on our bikes in Situ.
500 to 25000 rpm with a foot pedal.

Wow !  That's a Beaut  8)
Could I get a better look at the box ?

Here is an Amazon link.  I found the lowest price the box was not. Marked. Looks like the same unit is marketed by many sellers. I payed $54.00
Some of the others didn't say the chuck went up to 1/4  inch. A lot of my instruments have 1/4 shanks

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rotary+tool

Thank you.
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Kelly E

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #656 on: January 12, 2026, 06:08:39 PM »
We use a lot of cardboard in the shop for everything from laying on to containing messes. I've been meaning to make a cart to hold it all so it isn't sliding out in the way. I remembered I had another old bed frame so we cut it up and along with some 1" strap we made a cardboard cart. It keeps the cardboard contained and rolls easily out of the way. 8)
« Last Edit: January 12, 2026, 07:10:24 PM by Kelly E »
Never Give Up - Never Surrender

The Rust Bros. Garage Collection
1974 Honda CB 550 K0                                            1971 MGB/GT
1975 Honda CB 400F Super Sport                          1972 MGB/GT
1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 LTD                                   1985 GMC S15
1978 Kawasaki KL 250
1980 Suzuki GS 1100E
1983 Honda CB 1100F
1984 Honda VF 700S Sabre
1984 Honda VF 1000F Interceptor
1990 Moto Guzzi 1000 Le Mans
1994 Kawasaki Concours ZG 1000A9
2005 Harley Davidson Fat Boy

Offline grcamna2

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #657 on: January 12, 2026, 07:51:16 PM »
We use a lot of cardboard in the shop for everything from laying on to containing messes. I've been meaning to make a cart to hold it all so it isn't sliding out in the way. I remembered I had another old bed frame so we cut it up and along with some 1" strap we made a cardboard cart. It keeps the cardboard contained and rolls easily out of the way. 8)

Good addition to your shop space.
I particularly like to keep quality USA cardboard boxes,for use later.
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #658 on: January 14, 2026, 02:48:13 PM »
Today my wife tried backing down our driveway on glare ice. Parked the arse end in a solid ice bank. I went down and made it worse.

Got the old plow truck out and jammed it in the opposite bank, with the plow imbedded. Dragged out my cheap-o “come a long” cable winch and 1/4” at a time, dragged her back onto the driveway. Too embarrassed to post any photos….. I can’t remember the last time I used that winch, but it got a rinse and soaking in WD40 before I hung  it back up in the shed. I need a nap.

Darn good tool!
« Last Edit: January 14, 2026, 02:51:51 PM by BenelliSEI »

Offline willbird

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #659 on: January 14, 2026, 03:48:52 PM »
Today my wife tried backing down our driveway on glare ice. Parked the arse end in a solid ice bank. I went down and made it worse.

Got the old plow truck out and jammed it in the opposite bank, with the plow imbedded. Dragged out my cheap-o “come a long” cable winch and 1/4” at a time, dragged her back onto the driveway. Too embarrassed to post any photos….. I can’t remember the last time I used that winch, but it got a rinse and soaking in WD40 before I hung  it back up in the shed. I need a nap.

Darn good tool!

I do not have one but I probably should. Some folks on another forum were posting up links to come along and or chain falls that used rope not cable.

Growing up we had a 1972 Chevy wagon with a 400 small block, the timing chain had that nylon portion that always failed, my dad dragged it out into the street to tow it using a Gravely single cylinder yard tractor or whatever they called them. They were almost free for the taking in the early 1970's, a LOT of them had reel type mowers that were very costly to sharpen by then. The low gear in low range was REALLY low :-).

The picture is just one I found, they were water cooled :-).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/10-OL_020606A.jpg/500px-10-OL_020606A.jpg

Quote
The tractor had four speeds, two in low range and two in high range, with power configurations of single-cylinder 10, 12, or 14 horsepower Kohler or Onan engines.

Bill
« Last Edit: January 14, 2026, 03:52:25 PM by willbird »

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #660 on: January 14, 2026, 04:38:29 PM »
Bill….. Mine is “old school” and VERY old. I think I bought it to pull the engine/ gearbox unit from my 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, in the late ‘60’s. We’d push the little car up onto the front lawn (when my parents weren’t home) and strap the winch to the lowest limb of the only tree in the yard. Lift the unit straight up and then push the car away. Next, drop it into a wagon to move back to the garage…..

Spotted this on Amazon and they seem to have changed very little.
2T capacity.

Offline willbird

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #661 on: January 14, 2026, 05:43:56 PM »
Bill….. Mine is “old school” and VERY old. I think I bought it to pull the engine/ gearbox unit from my 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, in the late ‘60’s. We’d push the little car up onto the front lawn (when my parents weren’t home) and strap the winch to the lowest limb of the only tree in the yard. Lift the unit straight up and then push the car away. Next, drop it into a wagon to move back to the garage…..

Spotted this on Amazon and they seem to have changed very little.
2T capacity.

HA, my dad told me he had an Austin Healey when he was a teen in RI, he went off the road and hit a tree with it. He fixed some damage but soon a main bearing was unhappy, turned out the accident had bent the crankshaft because the crank pulley hit the tree :-).

We pulled a few sprint car engines with a come along, I seem to remember they could be setup single reduction or double reduction ?? Double reduction to pull an engine, single reduction to pull the sprint car onto the trailer.

I do have a chain type come along I got from HF but it has nowhere near the pulling length of the cable come along. Hmm seems not intended for other than a vertical lift. HF makes a 2 ton come along which has a ten foot pull, 6' double reduction 10 foot single reduction. They make a 6/10 foot 1 tons that is half the price, a guy might buy two and then be able to pull 10' at a wack and hold the load until the second one had it. I should at least have the 1 ton in my truck, it is a mere $18.99.

In a pinch I have seen guys pull things with chain binders they already had on a semi truck......

https://www.harborfreight.com/5400-lb-capacity-heavy-duty-non-ratcheting-load-binder-36022.html

It is slow going but you can drag a load with them, no idea what the real leverage is.

Bill

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #662 on: January 15, 2026, 05:28:34 AM »
For $20 well worth having one hanging around. Kind of like good tow straps and a nice length of chain. Don’t use them often, but when you need them, nothing else will do.

Offline newday777

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #663 on: January 15, 2026, 05:54:01 AM »
10mm socket found
Taking a breather.....
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #664 on: January 15, 2026, 06:43:46 AM »
10mm socket found
Taking a breather.....


If those are available for sale, I want one. Perhaps he could hunt down those that are MIA?

Offline Stev-o

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #665 on: January 15, 2026, 07:07:10 AM »
Today my wife tried backing down our driveway on glare ice. Parked the arse end in a solid ice bank. I went down and made it worse.

Like this?!!!  Ha



Surprised you dont have a winch on the plow truck.
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........

Offline willbird

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #666 on: January 15, 2026, 07:34:19 AM »
For $20 well worth having one hanging around. Kind of like good tow straps and a nice length of chain. Don’t use them often, but when you need them, nothing else will do.

Yea I always have about two tow straps in the truck and I added a D ring plug in for the box receiver, that D ring thing IMHO needs to be used properly, it no way makes the pickup truck into a Wrecker, but it gives a place to hook a tow strap that can be used wisely :-).


Bill

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #667 on: January 15, 2026, 09:05:29 AM »
Steve….. often thought about a winch, but concerned it would pull off whatever I attach it to!

Offline Kelly E

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #668 on: January 15, 2026, 10:53:58 AM »
Steve….. often thought about a winch, but concerned it would pull off whatever I attach it to!

That was going to be my question. 8)
Never Give Up - Never Surrender

The Rust Bros. Garage Collection
1974 Honda CB 550 K0                                            1971 MGB/GT
1975 Honda CB 400F Super Sport                          1972 MGB/GT
1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 LTD                                   1985 GMC S15
1978 Kawasaki KL 250
1980 Suzuki GS 1100E
1983 Honda CB 1100F
1984 Honda VF 700S Sabre
1984 Honda VF 1000F Interceptor
1990 Moto Guzzi 1000 Le Mans
1994 Kawasaki Concours ZG 1000A9
2005 Harley Davidson Fat Boy

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #669 on: January 16, 2026, 02:23:49 PM »
Steve….. often thought about a winch, but concerned it would pull off whatever I attach it to!

That was going to be my question. 8)

Yes. The 1980 FORD is getting pretty “porous”…..

Offline willbird

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #670 on: January 16, 2026, 03:24:19 PM »
Steve….. often thought about a winch, but concerned it would pull off whatever I attach it to!

That was going to be my question. 8)

Yes. The 1980 FORD is getting pretty “porous”…..

Late 1970's a friend of my dads had a VW bug that had lived it's whole life in Ohio, he went to jack  it up and found out that somehow no matter how high he got it the rear wheels stayed on the ground.

Offline willbird

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #671 on: January 20, 2026, 04:38:43 PM »
Not exactly a tool, but it holds tools :-).

https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-3-drawer-hardwood-workbench-58832.html

These were on sale for $139 and I snagged one, I keep all kinds of tools in the house to have them at hand, measuring tools and hand tools, this will male an L from my desk on the LH side, I will put a flat screen TV on it to monitor my security outdoor cameras, and put stuff like that in the drawers to keep organized and at hand when I need it. If you are/were a machinist you often need 3 say 6" calipers, one for work, one for the shop, and one at your desk to measure stuff to draw it in ad. Same for a 0-1 micrometer :-). Ordered up a slide out keyboard, mouse drawer to put under the center drawer, thinking I can put my laser printer on the bottom shelf, should look pretty spiffy and be functional. 

Bill

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #672 on: January 24, 2026, 02:28:20 PM »
COOL TOOL. Try one of these “Laser Chain Alignment Tool”. I ordered mine through Marcparnes.com but they are made in Germany so check for your nearest distributor. It takes seconds to use and when I checked my three “riders” (cb750K1,K3, & the Varadero) they were all slightly skewed, despite my best efforts with strings, sticks, and squares. Will be curious to see if my sprockets and chains last longer, assuming I live long enough!
« Last Edit: January 24, 2026, 02:58:00 PM by BenelliSEI »

Offline PeWe

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #673 on: January 24, 2026, 11:49:55 PM »
Thanks John!
That laser aligner looks like a must have! ;D
Help to align the wheel correctly after tire change and chain slack adjustment.

I have had a front sprocket with much grinding by chain on the inside.

I have found it on Amazon. It must be added to my waiting basket with ultrasonic cleaning stuff for carbs and spark plugs.
CB750 K6-76  970cc (Earlier 1005cc JMR Billet block on the shelf waiting for a comeback)
CB750 K2-75 Parts assembled to a stock K2

Updates of the CB750 K6 -1976
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180468.msg2092136.html#msg2092136
The billet block build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,49438.msg1863571.html#msg1863571
CB750 K2 -1975  build thread
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,168243.msg1948381.html#msg1948381
K2 engine build thread. For a complete CB750 -75
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,180088.msg2088008.html#msg2088008
Carb jetting, a long story Mikuni TMR32
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,179479.msg2104967.html#msg2104967

Offline BenelliSEI

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Re: Cool Tools.
« Reply #674 on: January 25, 2026, 07:07:14 AM »
Per….. Lucky you. The Amazon offering in Canada looks like a cheap knock off for +$35 more! Is the one available there from German Company?