The homemade storage ideas sparked this idea. I was wondering what homemade tools you guy have. I have been looking at making a homemade TIG welder. I already have a Miller TIG/Stick but just thought it would be fun to make and mess around with.
I know that if you have worked with tool long or very much you are bound to make homemade tools for odd and end jobs. It would be interesting to see what other people have done. Pictures would be awesome to see.
Wow – a home-made welder – that’s ambitious. I’ve probably made more tool storage items and jigs over the years rather than actual tools. That’s probably true about my past professional life as well – where we had a basement full of the hundreds of jigs we made over the years - some probably used from time to time – but others so specific to a project that it was only our pack-rat nature that kept us from pithing them out.
I’ve been intrigued from time to time by those articles in woodworking magazines and supplements that show you step by step how to turn things like a circular hand saw into a table saw, how to make a hand grinder into a cutoff-machine etc. But time was perhaps more precious to me than money – so I did not do much of this sort of thing.
Other than making tool storage items (benches, carts, drill bit stands, custom pegboard hooks, bases for tools, brackets shelves, tool stands and toolboxes), I’ve also made fences and other appurtenances for my table saws, miter saw, band saw, drill press, scroll saw, mortiser and jointers.
Here’s a list of the other items I’ve made over the years. If I get a chance I’ll take a few pictures of some that I think might be of interest:
NAME SIZE
4 X 4 CUTTING JIG 12 INCH L.
5 GALLON PAIL LOCKING STAND 48 X 48 X 1.5
BELT SANDER HOLDER 11 INCH LONG
BENCH HOOKS VARIOUS
BENCH VISE CLAMPING CAUL 29 INCH LONG
BEVEL EDGE PANEL CLAMP FIXTURES 6X1.5 INCH
BICYCLE FORK CLAMP VISE FIXTURE 10W X 4D
BICYCLE REPAIR STAND 4W X 4D X 4H
BISCUIT JOINER ALIGNING JIG 16 X 5 INCH
BISCUIT LAYOUT GAUGE 16 INCH
BLIND NAILING EDGE FINDERS VARIOUS
BRADPOINT DRILL SHARPENING JIGS 3 X 4 INCH
BRASS PUNCHES VARIOUS
CABINET DOOR HOLDING JIG 10.5 INCH LONG
CABLE SAW FROM #4 PICTURE WIRE 53 INCH LONG
CASING / MOLDING CUTOFF JIG 6.5 X 6 INCH
CAULKING GUN CENTERING JIG 5 INCH LONG
CIRCLE CENTER FINDER 48 INCH LONG
CLAMPING CAULS VARIOUS
COPING JIG - 3/4 IN. HR MLDNG 12 X 6 INCH
CORNER BLOCK - DRILL PRESS JIG 12 X 7 INCH
CORNER CLAMP BLOCK 5.5 INCH LONG
COUNTERBORE CENTERING JIG 1/2 - 3/4 INCH
DOLLIES FOR SHEET GOODS AND WALLBOARD VARIOUS
DOOR DOGS 2 FOOT LONG
DOVETAIL CHISEL JIG 19 X 12 INCH
DOVETAIL MARKING GAUGES VARIOUS
DOVETAIL SANDER 17 X 1 INCH
DOWEL HOLDING BLOCKS 1/4 - 1/2 INCH
DRIVEWAY SEALER MIXER 24LX5.5 INCH D.
EDGE SCRIBING JIG 12 INCH WIDE
EDGING SANDING BLOCK 5 X 3 INCH
EXTENSION CORD WINDERS VARIOUS
FACE FRAME SANDING BLOCKS VARIOUS
FIBERGLASS INSULATION CUTTER 34 X 6 INCH
FINISHING TURNTABLE 12 INCH D.
FOAM CUTTING JIG 1 - 1.5 INCH
FOAM RUBBER CUTTERS FROM BRASS TUBING 1.25 INCH DIA.
GLASS CUTTING JIG 11.25 X 5 X 1
GLUE BOTTLE INVERTER STAND 6.5 INCH LONG
HAND DRILLING VISES 14 INCH LONG
HAND SCRAPER HOLDER 3X7 INCH
HINGE TEMPLATES VARIOUS
HINGED CABINET JACK 70 LBS - 18IN
HOLDER FOR SPEED BLOC SANDER 8 X 6 X 6 INCH
HOLE SAW PLUG PULLER 6 INCH LONG
HOLE SAW PLUG PUSHOUT JIG 4.5 INCH SQ.
I-JOIST SAWING GUIDE 19 INCH L.
JIG - 3/4IN. FLUSH MOUNT DOORS 5.5 X 3 INCH
JIG - ASSEMBLY STAND 4 X 4 INCH
JIGSAW PUSH BLOCK 5.5 INCH LONG
LOCKSET BORING JIGS VARIOUS
MITER GAUGE AUXILIARY FENCE 18 INCH
MITER SLOTTING JIG 12 X 9 INCH
MIXING BOARD 8 X 8 INCH
NAIL BOARD - SMALL PART HOLDER 9 X 7 INCH
NAIL PULLING WEDGE 10.5 INCH LONG
NAILING WALL PROTECTOR 10 X 3.5 INCH
PLANE SHOOTING BOARD 24 X 12 INCH
PLASTIC CAULK SCRAPERS 1.25 INCH WIDE
POCKET HOLE GUIDE BACKUP JIG 2 X 1 FOOT
POST CUT-OFF JIG 12 INCH LONG
PROPANE TORCH STAND 11 INCH DIA.
PROTRACTOR HOLDING FIXTURE 7 X 5.5 INCH
PUSH SHOES - SAWS AND JOINTER VARIOUS
PUSH SLEDS - SAWS AND ROUTER TABLE VARIOUS
PUSH STICKS - VARIOUS LENGTHS & PATTERNS VARIOUS
REVEAL GAUGE 1/8-3/8 INCH 4 X 4 INCH
RO SANDER DISC ALIGNMENT JIG 5 INCH DIA.
RO SANDER REST 10 X 8 INCH
ROLLOUT LIFTING HOOK 30 INCH LONG
ROOF SHINGLE REVEAL GAUGE 5-5/8 INCH MAX.
SANDING BLOCK - SRPING TENSIONED FOR 3X24 BELTS 11 X 3 INCH
SANDPAPER CUTTING JIG 4.5 INCH SQ.
SANDPAPER FRAME 10X5 X3/4 INCH
SANDPAPER HACKSAW FRAME 13X3 X3/4 INCH
SANDPAPER PADDLE 11.5 X3.5 INCH
SAW BLADE ARBOR JIG 7.5 INCH SQ.
SCREEN BOX - SMALL PART HOLDER 24 X 17 INCH
SCREEN BOX - SOIL SIFTER 28 X 18 INCH
SCREW EXTRACTORS FROM ROLL PINS VARIOUS
SCREW EYE TURNERS 1/2 INCH DIA.
SELF DRILLING ANCHOR HOLDER 1/2 INCH DIA.
SHARPENING STONE HOOK 11 X 4 INCH
SHELF PIN JIG 7.5 X 2 INCH
SHOE PUSH STICKS VARIOUS
SHOULDER CUTTING BLOCK 12 INCH W.
SIDE-CLAMP SETTING GUIDE 6 INCH WIDE
STRAIGHT EDGE HOLDER 3 INCH LONG
STUCCO REMOVAL ANVIL 20 INCH LONG
TAR PAPER ROLLER HANDLE 3.5 INCH DIA.
TOOL CART WHEEL CHOCK BLOCK 7 X 5.5 INCH
U PUSH STICKS 12 INCH LONG
U-HOOK LIFTING POLE 5 FOOT LONG
VELCRO HOLDING BLOCKS W/HANDLE 6 X 2.25
VISE HOLDER FOR SANDER 7 X 3.5 INCH
WING DIVIDERS 5 INCH LONG
WIRE BENDERS VARIOUS
WIRE CURLING TOOLS VARIOUS
WIRE NUT WRENCH 3/8 & 7/16 INCH
WOODEN WING-NUT WRENCH 3 INCH DIA.
I once made a 70mm wrench using a plasma cutter and 1/2" flat plate to repair our forklift on a sunday lol it was easier to make the wrench than try and find one on a sunday lol
I have made a couple of iterations of 11x17 clipboards for work. We often have to go into the field to measure for our millwork and cabinets with small sets of our shop drawings.For my latest version I order some clips and pen holders off Amazon and cut out the board on the CNC. I set it up to hold either double 8.5 x 11 or 11x17, as well as 2 pens and I added a handle. I usually end up clipping my tape measure to one of the clips for travel as well. This one has been very handy so far.
Great idea - timely too - considering ToolGuyd post about the new Woodpecker’s OTT
Some others on the internet too:
and
Yeah there are tons of these on YouTube. I actually left a comment on the post this morning. With a homemade jig, you can make any size too. I think I’ll save the $400 and buy more useful tools and just make free jigs. Haha.