# Your Best Tool Modification



## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

I saw it suggested in another thread to remove the cord from your skill saw and replace it with a 25' cord. Got me wondering: What's the best tool modification you've come up with?


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Removing the belt clip from any of my drills.


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## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

angus242 said:


> Removing the belt clip from any of my drills.


I haven't had the heart to remove the clip from my Impact, as much as it annoys me, I use it from time to time, it's a bit big and heavy for a belt pocket.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Throw out all the cases and put em in systainers. :thumbsup:

Cut up my TE2A's battery charger so it would fit in a systainer.

Switched from 18" augers to 8" augers and 12" extensions so they fit in systainers.


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## jeffatsquan (Mar 16, 2009)

I was going to say putting a belt clip on my driver before they were standard


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Am I allowed to say removing the guard from my miter and table saw?

How about using a zip-tie to pin back my circular saw guard?:shutup:


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## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> Am I allowed to say removing the guard from my miter and table saw?
> 
> How about using a zip-tie to pin back my circular saw guard?:shutup:



What is this guard you speak of? It sounds inconvenient.


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## Willy is (May 20, 2010)

I remember in the mid 80's fixturing a few drill, including a core drill and JB welding on a few vials so that I would know when i was drilling straight holes eithe perpendicular to the ground or parallel to the ground.

I've mentioned drilling and tapping out the saw fence screw so that it uses a thumb screw and no longer requires a screw driver to use it.

I recently built a few grinder housings for right angle grinders so that I could hook up a vacuum to control dust.

I hesitate to mention this but I am not above marking my tools with paint (yeah, once upon a time it was SS#'s). I use pink paint since I know that no one else is likely to use it. (....they may not even want a tool with pink paint on it) A good example might be a flat bar; how do you tell whose is whose? There's 1o of them on the job and they all look the same. I just give things a quick spray shot, not the entire tool. I know how it _sounds_, but my tools stay my tools.

If you work with people, multiple trades all in one site it isn't that hard for tools to play musical chairs. All i care about is getting my tools back; the paint has helped. Yeah, I'll scribe them as well.

When I think of more I may come back and add em here.

Willy


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## carp.780 (Jan 2, 2010)

I was frustrated when the loop of string around my plumb bob came loose again so I made a reel out of a broken tape measure. Now whenever someone breaks a tape on site, it gets a second life with their plumb bob. :thumbsup:


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## HandyHails (Feb 28, 2009)

What is this plumb bob of which you speak?


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## ccappaul (Dec 3, 2010)

Willy is said:


> I remember in the mid 80's fixturing a few drill, including a core drill and JB welding on a few vials so that I would know when i was drilling straight holes eithe perpendicular to the ground or parallel to the ground.
> 
> I've mentioned drilling and tapping out the saw fence screw so that it uses a thumb screw and no longer requires a screw driver to use it.
> 
> ...


 
Ya I wasn't man enough to go pink. But Yellow


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## vos (Apr 6, 2010)

carp.780 said:


> I was frustrated when the loop of string around my plumb bob came loose again so I made a reel out of a broken tape measure. Now whenever someone breaks a tape on site, it gets a second life with their plumb bob. :thumbsup:



wheres the tutorial on how to make one?


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> What is this plumb bob of which you speak?


My grandfather use to talk about those....apparently some sort of pre-historic laser? :shifty:


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## Willy is (May 20, 2010)

I topped of some trees over the weekend, worked on a roof cutting branches and made the roof so that the squirrels couldn't get back onto the house. Sealed up the hole yesterday....

Today I'm in the yard of a rental loading branches to go to the dump tomorrow AM. It's dark, it's cold and the braches are whipping me in the face.

All I can think of though is; "why the f**k did you post that on a construction forum?" :no:

I like to finish jobs without accidents, get paid and keep my tools. It's not that I paint everything but more like stuff that would get stolen or "borrowed" on a job. 
You know; "Oh, I thought that was _my_ tool".

Willy


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

My old tape measures get turned into electricians fish tapes---handiest thing for fishing cables inside walls and across ceilings.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

mikeswoods said:


> My old tape measures get turned into electricians fish tapes---handiest thing for fishing cables inside walls and across ceilings.


You my friend need some LSD!










:thumbup:


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

Carp 780 - They actually make retractable plumb bobs. Surveyors use them.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Young_Buck said:


> I saw it suggested in another thread to remove the cord from your skill saw and replace it with a 25' cord. Got me wondering: What's the best tool modification you've come up with?


 Yup. I have 25' cords on 2 of my 4 Skil wormdrives. Greatly convenient.

Also, installing a 3-way splitter on the air compressor outlet is handy.

Auto oilers on the framing guns is nice.

Remove belt clips from the 25-30 foot Stanley tapes make them fit the pouch easier.

Reverse the belt hooks on the Impulse guns for lefty style.


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

I like to wrap my framing hammer with rounded up tape to create a finger grip. Then wrap with self melding tape.


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## dnconstruction (Apr 5, 2007)

loneframer said:


> Yup. I have 25' cords on 2 of my 4 Skil wormdrives. Greatly convenient.
> 
> Also, installing a 3-way splitter on the air compressor outlet is handy.
> 
> ...


And I thought I was the only lefty in this world of righties!!!


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## Repairman615 (Jan 10, 2011)

About the table saw blade.

I was a machinist for several years. The term Surface Feet Per Minute or SFPM was used alot for matching the cutter speed to the work... alot.

1" blade will travel approx 3.14" per rev.
10"... 31.40" per rev.

So bigger blade is faster at the same rpms than a smaller blade.


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## Rustbucket (May 22, 2009)

Okay, let's put a little physics on the line here. The velocity of a tooth traveling around the circumference of the blade can be represented by the equation V=(2piR)/T, where:

V=velocity(inches per minute)
pi=3.14
R=radius
T=Time(minutes)

2piR then represents the circumference of the blade of any given size.

I will use my DeWalt 745 table saw as an example, which I know has a RPM of 3,850

The radius of a 10" blade is 5", and the radius of a 8" blade is 4"

So for a 10" blade V=((2(3.14)(5"))/1)x3,850=120,890in/min

To convert inches per minute to mph divide V by 63,360 and multiply by 60

The velocity of the tooth of the 10" blade is then 114.47mph

For an 8" blade the equation is V=((2(3.14)(4"))/1)x3,850=96,712in/min

Converting to mph using above equation gives 91.58mph

This represents the no-load speed of the teeth of the blade. Being that 10" blade has the teeth further away from the center of the arbor than an 8" blade, it is applying more force back against the motor when it hits resistance such and a piece of wood. 

For most operations, like cutting 1x materials or plywood, you won't notice a difference. Especially if you have a higher powered saw, which turns the same RPM, but has more torque to push through the material. 

On lower powered saws or denser/thicker work pieces, it may bog down the saw speed more. Since the circumference of an 8" blade is closer the center of the arbor, the work piece has less leverage against the motor, so in essence giving you more torque. 

It works just like the gears in you car. Think if an 8" as first gear(less speed, more torque), and a 10 " as second(more speed, less torque).


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Hey all I know is they put BIG fin wheels on the back of dragesters bacauce they get down the track faster!


Thats all i know!


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## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

maninthesea said:


> A modification we often due when coverting a compressor that originaly had 3 phase motor to a single phase motor is put a half inch or 1" smaller drive pully on the motor. That slows down the compressor and although it decreases output it drasticly reduces wear and heat loads. I would say it cuts the maintence by half or more. Could be done on any of the compressors but since I usually have to order the motor and pulleys for the conversion I just order smaller pully's.
> 
> Cheers Jim



What would be the main purpose of swapping motors instead of installing a VFD or RPC?


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

OK young guys never do this! On the skil saw push the blade guard all the way up, just behind the thumb pusher drill a small hole through the blade guard at the top, so the nail you put in won't hit the blade behind the thumb pusher and put a 6d nail in the hole so the head of the nail catches the thumb pusher to hold it up:clap: now the point of the nail is going out the other side of the guard so bend it over so it won't come out!:thumbup: now this nail should slide back n forth a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch to catch the blade guard to pin it up:w00t: or let it down....... ONLY PIN YOUR BLADE FOR THOSE HARD TO DEAL WITH CUTS AND PUT IT BACK DOWN WHEN YOU'RE DONE! We don't need any fingers in the dirt!:sad:


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## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

I work for a guy that also teaches students in the scene shop that swore if he ever caught someone pinning up a blade on a circular saw especially a worm drive it would be their last day there.

He did mention a story where a guy dropped the saw after finishing a cut and ran it right from his hip to his knee, and you know the rest. Be careful with defeating safety features on tools please.


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

I 100% and emphatically CONCEDE my point. I was totally thinking about this wrong and am putting it here in writing. The bigger the blade, the faster the outer most part of it has to travel to maintain the same revolutions of the inner portion.

Good job to all that had it right from the beginning. I wish I could say that I had it right, but its not the case.

Atleast Im man enough to admit that I was incorrect, sorry for the Hi-jacked thread.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Bastien1337 said:


> I 100% and emphatically CONCEDE my point. I was totally thinking about this wrong and am putting it here in writing. The bigger the blade, the faster the outer most part of it has to travel to maintain the same revolutions of the inner portion.
> Good job to all that had it right from the beginning. I wish I could say that I had it right, but its not the case.


Have you ever seen the size of the tires on the back of a dragster:laughing:


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## Rustbucket (May 22, 2009)

Bastien1337 said:


> I 100% and emphatically CONCEDE my point. I was totally thinking about this wrong and am putting it here in writing. The bigger the blade, the faster the outer most part of it has to travel to maintain the same revolutions of the inner portion.
> 
> Good job to all that had it right from the beginning. I wish I could say that I had it right, but its not the case.
> 
> Atleast Im man enough to admit that I was incorrect, sorry for the Hi-jacked thread.


I hope I didn't sound like too much of an A$$ in my post.:shutup: I really don't claim to be a genius. It's just the way it is:whistling

Your approach was off a bit, but the fact is, that installing a smaller diameter blade in your table saw will reduce the tendency of the blade to slow down under load. It effectively increases the torque at the cutting teeth by 20%, which can make a real difference in portable saws.


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Have you ever seen the size of the tires on the back of a dragster:laughing:


i get it, you like big tires lol


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

Rustbucket said:


> I hope I didn't sound like too much of an A$$ in my post.:shutup: I really don't claim to be a genius. It's just the way it is:whistling
> 
> Your approach was off a bit, but the fact is, that installing a smaller diameter blade in your table saw will reduce the tendency of the blade to slow down under load. It effectively increases the torque at the cutting teeth by 20%, which can make a real difference in portable saws.


nope didnt sound like an ass. I certainly understand now that there are other factors that might make the 8" work better. But from the stance I was arguing I was way off.

I try not to close my mind unlike most internet people. If Im proved wrong I will happily concede. I think it shows character to admit being wrong, I hate nothing more then arguing with people who have no intention of understanding your side of the argument and the worst is if they do get proved wrong, they either start trolling or stop posting. Have the guts to say your wrong, I respect that in people so I expect it of myself.


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## maninthesea (Nov 11, 2008)

65535 said:


> What would be the main purpose of swapping motors instead of installing a VFD or RPC?


 
Exceltent Question. 

I just disconvered Rotary Phase Converters and we did use one on a 30HP machine recently. Would have been $11,000 to get 3 phase at the building and then it was a Temperary permit or something like that and they would have to reapply at the end of a year.(Probably with a fee) If I recall the RPC was at least a 40HP motor (high start up torque on the air compressor nessitated it) In this case it seemed like a great option but I am sure the power consumption must be atleast 20% higher than if we had been able to get 3 phase and power the 30HP motor normaly.

But on a 10HP aplication a single phase motor is an option. I would assume we would need a RPC with a 15HP body. Any idea how power consumption would compare if haveing a 15HP RCP run a 10HP 3phase motor as opposed to 10HP single phase motor.

Also our power out here is complet crap. everything is at least 3-4% low and phase to phase volts are allways off. Does that make much of difference on VFD or RPC how do each handle low voltage and low freq conditions? Our power authority is not good at setting their autotrip's.


Concerning VFD I have heard good and bad about them but its been a while since I looked into them. It now looks like they are down in price and the cost would be simular to the cost of a motor.


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## maninthesea (Nov 11, 2008)

Bastien I second the thought on hopeing I did not come off as an ass. I even edited my post after reading it to try not to come off that way.

# congradulations on stepping up to the plate. We all should do that. Also if someone was being an ass it makes them look like one.


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

Back to the actual thread at hand, heres one of my best tool mods.








Hammer drill


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## assets444 (Aug 20, 2010)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Have you ever seen the size of the tires on the back of a dragster:laughing:






.........


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## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

Bastien1337 said:


> Back to the actual thread at hand, heres one of my best tool mods.
> 
> View attachment 42520
> 
> Hammer drill


 
DUDE!

Lets take that to Dragon's Den! I'll be your PR guy. MILLIONS I say. MILLIONS!


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

Brutus said:


> DUDE!
> 
> Lets take that to Dragon's Den! I'll be your PR guy. MILLIONS I say. MILLIONS!


im telling you its not that heavy, the height of the 20z hammer clears the drill head so you can still effectively use the hammer and I used painters tape for quick change out of hammers.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

This may be a little too specialized, but I got sick of swapping out lightbulbs on my Super 7 so I took my petzl headlamp and strapped it on there.

Took my razor knife and drilled out the thumbstud, removed the clip, and broke off the blade release tab the stuck out. The thing is flat and fits in my upper right carhart jeans pocket perfectly. I don't feel right if it isn't there. Got sick of having my keys catch on my knife.


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## maninthesea (Nov 11, 2008)

> What would be the main purpose of swapping motors instead of installing a VFD or RPC?


 OK I did some research on both today since I have a three phase machine I may may refurb and sell to single phase customer. after doing the research here are reasons for swapping to single phase on 10HP or less
RPC would have to be much larger than load motor. Up to twice as much and may have as much as 30% effeciency loss when running. Since some customers run the machines more than 10 hours a day any loss in effency adds up fast. Also I understand legs may be unballanced

VFD to be used as phase converters aparently they should be larger than the load they are rated for which makes them more expensive than the motor. Although they are aparently much more efficient than RPC.

DFC Digital phase converters seem to be the bomb but as far as I can tell they are 3 times the cost of a single phase motor and in a pinch I can get a motor rewound in 24hours with the right incentives to the guys doing the work. 

So its still convert to single phase for me on anything 10HP or less.
cheers Jim


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## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

Metro M & L said:


> This may be a little too specialized, but I got sick of swapping out lightbulbs on my Super 7 so I took my petzl headlamp and strapped it on there.
> 
> Took my razor knife and drilled out the thumbstud, removed the clip, and broke off the blade release tab the stuck out. The thing is flat and fits in my upper right carhart jeans pocket perfectly. I don't feel right if it isn't there. Got sick of having my keys catch on my knife.


do you have a pic of this


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