The Tips and Tricks thread

[celicapain]

Anyone who doesnt know this should be shot, but if your cutting braided lines, the easiest way is to wrap it up tightly in electrical tape then cut through with a hacksaw or cutting disc, it will stop the braid flaring eveywhere and stabbing u under the fingernails
also if you undoing tight old nuts/bolts give em a good tap with a hammer before you try and crack them, this tip has saved me alot of rounded nuts.

[Talasas]

The best trick I found to cutting braided wire is wrap it in masking tape, it wont melt like electrical tape. Also always wrap it 2 turns and no more.

Then the line can be cut with an angle grinder or drop saw. Wide bladed drop saws still cut fine if you don't mind losing that 3mm or so.

As for the fittings, peel back the masking tape gently and clamp the hose into a vice with the cut side facing up. This way you can tap the little metal taper onto the teflon tube with a hammer which gently slides it under the braiding.

Makes a very neat, leak free braided line and you haven't even come close to getting stabbed by frayed wire

I also find using some durable wire cutters to trim back any excess very useful, never cut more than 2 wires at a time.

[IN 05 NT]

always shamper the leading and trailing edges when fitting new brake pads, reduces the chance's of the brakes squealing,

race tape and cable ties are lif savers, no matter what the situation,

if you dont have a hose clamp big enuf for a hose, use 2 smaller ones screwed together to make one big one,

its just easier to use the right tool,

loosen belt PULLEYS (water pump pulley) b4 you remove the belt,

ALWAYS allign car panels/doors while the car is on FLAT LEVEL ground,

if your unsure, seek advice,

highly rusted or coroded bolts/nuts?,,,,smash on a one size smalle socket, ie, 16mm on a 17mm,

[Herus]

highly rusted or coroded bolts/nuts?,,,,smash on a one size smaller socket, ie, 16mm on a 17mm,

Also works on those Lock nuts you no longer care about, either 1 because you have lost the locking nut, 2 you have stripped the fancy edges, or 3 your stealing mags off someone elses car.

Thanks

Andrew

[lunar_c]

Here's my tip .. and I would hope you'd all take heed of it!

There is NOTHING poofy about looking after yourself!

This is especially important to the guys who fiddle with cars for a living (I used to be in this category).
You rely on your body to make a living - it's not a replaceable component, and has a finite service life. You must look after it.
The things most mechanics I've known have the most trouble with are their hands (dermatological conditions from harsh soaps/chemicals and arthritic joints) and backs and necks (spondylosis, subluxation degeneration, etc) and generally I think a lot of it can be prevented.

Watch your back - bend with your knee's and hips, and keep your back straight when you lift. Be mindful of how heavy something is before you try to lift it and don't try and be a hero .. and anything awkward (even if it's not that heavy, awkward things like gearboxes and diffs etc should be lifted by two people or suitable equipment).
If you're doing repeated lifting .. wear a back brace (I know.. I hate them too).

Also .. try and get the car at a height that suits you (if you have a plate hoist or something available or at home up on ramps or stands) so you're not bending down all the time. And take breaks and stretch your back from time to time. Especially for us tall guys this repeated bending down etc can quickly turn into back problems.. painful ones.

If you can do the job wearing gloves - do it. I know not all jobs can be done without getting your hands dirty (sometimes gloves just get it in the way) but having an actual barrier between oil/brake fluid/ATF/etc is a good thing for your skin. Keeps your nails clean too so your girlfriend doesn't complain..

Please avoid using dish washing liquid, washing powder, brake cleaner (!!!) etc to wash your hands - they all contain stuff that dries the hell out of your skin and can lead to irritation with regular use especially in the joints and knuckles where the skin stretches the most. Very painful and itchy if it becomes inflamed and irritated.

If you can't wear gloves .. and can stand it (I know it's oily) use barrier cream before you start a job ... otherwise use a dermatologically tested/approved hand cleaner (I use Solvol pumice pump stuff or this citrus stuff thats like pulped up oranges) and moisturise your hands daily if you're washing your hands with this stuff all day BEFORE it starts to become a problem!
I am a nursing student now .. and after every procedure on a patient a nurse must perform proper medical asepsis (wash their hands basically) with chlorhexadine which is basically alcohol - and dries your hands out really badly .. so you moisturise them straight away before it gets too bad.
Don't leave it til you have a problem .. like my old boss did! Man his hands had scales like a crocodile.

Also .. when you cut yourself working on a car .. take the time to stop, run it under some water .. wash your hands, and clean the wound out with some wound prep .. diluted dettol .. alcohol wipes (they sting a bit though..) or put some betadine on it and cover it up with a bandaid if it's only a small cut or a stick on dressing or bandage and gauze if you've really messed up.
Only takes a couple of minutes but will stop it getting infected and help it heal a whole lot quicker - a good thing if it's a painful or annoying cut like on a knuckle that's always being moved!

That's about all I can think of now .. I hope I haven't been too preachy, I know a lot of it is common sense .. but seriously it's not that hard to look after yourself and you owe it to yourselves particularly when you make a living from your skills.
If someone gives you shit for wearing gloves .. just ask them what their skin is going to look like in 10 or 20 years time..

[crowncustom]

^^^^^^Would have to be one of the best tips anyone could read.
Know the feeling on all that has been said and I agree to take time with yourself.
My ex boss knows all about back and shoulder probs he had to give up working in the mechanical industry and even had to give up racing cars.
So ppls take time in reading this tip.
+rep coming your way
Cheers Brett.

[Duk]

Always wear goggles, not just safety glass's, grinding/cutting. You are not a hero with a piece of metal in your eye. Getting a piece of metal that has gone rusty on your eyeball ground off by your doctor isn't as fun as it sounds.

[lunar_c]

That's something I forgot.. eye and ear protection! Thankyou Plonka +rep for you..

Goggles, face shields etc when grinding or even when underneath a car if somethings likely to drip on you are extremely important. I got toyota red coolant in my eye recently whilst rebuilding my mates 4agze, this was a painful reminder to wear goggles!

On that note - the humble angle grinder is one of the most dangerous tools you can get your hands on.
Do not ever take the shields off of one - if you can't manouvre it onto the job properly with the shield on - you're using the wrong tool.
Grinding discs can fly apart so be careful when cutting to not wiggle the cutting disc.
Make sure you have a good grip on the grinder and your work is secured - heaps of nasty accidents occur when either the work flies up at you or the grinder jumps..
You should be wearing some sort of thick work gloves when grinding - somewhere along the lines of a MIG glove/gauntlet.

Simple first aid : if you get something in your eye (be it liquid, or metal or sand) .. get help immediately .. tilt your head to one side and pour water (or normal saline and an eye bath if you have it in your first aid kit) onto the eye .. making sure you've tilted your head so the fluid will drain off your face and not into the other eye. If you can get someone to help you do this so much the better. If the eye is red and bloodshot or still uncomfortable or painful .. take note of what the irritant was and get to a doctor or emergency immediately.

Also if you're welding a lot or working around those that are in the workshop and your visor is up and down - you're at risk of being flashed (not bum crack.. welding flash).

When I learnt to weld my lecturers wore those speccy auto-darkening helmets and I think they're a lot cheaper now so they're a good investment for your personal safety.

A cheap and practical tip is to wear clear safety glasses all the time even under your helmet- I know it seems silly .. but even a clear lens will refract a lot of light away from your eye meaning if you DO get flashed it won't be nearly as severe. So if your $300 auto-darkening helmet happens to be on the bench when your mate starts welding again unexpectedly they'll offer you a small ammount of protection .. also good for when you're walking around the workshop amongst others that are welding.

Ears are also extremely important to us .. and they're pretty sensitive. Whenever you're grinding, cutting, drilling etc or anyone else in the workshop is - you need to be wearing ear protection. It's that simple.

Prolonged exposure to loud noises leads to incurable conditions like tinitus (a constant buzzing or ringing in the ears) and conductive deafness (damage tympanic membrane, the middle ear or inner ear cochlear/organ of corti .. this is also largely incurable and you'll have to wear a hearing aid for the rest of your life).

Ear plugs are less bulky than ear muffs and easier to juggle around face shields and welding helmets.. however most people don't seem to know the proper way to put them in!
Lift up the top part of your ear (called the Pinna) as this straightens the ear canal .. they'll now go in easy without forcing them.. insert.. easy!

Slightly off topic but if you're a musician (I think there's a few of us) .. particularly drummers (like me!) you really need to wear ear protection too. If you're playing with a band at any sort of respectable volume level (ie turned up to 11) you're going to do damage!
Foam ear plugs make everything sound weird - so there are alternatives. You can go all out and get a custom made set fitted up for a few hundred dollars, or you can get an off the shelf pair like HEAROS (I use these) that cut noise by about -12dB while retaining most of the frequency balance so everything sounds okay.

I hope all of you have a proper first aid kit at work or home .. if not .. get one! You'll have everything at your finger tips (well provided you haven't just cut them off with a grinder) and be much more prepared! The books that you recieve when completing the course are a really good resource for emergencies also!!
St John's sell really good ones of all sizes suitable for the car up to the industrial workshop.

Cheers guys, and look after yourselves!
Regards,
Ben

[IN 05 NT]

That's something I forgot.. eye and ear protection! Thankyou Plonka +rep for you..

Goggles, face shields etc when grinding or even when underneath a car if somethings likely to drip on you are extremely important. I got toyota red coolant in my eye recently whilst rebuilding my mates 4agze, this was a painful reminder to wear goggles!

On that note - the humble angle grinder is one of the most dangerous tools you can get your hands on.
Do not ever take the shields off of one - if you can't manouvre it onto the job properly with the shield on - you're using the wrong tool.
Grinding discs can fly apart so be careful when cutting to not wiggle the cutting disc.
Make sure you have a good grip on the grinder and your work is secured - heaps of nasty accidents occur when either the work flies up at you or the grinder jumps..
You should be wearing some sort of thick work gloves when grinding - somewhere along the lines of a MIG glove/gauntlet.

Simple first aid : if you get something in your eye (be it liquid, or metal or sand) .. get help immediately .. tilt your head to one side and pour water (or normal saline and an eye bath if you have it in your first aid kit) onto the eye .. making sure you've tilted your head so the fluid will drain off your face and not into the other eye. If you can get someone to help you do this so much the better. If the eye is red and bloodshot or still uncomfortable or painful .. take note of what the irritant was and get to a doctor or emergency immediately.

Also if you're welding a lot or working around those that are in the workshop and your visor is up and down - you're at risk of being flashed (not bum crack.. welding flash).

When I learnt to weld my lecturers wore those speccy auto-darkening helmets and I think they're a lot cheaper now so they're a good investment for your personal safety.

A cheap and practical tip is to wear clear safety glasses all the time even under your helmet- I know it seems silly .. but even a clear lens will refract a lot of light away from your eye meaning if you DO get flashed it won't be nearly as severe. So if your $300 auto-darkening helmet happens to be on the bench when your mate starts welding again unexpectedly they'll offer you a small ammount of protection .. also good for when you're walking around the workshop amongst others that are welding.

Ears are also extremely important to us .. and they're pretty sensitive. Whenever you're grinding, cutting, drilling etc or anyone else in the workshop is - you need to be wearing ear protection. It's that simple.

Prolonged exposure to loud noises leads to incurable conditions like tinitus (a constant buzzing or ringing in the ears) and conductive deafness (damage tympanic membrane, the middle ear or inner ear cochlear/organ of corti .. this is also largely incurable and you'll have to wear a hearing aid for the rest of your life).

Ear plugs are less bulky than ear muffs and easier to juggle around face shields and welding helmets.. however most people don't seem to know the proper way to put them in!
Lift up the top part of your ear (called the Pinna) as this straightens the ear canal .. they'll now go in easy without forcing them.. insert.. easy!

Slightly off topic but if you're a musician (I think there's a few of us) .. particularly drummers (like me!) you really need to wear ear protection too. If you're playing with a band at any sort of respectable volume level (ie turned up to 11) you're going to do damage!
Foam ear plugs make everything sound weird - so there are alternatives. You can go all out and get a custom made set fitted up for a few hundred dollars, or you can get an off the shelf pair like HEAROS (I use these) that cut noise by about -12dB while retaining most of the frequency balance so everything sounds okay.

I hope all of you have a proper first aid kit at work or home .. if not .. get one! You'll have everything at your finger tips (well provided you haven't just cut them off with a grinder) and be much more prepared! The books that you recieve when completing the course are a really good resource for emergencies also!!
St John's sell really good ones of all sizes suitable for the car up to the industrial workshop.

Cheers guys, and look after yourselves!
Regards,
Ben

i can vouch for welder FLASH...had it c couple of times wne started welding last year....

what actually happens it you burn lots of little scabs on your eye, and everyting you blink you irritate it, it get bloody sore,........till the point that you cant open your eyes, you cant blink, all you can do is try and make yourself cry to lube it up,

your eye lids also swell up like you have had a socketpunch to both eyes (without the black bruising though)

i went to bunning and bought an autodarkeing helmet for $60 works a treat! no more fooked eyes now!

[lunar_c]

i can vouch for welder FLASH...had it c couple of times wne started welding last year....

what actually happens it you burn lots of little scabs on your eye, and everyting you blink you irritate it, it get bloody sore,........till the point that you cant open your eyes, you cant blink, all you can do is try and make yourself cry to lube it up,

your eye lids also swell up like you have had a socketpunch to both eyes (without the black bruising though)

i went to bunning and bought an autodarkeing helmet for $60 works a treat! no more fooked eyes now!

Yep .. you really should go and see a doctor if you ever get welding flash - and if it's really bad go straight to emergency.
Lesions on the sclera / cornea can lead to infection and ... gulp ... blindness .. so you really need treatment to ensure that doesn't happen .. and as an aside it will heal faster and soothe the pain and irritation!
Doctor's are generally pretty good types of people so don't be afraid of them We have a few here among us on Toymods who are fantastic people.
Of course .. nurses look and smell better .. *runs*
Take care!
Regards,
Ben

["Z" UTE]

If you're butt welding two piece's of pipe together, a simple method to keep them aligned and held together is to put a jubiley (hose) clamp on the end of each piece, and clamp small strips of metal underneath them. This allows you to rotate the piece's if required to check for alignment. Then tack between the strips of metal, remove the clamps and strips and fully weld.

Following on from this, I just tried something a little different. 3 pices of 20mm angle iron about 200mm long, spaced evenly around a tube to be welded. Clamped with hose clamps. This holds the piece quite rigid, and perfectly alligns the 2 sections, you even have precise positionong of your tack welds at 120deg separation.
(Note) If the pieces of angle iron are too long, they will be more liable to flex, keep them short, and all will be good.

cheers Chuck.

[Ben Wilson]

Re - Gloves and grinding.

Never wear gloves if you're using a bench grinder, the grinder can grab on the leather and drag it in along with you hand....

[lunar_c]

Thanks dude I should've mentioned that..

[celicapain]

Always wear goggles, not just safety glass's, grinding/cutting. You are not a hero with a piece of metal in your eye. Getting a piece of metal that has gone rusty on your eyeball ground off by your doctor isn't as fun as it sounds.

i did a job for an eye surgeon once, and he said if people all started wearing eye protection when doing work like that he would be out of the job. just friggin wear em!!!
its just glasses!!!!

[Duk]

Too true about the glass's, but goggles seal better around the face. My eyeball grinding experience happened when I was attacked (unprovoked it was, too) by sparks from a boilermaker working in the same area. This was despite me wearing mandatory safety glass’s.
Side loaded cutting wheels (don’t use them like a grinding wheel), loaded (full of soft metal, like copper/aluminium) grinding wheels and grinding wheels with internal defects can and will fly apart!