Handy Shop Modifications

Handy Shop Modifications FARM SHOP Tools Dale McLaen has three ideas that make shop work easier “The open-top 30-gal drums we use for garbage cans get pretty heavy when full ” says McLaen “It was always difficult to keep them on the hand truck and maneuver around obstacles or over rough ground ” McLaen resolved the problem by adding a simple double-finger swinging hook to his hand truck Attached at a height to grab the lip of the drum it hangs out of the way when not in use “The hook is made from a 9-in piece of 5/16-in rod and a 1-in piece of pipe with a matching center hole ” explains McLaen “It took about 30 min to build and paint It makes moving the heavy garbage containers a breeze ” The height support device is another neat shop helper It lets McLaen fine-tune the height of material he is working on with a sliding pipe leg and a top-mounted automotive scissors jack The overall height can be adjusted a total of 28 in The 2-part vertical leg is a 2 3/8-in O D pipe butt welded to a steel plate that is in turn welded to a 15-in car rim base A slightly smaller upper leg pipe slides inside the larger pipe The scissors jack base is welded to the top of the inner pipe “I welded a 14-in long 1 1/2-in pipe to the top of the jack to support the material ” says McLaen “A bolt through the pipe secures tabs at either end of the pipe to help hold material in place ” McLaen drilled 2 holes in the lower pipe and welded nuts to the whole surface D-handle set screws fabricated from scrap bolts lock the inner pipe in place after it’s adjusted “The inside pipe gives me about 14-in additional height ” says McLaen “The scissors jack provides another 14 in of adjustable height I get close to the desired height with the pipe and then fine-tune the setting with the jack ” Marking the insides of tight spaces with a carpenter’s pencil can be frustrating McLaen’s angled pencils make it easier “I took 2 ordinary carpenter’s pencils and cut the ends off with my miter saw ” says McLaen “Then I glued them back together at various 90 and 60-degree angles to the original pencils They cost me less than a buck each and make marking a lot easier ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dale McLaen 13756 Hwy 11 Rutland N Dak 58067 ph 701-678-5232; mclaen@drtel net

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