I've been thinking of starting a thread about useful info for awhile now, nothing trade specific but just handy things to know. Kind of like tips for doing random things that most of us come across. So here's a few that I learned lately
1. Penetrating oil
Never buy penetrating oil again, just get an old school squirt can and fill it with 50/50 acetone and tranny fluid. Works better and is super cheap. Jb weld the rolled seam on the oil can first though, it will seep through leaving a mess everywhere.
2. Wax for stuck bolts
If you have a stuck bolt, and are to the point of heating it or welding a nut on a broken stud, dab normal paraffin wax on it after heating. It will wick down in the threads, and work so well you will wonder why pb blaster was ever invented. It has to be tried to believe, it seriously works that well.
3. Mop pipe
If you are grading with a backhoe or excavator, the best thing in the world for getting a finish grade is what's known as a mop pipe in the pipeline world. You take a chunk of scrap pipe, and cut a hole in the middle for the bucket teeth to set in, and a hole a few inches from each end. You then take a chain and binder over the back of the bucket (using the holes at the end to hook the chain), locking the pipe across where the teeth are. The pipe makes actual digging impossible, smoothing the surface and breaking up clods. Obviously the longer the pipe the better, and the pipe has to be sized according to the machine (in other words, at least 6" for a small backhoe)
1. Penetrating oil
Never buy penetrating oil again, just get an old school squirt can and fill it with 50/50 acetone and tranny fluid. Works better and is super cheap. Jb weld the rolled seam on the oil can first though, it will seep through leaving a mess everywhere.
2. Wax for stuck bolts
If you have a stuck bolt, and are to the point of heating it or welding a nut on a broken stud, dab normal paraffin wax on it after heating. It will wick down in the threads, and work so well you will wonder why pb blaster was ever invented. It has to be tried to believe, it seriously works that well.
3. Mop pipe
If you are grading with a backhoe or excavator, the best thing in the world for getting a finish grade is what's known as a mop pipe in the pipeline world. You take a chunk of scrap pipe, and cut a hole in the middle for the bucket teeth to set in, and a hole a few inches from each end. You then take a chain and binder over the back of the bucket (using the holes at the end to hook the chain), locking the pipe across where the teeth are. The pipe makes actual digging impossible, smoothing the surface and breaking up clods. Obviously the longer the pipe the better, and the pipe has to be sized according to the machine (in other words, at least 6" for a small backhoe)