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Need A Tool? Make One.

26594 Views 160 Replies 25 Participants Last post by  DDDave, 
Tommy plumber
Ever been in a situation where you needed a tool but didn't have because one wasn't made?

Well, make one. Show us your home-made tools. Mens' minds have produced many clever tools over the centuries.
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skoronesa
sparky said:
What would you do without a camera???
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Not work as hard.

In that instance I would have cut the wall open instead of dicking around for 20mins trying to get the snake to go down. There would be a lot more cases where I could simply say must be broken or you have to dig.
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Tommy plumber
sparky said:
What would you do without a camera???
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I don't own a camera. A few years back I toyed with the idea of purchasing one, but opted to purchase electronic leak detection equipment and it hasn't disappointed. With slab leaks {for those of us who live where basements are few and far between} it is an easy sell to locate a slab leak. If fact, there is no selling involved, it sells itself. People don't have to be talked into locating and repairing a slab leak.

But I don't think that it is as easy to sell a camera inspection. Once the stoppage is cleared, people are like, "thanks, if it backs up again, we'll call you to inspect it with the camera." In my opinion, a camera is a more difficult add-on to sell. I have had drain line stoppages where I was highly recommending a camera inspection and they didn't want to do it. I would say something like, "We should investigate this sewer line and locate the bad spot so it can be dug up and repaired." And they were not interested. Just my observation. Maybe others are skillful at selling camera inspections, but I wasn't.
So I could never justify spending $10,000 on that tool. I could not see a meaningful ROI {return on investment} whereas getting into elec. leak detection has been a real winner.

A friend of mine bought the mini or micro camera for $5,000 and he was dis-appointed. He wasn't selling sewer repairs and also, the push cable was not that stiff. Even though it had like 100' of push cable, he had trouble sending the head down sewer lines that far, because the push cable would tend to kink on him at around 50' or so and he was un-happy with that camera.

So I wisely stayed away from purchasing a camera.
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M
12
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Debo22
Customer asked me if I can clean her dryer vent. No problem, I turned the SuperVee into the dryer vent cleaner 1000. I taped a rag to the cable and shot it through with my shop vac on the other side.
Lamp Wood Bell Gas Tints and shades
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Tango
Debo22 said:
Customer asked me if I can clean her dryer vent. No problem, I turned the SuperVee into the dryer vent cleaner 1000. I taped a rag to the cable and shot it through with my shop vac on the other side.
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This is brilliant, I hope I can remember that one!
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T
I wish moen would come up with a tool to pull a 2 handle cartridge out instead of trying to pull on it and practically pull the sink off the counter.
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skoronesa
Tom F Ohio said:
I wish moen would come up with a tool to pull a 2 handle cartridge out instead of trying to pull on it and practically pull the sink off the counter.
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Use a nipple with a cap, drill a hole in the cap, place it nipple side down over the valve body, drive a lag screw through the hole and into the plastic stem. As you tighten it will pull the stem out.
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T
Tom F Ohio said:
I wish moen would come up with a tool to pull a 2 handle cartridge out instead of trying to pull on it and practically pull the sink off the counter.
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www.plumbingzone.com

Need A Tool? Make One.

Ever been in a situation where you needed a tool but didn't have because one wasn't made? Well, make one. Show us your home-made tools. Mens' minds have produced many clever tools over the centuries.
www.plumbingzone.com www.plumbingzone.com
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TerryTotoSucks said:
www.plumbingzone.com

Need A Tool? Make One.

Ever been in a situation where you needed a tool but didn't have because one wasn't made? Well, make one. Show us your home-made tools. Mens' minds have produced many clever tools over the centuries.
www.plumbingzone.com www.plumbingzone.com
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PZ Do you use the nipple for anything. What size cap? You wouldn't be able to show a picture of it would you??
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Tom F Ohio said:
PZ Do you use the nipple for anything. What size cap? You wouldn't be able to show a picture of it would you??
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@skoronesa

You meant to quote @skoronesa
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skoronesa said:
Use a nipple with a cap, drill a hole in the cap, place it nipple side down over the valve body, drive a lag screw through the hole and into the plastic stem. As you tighten it will pull the stem out.
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Do you use the nipple. Also what size 1/2 or 3/4?? Would you be able to show a picture of what your doing?
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T
TerryTotoSucks said:
@skoronesa

You meant to quote @skoronesa
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Thanks Terry
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skoronesa
Tom F Ohio said:
Do you use the nipple. Also what size 1/2 or 3/4?? Would you be able to show a picture of what your doing?
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You can use a 1/2" or bigger nipple, roughly a couple inches in length. You don't even really need a threaded cap, it could be a strong washer with the right size hole for the lag screw.

Think of a Moen plastic two handle stem, it has that center hole for the handle screw. You can drive a screw/lag into that hole. Then you can pull up on the head of the screw/lag. Often I will slip a wrench of some kind under the screw head and pry it up. The benefit of using that nipple/cap is as you drive the screw in it bottoms out on the cap and since it can't go down the stem comes up. You won't be prying on the edge of the valve body and risk damaging the bonnet threads.
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Cityplumber
Shoe Automotive tire Hood Black Tread

Made this from a piece of bar stock: it fits the top of Sloan flush valves and always does the job. Perfect when I'm working on a concealed one in a wall.
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Nazareth
Cityplumber said:
View attachment 136590
Made this from a piece of bar stock: it fits the top of Sloan flush valves and always does the job. Perfect when I'm working on a concealed one in a wall.
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Awesome
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@Tommy plumber
www.ebay.com

2.5-Inch Wrench (for toilet flush valve nut) - Solid HDPE plastic | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2.5-Inch Wrench (for toilet flush valve nut) - Solid HDPE plastic at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

Scroll through the pics. You may be interested.
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skoronesa
TerryTotoSucks said:
@Tommy plumber
www.ebay.com

2.5-Inch Wrench (for toilet flush valve nut) - Solid HDPE plastic | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2.5-Inch Wrench (for toilet flush valve nut) - Solid HDPE plastic at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

Scroll through the pics. You may be interested.
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I just use a wheel locknut socket. It was ~12$ at the local autoparts store. I have them in a few sizes on the van because some large PRVs require them for disassembly. Of course Apollo doesn't tell you this in the manual....

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Powerbuilt 647064 2-3/8-Inch 6-Point. Rounded Wheel Bearing Locknut Socket : Tools & Home Improvement

Amazon.com: Powerbuilt 647064 2-3/8-Inch 6-Point. Rounded Wheel Bearing Locknut Socket : Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.com

Gesture Font Material property Metal Logo
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Cityplumber
Trying to loosen the thin hex bonnet on a Sloan flush valve inside of a wall with a socket will only round off the corners of the hex: Unless you crawl inside the wall and try to steady the socket with one hand while you pull on the handle:
The hex is only 1/4 inch of chrome plated yellow brass and if it has not been moved in a while, the only way is heat and a straight pull thru a 12x12 access panel. Exposed valves are child's play----- go bust your knuckles in a jagged masonry wall and leave some skin on the brick ties and rebar. Bet you will put that socket back in the toolbox.
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Cityplumber said:
Trying to loosen the thin hex bonnet on a Sloan flush valve inside of a wall with a socket will only round off the corners of the hex: Unless you crawl inside the wall and try to steady the socket with one hand while you pull on the handle:
The hex is only 1/4 inch of chrome plated yellow brass and if it has not been moved in a while, the only way is heat and a straight pull thru a 12x12 access panel. Exposed valves are child's play----- go bust your knuckles in a jagged masonry wall and leave some skin on the brick ties and rebar. Bet you will put that socket back in the toolbox.
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The socket was posted as a tool to remove and install flushvalve nuts for kohler two piece toilets that install inside its tank to Bowl gasket.

We’ve moved on from the sloan valves.
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skoronesa
Cityplumber said:
Trying to loosen the thin hex bonnet on a Sloan flush valve inside of a wall with a socket will only round off the corners of the hex: Unless you crawl inside the wall and try to steady the socket with one hand while you pull on the handle:
The hex is only 1/4 inch of chrome plated yellow brass and if it has not been moved in a while, the only way is heat and a straight pull thru a 12x12 access panel. Exposed valves are child's play----- go bust your knuckles in a jagged masonry wall and leave some skin on the brick ties and rebar. Bet you will put that socket back in the toolbox.
Click to expand...
I don't use a socket for sloan valves, as Terry explained it's for Kohler T/B seals.

And yes, I have plenty of experience with concealed Sloan valves. I have a Sloan Superwrench but usually just use sharp Channellocks.

Did you know if you grind the end of a socket it will be sharper and bite onto shallow flats?
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