I got into a bird feeder phase at one point. I hung one each from the eaves outside of my kids bedroom windows. You can sort of get them to refill from inside, but it’s a bit of a stretch. There was an old defunct surveyors pole on the side of my garage that was there when I moved in. So I took a single hole metal conduit strap and screwed that into the end of the pole. So its a now a long hook that I use to pull down and reinstall the bird feeders. The metal spike-tip of the pole (which had mostly rotted off) sits in the bottom of my toolbox waiting for the next time I have to repair a beach umbrella pole.
I’ll bet those dandelions are screaming in agony too. I’m going to feel really bad now this spring.
I kinda think @Spazticus takes the trophy even though its not automotive, it shows true ingenuity and using what you’ve got.
Sgtrock, you posed some interesting questions. Just a few days ago I watched a PBS special on the behaviors of plants. Scientists have proven that plants send out and respond to chemical signals. One of the signals they discussed was the release of chemicals indicating stress, and one of the scenerios they used to illustrate was lawn mowing. It seems that grass when cut does, in fact, release a stress chemical into the air that causes other plants to engage in protective behaviors. They’ve even proven that some plants, perhaps many, can respond to distress from insect attackers by changing their chemical signals to attract insects that prey on their attackers. Some plants can even change their appearance and chemical signals to no longer attract attackers. And they can make these changes in as little as eight days.
It seems that what we thought was inert life is far more complex than we thought.
I saw that show too. I was thinking of a guy I knew that I thought if he had been any dumber, he would have to be watered twice a week. It appears I have overrated his intelligence.
texases- I tried to figure out where that 25/32 socket came from. I was thinking machinist wrenches because they used to come sized in 32nds but wikipedia doesn’t know what machinist wrenches are. They also don’t know what a tappet wrench was either.
From L to R:
Several lengths of 3/8" fuel hose I use to start spark plugs with.
A stubby screwdriver I made into an awl to ream out brake tubing before I flare it.
This is not a home made tool. It’s actually Mac tools # GS100. There’s a square carbide lathe type cutting tool on the end, but the tool is designed to be a gasket scraper! Works pretty good if you keep the edge parallel to the metal surface you’re scraping.
6" pipe wrench I chopped down to get onto God knows what.
An old king pin I use as a drift pin.
1" SK raised panel combination wrench I “modified” in order to get on a GM fuel filter housing hex. Remember the little sintered fuel filter where the housing screwed right into the side of the carb?
Cheapo hardware store screwdriver I ground into a shape that allowed me to install horizontal return springs on drum brakes.
Top: 2 big thick washers I use to install wheel studs.
Bottom–the 2 rod like things: These were hangers that you see stuck in the end of exhaust pipes so they can hang in the store room. I bent them certain ways for adjusting drum brakes They push the ratchet pawl away from the star wheel so I can back off on the adjustment.
Hook tool. Actually the hook part was half of a Snap On hook tool whose handle kept separating from the hook part with the slightest tug. Sometimes Snap On puts zero thought into their tools; other times they actually are worth the $.
More where these came from!
don t know if I still have it but I once welded a socket on a 3 ft pc of re-bar, and welded a handle on the other end, to remove the nuts holding the retainer for my exhaust doughnut on my 75 ford explorer. it had a 390 cu in car motor in it. didn t have enough extensions. went with steel donuts eventually, they leak a little, but don t blow out and I never had to replace one. just dug out the re-bar and tightened every once in a while. I also found a way to change the rear passenger side spark plug on my current '75 ranger with a 360 motor. I removed the whole heater and all its friends. a c compressor etc. its cold in winter but runs great and I have soooo much room to work under the hood…
Mine ate a set of ignition wrenches – open end, open end at alternate angles, and closed end. I have an alternate use for them every now and then but otherwise taking up roll away space.
A electrical/mechanical ignition dwell measurement device. The pointer clipped to the rotor shaft and the angle dial clipped to the distributor base. It had a battery and light. The continuity cord connected to the disconnected points. You zeroed the pointer when the light came ‘on’ and kept turning the distributor base until the light went out. Whereupon the pointer would be at the measured dwell. A lot of work that was quickly replaced by a dedicated automotive multifunction meter.
I have still to find a tachometer which can read from a clipon spark wire sensor – much like the clip on timing lights. Would be great for determining the RPM of lawnmowers, chain saws, weed wackers, motor cycles, mopeds, etc.
Yes, @CapriRace, you can judge a mechanics experience by his collection of bent and cut down and ground thin wrenches.
My best fabricated tool was actually several tools to replace the water pump and timing belt on Escorts. I ground a 14’ drive 10mm socket down to about 1/2 “, bent a 10mm combination wrench and welded another 1/4” drive 10mm socket onto a long extension. Using those tools I was able to do the job without removing the alternator.
Oh and I forgot my 4 headless bolts to help guide a transmission into place.
I find that as soon as I discard any customized tool, which I have had for 10 yrs or more without using, I immediately have a need for it again. during the 20 yrs that I fabricated structural steel, making tools, helpers, deadmen, etc, was a regular part of the job. there just was not room to save them all. the inefficiency of working around accumulated detritus often out weighed the benefit of holding on to every helpful implement we made. it was often easier to just re-fab them as needed. of course, as I said as soon as I scrapped something…
Since I am pretty ham fisted I use headless bolts to guide a lot of things into place including transmission pans and gaskets.
A garden sprayer.
Like cigroller, my mind is a blank too.
I’m going to the shop tomorrow and look thru my toolboxes and note some of the hand made items that I created to get the job done.
I do have two old sockets that I put on an extention and sawed a groove down thru the middle on the cutoff saw. One is probably a 1/2inch with the groove about 1/4 inch wide, and the other is a 3/4 inch socket with the groove cut about 3/8 wide, all are 3/8 drive.
I made these years ago for some project that I needed to drive in a bunch of eyescrews.
Pre drill a starter hole and then use a 3/8 drive, driver bit into a hand drill with the socket on it.
The eyescrews will rest in the slot and you can zip them in in a jiffy.
Whatever that job was I must have had quite a few eyescrews or eyebolts to set.
Those came in handy when I moved and had to install all the shop lights.
We should also start a topic of “What the heck was this tool ever for”.
I have a few of those too that I’ve collected.
I’ve got a pretty fair number of oddball tools, both factory and homemade, but nothing really sticks out. A few times I’ve even walked off of the Snap-On truck and immediately taken a torch to a new tool to come up with that one-off.
One of the most difficult tools I’ve ever had to come up with was a 5.5 MM Triple Square socket and when found it was in a set of 4 assorted sizes. Used it one time.
Tester’s mechanical foot is very innovative though… 
Not necessarily wacky, but probably my Sturtevant - Richmont #810758 50-250 ft-lb torque wrench I bought off ebay for around $60. The thing is almost as long as I my leg. I use it for torquing lug nuts since I’m a chronic bolt over-tightener. I even use a torque wrench when I do an oil change.
Wacky Looking, But A Life Saver To The Folks Working On The Old Air Cooled Volkswagens, A 13mm/11mm Snap-On Box End Wrench, Factory Formed Into A Crescent Shape. Mine Helped Me Get That One Almost Impossible To Reach Carb/Manifold Nut Many, Many Times. It Was (And Still Is) The Perfect Tool For The Job.
CSA
The wacky tool I use more often than any other of my hand-made tools is nothing more than a bent screwdriver. I made it (well, put it in a vise and whacked it with a hammer to bend it) to turn those star adjusting wheels on brakes. But I find I use this tool all the time for some reason or the other. It’s very good at prying things. I used it to pry the battery lead off the post just the other day. And it is good at unscrewing difficult to reach screws sometimes. And it makes for a good garden weeder! If you have an extra screwdriver laying around, try bending it, you’ll probably find some good uses for it.
I found a 3" socket extension in the ever popular 7/16" drive size. Didn’t know anybody made that size until I found it, and of course I have nothing that works with it. If anybody is missing theirs, I have it.
I have an old adapter to drive a hex-drive screwdriver bit with a 1/4" ratchet… but I’ve had it for many years and cannot find another like it. I could use a socket, but the adapter is nice because it has a spring inside to hold the screwdriver tip.
I also cannot find a 115VAC, 5-1/2" portable circle saw. I had one for many years until the motor burned out and I can no longer fin done. All the 5-1;/2" circle saw on the market now are rechargables, either NiCad or lithium-ion. I liked it 'cause it was light and easy to handle.