Particularly useful tools - Red Rocks Cobra

Particularly useful tools:

The table linked here lists the tools that I purchased during the construction of the Mk IV Roadster. Not all of these tools are needed: the build manual lists the ‘required’ tools and it is a minimal set. However, I’ve used all of the tools listed in the table at least once.

Every year of so a thread starts in the Factory Five Forums by a person new to the project who asks what tools are needed. The responses are thorough but also leave out some of the tools that I have found to make things easier. This section is intended to highlight what are some maybe ‘odd’ tools as well as ones that I found to be particulalry useful in the build.

As I’ve mentioned in other sections, my original shop burned down in 2010 and I needed to start over with everything. To start my tool collection I purchased a Craftsman 145 piece tool set and an additional 42 piece socket set. I used the F5 build manual and the recommended tools to augment the original purchase. My buying method has been to wait until I ‘need’ a tool and then go to get it. For example, you don’t need a hydraulic shear but I’ve used the one I have (from HF) a number of times. Like horsepower— there is no such thing as too much when it comes to tools. A table listing the ‘garage’ items is found here.

A 4 inch vice press brake: A ‘brake’ is used for bending metal pieces. This nifty device fits into the jaws of a bench vice and allows the bending of small Al pieces. I also used a hand ‘seamer’ but the vice break is substantially better at the task.
Air compressor: If you want air tools you’ll need a compressor. A blow gun is terrific for clearing the work area of all the metal working debris. The 15 gal. reservoir or the DeWalt is such that the compressor starts up after only a short interval of using an air tool. It has never hindered tool use but if you can afford it I would get a much larger tank. On the other hand, the D55168 looks an awful lot like R2D2.
Air hydraulic riveter: I used a hand riveter for a bit then understood that placing some 1200 rivets in that fashion was not going to happen. A hydraulic riveter sets each rivet with the same ‘pull’ and will save your arm.
Air shear: I did a surprising amount of Al fabrication, either making new pieces or modifying panels to fit. You can also use aviation snips (remember that there is a left, right and center version), and I did on occasion, but the air shear is great. The Harbor Freight shear is not particularly a precision tool, and it spews a fair amount of oil, but it has done the job for me without fail.
Air nibbler: Useful for the odd shape but it takes some practice to use it effectively.
Angle grinder: I used it quite a number of times for cutting and non-Al metal work.
Bench vice: My Jorgenson 5″ vice is no longer available, I think; the link is to the 6″ version. I use the vice often and think of it as a shop necessity. The anvil part has proven to be useful. I paid $75 for mine in 2018, probably at the low end of the price spectrum.
Wire loom insertion tool: I was stuck trying to place wires into an already-built loom– how do you keep the loom open? I thought, ‘someone must have a tool for this’. Sure enough!
Circle fly cutter: For making the instrument gauge holes. Perfect. If you use it with a hand-held drill, go slowly. I went at about 200 rpm for my instrument panel. And, clamp the piece that you’re drilling into down, firmly.
Cleco pliers and clecos: An absolute must. They are on everyone’s list. Some photos of builds show Clecos in every hole intended for a rivet– hundreds! That’s silly. Each panel edge needs only a few to temporarily hold panels in place. I have maybe 30 1/8″ Clecos and 10 3/16″ Clecos. That’s plenty.
DC power supply: I have a 0 – 30 volt, 0 – 5 amp supply and it has been great for testing the low voltage electrical circuits and devices. Some of the electrical components dsraw a higher current than 5 amps (e.g., the horns), so maybe get a source with a higher potential amp output.
Deburring tool set: Carrol Smith (‘Nuts, Bolts and Fasteners’) points out that every hole used for clamping must be deburred. One can certainly use a large diameter drill bit (say 3/8″ for the rivet holes) but a deburring tool is designed for the task. The one that I use has blades for different materials, including aluminum.
Double flaring tool: There are more expensive tools but this worked well for me with NiCopp tubing. The key is a square tubing cut and chamfering the end. And practice. I’ve had no leaks.
Dremel tool: I have to admit that I thought these would be of no substantial value to me in my build, maybe useful if working on a model railroad, but a car? WRONG! I’ve probably used this more often an any other tool– cutting, sanding, smoothing. I also purchased an accessory kit but the big box stores carry many accessories that you can buy one at a time. I’m a fan!
Flaring mandrel: If you’re using stainless steel braided hose for some of the hydraulic lines, this is the key to getting fittings on the end. Seemingly expensive but it will save your sanity and your fingers from the pokey SS strands.
Heat gun: I use shrink tubing on almost all of the connectors. This makes it easy. I purchased a nozzle to focus the heat.
Head lamp: There are lots of times you just need more light no matter how bright the shop lights. I have a set of Harbor Freight work lights that provide some great area flooding but they are hot and I often get in the way. Head lamps are great for putting the light where needed. Be sure to get one that is super bright as some headlamps for hiking just don’t put out that many lumens.
Multimeter: I have a Fluke 87 V but it is overkill for the project. A multimeter is a must for doing the electrical part of any build, particularly knowing that a connection is good via the conductivity setting. There are many good, relatively inexpensive digital multimeters available.
Paint box: The link is to a blog post on my Sunshine site where I discuss the paint box that I built, primarily for painting the Al pieces. I had to replace the filter often but it allowed me to paint in the shop when the weather wasn’t conducive to doing it outside.
Right angle air drill: I’ve used it many times for drilling in tight spaces.
Rivet fan spacing tool: You’re putting in a LOT of rivets. This makes spacing easy. I’ve read of other means of doing the same (e.g., holes in an elastic band) but the $46 is totally worth it.
Shop vacuum: Not a tool per se but crucial for getting all of the metal bits off of the floor and bench. A broom just doesn’t do it. 14 gal. is plenty large– I rarely need to change the bag.
Snap ring pliers: I have two of different sizes. You’ll encounter snap rings on tools and various parts. You might think that you can get a snap ring off using needle nose pliers or some other jury-rigged device but you’re wrong. The right tool for the right job!
Stainless steel ruler, 6″: I use this ALL of the time.
Step drills: I thought that they were a gimmick– wrong again! Easy work for drilling holes in the Al. Maybe too easy so go slow!!
Tap and die set: The taps are needed for threading holes in the chassis. The dies are great for cleaning bolt threads. Spend a bit more to get a quality set. The Irwin Hansen set that I have comes with a bolt thread gauge: this is extremely useful!
Torque wrench: Every bolt/nut set has a specific torque specification. I have three torque wrenches covering the range of torque specifications of the fasteners used in the build. Some builders use a torque seal to indicate when nuts move on the bolt but I use fingernail polish as it cracks if a nut turns. I use a bright red color to indicate those bolts that have been torqued.
Vernier caliper: Far more useful than you might think. I use it for transferring dimensions, checking bolt diameters, anything needing more precision than a ruler or tape measure, and there are lots of opportunities for use on the roadster. I’m old-school so my caliper has the Vernier scale that needs to be read. More common are calipers with analogue dials for the thousandths-place.
Terminal crimping die set: For crimping various terminals on the ends of wires. Some wire cutters come with the appropriate die but this tool is made to do it correctly. The dies can be exchanged with the Weather Pack crimping jaws on the ProsKit Weather Pack crimping tool.
Tubing straightener: If you buy a coil of brake tubing, you need this. Kind of expensive but worth it. Super easy to straighten NiCopp tubing with this.
Thumbwheel ratchets: Very convenient for tight spaces. Nifty!
Weather Pack tools: Perfect for removable connections. Here is the crimping tool. Be sure to also purchase a removal tool.