For bending odd sized tubing without kinking it (transmission dip stick tubes come to mind); tape off one end, and fill fine sand. Heat the tube red hot and slowly bend. Empty sand and rinse several times.

To hold a nut in a wrench or socket while starting a bolt, use a little paper or tape wedged between nut and side of the tool.

If the flex socket is too loose to hold a bolt at a correct angle (starting upper bellhousing bolts for example), a wrap of electrical tape around the joint works to tighten up the socket.

If you’re trying to get your kids/grandkids interested in working out in the shop with you set aside small projects or parts of the project that they can complete in a relatively short period of time (the younger the kid the shorter the attention span). That way they get a sense of accomplishment and tend to want to come back out to the shop.


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