diy alignment tool

[brandon7861]

Although alignment tools are cheap enough, who hasn't tried making them? I finally found a good material for making the tips that wont deform. Celluloid!

I made these alignment tools using polymorph (a moldable thermoplastic that melts in hot water) and the thicker size celluloid guitar picks for the tip material. The celluloid is hard and strong enough to not break or deform turning a slug and can be very accurately shaped with a dremel. The thermoplastic is something I had for other reasons, so these were pretty much free to make. I made 3 different size celluloid tips, one steel tip for trimmers and a brass/ferrite tool for poking at slug adjustments without turning the slug.

 

[Holydvr]

Where would one find this particular material?

 

[Cable Guy]

After spending money on what seemed like a subscription to plastic or plastic like alignment tools, I decided to make my own. I found some small plastic sticks that went to a cheap game like kerplunk and used those. I heat a tuning slug in some pliers until hot enough to melt plastic but not too hot. Shove a stick in the hot slug slot and it flows to the size of the slot exactly. I have to be still during the cooling. The stick pops out of the slug and with some outer edge trimming, I'm ready to align. It's a process but cheap.

 

[brandon7861]

Theres a memory from 30 years ago! The game was called "Pick Up Sticks" I believe.. The sticks would be droped into a pile and each player had a stick of their own to use to pick up the colored sticks with. One stick at a time, cannot let any other stick move, keep picking up sticks until another one does move that shouldn't. They had points for color but I forget what they were. My brother used to cheat and stomp on the floor hoping more than the stick I was trying to get would move.

Edit: Now just fatten them up with a few wraps of tape so fine adjustments are easier.

 

[brandon7861]

Where would one find this particular material?

The tip material is celluliod (nitrocellulose and camphor, flammable, dont try to melt!) and can be bought in sheet form or as thick guitar picks on ebay. They are a shipping hazmat thing, but some sellers don't care. You will know its celluloid by the smell.

The handles are instamorph aka polymorph (two different brands of the same low-melting thermoplastic called polycaprolactone). That stuff can melt in hot water (140°F) and can be shaped by hand.

Although the thermoplastic does get hard when cool, it is not quite strong enough for the tips. I know celluloid also gets brittle as the camphor evaporates from the nitrocellulose, but mine are still going strong.

Adding a prepper comment: When you buy the celluloid, buy extra. If shaved into a powder, a spark will ignite it. They are extremely flammable and make great waterproof tinder. I keep several in my wallet, some threaded on my ferrorod lanyard and even have some taped to my everyday carry knife case.

 

[KK4JW]

I made mine out of a throw-away plastic knife. A minute with the dremel tool was all it took. Sure, it's not "professional", but neither am I.

 

[Holydvr]

Thank you!

 

[Cable Guy]

I have non-inductive ceramic tools and use them on larger slugs. Smaller slugs are more fragile and can break with a hard material tool so I figure it's better to use plastic on those as the plastic tip will shear off before the slug breaks and better to dig out a piece of plastic tip from the slug than pulling a broken slug out. Ymmv.

 

[DXrx]

After spending money on what seemed like a subscription to plastic or plastic like alignment tools, I decided to make my own. I found some small plastic sticks that went to a cheap game like kerplunk and used those. I heat a tuning slug in some pliers until hot enough to melt plastic but not too hot. Shove a stick in the hot slug slot and it flows to the size of the slot exactly. I have to be still during the cooling. The stick pops out of the slug and with some outer edge trimming, I'm ready to align. It's a process but cheap.
View attachment 64787

Inspired!
And thank you for sharing your inspiration.

Been contemplating a post about trying to source the necessary GC Alignment tools (as recommended in the Sam's adjustment procedure) for a Grant XL I'm restoring...

Was having difficulty finding several of them, and for less than the price of two of the tools *that I was able to find* so far, I just scored 25 pick up sticks for under $10 shipped!

Because a new project (XL) requires a new project (sticks) right?

 

[Cable Guy]

Inspired!
And thank you for sharing your inspiration.

Been contemplating a post about trying to source the necessary GC Alignment tools (as recommended in the Sam's adjustment procedure) for a Grant XL I'm restoring...

Was having difficulty finding several of them, and for less than the price of two of the tools *that I was able to find* so far, I just scored 25 pick up sticks for under $10 shipped!

Because a new project (XL) requires a new project (sticks) right?

There is a bit of a learning curve, if you mess up the tip, clip it off and try again. I went as far as fabricating a tool to hold the heated slug and guide to keep the sticks straight. I might post it up one day.

 

[DXrx]

There is a bit of a learning curve, if you mess up the tip, clip it off and try again. I went as far as fabricating a tool to hold the heated slug and guide to keep the sticks straight. I might post it up one day.

I was already thinking about the same thing.
I've got an old desktop "helping hands" (metal base with two 'arms' on swivels, and alligator clips on each arm) that I've use maybe a handful of times in 30 years... Figured I'd use one arm to hold a slug, the other arm to lower a stick into the heated slug (while it cools) so my arm doesn't get tired/risk changing the angle during cooling.

Planned on heating the slug with an SMD rework heat gun (suggestions on where to start with temps are welcome!)

Also, any idea how many variants the Grant XL might need? (not worried about pots, just chokes/cans)

 

[Cable Guy]

I was already thinking about the same thing.
I've got an old desktop "helping hands" (metal base with two 'arms' on swivels, and alligator clips on each arm) that I've use maybe a handful of times in 30 years... Figured I'd use one arm to hold a slug, the other arm to lower a stick into the heated slug (while it cools) so my arm doesn't get tired/risk changing the angle during cooling.

Planned on heating the slug with an SMD rework heat gun (suggestions on where to start with temps are welcome!)

Also, any idea how many variants the Grant XL might need? (not worried about pots, just chokes/cans)

I couldn't say on temp, I do a 3 count with a micro torch, flame almost touching the slug, then put the guide on and shove a stick into it. I give it about 10 seconds to cool. When in the groove I can turn them out quickly.

That's the plug of a common 12 volt wall wart, the hole is perfect. I think the slug holder was salvaged from an ink pen. This rig is good for standard Galaxy or cobra slugs, can't think of the size. Some radios have a bit smaller slot, but whittling the tip some works okay. Larger slugs I use my ceramic tool.