Handy Devices

Easy-to-build ideas make your work easier.

Disc Stand (Progressive Farmer image by Ray E. Watkins Jr.)

DISC STAND (Editor's Choice):

Allen Keim, Kinderhook, Illinois, put a couple of old disc blades to work as a tool and parts stand. Here's what he did: To the disc used for the bottom of the stand (the concave side turned up), Keim welded a length of perforated square tube steel. Note the small supports he added from the disc to the square tube for extra strength. Next, he welded a second disc (concave side pointed down) to the top of the square tube. He also welded a plate over the punch hole in the disc to keep parts and tools from falling through. The stand works especially well away from the shop where it's easy to lose these items in gravel, dirt or brush.

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PRESCRIPTION TOOLS:

Arthur Ludwig, Hamilton, Ohio, found a new use for old prescription bottles. He uses them to hold screwdrivers and nut drivers. On larger prescription bottles, he cuts off the top 1 1/2 inches of the plastic bottle. Next, he drills a 3/8- to 5/8-inch diameter hole through the bottom of the bottle to accommodate various-sized driver shanks. The tubes can be connected in line with small machine screws or glue. Drill holes in the backs of the bottles, and they can be screwed to a length of board or hung from a pegboard.

BIGGER TOW:

Joel Ort, Hortonville, Wisconsin, needed a bit more pull from his side-by-side. The vehicle originally hosted 1 1/4-inch receiver, which also sat low to the ground. Ort built this hitch extension, which gives him the ability to mount a 2-inch ball onto the vehicle. By lifting the receiver higher off the ground, it is now easier to attach larger trailers to the side-by-side.

> WINNING IDEAS: Win $400 if your idea is chosen as the month's "Editor's Choice" Handy Device. Win $200 for other ideas used on this page. To submit a Handy Device, please send clear photographs, detailed drawings and a complete explanation of your idea. With each entry, include your name, address and telephone number. Send Handy Device entries to Progressive Farmer, 2204 Lakeshore Dr., Suite 415, Birmingham, AL 35209. Sorry, but we cannot acknowledge submissions or return photographs, drawings or documentation.

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