This isn't an original idea, but one that I saw on a YouTube video. The video didn't go into much detail as to how it was made, so I had to figure that out on my own. I am passing my knowledge on this for others' benefit.
I started with a length of 1" square tubing with holes in it that I purchased at Lowe's for under $20. I also procured an 18" magnetic toolbar from Harbor Freight for about $5.
I then proceeded to cut off one-piece 18" long, and 3 pieces 3" long. Not having access to my welder, I had my neighbor that is learning to weld attach the 3 pieces to the 18" piece. I used the light fixtures to estimate my spacing. The first and last hole on the 18" bar is used to hold the magnet to the bar. Then I aligned the 3" pieces on the top of the bar starting with the 2nd hole at each end. The reason for this is so the 2 1/2" carriage bolt will pass through both pieces to hold the light bracket to the bar. The centerpiece is welded onto the bar at the 3 1/2 hole mark on both sides. Since the center bracket doesn't have a through-hole, I drilled a small hole through the bottom bar so the carriage bolt can pass through.
Mounting the light brackets presented a minor issue because the square under the head of the carriage bolt wouldn't pass through the hole in the bar, so I had to enlarge the hole. Next came how to get the small screws into the light fixture and tighten the nuts. I used a small 1/8" magnet that is designed to pick us small screws when you drop them into the distributor when changing points. It was perfect to hold the nut while you turned the screw to hold the light to the LED Light. I started at one end and left the bracket/carriage bolt loose enough to turn them about 45 degrees and snugged the screws up.
When I purchased the magnet, I wanted to see how strong it was, so I put it on the cross beam of my lift. When I tried to remove it, I had to pry it loose with a screwdriver. The magnet bar is made up of 8 magnetic segments placed into a squared U-shaped piece of steel. I didn't try to take them out, but I don't believe that they are glued in place. They are covered with a piece of glossy paper that tore when I removed the magnet. I will cover that strip with electrical tape before installation.
I purchased the LED lights on eBay for $11 for 2, so I have one spare. Wiring is the next step to finish up this project. I might even take it apart and paint it sometime in the future.
I welcome your questions or suggestions on how to improve on this.
I started with a length of 1" square tubing with holes in it that I purchased at Lowe's for under $20. I also procured an 18" magnetic toolbar from Harbor Freight for about $5.
I then proceeded to cut off one-piece 18" long, and 3 pieces 3" long. Not having access to my welder, I had my neighbor that is learning to weld attach the 3 pieces to the 18" piece. I used the light fixtures to estimate my spacing. The first and last hole on the 18" bar is used to hold the magnet to the bar. Then I aligned the 3" pieces on the top of the bar starting with the 2nd hole at each end. The reason for this is so the 2 1/2" carriage bolt will pass through both pieces to hold the light bracket to the bar. The centerpiece is welded onto the bar at the 3 1/2 hole mark on both sides. Since the center bracket doesn't have a through-hole, I drilled a small hole through the bottom bar so the carriage bolt can pass through.
Mounting the light brackets presented a minor issue because the square under the head of the carriage bolt wouldn't pass through the hole in the bar, so I had to enlarge the hole. Next came how to get the small screws into the light fixture and tighten the nuts. I used a small 1/8" magnet that is designed to pick us small screws when you drop them into the distributor when changing points. It was perfect to hold the nut while you turned the screw to hold the light to the LED Light. I started at one end and left the bracket/carriage bolt loose enough to turn them about 45 degrees and snugged the screws up.
When I purchased the magnet, I wanted to see how strong it was, so I put it on the cross beam of my lift. When I tried to remove it, I had to pry it loose with a screwdriver. The magnet bar is made up of 8 magnetic segments placed into a squared U-shaped piece of steel. I didn't try to take them out, but I don't believe that they are glued in place. They are covered with a piece of glossy paper that tore when I removed the magnet. I will cover that strip with electrical tape before installation.
I purchased the LED lights on eBay for $11 for 2, so I have one spare. Wiring is the next step to finish up this project. I might even take it apart and paint it sometime in the future.
I welcome your questions or suggestions on how to improve on this.