The last tool I made was just a "U" of flimsy steel, didn't hold up very long and was hard to work with. I happened to look inside one of the scrap steel bins at work and saw a 4 inch long piece of pipe. I thought it would be the perfect size for making a new compressing tool. I took it home and threw it in the cutoff saw to take make a 3/4" width ring. I then ground off all the shavings and sharp edges, and threw it in the drill press. My bit couldn't reach the other side of the ring so I took it out of the vise, and marked where the hole on the other side would have to be.
After drilling both holes to the correct tap diameter, I tapped them for the 3/8" bolts that I would be threading into them. Since the bolts meet in the middle, I think it should work just fine, haven't had an opportunity to use it yet. Painted it gloss black and I'm done!
