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Run-em
10-04-2012, 01:40 PM
Rope around frame, out from under the car, knot about med-way up the car side, rope over the top (blanket protection for paint), ON OVER THE CAR AND UNDER TO TIE AROUND FRAME----makes it easier for guys with arthritis to get up after working under the car. Can also rope a bolt into a wall stud for those that don't want to chance rocking the car.

A 8 to 10 inch section of fuel line hose placed over the hand end of pliers/snips makes them "spring loaded" for multiple use.

A section of roll bar padding or pipe insulation taped over the handle of floor jack can save a car dent or mar in the paint.

A flat board with V notches in the ends will act as an extension cord roll up. Can use the cord or hole in the wood to hang on a wall nail.

An old wheel - if properly attached to a wall-- will act as a hose/air line roll up.

On new rattle cans of paint use a sharpie marker down the can side to denote the direction of spray --it often becomes covered with paint or worn off if a brake clean/ solvent can.

A screw type radiator hose clamp can be used as a guide for sawing a pipe = for a straight cut.

Keep your cell phone on you when working in the garage. --faster for 911 service if you need it.

Keep a good first aid kit in the garage--band aids, tape, gauze pads, a couple of old style Kotex pads (were originally army field dressings), elastic bandage to hold a compress on, tourniquette, normal saline quart bottle for eye wash. Maalox will neutralize an acid burn.

Scrap lumber can be screwed and/or glued together to make an extension for a jack stand. Never allow concrete blocks in the garage...the temptation just won't be there to use one.

Be safe out there....many of us work on out cars alone!

Run-em
10-05-2012, 04:37 AM
JUMP ON IN HERE, YOU GUYS, WITH SOME OF YOUR TIPS.

carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)
10-05-2012, 05:31 AM
fire ext. in cars, garage and home. don't smoke and co detecters too.

567chevys
10-07-2012, 10:27 AM
Buy or make items/tools that you will use to make life easier. Wheel chocks, you jack up a FWD car than chase it. A strong magnet on a stick, we all drop bolts, sockets. A magnetized bowl, them screws and other hardware disappears. A tool cart, you need a place to put everything when doing a project. Under the hood or messy bench is not the place. You spend more time looking for tools and stuff than working. Pans, I have about 10- 16" x 3" deep. When doing brakes it confines the mess and gives a place to store lug nuts and hardware.

Another big one is (Never let you wife put anything into your garage)

Fold up seat , could use a wagon tail gate or truck tail gate

You could even make this tailgate into a workbench if you had a flat one

Put a large piece of cardboard under the engine and between the wheels. When you drop a wrench or tool, just pull out the cardboard to retrieve the tool. Beats climbing under the car searching. Works for all but round tools that seem to roll away into the atmosphere.

Use Testor's model car paint ... paint each notch in your jack stands a different color ... a quick glance versus counting notches when trying to get a set level under a car


Use pipe insulation on the bottom 2/3's of your hydraulic jack handle. Keeps the handle from banging up the side of whatever vehicle one may be working on when handle is in UPRIGHT position

Spent bullet casings make for great gasket punches. They come in a ton of sizes. If you don't shoot, ask someone who does for a handful of various calibers. A cheap nylon cutting board from walmart or the dollar store also makes a good backing for punching and cutting gaskets and other materials.

Use a cellphone camera to "remember" how to put things back together


If you have a nut with a washer that needs to go upside down in a blind spot...super glue the washer to the nut. If you can't get it on, put the nut in a wrench/socket/whatever with some Vaseline.

If you have a screw that is starting to cam out, put some valve grinding compound on the screwdriver tip.

If you have a broken bolt down a hole. For smaller bolts like 5/16 or 8mm take a steel tire valve stem and cut about a half inch long piece to fit in the hole. The center hole will be about the size of an 1/8th inch drill bit. Now you have and easy way to center the bit. For larger bolts a wrap some electrical tape around it that is all you need to get the piece of tube centered.

Tabasco
10-07-2012, 04:10 PM
Those are some great ideas, some I already use and a few I'm going to use.


Another big one is (Never let you wife put anything into your garage) That is why my wife has her own garage for her feminine products...like lawn mowers, chain saws, log splitters, string trimmers, shovels, rakes and all that stuff I never learned about.

Crissys55
11-27-2012, 12:57 PM
I am in the search process of finding my 55. That said, as a beginner, what would you say is a good starter set of tools for a beginner. I have seen some pretty good sets online at Sears. And have seen some nice boxes and rollers thru Harbor Freight. With Cristmas around the corner, i may be able to finally pull the trigger on a good set. Also, any tips on a decent compressor? I would be doing some priming in the future as well as using cut-off tools, sanders etc... so what size would you recommend? Thanks in advance.