GARAGE TIPS and TRICKS - POST 'em!

[49tandc]

For those of us who shop at Harbor Freight - pick up a set of "Anti-Fatigue mats" when they go on sale (under $10 bux). 1/2" thick, closed cell rubber and dovetail together. They are the best for laying on when you have to work under a car. They clean up easily and take just a little space (compared to carpeting) when not in use.


49T&C

 

[raley]

I actually prefer the ones from sams club, the HF ones don't work with the sams ones, but you get 8 for 15 bucks instead of 4 for 10. just don't weld or grind over them unless you want millions of holes. also, the sam's club ones hold up better. They are hard to find depending on the time of year though.

 

[dancemusicman]

easier said than done.

 

[Darren5.0L]

Working with rusted or rounded exhaust manifold or header bolts?

A good, not quite last ditch tool is a mini pipe wrench, I have sucessfully used a little 4" handled model numerous times. The wrench will give a good bite to help break torque, but expect to replace the bolts/nuts for re-installation.

It was once of those cases on a friend's car where the bolts were pretty rounded and my rounded bolt remover wouldn't clear the primary pipes.

 

[bora492]

My very fist post!

Go to Home Depot and ask for vinyl flooring remnants. These are bolt-ends or special orders that never got picked up, and they're cheap. I got one roll of special order vinyl that was 15' x 25' for $19.99. I brought it home, swept out the garage, and laid it down. It cleans up nice and when it's finally trashed, I will pitch it out. I use smaller remnants and staple on the workbench or shelves.

Dave

 

[pdham]

Hey Guys I thought I'd share some tips that have worked for me. I picked up a used hospital bed table ( you know the ones that crank up and down and fit over the bed) it had a solid top that slid with a tray underneath. I removed the top so the tray was exposed. It keeps small parts from rolling away. It works great for extending over the engine bay, giving me a place to land parts and tools. A great souse of this kind of stuff is to make friends with the guys who work maintenance at your local hospital. Hospitals are almost as good as the government for throwing away perfectly useful stuff. I also picked up an exam light on a rolling stand that works great around the shop. All FYI

 

[smithred67]

My buddies dad works for American Airlines and he told us to use old seat cushions to kneel down on while working on a car. It saves on the knees when working on hard surfaces. I currently have an old seat back from a late 90's Chevy truck that I use. You can pick up an old seat from a junk yard and tear it apart for the foam cushion.

 

[Tribalvision]

Picked up a little wall hook and mounted it to my toolbox

Perfect spot for a tool I use almost daily. easy access.

 

[e-tek]

My buddies dad works for American Airlines and he told us to use old seat cushions to kneel down on while working on a car. It saves on the knees when working on hard surfaces. I currently have an old seat back from a late 90's Chevy truck that I use. You can pick up an old seat from a junk yard and tear it apart for the foam cushion.

I still use an ex-girlfriends pillow.....

 

[metalhead212121]

My buddies dad works for American Airlines and he told us to use old seat cushions to kneel down on while working on a car. It saves on the knees when working on hard surfaces. I currently have an old seat back from a late 90's Chevy truck that I use. You can pick up an old seat from a junk yard and tear it apart for the foam cushion.

Ive never used old foam cushions so I cant comment on how well they work. Ive always used kneeling pads from Mac Tools. For those that say all kneeling pads are the same I STRONGLY beg to differ. I have a cheap one I got from Lowes/Home Depot (?) and I have one from Mac... the Mac one is 10% better.

 

[e-tek]

Ive never used old foam cushions so I cant comment on how well they work. Ive always used kneeling pads from Mac Tools. For those that say all kneeling pads are the same I STRONGLY beg to differ. I have a cheap one I got from Lowes/Home Depot (?) and I have one from Mac... the Mac one is 10% better.

only 10%??

 

[metalhead212121]

you know what I meant E-tek! (10x)...

 

[joatmon]

When drilling into inside walls, to make cleanup easyer stick a piece of duct tape on the wall under the aera to be drilled. When done carefully peal off the tape and dust.

Aaron

 

[russlaferrera]

Cut the slot a little deeper with a hacksaw on your claw hammer. This will allow you to pull out smaller nails

 

[dsch]

The high density foam anti fatigue mats talked about earlier make good drawer liners for the air tool drawer or other places that store heavy items.

 

[camaro8194]

horse matts from tsc make good floor matts you can weld cut and burn on them and are good for standing on instead of concrete

 

[RBI]

horse matts from tsc make good floor matts you can weld cut and burn on them and are good for standing on instead of concrete

I use a TSC stall mat in my pick-up bed. $20 for a 1/2" thick hunk of rubber to stop stuff from sliding around was a super deal. When we fry the turkey at Thanksgiving, I pull it out and use it to keep grease splatters off the patio.

 

[CAOS]

Another option for working under a vehicle other then a mat or creeper is to use is a "crazy carpet". They are light, easy to clean, easy to store, very thin and pretty rugged and best of all cheap.

 

[jkruger54]

Another option for working under a vehicle other then a mat or creeper is to use is a "crazy carpet". They are light, easy to clean, easy to store, very thin and pretty rugged and best of all cheap.

Not recommended for those with sensitive arses.

 

[CAOS]

Not recommended for those with sensitive arses.

Men are made, not born.

 

[muibubbles]

Doing some custom wiring?

You can make your own striped wire by pulling the wire between your fingers and a Sharpie permanent marker. A paint marker would probably work as well, but I haven’t tried one.

Metallic colored markers are also available and work well on dark colored wire.

I have a category on my blog...

http://shopngarage.com/category/shopgarage/shop-tips/

you win. i wish i saw this before i rewired my car!!!

 

[spartyon8]

When spray painting anything:

-clean up the part
-degrease
-bake in oven @150* for about 10 minutes
-then paint

The paint will not run as it almost instantly cures. This not only cuts down on the runs but also the cure/dry time.

Any high temp paint I will bake at 300* for 10 minutes.

* For those wondering, it will not leave a smell or ruin your oven as you just heat up the part. It is different than powder coating.

 

[MScott]

Bump. Nothing to add, but I'd hate to see this one get lost.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

When spray painting anything:

-clean up the part
-degrease
-bake in oven @150* for about 10 minutes
-then paint

The paint will not run as it almost instantly cures. This not only cuts down on the runs but also the cure/dry time.

Any high temp paint I will bake at 300* for 10 minutes.

* For those wondering, it will not leave a smell or ruin your oven as you just heat up the part. It is different than powder coating.

Sounds good, I might try this today on the top&bottom covers for my delta band saw project.
It is still a little too cold to paint in the garage, don't want to do it up here cause of fumes and over spray.

So can I re-coat soon after? This is rustoleum Machine gray.

 

[OuBallie]

Hi everyone.
My first post, as I only joined last week.
This thread really should be a Sticky as its so useful.
Ok, here's my contribution.
-
Store opened paint cans on their lids. When closed of course .
This prevents that horrible thick skin forming, but do make sure that the lid doesn't leak.
-
I'm just completing my ToolTrolley that I can wheel around my garage/shop as well as out into the enclosed carport when working on my classic cars:
1935 Austin Seven Ruby
1957 Austin A35
1967 Morris Minor
Photos of ToolTrolley as soon as I'm done.

OuBallie - Norfolk, UK not VA

 

[FastKat]

Ever get little metal splinters in your skin? You know what I'm talking about - your carbide bur makes them by the thousands. They're so small that you would barely be able to see them... if they weren't already buried in your finger, hand, wrist, etc.

To get those splinters out, lightly sand the effected area with 80 to 120 grit sand paper for about 10 to 20 seconds. I usually sand up and down, then left to right, then in a circular motion... and the sandpaper will pull the splinter right out. I was skeptical at first, but IT WORKS!

 

[Geurt]

When spray painting anything:

-clean up the part
-degrease
-bake in oven @150* for about 10 minutes
-then paint

The paint will not run as it almost instantly cures. This not only cuts down on the runs but also the cure/dry time.

Any high temp paint I will bake at 300* for 10 minutes.

* For those wondering, it will not leave a smell or ruin your oven as you just heat up the part. It is different than powder coating.

This is a good one for parts fitting in the oven!

When I spray bigger parts with rattle cans I soak the cans in a bucket of hot water some 20 minutes before I start. Gives the same effect.

 

[raley]

I would be worried about high temp (pressurized containers) at 300* as they might pop or the tip might get alil melty... i don't see a problem with 150* but 300* seems high to me.

 

[keithski122]

Ever get little metal splinters in your skin? You know what I'm talking about - your carbide bur makes them by the thousands. They're so small that you would barely be able to see them... if they weren't already buried in your finger, hand, wrist, etc.

To get those splinters out, lightly sand the effected area with 80 to 120 grit sand paper for about 10 to 20 seconds. I usually sand up and down, then left to right, then in a circular motion... and the sandpaper will pull the splinter right out. I was skeptical at first, but IT WORKS!

Does this work if you get one in your eye!?

 

[Ascinder]

I would be worried about high temp (pressurized containers) at 300* as they might pop or the tip might get alil melty... i don't see a problem with 150* but 300* seems high to me.

He's saying to put the part in the oven @150*, then paint it. If you're using hi-temp paint then heat the part to 300*

I regularly have to paint in "less than ideal" conditions. I have an unheated garage and my spray paint is usually extremely cold(garage not insulated either). Have a lamp with an incandescent bulb and a safety guard on it. I position the lamp straight up and set the paint on the guard. It warms the can up in about 5-10 minutes which is usually about the time I need to prep the part I'm painting anyways. The can never gets hot enough to cause any safety concerns either.

 

[ambenz]

Lot's of great tips here, I have been using some of them already.
My tips include using plastic peanut butter jars for storing fasterers, you can screw the caps into the bottom of shelving to free up space and, being plastic, if they drop, they won't break...I don't know how many baby food jars I broke in my lifetime.
Using a mini clear tackle/parts box with a locking lid to keep all those small drill bits in one place.
If you have metal wall cabinets above your bench, place several magnets on the doors and allow them to hold your wrenchs, plyers, and hand tools when working on equipment on the bench...no more searching for tools buryed by the part on the bench, they will be at eye level.
Another use for earth magnets is to place on on your oilpan next to the drain plug...remove just before changing oil and all the metal particles will be the first things flushed from the pan.
Cut a 1/2 PVC drain pipe into a 1' foot section and screw under shelve to store doll rods, threaded rod, or tubing.

I have a lot of spray type bottles for detailing my cars. I strung, with bailing wire, a long clothes hanger rod horizonally along the garage, about 61/2 feet from the floor and store all my spray bottles on the rod.

 

[cnc-me]

From another post - "place about 10 center punch marks around the shaft where it goes into the bearings. This will ensure the shaft rotates the bearings."
That's one I've never heard of and would save a lot of bearings going bad!

I have heard this called the "Chicago Fit"

 

[AZAV8]

Lot's of great tips here, I have been using some of them already.
My tips include using plastic peanut butter jars for storing fasterers, you can screw the caps into the bottom of shelving to free up space and, being plastic, if they drop, they won't break...I don't know how many baby food jars I broke in my lifetime.
Using a mini clear tackle/parts box with a locking lid to keep all those small drill bits in one place.
If you have metal wall cabinets above your bench, place several magnets on the doors and allow them to hold your wrenchs, plyers, and hand tools when working on equipment on the bench...no more searching for tools buryed by the part on the bench, they will be at eye level.
Another use for earth magnets is to place on on your oilpan next to the drain plug...remove just before changing oil and all the metal particles will be the first things flushed from the pan.
Cut a 1/2 PVC drain pipe into a 1' foot section and screw under shelve to store doll rods, threaded rod, or tubing.

I have a lot of spray type bottles for detailing my cars. I strung, with bailing wire, a long clothes hanger rod horizonally along the garage, about 61/2 feet from the floor and store all my spray bottles on the rod.

For the paper towels and shop towels I went to Wal-Mart and got two of their cheapy paper towel racks and attached them vertically to the wall at the end of the work bench. That way they don't take up too much space and are out of the way. I like your idea.

Phil

 

[lilredex]

Another option for kneeling.... the ones I use.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8199937/Kneeling-Pad/Kneeling-Pad

And for anyone wanting a quarter turn latch for their tool cabinet, but without the nuisance of a key.

Screw driver or dime operated.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8145690/


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Thumb Latch. Could not find it on their (PAL) site, it is located in SURPLUS section.

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This one has been highlighted before, but here it is again. The guy is so generous with his time and has gone absolutely into overtime on these.

http://www.frets.com/homeshoptech/hstpages.html

 

[bczygan]

Your MIL's lace doilies make great coasters for beer cans or bottles on your roller cabinet.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

**************************

This one has been highlighted before, but here it is again. The guy is so generous with his time and has gone absolutely into overtime on these.

http://www.frets.com/homeshoptech/hstpages.html

Page Not Found

We cannot locate the page you're looking for. Please check the address and make sure all letters are lowercased with no spaces.

 

[lilredex]

**************************

This one has been highlighted before, but here it is again. The guy is so generous with his time and has gone absolutely into overtime on these.

http://www.frets.com/homeshoptech/hstpages.html

Page Not Found

We cannot locate the page you're looking for. Please check the address and make sure all letters are lowercased with no spaces.

MrB.... link is OK, site must be down for some reason. I did check it it after posting that link.

http://www.google.com/search?q=frank+ford (First one.)



Edit: Try it this time.....

http://www.frets.com/

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/ShopTips/tiplist.html

 

[NUTTSGT]

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.

...

Please make sure it has a spent primer in the casing, not one that somebody pulled apart because of a FTF or other malfunction.

 

[96snma]

Not my original idea but have used them and both work great

http://staceydavid.com/articles/tips/quick-tip-splitting-rubber-tubing-4708

http://staceydavid.com/articles/tips/quick-tip-custom-clamping-4712

 

[Scottishross]

good ideas