Shop tricks

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

James (Samplingman) made my bell go off with hiz Pool Noodles Suggestion, Thankz Man. I've found that 2" Styrofoam pipe insulation workz great for wrapping the handle of your floor jack to prevent it from hammering your bumper az you pump. I've also found that they work great for covering your saw horses to preventing any scuffing of anything you set on 'um while your working on most everything. Just duct tape 'um at both endz of the bridge to keep 'um there. I squirt paint too and the 8' sections are way cheap and I'm good with that too, Jer

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

I'll say again az I've mentioned before ah few yearz back that a 10" X 1 1/2" stick of Beez Wax stuck on any threaded plug in and engine after it's heated will "WICK" IN WHEN THE PLUG IS HEATED and you'd be amazed how easy it will come out. OH, and that 10" stick of Beez Wax iz ah life time supply if you're not in the business and the mice don't find it. NOT PARAFFIN NOW LIKE GRANDMA COVERS HER JAMZ 'N JELLYZ WITH, BUT BEEZ WAX. Jer

 

[barnfind]

I use most of these.....;) Though the hockey puke in the cup of the floor jack is a new one.

I'll suggest to never put a sealer/coating on your concrete floor. When I had my shop put up last year many people suggested I do this.....worst thing I could have done. The coating is a hard clear coat and when it gets wet it's slippery like ice, and when it got cold over the winter and had a bit of fine snow on it from me trudging in and out I went down hard on my right hip....darn lucky it did not break! Had a bruise from knee to top of pelvis and bruised the hip deep and even the bone!! Like someone swept my legs out it was that sudden.

I will be grinding that coating off before fall/winter this year.

Why not hand throw sand over a freshly applied coat of clear?

 

[thrashingcows]

Many have suggested the sand in the clear coat sealer, but figure it would just wear out quickly due to dragging heavy floor jack with steel wheels and other things around and across the floor. But personally I do not want a rough shop floor....I want it smooth for moving things around nice and easy.

I'm going to use a HD twisted metal wire brush on my angle grinder to remove it, should come off pretty easily since it is already coming off where I was sliding my snow plow blade near the main door of the shop.....so really not a great product for longevity. They even said it would need to be re-done every 2-3 years.....should have clued in then I guess. Also I told them what I wanted in a coating/sealer...oil, gas and other chemicals would be falling on it and they recommended the product I used....well it is only resistant to oil....not gas, brake cleaner, solvents, they all make it tacky and then it sticks to and does not fully wipe off when I clean the floor with a towel or rag.

I thought it would be more like an oil based product that would leach or be absorbed into the concrete and provide it's protection that way...OH well lessons learned.

Glad I my comments and findings have helped you decided not to go with a sealer Ross!

 

[rags]

i thought this was cool.

Thread Insert 11139042 1/4x28 x 2D: turn clockwise to install on oversize threads, using old tire valve installer. The slot at the end of the tire valve installer engages the tang at the bottom of the thread insert, and saves you the cost of buying an insert tool, about $12.
View attachment 282655

my thanks to the author.

 

[thrashingcows]

I clean and use old zip lock bags from the house...once they start to tear, or are dirty from foods packed in them. Great for storing and organizing nuts, bolts and other small items. You can also use an old Egg carton for organizing stuff temporarily while working on a project.

 

[300rag]

My garage floor is pebbled epoxy, tough as nails and not overly slippery when wet. It is impervious to spills, so far I haven't managed to stain or damage it in the 6 years I've owned it.

View attachment 284725

Beer wouldn't leave much of a stain on that floor anyways.

 

[Big_John]

My Dad had a bad back from a forklift accident. One of the many things he showed me was to install a tire and wheel by sticking a bar under the tire and lifting the wheel into place on the hub with the bar. No strain on the back that way.

Since you can get just about every FSM on a PDF file now, I will print out any pages I need for a one time use in my garage. I'll highlight anything that I need to... Make notes etc. This keeps my paper FSM in decent shape.

I found these lights at Harbor Fright. You should be able to catch a sale and get one for about $26. I have two. 390 Lumen Magnetic Slim Bar Folding LED Work Light They light up the world nicely and have a magnetic base to stick on the car. Two levels of light on the arm and a small light on the tip. Rechargeable.

 

[Triple Pickle]

I had a pool company do the concrete in my shop. They poured it just like they would a pool to be water tight. Then worked it to be slick as snot on a doorknob. I clean and dry spills immediately! They did such a good job I hired them to build the rest. (It wasn’t pool season and they were willing to make a deal!)

 

[sixpkrt]

I made this door screen to fit under the roll up door to keep the leaves from blowing in the shop. It also allows plenty of sun light to come in, so no need to keep the lights on all the time.

 

[Triple Pickle]

Ok, here’s my shop tip/trick:
My garage is small. 25’x18’ I wanted heat and AC so the less British Thermal Units I had to come up with the better!
Being so small, a smart use of space is important. Today’s cars fit nicely. A big C body? Not so much but,it’s manageable. I wanted a bench in front of a car to be able to lay tools and parts on when working under the hood but didn’t want it in the way when working on the rear of the car as I have to place the car in deeper to make room.
My solution was a repurposed tailgate from a GMC Sprint. Using the original hinges and one cable, I fastened it to the rear wall. In the up position it’s out of the way. In the down position it’s plenty strong enough to hold most any part. I even hooked the back up lights to a 12v power supply for light and general coolness!

 

[FURYGT]

Interesting. Got any pictures? I imagine rolling rubber tires doesn't hurt it but what about dragging stuff like jacks?

What happens when you turn your wheel while parked?
@mdh157

Garage Flooring - Free Shipping on all Tiles and Rolls!

No problem dragging stuff. I don't do much wheel turning. The mats I have are around 25' long and heavy. If they move, just pull them taught to straighten them out.

 

[Triple Pickle]

Got a long term project with lots of small, rusty parts that you’ll be reusing? Toss them in a coffee can full of vinegar. It’s slow but, it will eat away the rust!

 

[rkrochen]

Best spark plug installer is a piece of vacuum hose.

 

[Triple Pickle]

Best spark plug installer is a piece of vacuum hose.

I just wish I could remember to use that trick! I’ve cussed every auto manufacturer that ever sent one down the line over the years!

 

[Big_John]

Superglue screws to screwdrivers to get them into small places where you can't reach. Works with sockets and wrenches too.

Chalk on timing marks on the harmonic balancer to see them better.

 

[CBODY67]

I use most of these.....;) Though the hockey puke in the cup of the floor jack is a new one.

I'll suggest to never put a sealer/coating on your concrete floor. When I had my shop put up last year many people suggested I do this.....worst thing I could have done. The coating is a hard clear coat and when it gets wet it's slippery like ice, and when it got cold over the winter and had a bit of fine snow on it from me trudging in and out I went down hard on my right hip....darn lucky it did not break! Had a bruise from knee to top of pelvis and bruised the hip deep and even the bone!! Like someone swept my legs out it was that sudden.

I will be grinding that coating off before fall/winter this year.

Some coatings are as described. But others don't seem to be. Our service manager had the shop floor power washed and coated with light gray "stuff". ANY bit of moisture made it hard to walk on. But in the 4 stalls that our trans guy used, had to be careful there, too! He also had an inclined concrete area clear-coated. Same thing.

But a friend had an older shop, with similar gray coating, and it never was slippery at all. Even without any of the "traction grit" put down. Not sure why some are slick as owl stuff and others aren't!

CBODY67

 

[rkrochen]

Best trick yet. Anything difficult pay someone to do it. While that is happening sit back and enjoy a drink. Wish I could take my own advice.

 

[Triple Pickle]

Remote viewing camera. Take one along when inspecting a potential purchase. Pull out a spark plug and have a look!
Good for the shop and when I go to look at one for the purpose of buying, it keeps everyone honest. I’ve inspected quite a few “4 bolt main SBC” that turned out to be missing 2 bolts.

 

[Triple Pickle]

When planning out a shop, make provisions to put the compressor OUTSIDE. And get a 220V unit twice as big as you THINK you need!!!