Garage Shop: Tools

Yeah, I have two of those, and they can help in some situations (like table saw or grinding), but when I find myself upside down and backwards or trying to aim my headlamp simultaneously, they can almost be more of a nuisance.

Maybe I just need new eyeballs.

 

Note the glasses....

 

You could just plasti-dip the sockets you'd be using on your lugs. just tape off the inside of the socket and throw a few coats on. When it gets beat up a bit, just peel off and reapply.

 

Have you tried that? I might (MIGHT) consider doing that with the PlastiDip cans where you actually dunk tool handles or whatever else, but in my experience, the aerosol PlastiDip doesn’t hold up for that kind of contact.

Anybody that’s had PlastiDip’d wheels knows that when it gets smacked with a socket in the lug bore, it completely disappears. Way back in the day I had to touch my wheels up every time I had a rotation.

 

ya good point... it's not durable at all. It worked ok when I had my civic with some fancier rims, but I'd just re-dip whenever they got bashed up. Really the best protection is just taking your time.

Just thinkin of an alternative to buying a specific set of sockets just for removing lug nuts.

 

Electrical tape works amazingly well for those sockets.

You can get different colors for different sockets.

It's cheap and much more durable than plastic dip.

 

This guy has the right idea! Ive been doing this for years with work and home "wheel dedicated" sockets. Ill be damned if I nick, scratch, or ding one of my wheels, let alone a customers wheel.

 

That's the kind of brilliant I love. So simple I wonder why it didn't occur to me already.

 

This is my work set up

 

I am so happy this thread exists. My garage is in desperate shape, and I'm way too embarrassed to post pictures at the moment.

I just did a transmission swap in a honda civic, and am now restoring a 1988 pickup. Also packed in are two KTMs, and a 1977 GL1000 on a stand also being restored.

Maybe I'll do a before and after. I'm tempted to post pictures of how bad it is just so I'm even more motivated to get off my ass.

 

OK. Here we go. Below are a handful of photos of my sitch. I'm usually fairly organized, but I've completely blown it up over the last couple months due to various reasons.

Consider these "before" photos, and I'll follow up with the "after" photos here in a couple weeks. As you can see, there's a lot of shit going on in here. I use the space very frequently, and it's reached a tipping point. I'm a hobbiest of quite a lot of things - I especially love DIY/making/restoring... and have finally gotten my hands on an old pickup. Planning a flatbed and plow truck on 33s.

Before I dive too deep into the toyota project I'd really like to take a step back and reorganize, perhaps build a nice steel work bench and add some storage. I'm open to any and all suggestions - I'd love to panel the ceiling and insulate, and add a heater (note the propane bottle, it's been cold).

Lastly, I'm adding a miller 211 welder to the arsenal here soon and I'm quite excited.

 

Caddy dealer?

Matt

 

Fuck work benches! You only need a heavy table with castor's. I'm just like you, a fixed position bench will become a parking spot for tools that you don't put away.

As for rolling tables, that motor cycle lift would make an amazing work table if you put some wheels on it.

As for starting out organizing, just pick a corner and make that neat. Do onother corner the next day. Don't try to do it all at once, you will just depress yourself.

Non of us have enough shop space. We will always be moving stuff around.

 

Yeah, you're totally right. I hadn't really considered not having a work bench. I like that idea. However, building a flat steel table for welding is high on my list. Maybe I'll put that on nice castors and have that be my main surface.

Another good call. Thanks.

 

Re-re-re-organized my top drawer Picked up the Tekton 18" 3/8 ratchet and 24" 1/2" ratchet so added those to the mix and had to change the layout of everything a bit.

Only other thing I may throw in there (or move all 3 to another drawer) is when I pick up a 1/2" torque wrench. Real Tool Reviews did one comparing $400 Snap-On 1/2" torque wrench and Harbor Freight's new $100 Icon 1/2" torque wrench, and the HF version was actually way more accurate than the Snap-On, had the same torque range, and is $300 cheaper so I'll probably pick that up soon. I have a Husky 3/8" and 1/4" torque wrenches right now, in the black boxes in the back of the drawer.



Matt

 

What are you guys doing for breaker bars? I sheared a husky one last weekend.

 

I have the HF 1/2" right now, used it a decent bit when I was at a shop and it didn't let me down. I have a piece of metal pipe I slide over the end if I need some more leverage too. You can see them paired together in my picture above.

Matt

 

Started cleaning and organizing mine....

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PmvK7h7ZL2A

 

Amazon has the Tekton 1/2" torque wrench for $57. 25-250 ft.-lb