Garage Shop: Tools

where are you going to fit it?!?

there's a SWAG kit to bend on that press?

i pause every time i'm in harbor freight by that press, but i'm just as space-confined as you are at this point!

 

My shop is laid out the way I need it to be so the press will be in that general area you see there. Just need to make adjustments and move that rolling Milwaukee kit out of the way.

As for the SWAG kit, yeah they've had a kit out for years. Two variants, a finger brake press with removable fingers for bending all sorts of stuff or a full-width version.

I don't plan to do anything thicker than 1/4" which will be for some skid plates for the Land Cruiser. Everything else will be 3/16" or thinner and the kit will do that at its full width.

I was supposed to get the press at a different location (long story). Lucked out at a different location where I ran into someone I knew that worked there. Loaded up my cart and he gave me his employee discount so I saved a shit ton yesterday.

 

Crucial for every garage, a beer fridge. Tiny vices, not so much lol. I have one on my welding table so not much of a loss.

 

If you skateboarded in your current or past life, I'd be inclined to send you some stickers

Here's my garage-beer fridge



I don't like to double up on stickers and I don't think she'd appreciate me putting them on the house fridge

 

Oh I did lol

 

Oooh that's an old style board for sure.

I skated from '99 or so up until '03, even landed a sponsorship from a local skate shop! Man, when life was easier.

 

I skated from like 98-03 dad wouldn't let me anymore once I started playing high-school sports lol. Ended up tearing my acl and meniscus playing soccer. Broke some bones skating but never needed surgery lol. I was out for a year with the acl injury.

 

Those are rookie numbers... gotta bump up that sticker game lol. Too many years at SEMA being a sticker whore

 

you're absolutely right, my measly sticker door needs help.




just let me know when you've got my SEMA ticket.

 

Following up on this.

Got the air over hydraulic jack. I could've opted for the old grey variant as they're on clearance but for only a $10 more I got their newest version.



Being the tool section, it's only appropriate that I add that I found the 1/4" Icon wrench so I picked it up to add to the 3/8" I've got.



Anyway, whether you go with the discontinued grey model or the new red one, you'll notice that neither have any mounting holes.

A small population prefers to allow tension to hold their air jack in place. A few others actually weld the jack's base plate directly to the jack plate. I didn't want to create a new jack plate in the event that my jack failed in the future so I opted to bolt it on.

Easiest way is deal with the rear overhang and use that as a mounting point. I also opted to use the preexisting hold up front both for centering purposes and aesthetics.

OSHA approved.



Measure once and drill three times.



Mock up and drill your base holes, then get ready to weld.



Reassemble after primer and/or paint, you don't want raw surfaces getting rust.



All done.



Tomorrow my foot switch arrives.

I opted to remove the hand switch that comes with the jack and run a foot pedal to the floor so I can keep my hands free to hold and manipulate whatever parts I'm pressing.



Can't wait to get my press brake.

 

You'll be very happy, I love how you can switch drive sizes around on the Ernst twistlocks, Ive got two of the three row ones set up for all my allen, torx, e torx, swivel, 12 point, spark plug, other special sockets. I do still use 3 row peg style trays for my normal 6 point shallow/mid/deep sockets because I like they are marked with the size.

 

I would suggest sunex, I am very happy with my 30 inch rolling tool cart, its put up with professional daily usage for the last 6 years,I believe they make one with drawers all the way down. I will admit last time I was at HF I saw a few nice roll carts, not tool truck quality but probably just as good as my sunex.

 

It's here

 

PPE day

 

Last pics I promise

Amazon delivered my foot pedal so I finally did my test run

@soundman98

 

Your garage filled out pretty damn quickly. Glad to see that you have all the toys that I've had my eye on for the last few years (SWAG press kit, plasma table, band saw, drill press). Jealous for sure.

 

That's cause you have all those fancy red tools!

I've seen the many pics of your goodies; sexy for sure!

 

Haha, so true. Just dropped almost $5k on my ride today (new shocks front/rear, springs front/rear, UCA's, skids, wheels, tires, CMC etc). $5k would've gone a little way in filling my own garage, but alas, here we are.

 

yeah, i could get so many more tools if i didn't need to waste all that money on groceries to keep myself alive

 

Don't miss those days, it's why the LC is stock