Art & Inspiration Ever have one of those days in the garage?

The one with the cam sensor just popped a rear brake line. Right above the gas tank too.

 

Some cars just don't want to be run, so they are constantly finding new parts to break. I've dealt with some of these in the past. I even gave one away just to so I didn't have to work on it anymore. Now every time something happens to it, the friend I gave it to brings it over for me to look at it.

 

I got an axle laying on the floor in front of my A its been there for two weeks. I have a main leaf that I think will work but I also have a couple of valves sticking in an engine that I need to sell so it is loosen the valves enough to turn the engine without destroying a piston first.

I really want to work on the A bone but I can't justify it while I have something else pending.

 

When my marriage was young and new, every time she'd hear me holler, cuss, toss something loud in the shop in anger she'd come running in to see if I was hurt. Soon she learned it was just the normal sounds of me doing serious wrenching on something not cooperating. One of these days I'm going to be dying out there yelling for help and she'll be 30 feet away in the kitchen making cookies and just ignoring it...

 

LOL when I did this to my hand earlier this year the missus had been home about 5 minutes. She was in the kitchen with the kitchen door ajar. I just calmly said "Honey I hurted myself." and she said, "OK go to the truck I'm taking you to the emergency room." I asked her about it later and she said, "I figured you wee really hurt because you weren't cussing and throwing things."

 

stimpy...
That is exactly what I do.
May be a little OT for this thread but, cutoff discs seem to be one of the most replaced expendables in my shop, I have found by limiting RPM's they last longer.
I also found that the 3M "green corps" discs last considerably longer than the cheap ones like HF sells, but they also cost about three times as much $$$.

 

Isn't that the truth. Just like you know the cut is really deep when it takes a little bit to start to bleed. When I say that, I usually here, "Are you just going to use super glue, or do you need a real doctor?" Most of the time, I've found, a splash of rubbing alcohol and a bit of super glue will take care of most cuts.

 

Shit keeps getting better....5 oclock somewhere.

 

I normally don't bother with them but you could see bones and a little back and forth thing in there.

I have done my fare share of butterfly stiches and even stitched myself up more then once but now I am old.

 

Yeah, I kinda have a rule, if I can see the bone or if the blood is spraying out it's doctor time!

 

Or the Veterinarian it depends on how you got the hole in you. LOL

 

To be in this hobby it take a high pain threshold for sure. I can't tell you the times my wife has come into the garage and found me with red rag around my hand/arm/ leg, whatever, and said " do I need to take you to the emergency room?" Answer is always no.
I was cleaning leaf springs with a bench grinder wire wheel and it grabbed and took the top 1/16 of an inch off my knuckle. Wife gets home, sees the rag duct taped to my hand (still working of course, got shit to do) and ask if I need stitches. I told her whatever there was to stich was laying on the floor. She just shook her head and walked off.

 

Yes, my garage tinkering has sent me to the EMERGENCY ROOM a few times.
I still say.....A bad day in the garage is still better than a good day at work.

 

decide to go out to the garage and work on something. Get out to garage, realize I forgot the keys. back in the house, get keys. back out, open shop door, crawl under car. Looks like I need a 9/16 6 point, crawl out from car, get socket, back under car. Socket will work on 3 out of the 4 bolts. Climb out from under car to get 9/16 wrench, at least I THINK this is a 9/16, WHERE are my reading glasses? Dammit, I KNOW I had them when I came out here! Search work bench, no. Check top of my head? no. Shit, I must have left them under the car...bend down, look under car, no dice. I must be loosing my mind, they must be back in the house. Shoes off, search house for 20 minutes, no glasses. Cursing and swearing by now, they MUST be back out in the shop. On the way, find glasses in top pocket of coveralls.
Now, WHERE IN HELL did I set down that wrench that I think is 9/16???

 

LOL I got some wrenches that are so worn that you cant read the numbers. I know what size most of them are by brand or shape but just to be sure I always bring a smaller one and a bigger one.

 

Ok, here's one that I just can't "let it go".
Had a big grinding job I had been putting off for a while because my big Milwaukee grinder had developed a hickup in the switch (I thought).
Bite the bullet and drive fifteen miles into PDX to the oem repair center, buy the f-ing expensive switch, come back, install switch, get about two minutes into the job and #@$$##@@@##SOB dead grinder, shake it, nothing, tear into it again, looks ok, back together, works (kinda), wiggle cord, works (kinda), back apart to find out the cord had a bad spot, repair cord (lost about a foot of cord), back to grinding @##$$@&##SOB grind through cord, stop for lunch, back to town for new cord (expensive).
Relax with a cold Bud (maybe two), tear ginder apart again, install new cord, grind about ten minutes, bet you won't guess what happened next; you got it, ground through the new f'ing cord, about half way up. SOB.
Threw it in the cabinet, it's still that way, ya can't win some days.

 

uhhhh, note to self.......don't grind through cord.

 

and your brain is going to stick in old habit for a while before you remember they are on the peg !
mine did this for a while and I kept going back to the drawer where they used to be stored and kept ordering more , (I since moved where the bulk package is stored to a shelf to open up the drawer )
as for the speed and usage of them they are expendables I have tried lots of different brands , from the 3ms to the elcheapos from MSC , and its a crap shoot , but since I often snap them in half getting them wedged , I find a box of 100 MSC cheapies are cheaper to keep around . they will outlast the HF ones which seem to powder when I use them .

as for getting injured in the garage ,if the wife hears stuff flying around to stay away till I grow back up again or turn at least 10 ... but the last time i hurt myself so bad I walked in the house holding my finger tip on and the wife was like PNb's , as she said she heard me cuss softly and no banging so she knew something happened . ( the higher the screw up the worse the word ) and when the word AHHH.. is used infront of it it often means blood is involved .. plus she heard the click of the first aid cabinet open as it has a snap latch . ( 50 cal ammo can )

 

1.need to keep a old copy of the summit catalog in the reading room (bathroom) as back up ( change out when new issue comes in .. ( wife makes sure my catalog gets to my desk , also I use the online catalog alot )
2. need to find a spare battery at the scrap yard to use as a jump pack ( I have a old monster 1500 cca from a Cat bulldozer I use thats in a old radio flyer wagon with jumper cables that have lug ends on them so I can put posts or hook the gm pads to it ) it also has a old charger permently attached so it gets charged when used
3. fix or pitch the old charger and get a cheapie new one ( I have my old sears and a shumaker ) and the sears is the loaner .
4. Key pegs or key box on wall of shop ( nothing worse than having to buy a chip key for a GM at $150 ( had to use the vin to get a new one made) to learn my lesson and I found the key 2 days after getting the new one made on my workbench ) Now all keys go in key box .

 

There has been many times when a cold beer in the garage lounge helps. Only a problem when I forget to refill the cooler.

 

Denny do what the welders do , throw the excess cord over your shoulder and you will not cut thru it as it will always be behind the grinder . and you also will not unplug it either .

 

sounds like a O/t mid 90's c/k pick up -suburban , one of my money makers , replace both the brake and fuel lines as the fuel lines will do it next .

 

MSC?,,I'm not familiar with that brand. HRP

 

I quit drinking a long time ago,I realized I was able to accomplish a lot more and screw up a lot less being sober.

My problem was I drank more than worked. HRP

 

the ones with red stripes painted ( epoxy paint ) on them are my 9/16ths blue stripes are 5/8ths can you guess who the colors are for ??? as for reading glasses , my wife loves to shop so I have plenty cheap readers around the house and garage . its my bifocals so I can drive are the ones I have to find .

 

here you go . http://www.mscdirect.com/ also ask for the copy of there catalog its free .

I also use these guys too http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM sometimes they sell the wheels for 50 each .

 

Ouch!

 

yep! I can verify this. Happens regularly.

 

Actually most of my days at work and in the garage, and life in general, goes like this.
Nice to know I'm not the only one who has bad days......makes you appreciate the odd 'winning' day.
Funnily enough, today has gone extremly well, but there is still an hour left....

 

The thing I find annoying with some of you guys is that you have garages that can be cleaned in one day.