Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

Ok. Just caught found this thread. Great stuff in here. I have a couple to add. Here is how I store hardware. Easy, organized, and portable. Containers are about $15-$20 each. You can buy shelf units that hold them. I made my own and added it under my fab table

 

Buy weld nuts for the storage boxes and use them for blind holes. Years as a toolmaker made me HATE using nuts. Weld nuts are cheap and easy (assuming you have a welder and weld). Here is couple different types. I think the square ones are more versatile, but feel free to experiment. Get them at McMaster Carr.

 

Cheap stretch wrap works great for keeping ratchet straps neat. It also works great for rolls of wire, etc. costs about $5 at Home Depot, and lasts a long time

 

If you ever need a tough durable glue, use CYA glue (krazyglue), and activator paired with a piece of polyester cloth. I use old works shirts for the cloth. Use a dot of glue to hold one end of the cloth in place, when it sets up, pull the other end of the cloth to where it needs to go, and stick it with glue plus activator.then soak the cloth with glue and spray more activator to set it up. Works amazingly well for repairs on plastics. It does come out a bit ugly (usually), so be careful using it in plain sight.
The fabric acts as a reinforcement (like fiberglass cloth), and makes a really durable repair . (Sorry no pics to share)

 

Here’s a handy way to flow gear oil into a vertical transmission or differential fill hole. Drill a 1/2” hole in the cap and on the top where it wouldn’t be an issue if you had to use the container to pour. I used a 9/16” od rubber hose that sealed into the cap really well. The hose is sent to the bottom of the container, screw the top down tight and introduce air. Dial down your air pressure to 40 psi, hose in hole, give it some air slowly and Bob’s your uncle!
A clear hose would be helpful to assure yourself that the flow is actually happening but either way it’s fill till it dribbles out for my applications.
Note plugs that help prevent contaminants and spills, ready for future use.

 

I have those plastic ramps to drive up on when my lift is busy. I drilled holes in my concrete floor and pin the ramps in place with a long bolt. They don't scoot.

 

You have a concrete floor? That's a cool tip!

 

YIKES!!

 

hope it isn't a chrysler product from back a while!

 

Anyone have a tip on how the heck I can locate post tension cables in my shop slab ? Ive dug outside with no signs of them. Ive got a 2 post lift to install & dont want to hit a cable drilling holes.

 

That should be posted here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...funny-stories-pics-print-whatcha-got.1308849/

 

Metal detector ? Used to be a time when there were a lot of people that had them.


....

 

i had a slab x-rayed by an engineering firm 25 yrs ago..

 

@lostone good idea, I think I still have one in the attic.

 

Hire a GPR(Ground Penetrating Radar) Operator. We have to do this at work when drilling into high rise buildings. A GPR crew comes out and locates all of the PT Cables so we can figure out where we're going to be drilling our holes. Hitting a cable would be a very bad day.

 

I would look around the outside of the floor for the part that sticks out so they can tension it. They probably space them on 3 or 4 foot centers. All you need to do is find out how far apart they spaced them and find one or two to get a line thru your building.

 

@TexasHardcore Ive contacted 2 companies locally who do that, but niether have contacted me back. I guess this job isnt worth thier time $$$. @ekimneirbo thats what I tried with no success yet.
I guess Im going to get the tractor and dig a bit further. In my digging I also discovered the slab seems much thinner than I recall. So thats not encouraging. I do appreciate yalls advice.

 

I wear ear plugs at work and home for all kinds of noisy tasks, but I heard a story about a guy who was MIG welding and one of the sparks bounced off the wall, entered his helmet and went into his ear canal. It burned a nerve and that side of his face was permanently damaged, no smile, frown or facial expression on that side. Maybe it was an old wives tale but it sounded completely plausible. I ALWAYS wear ear plugs when MIG or stick (SMAW) welding and grinding steel as well.

 

I think I'd just put the lift in the location that best suits your shop, and mark the hole locations. Then drill with a "small" concrete bit and see if you hit any cable. If you do, them move your patterns a couple inches sideways and try again. If you do hit a cable, and cut it, it probably isn't going to have a major effect on the floor.

 

@ekimneirbo That sounds like the new plan. I like your way of thinking.

 

I’ve only had one house built (1998-99) using them but the ends of the cables with the welded on retainers and washers were exposed on the outer edge of the slab.
Did you dig on two different sides, 90* to each other?
Seems like they were four feet apart, can’t remember.

 

Is that a HHR?

 

And that's the reason that welders in the Boilermaker and Pipefitter trades wear those strange looking hats. You turn the bill to cover the ear closest to the weld.

 

Would a metal detector along the outside edge of the slab locate the tension cable ends?

 

Had a coworker who’s father went deaf in one ear from that. Heard a pop and that was the last thing he heard out of that ear ever.