Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

Yeah, that was a thought with your setup (machine and working floor space).
In this case, there was a bare wall and a set of high cabinets, which also offered a trip hazard, but normally the car was there, and it was very visible. I've had that trip, twist, body pain thing, but not to that extent. Just offering another way that might help someone!

 

I have poor depth perception as well as not having lots of room so I have a laser parking assist for my truck in the "driver garage" and one in the "hot rod parking area" so I can always park safely. It is motion activated and could be used with more than one vehicle. Yeah I know it's not "on topic" or "period" but unwanted dents aren't either. I've got a concrete block for my wife to insure proper parking

 

Hello,

For those that have a depth perception problem and have a difficult time for placing the cars where they should be, in order to close the garage door, there are ways we have used over the years.

When we had the 51 Oldsmobile Sedan, the empty space next to our dad's Buick Sedan was there, but we had to make modifications to a closet at the end of the garage space. Since most 50s cars were for single drivers only, a small space in the other slot was taken up with a tall storage closet, a sink for laundry and a long work bench that took up valuable second car space when the kids turned into driving teenagers.

So we cut down the lower portion of the wooden closet door and moved the stuff on those shelves up a few spaces. Now, the Oldsmobile front end could go forward until it hit the back of the padded cabinet. Ok, we did not have depth perception, but looking over the top of the large hood in a small space created an odd perception of sorts. So, my brother said it was ok to continue going forward until the car gently bumped the padded wall. Ha!

Then when he sold the Oldsmobile and got a 58 Impala, now the door had to be cut again as the chrome portion fit, but the lower hood needed to fit under the wooden cut out door. So, out came the saw and now, a larger opening below the wooden door edge was necessary and it cleared the smooth hood of the 58 Impala. We could also continue to go forward and bump the padded towels on the back wall, too. But, somehow, the Impala cleared the door closing without having to bump the far wall to fit.

Jnaki

When my wife and I got married and had an apartment with a very small two car garage, her Corvair fit perfectly next to our 65 El Camino. If I moved over far enough, she had enough room to park, open her door to make a wide exit. She was thin enough to have to squeeze if necessary, but I left plenty of space for her to get that Corvair in place.

When she drove the El Camino, she got in a situation to worry about hitting the built-in shelf the complex owner put in place to fit their sporty car underneath and still have room for storing plenty of "junk" on the low rack. But, now that the owners are not using the apartment, the low shelf was for sporty cars and not for larger models of cars. So, I could not get the El Camino under the shelf. But, needed to be as far forward as possible. Now, that 2x6 wooden edge was looming every time I came into the garage. I crept forward by inches as close as possible every time I took the car out.

When my wife tried to do the same, she said that wooden crossbeam was a problem and I should just cut it out. But, we, too, had stuff we stored on that shelf to keep our dinky apartment fairly empty. From that time on, I tried to figure out a way to creep forward without hitting the wooden edge. Then finally I hung a string from the roof and dropped the string down to touch the windshield. It was fine until the cotton string moved on its own with the motion of people or cars coming into the garage.

Jnaki

So, to fix that constant movement, I put on a small fishing lead weight that had a rubber insert and it made the rubber stick out when hanging. The weight pulled the thin line down straight and kept it stretched out to "mark the spot." Now, every time I came in, the windshield weight gently touched the window and I stopped instantly. The wheels were right where they were supposed to be.

I thought my wife would continue to go forward upon touching the hanging weight. But, when she realized that only a slight touch was necessary for a perfect parking spot. It was close to the sticking out shelf, but far enough away to not have to worry about damages.

Over the years, that lead weight did its job, but the silver color and black rubber was difficult to see at night, even with the garage light coming on after we parked. Now, I replaced the various hanging weights to be able to see as we drove into the spot. So, a yellow plastic piece was used, a blue one and finally the color red was the one that was visible all of the time. If you placed a sticky reflector tape on it, it glows in the dark with the headlights.

These days, we have garage door openers with automatic lights coming on as we move forward to hit the red hanging plastic part I took off of a model car. The hanging item adjusts for every different curve of the windshields in different cars. So, mine is different than my wife's windshield and therefore, the hanging warning pieces are set at different places from the roof above.

Note:

Those are almost free, but if one does not like to hit the hanging plastic item, then there are bump strips you can install on the floor. So, you have to mark your spot, place the sticky side on the floor and when your car come in, you have to bump over the strips and now you are in place. My wife mentioned that those are ok, but after one goes over the bump, when do you stop? Ha! So, she likes the hanging red plastic items that hit the window to tell you to stop, NOW... YRMV

There is no need to put in a black/brown cord strung across the beams or low ceiling to stick out like a sore thumb. Also, no need to add in electrical plugs over each car. Yes, garage doors have a ceiling plug, but now you will have two cords + power packs to deal with, going each way and the one plug for the garage door motor. a mess at the plug outlet, now pops up...

 

Picked up a gizmo with a yellow rubber ball that hooks to the ceiling and garage door with a string. Door opens ball lowers down, drive in until you hit the ball with the windshield, put the door down and the ball goes up. Out of the way when working in the garage.

 

My wife has poor depth perception too.... She keeps asking "Is it in yet?". Poor girl, such a disability to live with!

 

LOL! Had to mop the keyboard!

 

GD it that right there is funny !

 

You think parking a car is bad, I've got basically zero depth perception and spent decades riding bikes through the woods on tight single track. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and trust yourself. LOL

I can only see out of one eye at a time. But I can switch back and forth between them, which is not helpful at all.

I used to wear prism eyeglasses to help, but at night those made it seem like cars were coming at me from all directions but where they actually were.

 

Only one of my eyes work and that screws up depth perception up close. Lucky for me it seems like things are closer so I don't run into them. There are other challenges my field of view is reduced. My world is smaller but full of surprises. I takes twice as long to look at a pretty girl but only half as long to look at an ugly one. I can't see all of a fat girl at once. It takes half as much beer to get blind drunk. Sight alignment is easier and my shooting has improved. The old style spark plug ground kill switches for small engines are dangerous.

 

I hung a tennis ball in the garage for the wife's car. The ball is always at a 45 degree angle which means she pulls the car in an extra 2 feet past. I told her to just touch off on the tennis ball with the windshield. She keeps telling me she needs to know she is in the garage far enough to clear the door. Sometimes a man just cannot win.

 

I like a heavy slab of wood strategically placed on the garage floor to bump and indicate "far enough".

 

You guys can actually get your cars in the garage?

 

I raised one of those. Maybe more than one.

Ben

 

Yeah, if I do a big cleaning!
I've got tools in the house, car, truck, on the garage floor, workbench, in the boxes and some out in the yard cars. That cleaning is going to take a while!

 

Haha, about twice a year I have to spend a couple days getting more concrete visible.

 

Made a pair of floor templates for my avatar using a pallet cardboard slip sheet I picked up at our local Sam's club, I was using it in the cargo area of the wife's s.u.v. as a carpet protector.

 

Yeah, but just during the winter then I revert to walking sideways and tripping over everything.

 

On that near 70° day a couple of weeks ago Sherry and I spent a big part of the day cleaning out our 1-car garage. Now we could get a car in there but the H-D would have to go outside. That ain't happnin'. We can walk around in there now instead of walking sideways though.

 

But wait, you haven’t rolled the Harley into the living room?Problem solved

 

Or peeing !!
6sally6

 

Or the paperwork after #2.

 

Hadn't thought of that. Wouldn't work anyway as the LR is just as crowded as the garage was.

 

Ya ever had to weld with your left hand....in a mirror ? X-ray quality welds (or possibly lose your job!)
Weld nuclear piping joints on a submarine......
6sally6
I'm naturally left handed sooooo....I guess that's cheat'in !

 

I'm left-handed and I cannot image wiping my butt with it with satisfactory results. I was taught to use my right hand (and toilet paper) at a very early age. Funny how these threads can morph into a whole other subject!

 

Funny you mentioned welding left handed. I prefer to tighten with the torch in my left hand and the rod in the right. Way back when I was first learning to weld, I was on the opposite side of the welding bench, watching gas welding. Of course I didn’t even think about it, but I was just 14 and figured that was the correct way to weld, left to right. Yup, in my mind I was transposing the technique. I still like to gas weld the same way. MIG, no problem either direction. Stick welding, right hand preferred.

My older brother always said it was because I was dropped on my head as a baby. Of course he never admitted to the crime…

 

Just look for the "APT" seal of approval on the TP packaging and you are good to go! APT - Anti Poke Thru

 

If I had a garage to park in I'd mount a 2x8 with coil springs on the back wall.

If I was going to build a new shop I'd put rollup doors on both ends and a big pit out back. When it got dirty I'd open both and drive the tractor through. Any thing I didn't care enough about to put away should be in the pit. Future archeologist would have job security.

 

Cleaning tip for the garage: leaf blower! Just start in the back and move towards the door(s).

Sweeping is okay, but this way you get stuff off of and from underneath everything in the garage. And it’s a lot quicker.

 

I may have posted this before but for those with no running water in their garages, this to me a a game changer. 5 gallons with a foot pump. Built in soap dispenser and towel holder. I wish it wasn't white, currently mine is black.

 

Lemme think back. I remember using which ever hand I needed to get the job done. I also remember using 2 mirrors welding boiler tube on several nuke power houses. By the way, does welding pipe joints in a sub qualify you as an underwater welder?