Let me guess. You're under 50, aren't you. I will inform you that getting down on the floor is easy; the hard part is getting up,
Someone on the HAMB once said you know you're old when you bend down to pick something up, then look around to see what else needs picking up before getting up again. Damned if I didn't curse myself for being old the first time I did that Cheers, Harv
When I designed our new, current, house I made sure the staircase was wide enough for a chair lift 'just in case'. After finishing the build many years later, I kicked myself for not making space for a small elevator. I haven't taken to falling but my wife, at 72, is afflicted balance issues. Now, I gotta find a place for that tube. Yeah, getting older is less-than-fun but, not interested in being 30 again.
It's funny, when I was a younger man I seldom paid any attention to handrails. Now that I am in my mid-seventies they are my friend.
For those building stairs; a friend did his w/half-height treads. & made the stairs at least 4' wide(this also really helps). Since I got to help put in the 2nd floor & mezzanine(+ of course, the main floor in the 16'-walled pole bldg), I asked him why, after helping haul loads of stuff up those many treads. ;( . He said when he gets old(he was 60+ then), it'd be easier to go up than a std height step. & for those still able, it's easier when carrying a heavy load. All true, but he still eventually put in a small hoist to from main -> 2nd floor. Another friend who bought a timber-framed train-station depot(talk about room!!!), dis***embled it, moved & re***embled it on his property, had the std height stair treads, but kept the lift elevator(nice - ba*****t, 1st & 2nd floor use. But iirc, the attic had to be hand carried from 2nd floor). While I'm not sure about the being 30 again, I sure as hell don't like the effects/reality of being ~70. While I can't do all that much about it, I don't have to like it. Getting old wasn't fun, being old downright isn't any fun. Bleaah... Marcus...
I put tracks in the ceiling with a big bungee cord and a harness for myself. I just kinda float/bounce around the place. Seriously, you're mechanized lift and railings would be good for anybody, young or old. Alright now. Geezers onward ho!
try a harbor freight moving blanket very comfortable to lay on and nice and warm when it is cold i keep the smaller one in the trunk of my daily driver
About 30 years ago I had a friend who had that rail and hoist setup in his garage to raise and lower stuff from the second level and it worked pretty slick. He built it in when the shop was built though. He had built a setup that was more like a small metal pallet with a framework that had a ring that the hoist hooked to to lift or lower what ever fit in it up and down. He sold the place and moved out of the area a few years back though.
I'm following this with interest, if only for ideas! As we get older medical issues start to intrude! I'm going to need to get some sort of lift as I can no longer work while on my back under a vehicle for longer than 15 or 20 min without developing some form of vertigo that will then last for several hours, & from what I've heard, I'm not alone!!
I bought and installed a four-post lift 7 years ago. (I wanted a two post, but the shop floor wasn't up to it.) With proper "jack trays" it's fully usable.. I'm glad I did it then, because it would probably be too difficult for me tthese days. It's nice to have the high ceilings so you don't have to worry about clearances. Between the mezzanine and the lift, I make full use of my available space.
I recently got a two post lift at a local auction. It's nice but I still have too much **** on the shop floor. Then, I decided I wasn't going down easy so I bought another MillerMatic so I can have two different wires on hand and save some energy on swapping parts. I'm sure there is some logic in there somewhere.
Years ago I put in two of the harbor freight hoists to lift the bodies onto the rotisserie. Works great to lift the truck box off. I use them to lift frames up onto my taller saw horses. Hoist will be necessary one day but I think it will also be in the way when not being used.
There is a special place in Hell for the guys that developed keyless chucks, temporary spare tires, and hidden windshield wipers (especially in Minnesota in the winter). This goes way back, but I ain't too happy with the guy who decided to get rid of vent windows, either. (Chevrolet called it Astro-Ventilation on the '68 Corvette.)
Good for you! Instead of deciding to stay out of the garage you made it suit your needs. Great job and when you come back in the spring it’ll be ready for you to jump in and get those projects done.
And the Camaro. Tubman I am with you 100% on this! I swear that the reason they did this was because it was cheaper to build them not because it made the car better.
You beat me to posting this. Those things we USED to be able to do with physicality, we now do with mental work-a-rounds. The job is still accomplished, but it takes more time. Hang in there, you should be good for a couple more decades! Jon
I'm in my 70's and I feel just as strong as ever. I guess I'm just lucky that the things I lift and carry have gotten lighter.
That was me that said that, really it was, actually, it's gotten to be a way of life. Also, I have a Craftsman wooden creeper (remember them) that has got to have a quarter inch of dust on it, reasonably easy to get down on it.....getting up off it is another story. Cardboard and moving blankets are your friend!
Dammit man… 7,700 miles away, and every time I pick up something off the floor I remember that post. The HAMB has some strong juju cheers, Harv
Have bad knees Have a hard time kneeling and getting up and down Found this in a local garden shop the side bars help getting up and down Turn it over and you have a stool
Worst investment I ever made was installing storage trusses and pull down stairs when I built my garage about twenty years ago. I haven’t been up there for over a year, and dread going up there to empty it up. Should have taken the money those trusses and that aluminum pull down cost and slightly increased the footprint instead.
The Jalopy Journal
