Irwin J Kostal wrote:
snip
> My project for this month, then, is to empty as much "stuff" from the
> garage as possible. I've offered for sale a set of dining room chairs
> that are taking space, a freezer, and some Sony speakers, so if anyone
> is interested, give me a call - special consideration given to listers
> :) Then I'm going to create shelf space and work surfaces for myself,
> and start buying tools. One thing I'm interested in is an engine hoist.
> I've heard of one which can be disassembled and stored compactly away
> when not in use. Does anyone have a brand name that I can look for, or
> any other advice about picking one up? It seems impractical to rent
> every time I need one, since I then also have to rent a truck to pull
> the damned thing, and it seems I might as well spend the money once and
> get it over with.
>
> Any comments will be read with great interest.
>
> Irv Kostal
Irv,
You might want to search the archives of Shop-talk (at)
http://listquest.com,
go to Hobbies, then to Cars, then to shop-talk.
Search on engine hoists and whatever else hits your fancy. There seems to be a thread on
engine hoists pretty frequently. maybe once a month, so there is plenty to read. Some of
the thoughts expressed are: 1) most people seem to buy theirs from Harbor Freight or
Price /Sams / Costco stores. 2) Folding hoists seem to be the favorite (helps to conserve
shop space, sound familiar?). 3) The rent vs buy discussion is sometimes lively with
buying seeming to be the more popular option. 4) the load leveling bracket is highly
recommended.
Sounds as if you are setting up shop. Let me offer some thoughts on a shop:
1. Space is a precious resource. A car disassembled (in whole or part) takes up surprising
area. The more that you can clean up, the better.
2. Work benches. The more the better. Might want to search on the list noted above on
work benches. Seems that I often (ususually) have more than one project going on at one
time and it is nice to be able to ample work bench space.
3. Good lighting make working much more enjoyable. In addition to adding more flourescent
lighting I have purchases a couple of swing lamps (like the kind that clamp to a drafting
table) from Home Depot for about $10.00 each. Screws the mounting bracket to the wall
above the benches. Makes a big difference.
4. A few things that make my shop a little bit more convienent are: a wall mounted roll
of paper towels. A pump bottle of hand cleaner above the bench. Music source. A box of
latex gloves (surprisingly useful). A handy supply of plastic bags (like ziplock).
5. If you get into this in a big way, a parts washer station (doesn't need to be fancy) is
nice. Living in Southern Cal, I have mine outside.
6. A grinder setup with a wire wheel on one side, a polishing "disk" on the other (with a
selection of compunds) comes in very handy when restoring.
Good luck, have fun !
-Roger
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