Time on my hands...

[Daveluck]

So the house renovation is nearing completion...I might have some time on my hands so I've started to look at what will be my workshop.

What toys errr I mean tools should I buy to make tinkering, servicing and repairs easier?

Right now I have a reasonable collection of spanners, socket sets etc, 2 ton hydraulic jack, a couple of 2k kg axle stands and that's about it. What else is an absolute must?

I'm not after a fantasy list but stuff you think would be good to have...for instance I keep hankering after an air compressor and all the bits and bobs that go with it but not sure how many litres I'd need, quite fancy an electronic diagnostic reader but don't really know which one to get, maybe an engine hoist...

Any other suggestions?

Dave

 

[emjaybee]

Sounds like you've made a good start. Not sure about specialist stuff, but air compressor wise, I got a 3hp 100 litre , I did some research and the general feeling seemed to be that would pretty much run any tool a semi -professional mechanic would need. It should also have enough volume to run a media-blast cabinet.

I have an ABAC compressor, got it second hand on FleaBay from a distributor of adult publications. That's another story.

The only other thing I can suggest is a welder. That's not my area of expertise, leastways not for vehicle use. I have a nice inverter stick welder, but you'd want a MIG welder for vehicles.

Have fun.

:thumb2

Don't forget, it's not just women that enjoy retail therapy!

:lol

 

[solarman216]

Depends on what you want to do really and how far your knowledge goes re using said equipment, one of the most useful bits of kit as far as I am concerned is a high lift trolley jack, by high lift I mean 2 ft or more, not your supermarket £20 jobbie, together with suitable axle stands can make so many jobs a lot easier, for instance my jack if put under the tow bar with a block of wood will lift the T2 and still get the wheels well off the ground, good for exhaust change etc, air compressor is good if you want to use air tools but as far as I am concerned too complicated, (I have 3 compressors ranging small to quite large 3 Kw) will only normally use it for sand blasting, Mig welder is very good enables body repair if you can weld if not get one anyway and learn, do not go bigger than 170 as may not go down low enough for thin metal, bench grinder good for sharpening drills, re shaping screwdrivers chisels etc, the list goes on but as said depends largely on what you intend to do, Rick

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

No workshop is complete without a sturdy bench with a decent vice on it, comes in surprisingly handy, also as said, bench grinder!
Most important tho is a piece of wood to put your tea/coffee on, never put it on metal as it sucks the heat out very fast, concrete not great either :thumb2, Mark

 

[Daveluck]

Thanks for the replies.

Mig welder! I've been looking at them! I've got a stick welder that i taught myself how to roughly use and I've been using for building gates, fixing wheel barrows and cement mixers and the like. must admit its a bit fierce on the thin stuff.

I was asking because I started flicking through various tool sites and saw shiny! Things like ball joint separators, harmonic resonator pullers ( no idea what that is but I really want one!), brake winders. The list was endless so just wanted to know what other people thought what was a good thing to have.

As to what I want to do - Ive always enjoyed tinkering with motors but work commitments, time constraints, space and invalidating warranties meant that most of the mechanical work has had to go to professionals - with varying degrees of success.Now ive got the time and the space to work on the cars I really want to do the stuff as and when it crops up rather than paying someone else to do the work. Unless it is completely impractical or dangerous then I want to have a crack at it.

Im pretty good with my hands but lack the experience for diagnosing problems and coming up with a solution. But I guess this is what the forums for!

I've got a little 200w bench grinder, angle grinders and drills and I'm going to knock up a half decent workbench with a vice.

I also quite fancy picking up an old Merc...but haven't yet convinced the wife. She wants me to build her a hot tub before I get too engrossed in another project.

Oh and I have been informed that apparently money IS an object!!

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Ah yeh a brake winder, I could do with one really, it's not something that gets used all the time but saves a lot of messing :thumb2

Check this thread for a splitter

http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26048

 

[emjaybee]

Thanks for the replies.

Mig welder! I've been looking at them! I've got a stick welder that i taught myself how to roughly use and I've been using for building gates, fixing wheel barrows and cement mixers and the like. must admit its a bit fierce on the thin stuff.

I was asking because I started flicking through various tool sites and saw shiny! Things like ball joint separators, harmonic resonator pullers ( no idea what that is but I really want one!), brake winders. The list was endless so just wanted to know what other people thought what was a good thing to have.

As to what I want to do - Ive always enjoyed tinkering with motors but work commitments, time constraints, space and invalidating warranties meant that most of the mechanical work has had to go to professionals - with varying degrees of success.Now ive got the time and the space to work on the cars I really want to do the stuff as and when it crops up rather than paying someone else to do the work. Unless it is completely impractical or dangerous then I want to have a crack at it.

Im pretty good with my hands but lack the experience for diagnosing problems and coming up with a solution. But I guess this is what the forums for!

I've got a little 200w bench grinder, angle grinders and drills and I'm going to knock up a half decent workbench with a vice.

I also quite fancy picking up an old Merc...but haven't yet convinced the wife. She wants me to build her a hot tub before I get too engrossed in another project.

Oh and I have been informed that apparently money IS an object!!

I've just replaced my track rods, both sides, and spent 3 hours beating the living s**t out of ball joints trying to seperate them.

Zippy on this site put me on to a scissor type seperator which I bought that afternoon and in half the time I had both sides seperated.

I'd thoroughly recommend one of them.

I LOVE it !!!

Oh yes, and it's shiny !!!

 

[emjaybee]

Almost forgot, my rule of thumb is...

... it kinda pays to bend the laws of physics about how much things cost !

Wife wise...

...if ya know what I mean!

:augie

 

[macabethiel]

Almost forgot, my rule of thumb is...

... it kinda pays to bend the laws of physics about how much things cost !

Wife wise...

...if ya know what I mean!

:augie

As they do with the price of shoes Quid pro Quo !

 

[emjaybee]

As they do with the price of shoes Quid pro Quo !

Or in our case, anything to do with the three horses my wife has.

:lol

 

[Daveluck]

Almost forgot, my rule of thumb is...

... it kinda pays to bend the laws of physics about how much things cost !

Wife wise...

...if ya know what I mean!

:augie

Mate, she knows, she always knows. Apparently I have a tell that only he can see...

Edit - only she can see ...

 

[Daveluck]

What about a torque wrench? Are they a must?

 

[perelaar]

Whatever you buy, don't skimp on quality or on safety...

 

[emjaybee]

What about a torque wrench? Are they a must?

Torque wrenches are very handy, I have a Draper 3/8 inch drive and I use it quite a bit.

:thumb2

One of the best bits of advice my father gave me was, "don't buy it until you need it, and then buy the best you can afford. "



Served me well.

:thumbs

 

[johnb5177]

I was once accused of reading `machine porn`.............:nenau

Machine Mart catalogue........:thumb2

 

[Mobieus_uk]

if I had the room i would have a car ramp, seem to spend a lot of time these days working on my sons car, I've got 2 other boys 1 of which starts learning to drive next week, by the time all 3 are on the road I will probably need a full maintenance workshop