Foibles of working in the garage alone.

I used to deliver auto parts and on one such delivery I walked into a big truck shop right as a 35 foot RV fell on a tech. He was inspecting an oil leak and had the rig up on a jack stand and the stand straight up failed. Now all the guys in this shop have been around, well into their sixties and I've never seen them move as fast as they did. The police and paramedics were there in no time. He was bruised but is still alive. The jackstand is what saved him in the end. It kicked up and jamed itself under the motor. Craziest thing I've ever seen.

4cylndrfury wrote: So whats the general consensus? do these count as jack stands?

YMMV, but I've never even tried a set of those. I think the base is too small. First time I ever saw them, I thought, "..that's death on the half-shell".

I like your idea about the pit. I may do that myself one day.

red5_02 wrote: I used to deliver auto parts and on one such delivery I walked into a big truck shop right as a 35 foot RV fell on a tech. He was inspecting an oil leak and had the rig up on a jack stand and the stand straight up failed. Now all the guys in this shop have been around, well into their sixties and I've never seen them move as fast as they did. The police and paramedics were there in no time. He was bruised but is still alive. The jackstand is what saved him in the end. It kicked up and jamed itself under the motor. Craziest thing I've ever seen.

What should someone use to jack up an RV? I don't personally own one, but I know a lot of y'all do..

4cylndrfury wrote: So whats the general consensus? do these count as jack stands?

There is a round base Blue Point jackstand similar to that. It seems their big problem is that if the car does rock and they tip over even partway, the round base now becomes a wheel. Not nuts about them.

I like these better but the base could still be wider:

This is one of my homemade ones:

No one has mentioned using a baby monitor??

Even brand new ones are $20-25

I would not use those jack stands, I would trust a rabid raccoon more than I would trust a pair of those. Way more.

Hocrest wrote: No one has mentioned using a baby monitor?? Even brand new ones are $20-25

I have been using one of those for a couple of years now, they work great except that if the kids are home and I hit my thumb or something along those lines it can get interesting.

In reply to Gimp:

So, are you saying we should wear a dress when we work under cars, that way we have guys come over to oogle over our legs? I don't think that would work for most of us...

friedgreencorrado wrote:

red5_02 wrote: I used to deliver auto parts and on one such delivery I walked into a big truck shop right as a 35 foot RV fell on a tech. He was inspecting an oil leak and had the rig up on a jack stand and the stand straight up failed. Now all the guys in this shop have been around, well into their sixties and I've never seen them move as fast as they did. The police and paramedics were there in no time. He was bruised but is still alive. The jackstand is what saved him in the end. It kicked up and jamed itself under the motor. Craziest thing I've ever seen.

What should someone use to jack up an RV? I don't personally own one, but I know a lot of y'all do..

There's actually enormous equipment jacks you can use and jack stands to match.

914Driver wrote: ........ so I was sitting on top of a ladder wiggling the lamps ........

There's a good reason why step ladders have warnings not to use the top and the next step. Chalk it up to a "senior moment" quit whining. Get back to work on the Cortina...........

I fell off a ladder recently. I have the floors torn out of my house, so I wasn't using my brain when I climbed up on the step ladder (not all the way to the top) without something solid underneath (it was just on the dirt of my crawlspace).

It's not unusual for me to climb a ladder with questionable footing...but I'm usually aware of it and ready to take action if something goes awry.

This time, however, I didn't realize the ladder was going until it was gone. All I could do was tense up, and hope for the best. I got very lucky and didn't hit anything too harmful on the way down (could have been MUCH worse...boards with nails, tools, saws, walls, cinder blocks, etc). It knocked the wind out of me, but somehow (I really don't know how) I didn't suffer any sort of back or joint injuries as a result. Too lucky, that time.

Another time I cut my wrist (bad enough for 4 stitches) on the main web of a small block Chevy while working alone. I rang the neighbors' doorbell (with my forehead) just to have them keep an eye on me if/when I went into shock. They ended up taking me to the ER for the stitches.

I have recently taken to saying (and this will certainly bite me soon), "I'm frankly surprised I've made it this far in life with all my digits."

I have a friend who fell off a roof (he's a remodeling/construction guy) and broke an ankle. All of my really scary close calls have been falls from high places. Fallign off a race transporter semi, falling through an unfinished 8' high deck, etc. I think I need to invest in a safety harness.

Clem

When my twins were about 4 years old, I found us home alone on a weekend and I really wanted to work on my truck. So I got this brilliant idea to take them out in the shop with me while I pulled the 454/TH400 out of the truck. I had previously removed the bench seat and had it sitting on the floor next to the truck. So I sat them down on the bench seat so they could watch...........me drop the engine on my hand! I was lifting it and the engine mount snagged on the frame mount. I reached in there to unstick it and apparently a kink in the chain the engine was hung from unkinked itself and my hand got squeezed between the two halves of the engine mount. I kept smiling while I was in serious pain and trying to figure out if I had a hand left or not. Fortunately, I was able to reach the pump arm with my other arm and lift the engine back up off my hand. I had some nerve damage that took about 3 years to heal, but other than that I was fine.

My father's friend was killed back in high school when he was working under his car in the driveway while it was up on blocks. Car fell of blocks, no one was around to help. I always keep away from the bottom of the car if no one is around. I'll do little bits like removing trim and fixing up the interior if I'm alone, but I don't have any trouble finding somebody to hang out and help with whatever car needs TLC.

Nerve damage sucks; it can be really freaky. In the weeks leading up to and through my high school graduation my arm and half of my hand went totally numb, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for about five weeks. Took me a couple weeks to realize it was because I'd smashed a nerve in my elbow.

when i had RV's i used a set of 10k bottle jacks, and stacked 6x6's like pictured above (the handle is a nice touch!) all for one side only, and it was still a little scary. but the upside is that most of them already sit so high, that you really only need to jack them up if your working tires or brakes...

just dont be under the one corner that falls...

Jensenman wrote:

4cylndrfury wrote: So whats the general consensus? do these count as jack stands?

There is a round base Blue Point jackstand similar to that. It seems their big problem is that if the car does rock and they tip over even partway, the round base now becomes a wheel. Not nuts about them. I like these better but the base could still be wider: This is one of my homemade ones:

so would welding a square plate to the base add safety to the screw type stand?

I also like the wooden stand Idea...I have a bunch of old 4x4 and 6x6 out back...hmmmmmmm

bravenrace wrote: me drop the engine on my hand! I was lifting it and the engine mount snagged on the frame mount. I reached in there to unstick it and apparently a kink in the chain the engine was hung from unkinked itself and my hand got squeezed between the two halves of the engine mount. I kept smiling while I was in serious pain and trying to figure out if I had a hand left or not. Fortunately, I was able to reach the pump arm with my other arm and lift the engine back up off my hand. I had some nerve damage that took about 3 years to heal, but other than that I was fine.

This exact same thing almost happened to me except the car was a 72 Firebird, engine a 455, and the chain unkinked right as I pulled my hand out....I got lucky.

Nice Datsun Roadster. Jack stands are a little scary to me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-Roadster-Rebuilt-Engine-So-Cal-93505-Ship-Anywhere-/280593756458?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4154b0f12a

Pumpkin Escobar wrote:

Jensenman wrote:

4cylndrfury wrote: So whats the general consensus? do these count as jack stands?

There is a round base Blue Point jackstand similar to that. It seems their big problem is that if the car does rock and they tip over even partway, the round base now becomes a wheel. Not nuts about them. I like these better but the base could still be wider: This is one of my homemade ones:

so would welding a square plate to the base add safety to the screw type stand? I also like the wooden stand Idea...I have a bunch of old 4x4 and 6x6 out back...hmmmmmmm

How are you attaching the top 6x6 to the bottom ones? Two very long wood screws??

pete240z wrote: Nice Datsun Roadster. Jack stands are a little scary to me. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-Roadster-Rebuilt-Engine-So-Cal-93505-Ship-Anywhere-/280593756458?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4154b0f12a

At least the local junk yard welds them together, usually at 90 degrees.

In reply to Mr Willie:

The bottom 2x6's are put together with 10" long 1/2" lag screws run in from the side. The top ones are done the same way, only from the top. Take it from me, predrilling the holes and using an air impact makes that task much easier.

The top and bottom 2x6's are nailed in place.

These things are super steady and the chance of collapse is nearly nil, unless you have some really industrious termites. I have bent the crap out of some jackstands over the years, not seeing that happen with these. Even if they were to flip over onto the short side, the weight of the car won't collapse them.

something like these might be the solution I've been looking for... my parking lot is sloped .. back to front AND side to side... a car on 4 jack stands WILL fall off if not immediately then eventually ... those wooden blocks might just be the answer

May previous garage had high ceilings like your Dan, and I hate ladders already. I had a few incidents installing lights and ceiling storage. I actually never had any real safety precautions other than being careful, not stepping to high etc.

Thanks for the reminder. The jackstand stuff is pretty obvious, even though we have all jumped under the car real quick to "check something." It's the weird stuff we are not thinking about that gets us. I set my Miata on fore last night welding in a roll bar, but it was in a shop I share with 5 others on "shop night" so I had a lot of support if it went wonky.

But you are not really "quitting" are you? That would break my heart. it wasn't the hobby that got you, it was the shop. Surely a ballistics engineer can come up with a way to insulate and heat his shop safely. You can't deprive me of the man who built the Batvan (still have the shirt) The Mighty Lakewood Vair, the awesome nekkid Goldwing, that mooshine Malibu.... There has to be other things left in that mad scientist lab.

Thanks for the kind words Mental, but yes. I sold the trailer, the VW Caddy, selling the GW in the spring. I had the Cortina on Craigslist but no real offers. I may have to finish it just so it will sell. A finished car will bring more money to finance my next adventure.

Dan

I don't know how I missed this thread. I've been using chunks of railroad tie. They're creosoted, so they don't mind living outside, but they're HEAVY! OTOH, they don't move much without persuasion. I put door handles on mine so I can pack them around, but it's easier to stack them where I can get them with a handtruck. Then at the car, the handles make it fairly easy to get them in position. And when I lift anything with a jack, I have a sacrificial block of 2x4 between the jack pad and the car. This comes from my Dad and his experiences working with his dad, on railroad cars that had been set out for repairs-in-place. Grandpa said "Steel on steel is just asking for a slip. Steel on wood or cardboard will keep the slipping from happening." And you know what? Gramps was right, the old coot.