Best simple ideas and concepts to design in to new build

[howplum]

On 02/12/2018 at 13:39, ProDave said:

Back to simple ideas. If you are in the slightest into DIY mechanics, then an inspection pit in the garage. Even if you just use it to make a simple oil change a lot easier it is well worth it.  Mine is made just deep enough to sit in on a duck board, not full standing height.

Or you could consider an electric portable scissor lift, possibly set into a shallow well in the garage floor:

 

https://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-7630-mobile-scissor-lift/

[Roger440]

17 hours ago, howplum said:

Or you could consider an electric portable scissor lift, possibly set into a shallow well in the garage floor:

 

https://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-7630-mobile-scissor-lift/

I did this. Definitely recommended

 

[Vijay]

On 02/12/2018 at 15:25, Onoff said:

 

You can get ready made fibreglass pits you drop in.

what do you use to cover the pit?

[dpmiller]

generally there's a recess round the edge to set 8x3s into.

[ProDave]

My pit is covered by planks made of offcuts of 6 by 2 C16

 

When the builders poured the concrete slab, they set a ring of 4 by 2 around the edge to form a lip for the planks to sit into so they sit flush with the floor. 

[Onoff]

48 minutes ago, Vijay said:

what do you use to cover the pit?

 

Not sure. Have a read:

 

https://www.mech-mate.co.uk

 

I like the idea of built in lights, shelves etc.

 

I've a mad plan to build one into my existing garage using a suitably braced, scrap pallet timber former, with all the electrical conduits, vent & drainage ducts and ladder brackets getting cast into the pit walls. If you do diy then worth casting a little sump area one end for a pump to sit should the need arise.

[Vijay]

32 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Not sure. Have a read:

 

https://www.mech-mate.co.uk

 

I like the idea of built in lights, shelves etc.

 

I've a mad plan to build one into my existing garage using a suitably braced, scrap pallet timber former, with all the electrical conduits, vent & drainage ducts and ladder brackets getting cast into the pit walls. If you do diy then worth casting a little sump area one end for a pump to sit should the need arise.

 

I've messaged them for some prices

[Onoff]

42 minutes ago, Vijay said:

 

I've messaged them for some prices

 

They got a good write up a while back 

43 minutes ago, Vijay said:

 

I've messaged them for some prices

 

Some good and bad comments here:

 

http://practically-classics.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5538

 

&

 

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=8348

 

&

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=226&t=51900

[joe90]

I used to have a pit at my last house and whilst good for some jobs, not good for everything, wheels, hubs, suspension , stuff not in the centre of the vehicle. Because of my garage being basically built on a bog, I don’t want an indoor pool (like next door) so I fancy a lift. I looked a scissor lifts but think you are restricted in the centre because of the gubbins. Mate of mine built a rocking ramp out of two lengths of Armco, he found the wheels automatically centred in the “trough” (classic narrow wheels anyway). Perhaps it will go on my extensive “to do one day” list ?.

[Onoff]

You can build a pit that is T or + shaped to get at wheels / suspension. Used in conjunction with a beam jack across the pit of course. 

 

 

[dpmiller]

Quite fancy a single post lift myself. The portable low/mid-rise variety are great for tyres and brakes but I reckon I'd prefer to be standing for the real underneath stuff.

With the pallet-truck singlepost jobbies you can shunt them out of the way when not in use or even (door height allowing) wheel them outside too.

[Ed Davies]

Paul at the end of the road got a single post lift himself quite recently and seems pleased: https://lifeattheendoftheroad.wordpress.com/2018/10/20/on-her-way/

[Vijay]

head height is the issue for a lot of lifts though and certainly my issue. Maybe we should start a new post for us weekend mechanics cos this post for neat ideas is such a useful one  

[ProDave]

You can get 4 post lifts quite cheap that are on the verge of needing a new set of cables.  Not sure why people sell them at that point rather than replace the cables?

[joe90]

Ooo er, got me thinking now, I fancy this one (if I ever get time too use it?) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-POST-LIFT-CAR-VEHICLE-RAMP-HOIST-4-TON-NEW-999-18-month-warranty/321740808920?epid=1488737875&hash=item4ae93f22d8:g:BKsAAOxyXzxTIZ8x

[Barney12]

On 04/12/2018 at 08:05, JSHarris said:

 

The only word of caution I'd give relates to the flooding of my late mother's farmhouse.  To make it easier to reach the washer and drier she had a raised plinth built at the end of the kitchen, so they were a foot or so above the tiled floor.  This worked very well, and saved her having to bend down.

 

However, a few years after having done this, she put a load in the washing machine and went around to see the wife of the farmer "next door" (about half a mile away).  She was gone a long time, and one of the suspension units for the drum failed.  The machine must have started vibrating and shook itself forward until it fell, face down, on the floor, smashing the door.  It went on to try and do a rinse/spin cycle, but the level sensor didn't shut off, as it was trying to fill the whole ground floor of the house.  She came home to find the carpets floating off the floor and pretty much everything on the ground floor soaking wet.

 

It took around 3 months to dry the place out, rip the plaster off the walls and re-plaster, replace most of her furniture and all the carpets, etc, during which she had to stay in a hotel - not the easiest place to run a farm from. The insurance company paid out for everything, but even so it was a heck of nuisance.

 

If you’re really that paranoid there is an incredibly simple design mod using a piece of angled aluminium profile that sits underneath and traps the feet. Simply bolt it into position from underneath. 

 

I would also recommend a good deal of wriggle room top, bottom and sides. Further, I designed mine to be 700 deep so I had plenty of room at the back so I wasn’t struggling with pipework.

 

[Vijay]

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

Ooo er, got me thinking now, I fancy this one (if I ever get time too use it?) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-POST-LIFT-CAR-VEHICLE-RAMP-HOIST-4-TON-NEW-999-18-month-warranty/321740808920?epid=1488737875&hash=item4ae93f22d8:g:BKsAAOxyXzxTIZ8x

 

Can't believe they've got that cheap :O

[Roger440]

2 hours ago, joe90 said:

Ooo er, got me thinking now, I fancy this one (if I ever get time too use it?) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-POST-LIFT-CAR-VEHICLE-RAMP-HOIST-4-TON-NEW-999-18-month-warranty/321740808920?epid=1488737875&hash=item4ae93f22d8:g:BKsAAOxyXzxTIZ8x

 

From a practical "working on cars" perspective, a 2 poster (like this) wins hands down every time. There is almost no job you cant do.

 

However, in a domestic setting, they take up a lot of space, need height, and are always "there".

 

A good compromise, assuming you have head height, is a full height scissor. You can still do 95% of what can be done on a 2 poster, but when its down you have a flat floor. Down side is they are MUCH more expensive than a 2 poster. And need 2 recesses in the floor.

 

After that, a half height scissor. Ideally these need a shallow well, but you can just lay them on the floor.

 

4 posters really are quite big, and quite limiting and you still need the height.

 

Been round the loop a million times. Full height scissor is my 1st choice as you can use the space flixibly.

 

[joe90]

42 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

From a practical "working on cars" perspective, a 2 poster (like this) wins hands down every time. There is almost no job you cant do.

 

 That’s good to hear and what I had presumed. I could live with a two poster as my workshop will have my classic car in it all the time and could park it between the posts, if I need extra room for woodwork (long lengths into machines, the car could go outside and timber lengths easily manouvered (I hear myself talking me into one of these soon ?)

[Roger440]

2 minutes ago, joe90 said:

 

 That’s good to hear and what I had presumed. I could live with a two poster as my workshop will have my classic car in it all the time and could park it between the posts, if I need extra room for woodwork (long lengths into machines, the car could go outside and timber lengths easily manouvered (I hear myself talking me into one of these soon ?)

 

If you have the space, its a no brainer. They are just so cheap now. Spent 13 years using ramps! If i had a choice of 2 poster id get one with a screw mechanisim. Not very common now, but infinitely more controllable if lowering the car over an engine for example. I think they fell out of favour as if the nut fails (cant remeber its proper name) then it falls down. Wont happen if you look after it though.

[Tennentslager]

If you put one car up high and park the other below does it not become a double garage...

[Onoff]

41 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

 

If you have the space, its a no brainer. They are just so cheap now. Spent 13 years using ramps! If i had a choice of 2 poster id get one with a screw mechanisim. Not very common now, but infinitely more controllable if lowering the car over an engine for example. I think they fell out of favour as if the nut fails (cant remeber its proper name) then it falls down. Wont happen if you look after it though.

 

My BiL has a 2 post Bradbury. Came as 3P but only having single phase he eventually stuck a 1P motor on it after having faffed for years with a phase converter. I knocked up a simple up/down control box for him with a couple of scrap contactors. No emergency stop, all the limits removed  (by him) and 3 white paint marks.  When lowering look for the first mark and take your finger off the button. Don't go further than the lowest mark!

[Roger440]

11 minutes ago, Tennentslager said:

If you put one car up high and park the other below does it not become a double garage...

 This too !

[joe90]

7 minutes ago, Tennentslager said:

If you put one car up high and park the other below does it not become a double garage...

 

Brilliant idea  @Tennentslager, her indoors wants to keep her mx5 in my garage but I told her “no room” (mine has to go in as it has no roof!). Better not put mine up top as it drips oil ?. I have a reason to spend the money now to keep SWMBO happy ?

[Jeremy Harris]

A friend of mine converted his single, basement, garage to a double by fitting a pretty simple looking lift for the second car.  The same systems are getting popular in light aircraft hangars, as most hangars have plenty of spare height, so lifts allow almost double the capacity.

 

Not sure how much the parking lifts cost, but the one I've seen looks very similar to the ones used on vehicle transporters.  I'm planning to build something similar to lift my 5m long electric river boat up near the ceiling of my workshop, to give me more floor space, but I'll probably build a DIY system using an electric winch, much the same as a crate lifting winch I have to easily lift stuff up into the loft storage area above the garage/workshop.