garage tool tricks and tips

[Garm]

What tricks do you all use to keep track of nuts/bolts/washers/small parts when you are doing a project and taking something apart or off the car? I seem to lose something important every time; mostly because I start multiple projects I think.

[nissantoy]

Garm
The old sandwich bay and marker will always work! Plastic cupcake molds will also work if you have a place to store them so they don't tip over, or old coffee cans with the lids.


nissantoy

[68DSU]

Baggies with a note inside. Even though it is perfectly obvious what it is I tag it because when I make my way back to that piece, I will have forgotten.
I also save all those loose screws, nuts, washers, and "things" in another baggie. When I need three and have two, sure enough, the missing one will be right there.

[notoptoy]

Baggies and sharpies are my preferred method - and liberal use of the digital camera too!

[FairladySPL]

Get some of these !!

Bright light, they fit all around underneath, magnets on the back, AA cells, and THEY DON'T BURN HOT like a bulb my arm used to hit.

$8 on sale.

OK a little more than that. But still.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/2 ... =550679013

[corey.vixie]

Best trick I ever learned was getting a length of aluminum pipe that slips over the end of my breaker bar. Nothing like an extra 2-3ft of leverage when she's REALLY stuck!

[pebbles]

Hot glue is your friend.

My friend too.
Carpet edges; keeps the shop vac from unraveling the loose threads. Ive used it for binding trimmed edges around shifters, ducts, seatrails, etc. Got a loose piece of vinyl flapping? works for that too.

I was thinking about using some to fill voids on a dash prior to installing a cap.

[510longroof]

Working where the Red Green show was first taped. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the "handyman's secret weapon" yet or is that too p.o. for us. I use a wrap of duct tape on those new tiny oil filters on the new imports. The ones that are too small for our oil filter wrenches. Helps you get a grip on them. One step to try before more drastic measures.

Frank

[fixitman04]

Get some of these !!

Bright light, they fit all around underneath, magnets on the back, AA cells, and THEY DON'T BURN HOT like a bulb my arm used to hit.

$8 on sale.

OK a little more than that. But still.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/2 ... =550679013

I have 5 of those at work... Best hands free lighting i own besides my hardhat light

[fixitman04]

Best trick I ever learned was getting a length of aluminum pipe that slips over the end of my breaker bar. Nothing like an extra 2-3ft of leverage when she's REALLY stuck!

I use half of an old jack handle.

[bobd]

What tricks do you all use to keep track of nuts/bolts/washers/small parts when you are doing a project and taking something apart or off the car? I seem to lose something important every time; mostly because I start multiple projects I think.

Muffin / cupcake tins, use a seperate tin for each section, each cup for a specific part or area. You can even stack them in order of disassembly. Makes reassembly much easier.

[notoptoy]

What tricks do you all use to keep track of nuts/bolts/washers/small parts when you are doing a project and taking something apart or off the car? I seem to lose something important every time; mostly because I start multiple projects I think.

Muffin / cupcake tins, use a seperate tin for each section, each cup for a specific part or area. You can even stack them in order of disassembly. Makes reassembly much easier.

I can't do anything without a seal/top! I have knocked over countless trays/muffin tins, jars etc., only to be befuddled upon reassembly time. I have come to rely on a sharpie and baggies. Adding a piece of paper for more specific detail is good too. When I disassembled the transmission 6 years ago, I put each marked baggie in a box, and lined them up one against the other in the order I took the tranny apart. When I finally got to reassembly 5 years later, it went amazingly smoothly! And that was after a physical move from WI to NC in the middle of the process!!!

[DatsunBucky]

+1 on the paper inside the baggie.

[dbrick]

Best trick I ever learned was getting a length of aluminum pipe that slips over the end of my breaker bar. Nothing like an extra 2-3ft of leverage when she's REALLY stuck!

I use half of an old jack handle.

Deep socket on a long extension, slip over the breaker bar handle.

[notoptoy]

Dave:
That's a really good one, - even a head slapping one!