Hello from Paula and her Vitesse

[Paula]

40 minutes ago, JohnD said:

I'm lucky, I have a two-car garage.   One side has a pit, about the size of the above, but in my use it's not an advantage, except possibly for oil changes, as spills go down the pit, not all over the floor!

The rest of the time the pit is a problem.    I have two heavy wood covers for it, that lie flush with the floor.  They are quite safe for people to walk over and stand on, but I would neither raise the car with a jack on the cover, nor put an axle stand on them.   Point loading the wood like that invites collapse.   So I work on my car on the other side of the garage.    Anyone with space for only one car should ask themselves how they will raise the car, and how will they support it safely while they work underneath, if they have a pit.

I'd suggest that instead of the great expence of a pit, a set of four good axle stands, and a good trolley jack will be a better investment!

John

PS you also need to consider how you will get down into the pit!   Some modern GRP shells have steps, mine is in brick with vertical sides, so I made myself a ladder from 1" steel tubing, bolted to the side.

A pit jack might work. £££££££ though

[Pete Lewis]

pits and lifts can all be very restrictive , the pit is often not deep enough and a lift obstructs any work under the car other than good for taking wheels off 

a post lift keeps access open but the roof is the limiting height 

semi crouched in vari focals is no good trying to look upwards unless youre an acrobat  or contortionist

i sold my full length ramps as little used and getting too heavy to move about , the 5 ft run ups did not suit  the 2000 overhang made fitting and removing a real pain

could not leave in place as they stuck outside .

got a pair of ramps with a jacking lift plate , but not used  .,  good trolley jack and solid axle stands work the easiest

Pete

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, Paula said:

A pit jack might work. £££££££ though

I built myself a DIY pit jack out of some steel box section and a couple of scissor jacks. It's not nearly as good as a really proper one but it lifts and supports my Vitesse absolutely fine.

[JohnD]

A trolley jack, four axle stands and a creeper!

[Colin Lindsay]

This guy is called Jack...

[JohnD]

If he wants it higher, then two mates can stand on those planks at the back!

[Pete Lewis]

there was a local guy  old escort up on bricks , paraffin heater in the lock up,  the bricks toppled the car trapped him the fuel tank got pierced the paraffin heater  finished him off

done to a crisp     dont mess with improvised  ideas of safety

Pete

[poppyman]

2 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

This guy is called Jack...

Was his first name Drybollocks? something like that anyway.....

Tony. 

[Paula]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

A trolley jack, four axle stands and a creeper!

That looks ace. I’ll make one! I just need the wheels.

[Paula]

13 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

there was a local guy  old escort up on bricks , paraffin heater in the lock up,  the bricks toppled the car trapped him the fuel tank got pierced the paraffin heater  finished him off

done to a crisp     dont mess with improvised  ideas of safety

Pete

That’s terrible.

I've heard similar stories. 

[Paula]

I’ve got 2 axle stands and a small trolly jack and a little scissor jack. 
 

Where’s the best place for them to get under the front?

 

[Pete Lewis]

the official jacking point is on the end or the front outrigger where the side rail connects

some would use the front cross member  to keep access clear 

 

 

pete

[JohnD]

I have to use a scissor Jack under the front outrigger, to he my trolley Jack under that crossmember.   And my trolley is alow, 'racing's jack!     Alter active is front wheels onto.ramps.     Axle stands under the square mounts for the lower wishbone.  PUSH the bulkhead hard to ensure stability.

[Casper]

SafetyAwards2005.ppt

Old but good

C.

[Nick Jones]

19 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

This guy is called Jack...

Looks like the aftermath of a loading mishap to me........

[KevinR]

4 hours ago, Casper said:

SafetyAwards2005.ppt

Old but good

C.

This is one of my favorites

 

[KevinR]

closely followed by this one

 

[KevinR]

And this is one I saw for real myself - in Reykjavik a couple of years ago

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

25 minutes ago, KevinR said:

closely followed by this one

 

Even the socket looks concerned..  ...not to mention shocked!

[Steve P]

When i was 17 i had a friend who was into Mini`s,he had an oil in the garage drum on which he used to wash down mini engines with thinners,the thinners drained into the drum.

One day he was welding in the garage and the drum blew up,killed him and his father who was in the garage with him.

S

[Pete Lewis]

think we need a new section for disasters and  most orrible jobs 

Pete

[Steve P]

Yes that was a downer,sorry Paula.

Today i realised i have lost my keys to my Vitesse,bummer,will have to change all locks and ignition.

S

[Paula]

Just now, Steve P said:

Yes that was a downer,sorry Paula.

S

Cautionary tale definitely.

 

[JohnD]

If you want a 'cautionary tale' that lifts, you can't beat Gerard Hoffnung and his story of the Bricklayer.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Steve P said:

When i was 17 i had a friend who was into Mini`s,he had an oil in the garage drum on which he used to wash down mini engines with thinners,the thinners drained into the drum.

One day he was welding in the garage and the drum blew up,killed him and his father who was in the garage with him.

S

I found this wonderful story yesterday and just had to share it after that post:

"(3 September 2018, New Zealand) Sometimes the fastest method results in the deadliest outcome. The tale of Howard Miller, 39, professional welder and Darwin Award Winner, illustrates the pitfalls of ignoring high school chemistry with a time-saving invention.

Always helpful, Miller spent his last moments helping a friend weld an exhaust pipe onto a classic Holden Kingswood sedan. He arrived at the garage shed with an experimental welding kit: an LPG bottle, similar to a propane tank, in which he had mixed both components that make up oxy-acetylene welding gas: acetylene and oxygen.

Now, that last detail should send a shiver down any welder's spine! Professional welders know that these components are kept in separate tanks because, when combined, they burn hot enough to cut metal. A tank of mixed acetylene/oxygen + no flow regulator = an accident waiting to happen.

Like a scene from Breaking Bad, Mr. Miller had unwittingly constructed a lethal explosive!

Once Miller unveiled his jury-rigged device, his friend recognized this dangerous equation and repeatedly warned that it was crazy! Finally he high-tailed it out of the shed while Miller, undeterred by a bit of panic, attachec a torch head straight onto the bottle and lit the welding tip.

Sans regulator, the flame crept back into the bottle and the inevitable explosion flattened the shed, which also contained about twenty litres of paint thinner and gasoline. The force of the explosion was so intense it shattered the windows of neighboring properties.

Needless to say, the friend is in need a new car.

The deceased winner, a gentle and generous man, would surely be grateful to know that no one else was hurt in the fracas. And as a consolation prize, his tragic experiment will benefit others by demonstrating a potential consequence of skipping chemistry class."