Shop tools

Taking gtmike's advice i decided to start a thread about what you need for a shop. My parents are putting in a garage in the spring and i convinced them to put in a lift for my to "fix their cars" on. But really its so I can have a place for my el camino. What are the first things I should look into getting for my garage. I'm guessing a good quality compressor should be on the top of the list. Along with a good hand tool mechanics set. maybe mac etc. I know i will need an assortment of air tools and such. but what about metal fab tools. Presses? tubing benders? i should have a welder covered in the near future. Metal brake? english wheel? what should be on the top of the list and what shouldnt i worry about. I shouldnt be doing any major fabrication for a while, as in 12+ months, but i do want to fix any patches of bondo i find underneath me paint and there are a couple rather large, about 6 inch long, rust spots on a the fenders and such. i will be putting in mew floor pans. a new bed. other than that i'm not sure. I'm new to all of this and it seems a bit overwhelming. i'm on a serious budget. low paying job... so money is a major factor. i need to have money to spend on parts and tools to put the parts to good use at the same time... i need to know what to get first and what i'll never use.

You gotta crawl before you walk. You need a good set of hand tools. Dont waste the money on a lift, your not going to use it enough to justify the price unless you start getting into doing stuff for a living. You dont need a compressor yet either. You need to learn the ways of the trade- "Dont brag about your tools or your work- one is obvious and one will soon be"

ya seriously, dont blow money on a lift, carjack and some stands always did me good (craftsman has a really nice car jack for a good price), since ur gonna have like 2000 bucks laying around, ull have more than enoguth to buy a really nice set of tools (i recomend craftsman yet again cuz proto and snap on ithink are a bit overpriced) and get a nice tool chest too. after that i suggest u put down a 2 part epoxy layer on ur ground (u can get it at home depot, rustoleum makes a good on MAKE SURE U GET THE 2 PART EPOXY) that way cleaing up oil is easy (i jsut put it down in my garage and tis REALLY GOOD STUFF). and than if u have money left over, buy a aircompressor (not a huge one though just a decent size, dont blow more than 500 bucks on the tools and the compressor itself)

A lift is a waste of money unless you are doing engine swaps on a weekly basis.

You need to learn to walk before you run as stated before. Start out with the basics. Bigger machines only make work faster.

If you bought everything you stated in your initial post, you would spend upwards of $15,000.

A lift is a waste of money unless you are doing engine swaps on a weekly basis.

You need to learn to walk before you run as stated before. Start out with the basics. Bigger machines only make work faster.

If you bought everything you stated in your initial post, you would spend upwards of $15,000.

i wouldnt be spending the money on the lift. my parents would, it will increase the value of the garage. thats only reason they're willing to do it. and regarding hand tools. i have a good set of craftsmen sockets, metric and standard, and combination wrenches metric and standard. i have a good set of screwdrivers, a grinder, a variety of pliers, vise grips, clamps, breaker bars. i have most of the hand tools covered. i also have a small, 1.5 hp i beleive, compressor from craftsmen and a die grinder and air ratchet. i'm looking to move up in skill level. i have some work under my belt as it is. only basic stuff, intalled radiators, water pumps, power steering pumps, etc... only basic stuff. i mostly want to start doing more metal work.

There are a few basic things you need to shape metal. Tucking forks, leather beat bag, hammer and dolley set, plastic hammers, some slapping spoons, and a sheilding gas bottle cap.

Those are the basics you need for metal shaping (besides the welder).

i know u think it would raise the value of the garage, but u have to at the same time ask urself, how many people want a car lift in thier garage (personaly i believe everyone should want one) and the other thing is u probably arent going to be using that much, i mean wat are u expecting to do that u are going to need a car lift for?

i know u think it would raise the value of the garage, but u have to at the same time ask urself, how many people want a car lift in thier garage (personaly i believe everyone should want one) and the other thing is u probably arent going to be using that much, i mean wat are u expecting to do that u are going to need a car lift for?

one of the main projects i have planned for my car is putting a five speed in an auto car. thats one of the main reasons i'm wanting the lift. my family has 5 cars as of now and i end up doing about one or two oil changes a month and a lift would make that a lot easier. but the main things is the trans. i have to put in a crossmember and clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder and all kinds of good stuff. i plan on taking 3 grand and about a months woroth of labor just for that. also, how transportable are lifts? if i wanted to have if shipped with me when i go to college (hopefully wyotech) will i be able to do that for a reasonable amount of cash?

u dont nessisarily need a car jack to do that kind of work, i did it fine with some 2 by 4s (my bootleg transtion lift hehe) , car jack and some stands, it worked just fine for me. i just tihink overall ur gonna end up waisting alota money on a car lift for no reason. what kind of work are u planning on doing in college where u gonna need a car lift?

i'm hoping to go to wyotech, so all i would be doing is working on cars. so i can get a serious restoration project or a racer project started once i start learning more things. thats why if i can take the lift with me it will come in very handy.

:: walks in... shakes head... leaves.::

Instead of a lift, consider a solid set of ramps (steel not plastic). They are fast and will be usefull for most things a lift will be useful for. You will just work lying down instead of standing up.

Bringing up dead threads is frowned upon, if only there was a link to the guidelines somewhere in this thread.... oh... :evillol:

It was still on the first page - not old enough to bother me. Responding didn't push a more relevant thread off the front page. That's my criteria.

Some forums are so inactive that there is no way to respond to anything without being with an old thread. My response was to anyone who reads this, not the original poster.