A LAMINATOR IS A GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR TOOL KIT.

[doctee]

Hi All,
        I bought a Laminator from one of the budget shops for less than a tenner---really helpful with servicing and repairing the Herald.
  You know what its like start a job open workshop manual --manual covered with greasey finger prints, not with a Laminator.
Order a workshop cd from fleabay or other.
Print relevant page.
Laminate and the finger prints wipe off I have even spilled brake fluid on a copy and it dosen't affect the Laminate.
     I just print and Laminate the pages as I need them, put them in a binder and they are always ready for use and your manual stays pristine.
sorry if somebody has come up with this idea already.
cheers doctee  

[alpinemauve]

excellent idea.
I did something similar when rewiring my car - I photocopied the wiring diagram HUGE. the final diagram was on 20 or so pages of A3 paper all stuck together like a jigsaw. Quickly drew over the lines with the correct colours and nailed it to the Garage wall. So from anywhere in the garage, from the car I could see clearly what attached to where.
Didn't have the sense to laminate though so now it is covered in black fingerprints.

New thread perhaps for 'non-garage items that are great in the garage'
I'll  start with:
Baby wet wipes - sounds daft but brilliant when you can't find the swarfeega (sp)
A mirror - old mirror hanging on my wall - great to take off and use to look under the car.
Old carpet underlay - to lie on in comfort and warmth
Pin board - I had an old spare one, can write notes and pin envelopes on with the odd screw/fixing from the car - then easy to label
Envelopes - store small, loosable items
A brick - stop that car rolling
Another brick - to use when you can't find your brick
Digital Camera - loads of photos before anything is taken apart - great reference when due to be put back together.
Baked bean cans for liquids
Old Glass Coffee jars for screws,nails etc
The charity Shop collection bag of stuff - store the bag of clothes due for collection next tuesday in the garage and hey a handy collection of clean rags (oops or is this just me?)

Any others?

[heraldmanblue]

yes, done that i keep a laminated wiring diagram in the boot with the spares.

[Zendervision]

Everything alpinemauve posted. I bought a box of 1,000 self seal window envelopes and a marker pen when I had my engine out. Invaluable.

For the mirror, I use a piece of wing mirror glass from a newer car - they're pre cut small enough to see into nooks and crannies, but the sticky backing means glass doesn't go everywhere when you drive over or drop a ratchet on it.

[lordleonusa]

Great idea!

Thanks

L

[Goody]

I have most of the above.  I keep 3 sizes of Freezer Bags.  The fact thay are strong, zip locking, clear and a magic marker will write on em.  Every small part, nut and bolt I remove goes into one.  From years of restoring I know after a month, year or more you will not remeber where that bolt goes.  I take many pictures before and during dis-assembly to ref where things go back.  The manuals are only good to a point.  I also have a box of what I think are called hemostates.  Doctors use the locking needle nose type plyers to clamp badly bleeding blood viens, and the like.  Plenty of old wood scraps.

Due to old age and at times clumsey I no longer store anything in Glass!  Of course no garage is complete without plenty of BEER!