Do you like to turn your own wrenches? I do. There are admittedly plenty of jobs-
engine rebuilding, tranny overhauls to name two-that I'm happy to let someone else
tackle, but the things that I have the ability and the tools to do, I like to do myself.
Many of you have garages, and some of you even have shops. I'm happy for you, and I'm jealous of you. I have my parents' driveway. While this sounds lame, I live in pricey SoCal (by choice) and although home ownership is a goal for me, it's not
happening right now.
I need to say that I'm grateful my parents let me use their driveway. They could just say 'sorry, that won't work.'
Here's how a typical wrenching session goes:
1- Check the weather. Wind and rain mean no welding in the driveway. Wind blows the shielding gas away from the weld, which leaves a metallic sponge that has to be ground away and replaced with a sound, non-porous weld. If there's no metal fabrication on the list for the day, I can work successfully if it's windy or a bit damp.
2 - If the weather's good, I crack open the door and start to haul everything out. First comes the radial arm saw, perched atop a rickety wooden cart that's clogged with random lumber scraps and topped with wrenches, wire, bottles of motor oil, and other assorted stuff. Next is a small wooden cabinet topped with a multi-drawer tool box and a pull-drawer box holding assorted fasteners. The drill press cart follows the other two into the driveway, followed by an upright wooden cabinet about the size of a refrigerator.
Finally, the Beastly Wood Cart gets pushed, pulled, tugged, and cussed at until it's out of the garage. The Beastly Wood Cart was built to hold 4'x 8' sheets of plywood and other large-sized lumber, and it probably weighs 800 pounds or more. Combine the size and heft with a set of substandard casters, and 'beastly' only begins to describe the thing.
3 - With acceptable weather and a now-cleared work space, I haul out my tool boxes, plug in the welder, get my safety glasses, ear plugs, tape measure, Sharpie marker in place and go to work.
I try to get the noisy stuff done first. This means using the grinder, chop saw, and air
tools before the hours delve into the thick of the night and past the neighbors' and my parents' bed times.
After the noisy stuff is done, I can turn wrenches and weld without making obnoxious noise. I'm still in the habit of using hand tools instead of air wrenches, and I use a TIG welder which is much quieter than the popping and snapping of a MIG machine. When welding, I have to set up vinyl welding curtains and polyethylene tarps to both block moving air and to keep the bright light of the welding arc from broadcasting into bedroom windows.
When I run out of energy or get to a good stopping place, it's time to clean up. I'm usually moving slowly at that point, and would much rather just pull up a cot and a blanket and sleep right then and there. No good. Instead, I repeat the mantra "keep moving" and fix several cups of hot chocolate while putting away my own tools and buttoning up whatever truck I'm working on. When my stuff is put away, the various carts get wheeled back into their respective spots inside the garage. Sometimes I deal with the Beastly Wood Cart first, and sometimes I put it off until last. If my dad is still awake, he's happy to help push the Beastly Cart back in. It's time to shut the garage door and go home.