The dream of your own hobby car workshop
Fortunately, hobbies are also needed. They offer a balance to the stressful working day and help to find peace. Those who prefer to spend their free time productively and not, for example, with computer or board games, should think about a hobby workshop. It takes up a lot of space and can therefore usually only be set up by homeowners. But it’s a lot of fun to work there and you can also solve various problems with your car, often saving a lot of money in the process. But what exactly do you have to consider when setting up a hobby workshop? And what tools should you buy?
Finding a suitable room
Where exactly the workshop will be located plays a rather subordinate role. After all, it hardly makes a difference whether you set up the workshop directly at the house in your own garage or rent an additional garage or hall for it. More important, however, is the size of the room. In any case, it must fit the requirements. For example, you won’t be able to accommodate a lifting platform in a garage. Another must-have is a window or at least ventilation. When paints are applied, vapors are generated that are hazardous to health. Therefore, the room should be ventilated afterwards so that their concentration does not become too high. Connections for electricity and water should also be available. This way, you don’t have to use extension cords. It also means you don’t have to go to the kitchen or bathroom when you need water. A power outlet may also be necessary, as some appliances need a lot of power.
What are the basic equipment items of a hobby automotive workshop?
In general, there are endless equipment and tools that you can put in your hobby workshop. Let’s take a look at some of the most important items to be able to extensively tinker with your own car or classic car.
Lifting platform
The lifting platform is probably one of the most useful items in a hobby workshop. Prices for car lifts from manufacturers such as Twin Busch start at around 2,200 dollars. Mobile car lifts are even available for about 700 dollars. A large selection of car lifts can be found on platforms such as eBay.
Transmission lifts for cars and trucks
The transmission transmits the movement of the engine so that it can be passed on to the tires. However, with all the gears and the massive construction, it usually weighs more than 150 kg even in a car. If you want to remove it, you should therefore use a transmission jack. Otherwise, injuries could be the result. By the way, it is not a good idea to save on the purchase. After all, this can not only damage the expensive components, but also endanger your own safety. However, buying the most expensive models is not always the solution. After all, there are some manufacturers whose devices are bad even then. On the other hand, you can’t go far wrong with the manufacturers Timbertech, Holzinger or DEMA. The products of these companies have an excellent reputation and quite a few positive reviews. But how much exactly do you have to spend on such items? At least it should not be less than 100 euros, because this is where good entry-level models start. High-quality devices then cost about 500 dollars. At this sum, it is worth taking a look at a gearbox lifter guidebook. In addition, you can also buy the devices used, but this is not recommended. Possibly they are so no longer safe, because their maximum load capacity has been exceeded or they are heavily worn.
Lighting or floodlighting
Since many mechanics often work on their cars or motorcycles at night, good lighting is extremely important. Especially in halls or garages without windows this applies even around the clock and at any time of the year. Here it is recommended to tinker with simple neon tubes from the hardware store a self-solution, so that one is already well positioned here for about 120 dollars. A good tutorial on this can be found at youtube.
What tools do I need?
Setting up a workshop is usually the next step. Before that, craftsmen usually already have some tools collected together. So they already have the basic equipment and only need to invest in suitable workbenches and storage facilities. Many also buy various electrical appliances such as a grinder or a polishing machine. Such purchases are only absolutely necessary if the equipment is used frequently. Otherwise, it may be cheaper to borrow it.
Here is a small checklist of important tools:
- Cutter knife
- Screwdriver set
- Meter stick
- Multimeter
- Ratchet
- Allen wrench
- Open-end wrench
- Combination pliers
- String cutter
- Torque wrench
- Rubber mallet
- Locksmith’s hammer
If you buy these and other tools, you should of course pay special attention to quality.
If you need cheap or free spare parts for your project, you can usually find them at a car recycling center near you.