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6 Ways to Make Progress on Your Project Without Leaving the Living Room
Deep in the throes of winter, just about every car person wishes for days of clear roads and warm weather that enable driving and comfortable wrenching. Even those lucky enough to have a garage or shop workspace are often still feeling just enough of a chill to prefer in the house instead of spending an evening working on a car or project in the garage. While you can’t get everything done on your project without going into the shop (or writing a huge check), you can get more done from the couch or kitchen table than you might think. Here are six examples.
Clean assembly
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One of my personal favorite winter projects is building motorcycle wheels on the kitchen table. It’s a process and procedure that requires only quiet hand tools and patience. Even my lovely wife is fine with the process, so long as I don’t take over the dining table until after dinner. A fair compromise.
This highlights that some projects and tasks can be done in places other than on your workbench. It can be annoying to make an extra trip or two from inside to outside for a tool or piece, but that small amount of extra effort is far better than saving a few steps and freezing in the shop. Take a look at your to-do list, and find something small and clean that might be able to be crossed off—once the dishes are done.
Wiring
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Similar to building wheels, diagnosing or repairing wiring is a favorite to-do at the dining table this time of year. A lot of projects that enter my shop have questionable wiring patches, fixes, or problems. Sitting with a multimeter and checking all the electrical parts of a motorcycle can get tedious, so it makes it a little easier to be extra comfortable. This is often a very clean task as well, though having a little Scotchbrite or fine sandpaper can be handy for cleaning up contacts. It’s easy enough to do that over a towel or baking sheet.
Parts ordering or finding
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Does it feel obvious? Of course, but it’s worth bringing up because using the extra time we have now is great for running down parts we know will require extra effort—even if we don’t need them right away. Creating a stockpile of parts can be a blessing and curse, so be careful to keep yourself from needing a liquid-cooled credit card. I’m guilty of putting off projects and focusing effort elsewhere when parts finding takes too much time, so the days when I just don’t want to go out and pick up the tools are the ones where I instead pick up the laptop to bring those stalled projects back around.
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Research
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In the same vein as parts shopping, reading up from your shop manual or favorite online forum is often best done under a blanket on the couch. Doing a little research to check the next process and procedure in a restoration takes up time—why not knock that work out now? Personally, I like to study the shop manuals for what I expect to drive most this year, focusing on the ignition, fuel, and oiling systems. This primes one’s brain for potential roadside repairs. Understanding how the system is designed to work is the easiest way to figure out what can commonly go wrong and how one might be able to rectify the problem—in ideal and less-than-ideal conditions.
Documenting the process
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Jokes about keeping receipts aside, do you document your projects at all? For a lot of years I didn’t, but since then I’ve found that even an un-labeled photo album has proved helpful in solving odd issues and internal process questions. Cataloging these things takes time and definitely doesn’t need to happen in the garage. Start with a simple three-ring binder to easily compile a reference point for what work you’ve done, are doing, and have planned. A separate folder inside is great for catching any unique manuals or reference documents you might need. I enjoy still having the user manual for the electronic ignition I put in my Corvair seven years ago just in case. It’s even better that I know exactly where it is.
Not working on your project
Let’s be real, if you feel like being inside and not working on your project, then do that. Cars should be enjoyable, and sometimes it takes stepping away a little to make sure your pride and joy doesn’t become a chore. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, even if it’s a shell perched on jack stands. Let a break from the shop recharge your mental batteries so that when the conditions are more in your favor, you are itching to get out and get your work done.
All good points, and pretty much what I do. I only have one project car, but I do a lot of work restoring old stereo gear, and I do the same with those.
Aside from the research aspect, I used to let the car stuff creep into the living space and have since stopped… it can get out of hand with the definition of ‘clean work’ slipping over time
I take a middle of the road approach to documentation, where if I am disassembling something complicated or if I do something I’m impressed with, I’ll shoot a pic. In general, I try to minimize distracting project-associated activities that aren’t actually project activities
Single eh?
I’m restricted in the house but she did let me build my own heated space where it is like my own living room. Fair trade off. I only lack the fire place.
I have done a few jobs inside like upholstery work. It is much easier to do leather seats on carpet vs slipping off the padding and scuffing it on the floor.
Get yourself a gas fireplace or at least an electric one…. and a fridge and tv .. and a place to sleep…. and…
Ha! Isn’t that the truth! I’m lucky, lots of space, a large garage with lifts, library, gun reloading room, train room, poker/pool/game room. My problem time, at my age the living room is usually the first stop after dinner and the last stop before bed!🙄
Ha, ha, I was thinking the same thing. It’s a rare wife that is going to be OK with car parts and crap spread all over the living room, dining room, or anywhere else in the house. And those that do likely only tolerate it for a brief period of time, so you better get it done quickly and get it out of the house! 😀
Yep, my wife is far from rare. More like well done lol.
Thanks for the chuckle
When I was young, newly married, and a bit less cautious – I used our kitchen oven to bake paint on newly acquired valve covers. What could go wrong? My wife was at her mom’s, and the covers were new. What I hadn’t counted on was the permeating paint smell that I couldn’t get out of the kitchen before she got home … and days afterwards.
I think Kyle is on the blue pill (NO – not that one!! Think The Matrix). Kyle – if anyone hands you a red pill – DON’T TAKE IT!
Not sure what you’re implying, but to answer both this and HyperV6 I’ll just point out that I mention my wife in the article. We’ve lived together for over a decade and she is my biggest supporter–and I hers, as it should be. She pots plants and starts seeds on the dining table every spring to get a jumpstart on her amazing garden while the weather is still crummy outside. We enjoy spending time together and also being cozy, so we both encourage each other to bring projects inside if it makes sense. I intentionally left out any “wife bad” humor because I don’t find it particularly funny or adds to the conversation in a productive way.
That’s awesome Kyle – you have a rare bird in your nest with that type of understanding. Not to speak for the majority, but I will anyway. Most of us have come to understand: house – her domain, garage – our domain…ish. None shall cross over.
Our comments are based in jealously and envy. 😉
I have an electric fireplace in my office. Not quite the same as a real one but similar and reasonable price and very easy to install.
Or, like a friend of mine (who lives alone 🙄), you can have a wall blown out, doors installed, and pull your classic into the living room with you so you can work on the ENTIRE project from in there!
Some people have all the fun!
Boundaries…
Now that sounds kind of cool. But I’ll settle for the heated/cooled garage.
That’s a great idea. Unfortunately, my living room is at the opposite side of the house from the garage..
In the 90s, my wife and I came into some money. Wifey actually suggested that we buy the house next door, and gut it completely to use as a garage and storage space. We didn’t do that (bought a 1 acre property instead, where I built a 24×30 garage), but I often wonder if the second house idea would have been a good one.
The boss lets me get away with that unless it is “stinky”! Then she exiles me back to my garage or shop.
I remember my Mom, about 50 years ago, being much more understanding.
The reality is that if you live with another human being (pets are cute but don’t mind the clutter) sooner or later the migration of the car project into the living space is a sure area of conflict- having been married 40 years now to the same wonderful and understanding woman (she complains a bit from time to time about my car obsessed lifestyle-but who wouldn’t!) I have long ago learned that you need to keep the car stuff in the garage- makes for a happier life and less stress for sure IMHO.
I remember sitting on the couch watching a movie while installing piston rings, a clean task that takes a while.
This is a really wonderful topic! Three projects over the years came up immediately: total renovation/cleanup of jets, etc. of the Dellorto 30s (which led to the forever-after use of the NGK BP6HS – 7331 plug), the 5sp shift mechanism, and the fabrication of the mounts, etc. for the 2nd Brembo rotor/caliper for my ’74 Ducati GT 750. All within comfy distance of my All-Nighter wood stove.
The dish washer does a good job with parts cleaning.
Absolutely, but only when I was renting. New wife would have none of that.–Boundaries redrawn. Landlord never found out that I rebuilt my Model A Ford transmission on the carpet, either.
An old friend cleaned Rochester mechanical fuel injection parts in the dishwasher. He said it did a great job! I believe his wife was out of town. 🤣
Not shown: extremely understanding wife…
Or a less than understanding “Ex” 🤭🤭🤭
I’ve had my car for 50 years now, wife only lasted 20
Any guesses why? lol.
Detail brush painting was my ‘living room’ project. A couple bottles of Testors model car paint so you can mix the proper turquois for the Thunderbird emblem on the valve covers, some red, some white for a shift knob pattern, lettering or emblem painting on a wheel cover, some tunes and perhaps an adult beverage – and the wife is happy you are not in her way.
Insulate your shop so you can heat and cool it efficiently and work comfortably.
Scattering your tools and parts of your project all over the place is a good way to lose things. Keep everything in one place.
You forgot to mention one prerequisite; wife must be out of country.
I installed the piston rings for my 351 Cleveland from my 72 Mustang at the kitchen table 30 years ago when I lived at home. The pistons were brand new so they were fresh and clean therefore my Mother didn’t have a problem. I think it helped that my father and her bought the car new making it a family heirloom. I have a big heated garage now so no more car parts in the house.
My first VW air-cooled engine rebuild was begun in the garage–the internals and the joining of the two case halves. I carried this into the living room where I did more work on a coffee table. Then, I brought in a large
piece of heavy cardboard, onto which I placed the engine stand and, with our son’s help, lifted and attached the engine to the rotating stand. All in the comfort of a heated house with handy bathroom and snacks! Guess what? The engine worked from the get-go and gave us plenty of miles down the road!