Shoutout to the often-overlooked garage hero - block of wood.

We all have our favorite tools/things in the garage. Of course we think about our ratchets and wrenches. Or,  if youre like Jeremy Clarkson, it's your assortment of hammers.

But there's an unsung hero, at least in mine, and that 'tool'...BLOCK OF WOOD

Surely I cant be alone. I have a 4x4 piece of wood, about 12" or so long, that makes it's way into my heart on so many projects.

Today, as I do my suspension, it helps keep pressure off of the brake lines by supporting the calipers.  As I did my intercooler, I would stand on it to get a little more height to clear the sloping 'roof' line. Sometimes it's used to go between the jack and the car. Ive used it/them to hammer on some metal to straighten it out. This block has been with me since I moved in over 5 years ago.

THANK YOU, block of wood.

I keep a stack of them around the shop. From short sections 2x4 to blocks of 6x6. Always handy to have around. 

I was just about to start a thread on the unsung hero tools of the garage.  Impetus for it was a chunk of 1x4 that has been cut down to 6" or so.  I was using it to hold the EGR valve and tube away from the intake so I could clean the surfaces. 

It gets used as a drift, spacer, painting platform, drilling platform, and more.

I love wood block. Wood block is a good garage friend. 

I agree.  Cheap.  Flexible.  If you can't find one, takes seconds to make a new one.

I used one yesterday. Held the tire at just the right angle and height. May god bless the wood. 

Good lord yes the block of wood is an integral piece of my shop. I use various sizes all the time as props, cribbing, and to spread out the load from a floor jack.

Putting my Cayman in storage I have two 2x4s in case I get a high threshold storage unit and need to ramp up a little.

Currently a length of 1x3 is holding up my 914s window.

Additionally it's better to smack your b up with a piece of wood between whatever metal and your 3# hammer.

I could go on over the virtues of this strong, but fragile, renewable resource in the shop.

preach (fs) said:

Additionally it's better to smack your b up with a piece of wood 

I just... I can't even...

I have a bunch of them. 
 

But I also have a favorite. 

And then there's this guy:

Purchased for the grand sum of $5 from an estate sale, simply because I was drawn to it, and it makes me happy. 
 

That motherberkeleyer is seriously heavy. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

That looks like a damfine instrument.

I just moved 3 weeks ago. Packed up the garage. I got rid of a lot of stuff, as one does. 
i think I tossed my 2x4 and 4x4 assortment.

Already regretting that decision. 

DrBoost said:

I just moved 3 weeks ago. Packed up the garage. I got rid of a lot of stuff, as one does. 
i think I tossed my 2x4 and 4x4 assortment.

Already regretting that decision. 

I keep my wood away from my SWMBO for that exact reason..  Wait.. well you know what I mean 

I have a good assortment of them. Everything from pieces of wood shims up to 10' scraps of 4"x6" leftover from rebuilding a playground. The big ones came in super handy when moving a stopped car shell around. I have some leftover dunnage from when I built a garage two houses ago. It all gets used from time to time. My favorite is an off cut of the dunnage, it's probably 6x6x4 or so. So handy. 

1988RedT2 said:

  Cheap.  Flexible.  If you can't find one, takes seconds to make a new one.

You talking about a Thai bar girl?

I use this one a lot. I can put an ATV lift or a large jack on it and still be super stable. It is about 32" of 6"x12" (5"x11" actual).

I always thought the unsung hero of the garage was the old wire coat hanger which I use to hold brake calipers out of the way and anything that I intend to spray paint...

I forgot to mention, I also have several scraps of 2x12 that come in super handy. Four single ones that I put under car tires if the car is too low for the lift, and four that I've screwed together into ramps to driver the front of the truck up onto. That both lowers and angles the rear end down, thus making it easier to load and unload wheeled stuff from the bed.

Wood is great.

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

But I also have a favorite. 

I found it amusing that Woody has a favorite piece of wood.

Whoever gets you for the New Year's game should send you a framed 8x10 of this photo.

I keep a random stack of cutoffs from building projects under the parts washer.  They get used a lot.

Yes, the block of wood is an awesome tool you can't do without. I have many shapes and sizes in my garage.

I would also tip my hat to the 5 gallon bucket, bungee cord, and Lava soap.

I love the inanimate wooden boards!

Very handy when you have as many junkers and projects as I do.

Use it 100% of the time to protect the car from metal to metal contact.