Short people-what do you stand on to polish roofs?

A

AntonV

New member
Im a short guy, 5'6", but I tell the ladies im 5'7", lol.



I currently stand on a 2 step, folding step ladder. Its really a problem. I dont want to lean forward too much and tip it into the car. I really cant get a good height to put the proper pressure on my Flex.



what is everyone standing on for standard sized cars? what are you standing on if you need to do an suv/truck?
 
I'd prefer some of the local illegal aliens to shop models. I feel you get a little more bang for your buck, plus you dont have to worry about sexual harassment.



tax free
 
I have one like that, it has telescoping legs that come in handy if you do a bubba hunting truck ( like I do on occasion) guess it's nice when you change the oil - just walk under it.
 
Sludge said:
You can pick up Werner Aluminum Portable Work Platforms from Lowes and Home Depot. I'm not short, but I maintain a minivan and this does the trick.



Shop Werner Aluminum Portable Work Platform at Lowes.com
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+1 :thumb:



Lowe's had these for $22 last year on Black Friday. I kicked myself in the butt for not buying two because I find I've always got polishers and pads laying on it while I'm working. This year the BF price was $19 so I grabbed another.



TL
 
If you do buy and use one of these platform ladders, consider adding some adhesive-backed safety-step tape to the middle rail. Think of it as heavy-duty sandpaper with an adhesive backing. Wet, soapy aluminum railing surfaces, despite its ribbed design, can be extremely slippery and one bad fall can have serious consequences, not only to yourself but to the vehicle you're working on as well. Think of it as cheap insurance.

I know 3M makes some in 1" through 6" wide tapes, in 1" increments. Most industrial supply distributors (like Grainger) carry it.



Also, you may want to tape some thin foam padding to the corner edges of the platform to prevent possible scraping against vehicle surfaces.



ALWAYS use the leg locks, even if you feel rushed to quickly use the platform just to reach one last little area on top of a vehicle (like quickly cleaning the upper middle of a windshield on a van).



I may seem safety paranoid, but it does have its place!
 
Lonnie said:
If you do buy and use one of these platform ladders, consider adding some adhesive-backed safety-step tape...ALWAYS use the leg locks, even if you feel rushed ...I may seem safety paranoid, but it does have its place!
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Yeah, I wouldn't use a slick-surface platform if you paid me. Not paranoid at all IMO, one "little fall" can change anybody's life forever.



I have five of these: Amazon.com: Bauer 20900 Fold-N-Carry Work Platform: Home Improvement . Very secure, very stable, very safe even when wet with shampoo mix. I got a good deal by buying that many in person at the local Bauer distribution center.



Gotta say that I can't imagine how people do roofs of SUVs/etc. without a good platform :confused: It's hard enough to do a thorough inspection *with* platforms...and doing the correction/etc. is even harder than inspecting. I know some pretty tall people, but none of them are tall enough to have the perspective on, say... a Suburban's roof, that most people have on the hood of a sportscar.
 
Lonnie said:
If you do buy and use one of these platform ladders, consider adding some adhesive-backed safety-step tape to the middle rail. Think of it as heavy-duty sandpaper with an adhesive backing. Wet, soapy aluminum railing surfaces, despite its ribbed design, can be extremely slippery and one bad fall can have serious consequences, not only to yourself but to the vehicle you're working on as well. Think of it as cheap insurance.

I know 3M makes some in 1" through 6" wide tapes, in 1" increments. Most industrial supply distributors (like Grainger) carry it.
Click to expand...



Take the easy way out, and get some skateboard grip tape, cut it into strips (with an OLD pair of scissors you don't care about!) and you're set. :wink1:
 
Lonnie said:
If you do buy and use one of these platform ladders, consider adding some adhesive-backed safety-step tape to the middle rail. Think of it as heavy-duty sandpaper with an adhesive backing. Wet, soapy aluminum railing surfaces, despite its ribbed design, can be extremely slippery and one bad fall can have serious consequences, not only to yourself but to the vehicle you're working on as well. Think of it as cheap insurance.

I know 3M makes some in 1" through 6" wide tapes, in 1" increments. Most industrial supply distributors (like Grainger) carry it.



Also, you may want to tape some thin foam padding to the corner edges of the platform to prevent possible scraping against vehicle surfaces.



ALWAYS use the leg locks, even if you feel rushed to quickly use the platform just to reach one last little area on top of a vehicle (like quickly cleaning the upper middle of a windshield on a van).



I may seem safety paranoid, but it does have its place!
Click to expand...







Lonnie, those are all very good ideas. I tell ya, sometimes the obvious seems to blow right by me.:rolleyes:
 
hplaceap said:
.. Still looking for something as an edge guard.
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My local Lowe's has "corner guards" made for making homes child-safe. Much cheaper than the (probably better/fancier) ones that Griot's sells.



Speaking of Griot's, their latest catalog has a nice platorm that even has a/c outlets.
 
LUSTR said:
I'm 6'2 but for the few SUVs I do I have something like this... Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more



The one I have looks much sturdier. I think it's perfect because it's pretty much impossible to tip over unless you start leaning like a maniac, plus it sits straight against the vehicle so you can get very close standing wise without touching it.
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I'm 5'3" on a good day and I use that same style ladder. It gets me high enough. It sucks being short when doing exteriors, like when i have to bust out the step ladder just to do roofs on sports cars! But being small comes in handy when doing interiors.
 
Sludge said:
You can pick up Werner Aluminum Portable Work Platforms from Lowes and Home Depot. I'm not short, but I maintain a minivan and this does the trick.



Shop Werner Aluminum Portable Work Platform at Lowes.com
Click to expand...



I have this same exact platform, however it is nowhere near tall enough for me to work on roofs of SUV's and trucks. I am about the same height as the OP. I also find the legs to be rather flimsy. Alot of times when stepping on to it, the platform will shift to the side due to one or both of the legs having moved from the fully extended position. That one at Northern Tool looks perfect though. I might have to pick up one of those.
 
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