Cheap boxes of A4 Paper?
Discussion
I could do with 4 boxes of A4 paper to use as axle stands for my VX. Given the flat underside of the VX boxes of A4 paper are ideal for this as they have a certain amount of give in them and spread the load over a wide area. It seems a bit of a waste to use brand new boxes of paper, let alone expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to buy low grade/boxed scrap paper cheaply? Alternatively does anyone have any boxes left over which can't be used, i.e. headed paper printed before you changed your address?
Stacks of paper have no sheer strength and will be very vulnerable to toppling sideways. I would be very unhappy indeed to rely on that to support the weight of a car. If you want to spread the load over an area, put a platform on top of a conventional axle stand. Easily done with a few short lengths of timber.
Edited by GreenV8S on Sunday 19th August 16:29
dilbert said:
Blooming heck, use anything but a stack of paper as axle stands.
If you can't stretch to proper stands, make up some wooden boxes out of scaffold planks and seal in some concrete.
Lots of people use boxes of paper, I'm talking new boxes which are so tightly compacted they only have fractionally more give in them than wood. I already have plenty of axle stands, they're just not very effective on the VX as they don't have a flat top. Lots of Elise people use boxes of paper, when the car is on 4 solid boxes, there's no way it's going anywhere!If you can't stretch to proper stands, make up some wooden boxes out of scaffold planks and seal in some concrete.
Edited by dilbert on Sunday 19th August 16:22
Muncher said:
dilbert said:
Blooming heck, use anything but a stack of paper as axle stands.
If you can't stretch to proper stands, make up some wooden boxes out of scaffold planks and seal in some concrete.
Lots of people use boxes of paper, I'm talking new boxes which are so tightly compacted they only have fractionally more give in them than wood. I already have plenty of axle stands, they're just not very effective on the VX as they don't have a flat top. Lots of Elise people use boxes of paper, when the car is on 4 solid boxes, there's no way it's going anywhere!If you can't stretch to proper stands, make up some wooden boxes out of scaffold planks and seal in some concrete.
Edited by dilbert on Sunday 19th August 16:22
Muncher said:
Lots of Elise people use boxes of paper, when the car is on 4 solid boxes, there's no way it's going anywhere!
The only thing stopping the pile of paper from collapsing and spilling the car off is the friction between two pieces of paper, and paper is pretty slippery stuff. That really does sound very dangerous indeed and I strongly urge you not to get underneath while the car is propped up on these piles of paper. The fact that other people have done it doesn't mean it's safe. Lots of people leave their car propped up on bricks too, and it only kills them occasionally, doesn't mean that it's safe.If you've already got the axle stands then putting a timber on top to spread the load is a no-brainer.
GreenV8S said:
Muncher said:
Lots of Elise people use boxes of paper, when the car is on 4 solid boxes, there's no way it's going anywhere!
The only thing stopping the pile of paper from collapsing and spilling the car off is the friction between two pieces of paper, and paper is pretty slippery stuff. That really does sound very dangerous indeed and I strongly urge you not to get underneath while the car is propped up on these piles of paper. The fact that other people have done it doesn't mean it's safe. Lots of people leave their car propped up on bricks too, and it only kills them occasionally, doesn't mean that it's safe.If you've already got the axle stands then putting a timber on top to spread the load is a no-brainer.
Muncher said:
The paper can't slip, it's secured in the reams, inside the boxes then the boxes are tightly gaffer taped up. It's similar to a treestump, only with a little bit of give in it to not damage the fragile aluminum tub.
You are absolutely wrong. I almost said dead wrong, but that would be tempting fate. The paper wrapping and cardboard and gaffer tape are strong enough to give the illusion of stability under hand pressure but nowhere near strong enough to actually do any good. Those thin bits of paper/cardboard plus a small amount of friction between the layers of paper are the ONLY thing stopping the car from falling off the 'supports'. Honestly, just don't. If you're mad enough to go ahead please promise you won't let anyone get under the car while it is balanced on your paper stands.I think it will be cheaper ( and safer) in the long run to think of another option - because all these folks warning you against what you're planning to do should be listened to 
Perhaps you should have mentioned that the 4 x 5 reams of A4 laser printer paper nicked from the stationary cupboard ( just borrowing for the weekend, honest guv) were already packed in a separate box with a cable tye to keep them all together.
Perhaps you should have mentioned that the 4 x 5 reams of A4 laser printer paper nicked from the stationary cupboard ( just borrowing for the weekend, honest guv) were already packed in a separate box with a cable tye to keep them all together.
More people on the Lotus forum have confirmed it's fine, under the weight of the car, they're not going anywhere, some of them have been using this method for 6 years+ and are far happier like this than using axle stands.
My Dad has apparently got his employer to courier 4 boxes of recycled paper halfway across the country Otherwise, Viking Direct are the cheapest at £7.99 per box.
My Dad has apparently got his employer to courier 4 boxes of recycled paper halfway across the country
Otherwise, Viking Direct are the cheapest at £7.99 per box.
Simpo Two said:
when there's a car on top of it, paper has a pretty high friction!
The coefficient of friction between two sheets of paper is relatively small (somewhere around 0.25) which means that there's relatively little stopping that pile of paper from collapsing into a heap. Really the only thing stopping it from going pear shaped is the strength of a couple of pieces of cardboard and some duct tape. Neither of these have any significant strength compared to the forces involved in supporting a ton of car.I'm glad you got away with it but for what it's worth *please* don't work under the car unless it's adequately supported. Piles of paper are NOT adequate support.
GreenV8S said:
Piles of paper are NOT adequate support.
I understand your 'disclaimer' approach but if I took four boxes of A4 paper and stuck a half-ton car on top, I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't be able to push the car off them even if I tried, 0.25 or otherwise.NB Although I agree that gloss art would be more prone to slip than cartridge.
Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 26th August 21:22
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