Retracting Parking Target - Cheap Garage Fun

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Our retractable parking target helps you park your car in the same place in your garage every time and then automatically retracts out of the way when you close the garage door. We've used these retractable parking targets for a couple of decades and LOVE them. Seriously, when we throw parties we always end up going out to the garage to show people our retracting parking targets. You will make friends if you build a parking target.
The targets move out of the way when you close the garage door and descend from the ceiling to welcome you home when you pull your car in to the garage. You probably have the parts to build these targets laying around your house right now so not only is this an awesome project but it's also FREE. So watch the video and go build yourself some really cool parking targets! And then SUBSCRIBE to our channel to see the other strange stuff we are building. Because we are always building strange stuff.
Components Used:
Fishing Line - Basically any type of string will work but fishing line works really well in garage environments.
Screw Eyes - You can get these anywhere but here is an Amazon link to show you what they look like: www.amazon.com/Moxx-Small-Sil...
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#garage #parkingtarget #diy

[@andrewb9942]

My man. This is exactly the type of ingenuity that KZbin is for sharing. Love to see what other engineers do in their own homes. Keep it up!

[@AtomicDairy]

Thanks 👍 And I will definitely keep building stuff like this!

[@NewYears1978]

No other video shows the slack part which can end up being pretty dangerous and/or breaking your car. Kudos. One further step I want to figure out for mine when I build it soon is to be able to unhook it sometimes so that it stays up when the garage is opened (ie when working in garage with it open) Idea is a hook where it ties to the garage that can be unhooked and attached to a stationary point or something instead.

[@LeviBahn]

i need that, post update please!

[@donnatarvis2073]

Just bought a tennis ball garage set up and your instructions, was flawless . Amazing always that someone takes their time to share . Thank you so much, it is so appreciated

[@AtomicDairy]

Fantastic! Thanks for your kind words! You will LOVE your new docking target!

[@stevetrantham5962]

Very informative and well done It qualifies as a garage door door stop for dummies

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it! We still use ours every day!

[@jkprojectsnstuff697]

Great video! I've been doing a similar concept for years and it never ceases to amaze people when they see it in action. Not only practical, it's a good conversation piece.

[@AtomicDairy]

Well said and absolutely agree! No dinner party at my house is complete until everyone goes to the garage to see the retracting parking targets. And the secret laundry room door too, but also the parking targets.

[@blgillespie1]

I just setup mine and it works great! Now I can play with my Oculus Quest 2 in my garage without having to worry about smacking the parking tennis ball hanging from the ceiling! Thanks for your video!

[@AtomicDairy]

Great to hear and glad it's working for you!

[@normaneverhartsr4791]

KISS - Keep it simple... This works like a charm! My wife is sight disabled in one eye. So, I used bright yellow (strong twine) plus a bright yellow dish washing glove (plus small fishing weights in each of the fingers - keep it coming down). So that she can see the target & the string. Now, she & I can park our Toyota Camry in our 1 car garage. Thank you, so much this GREAT for this fantastic video. Norman Everhart Sr

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it and very glad your improved version works well for your wife! I love the idea of a disembodied hand descending from the ceiling when you come home. Very, very cool!

[@djbowe]

I did this with your video in 2020. Got a new car and now I’m back for a refresher🎉🎉❤

[@AtomicDairy]

Welcome back! Hope it still works for you!

[@kristiesommer1091]

Wow, SOOOO simple with this technique. Thank you!

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@belayme]

Awesome thank you!

[@AtomicDairy]

You're welcome!

[@ginaflores1610]

Incredibly impressive! Love it! Thank you so much.

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Go build one so you can have a moving docking target like we do!

[@errold32]

This is the most genius thing ever! I am doing this immediately!

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it! I still use this every day!

[@artapart856]

Atomic Dairy Herd ! The design is genius. You must be an MIT engineer! Simple, yet elegant design. Thank you for sharing.

[@AtomicDairy]

Thank you very much! I'm just an IT guy but that's high praise and much appreciated!

[@mog1390]

Awesome Job,… great use of your environment to your benefit

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it! This has made garage parking so much easier!

[@terrygallon4106]

I love it! Thank you soooo much!!!

[@AtomicDairy]

So glad! We use this every day and can't park any more without it!

[@roidavis931]

There's real beauty in the simplicity of this my man....well done!! [Subscribed]

[@AtomicDairy]

Many thanks, and welcome aboard! We like simple because it's easy to build and less likely to break. And we use these docking targets every single day. They work great!

[@orlandoarciaga800]

Thanks for sharing! Subscribed and watched a lot of your videos.

[@AtomicDairy]

Awesome, thank you! Glad you're enjoying the other videos!

[@tylerbell6796]

Genius! Thank you!

[@AtomicDairy]

You're welcome! Once you put this up you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago!

[@HPST205]

Simple and functional!

[@AtomicDairy]

Thanks! We love our docking targets!

[@oneswolf]

I've seen this done on another channel, sort of. Your placement of the 2nd screw eye eliminates the "stop" washer the other one uses. Simple, yet ingenious. BTW, subscribed...now I have to watch your other vids. I have watched a c**p load of DIY videos over the years. I love the style of your presentation, especially the humor. Keep 'em coming! Thanks!

[@AtomicDairy]

Many thanks! We're having a ball making these and have more than fifty on our ever-growing future video list!

[@robrobs7529]

Thanks a million...perfect

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you like it and we hope it works for you!

[@johnnynewburgh9745]

Great video atomic no measuring was nice ....just raise target to top of ceiling and tie off to top of door. Make adjustment with second hook butting ball up to window. Instead of tying off to roller on door I used self tapping screw in metal door and tied off. Another tip when you go to install second hook make a mark on ceiling then close door and insatll second hook a lot easier then reaching over door. Do not worry about finding studs sheet rock will hold hooks just find. Someone commented on ball hanging down when door open with no car in garage but for me it will be seasonal (winter months) car inside doors closed🤩

[@eepjayerdnay]

Brilliant!

[@AtomicDairy]

We love pulling in the garage and seeing the docking targets descending from the ceiling.

[@scottspooner6070]

Loved the ladder falling!!!

[@AtomicDairy]

Thanks! We had to practice that a couple of times but finally got it right!

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Great ideal 👍

[@AtomicDairy]

They really do make parking fun.

[@alonsogonzalez1169]

Great idea guys!!

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it!! We still use this every day!

[@BrianHassett-ih3jp]

I think that BMW X5 is parked on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn N.Y..

[@Dicasio]

Man I am glad I found your video! You are educative and super funny at the same time!

[@AtomicDairy]

Thank you! We try to be useful. And we act just like that in person as well!

[@abtin1]

Brilliant. Thanks.

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it!

[@abtin1]

I just did this with both my garage doors and it works perfectly! Thanks again =)

[@noxidk]

Thanks for the idea. I only needed one eyelet screw. Set the ball height to the windshield and tied off to garage door while retracted.

[@AtomicDairy]

Excellent! Every garage is different and one screw means there is less to go wrong. Glad it worked for you!!!

[@mayingdts]

well done, bravo

[@AtomicDairy]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@edymoss3466]

Fantastic job and great fun watching👍👍👍😀😀

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it, and hope you built one!

[@skiddy2974]

Well done keep up the good work!

[@AtomicDairy]

Thanks! We're always building new stuff!

[@Blue6Alpha]

Thanks very much for this video. Saved me a few bucks. Quick and easy. Btw, I was able to make this work without the second eye hook... It was unintentional though. After I set up the first eye hook and tied off the fishing line to the garage door and tested out where the ball would end up to place the second eye hook, the ball was in the perfect spot to park my car. Didn't need the second eye hook ... Guess that was just luck! Thanks.

[@AtomicDairy]

Excellent! Glad it worked for you and now you get to watch the ball drop into place every time you pull into your garage. We always see that as part of our welcome home!

[@boknows8263]

so it varies by the height and length of the garage, so for you the 2nd eye hook is not needed.

[@dilipprakash7808]

Funny way to explain and a good idea

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you liked it

[@Rusty_ok]

This is brilliant

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad you like it!

[@Wlfpk_EDC]

You sir are a goddamn genius!

[@AtomicDairy]

Why thank you! Thank you very much!

[@BacktotheOutdoors]

Before going through the additional labor of adding the retractable feature, one needs to ask oneself the following question: if I'm in the garage but the cars are NOT in the garage, will my garage door(s) most likely be open or closed? If the answer is open, then you don't need the retractable feature and it won't provide any benefit. In my case, if the cars are not in the garage, my garage doors are open 99% of the time because I probably moved the cars outside to use the blower to clean out the garage. Having said that, this is still a great video.

[@AtomicDairy]

In our case there is a swamp outside that garage door and that usually means bugs in the garage if we leave the door open. So for us it's better to keep the door shut. But you're right, if you work with the garage door open the hanging targets could be a problem. But not for us because of the swamp.

[@MoultonHawk]

Ha, good job bro, well done. I put my string and my tennis ball on the washer, sat on a stool watched your video and my 🎾 was gone. Thanks Georgie 🐕

[@AtomicDairy]

Very glad you liked it! 😄

[@oscarbrosey7361]

Thank you

[@AtomicDairy]

You're welcome! Glad you liked it!

[@thecolor]

you should swap the ball/BBQ bottle with a hovering DeLorean! 😁

[@AtomicDairy]

That would be pretty funny. We're also considering an R2.

[@JAPRAT72]

😋🤔🤨🧐🙄🫣good thinking .. THANX 😀🤘🔥😎

[@AtomicDairy]

You're welcome 😊 Hope you liked it!

[@trleith]

From time to time... 😃

[@AtomicDairy]

Thank you for getting that joke! I was afraid it was too subtle...

[@trleith]

@@AtomicDairy Subtle jokes are the best jokes.

[@timlist4173]

Nice, but when working in the garage with the door open, you run into it when moving in the garage.

[@AtomicDairy]

Normally, yes. But I live in a swamp and don't tend to have the garage door open on account of the neighborly bugs. But I completely understand your point!

[@erniewyles8832]

one solution for this is to hot glue a small magnet onto the tennis ball (making sure the magnet is not in a position where it will bump your windshield). Use this glued magnet to "adhere" the ball to the top of the garage door when it is opened and you want it out of your way. Simple solution.

[@PowerSpartanl99Prod]

Next level design is using fishermans knot to tie the tennis ball

[@AtomicDairy]

But, but I'm not a fisherman....

[@Rubiowner05]

How long does it last before the screw eye gets loose and rips out of the sheetrock?

[@AtomicDairy]

There is no pressure on the screw eye at all. This one has been working for years even though it is screwed into sheet rock. It's really stable.

[@jamesricci881]

It only works if you pull into your garage. What about if you back it in?

[@AtomicDairy]

You could do the same thing. The ball just bounces off of your back window instead of the windshield. For an SUV or minivan the ball would be much closer to the wall, but it could work.

[@erichenao6537]

This is very similar to the Genie brand Perfect Stop Parking Assist. One question: Can I put two of these on one large door? With two cars parking next to each other, i guess it would be possibile, just varying the length of the line and placement of the second screws, right? Thanks. Great production of the video…low key enough, but slickly done with some nice dad level jokes.

[@AtomicDairy]

We do exactly that in this same garage. I just showed the one on the left, but we have two docking targets hanging off of this garage door for side-by-side parking.

[@dianneblackburn4880]

I appreciate your video - particularly the drawing at the end. My problem is that the ceiling in my garage is very high...

[@AtomicDairy]

Yikes! That could be a problem! But it might work because you will have less slack than I did.

[@Reloadeez]

​@@AtomicDairy You can compound it pretty easily, line has to terminate on a screw eye, and garage pulls the line running between 2 screw eyes. Will give a 2 to 1 lift and lower ratio.

[@DAGODER]

Nice. My stopper will be a 3D Printing Darth Vader Head. Thanks for sharing!! It will be available on Amazon for $29.99 LOL JK

[@AtomicDairy]

That will be pretty awesome!

[@skiddy2974]

Lucky you I’ll trade you for the cold snow and wind! I’ll tell you it’s a very clever idea. Now just figure out a way to have it up when the car is out and the door is open.... I rely on people smarter than me... thus KZbin!

[@AtomicDairy]

Agreed! We may eventually replace this with an Arduino-controlled version that can run in different modes, but for now we like super cheap and this works for us. But the lure of LEDs and other goodies on a docking target in the future is strong!

[@dsbennett]

I don't have a problem with stopping in the right spot. My problem is that the garage door is 4 inches wider than the mirrors.

[@millikenway]

Hey buddy, I am from Toronto. I watched a few designs today, yours I think is the simplest and yet the best. You are a genius and thank you for taking the time to share your ideas. Surely one goes nuts using an arduino single board computer, that is so overkilled. I am using your design to safe guard my new Mercedes from hitting the right side of the garage door opening as I needed to get all the spaces in the center isle for two cars. The wrapped fishing line serves as a vertical column where if it moves, I am getting too close. Once again, yours is cheap and easily get done.

[@AtomicDairy]

Outstanding and thanks for the kind words! We tried to make our docking target simple because simple is easier to install and breaks less often. The Arduino option was tempting but we agree it is overkill for this application, and it would probably break or need adjustment more than this solution does. Have fun with your target!

[@JimmyLoose]

The tennis ball is STILL in the way 70 years later. Who needs the balm to retract "out of the way" when there is a car "in your way." You wouldn't walk into it anyhow. Most people I know, work in thier garage with the door up after they've backed the car out.

[@AtomicDairy]

True except we do not work that way. We live in a swamp and an open garage door means bugs all over the place, so we shut the door when we are in there working and the tennis ball is completely out of the way. Others do it differently where they live but we shut the door to avoid the bugs.

[@JimmyLoose]

@@AtomicDairy Fair enough, that sounds like pure Hell. I live in the West where it gets over 100° on the regular. The oppressive heat keeps the bugs down, but I get to work with the door open anytime I want.

[@AtomicDairy]

I like the West a lot but I live in the South and it's pretty awesome too. We like it but seasonal bugs, and alligators, are things we have to deal with unfortunately...

[@jdbwz5307]

Cool idea, but doesn't keep the ball out of the way when working in the garage with the door open.

[@AtomicDairy]

True. But before we had a dedicated wood shop we used the garage for a LOT of woodworking, almost always done with the garage door closed to keep the noise down for our neighbors. So in our case this was the solution that worked best. But your point is valid. Someday I would like to build motorized auto-retracting targets that are only extended when the car is actually pulling in.

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

Since I only go into my garage via the main garage door and never through the side door, the only time I would ever see this retract would be if I moved the vehicles out of the garage and closed the garage door while I'm inside. I don't live in a cold climate and I don't have an air-conditioned garage, so that seldom would happen. If I need to move the ball out of the way temporarily, I will use a sheepshank knot to take up the slack and move it upwards. I don't use fishing line on the tennis ball though -- I use paracord. It's more durable, visible, and easier to tie a sheepshank with.

[@jeffrycormier849]

@@AtomicDairy I often work in the garage with the door open. I just set the ball up high on the open garage door while I work to get it out of the way. When the door closes, the ball goes back into position. Thanks for the video!

[@bjparker92]

I’m unclear where it’s being tied on the garage door exactly?

[@AtomicDairy]

You can tie it anywhere it is convenient. Most garage doors have holes and/or struts you can thread a string through.

[@skiddy2974]

What happens when it’s a nice day and you are working in the garage with the door open? Then the string is still in the way right? Or am I missing something?

[@AtomicDairy]

We live in a swamp so nice days with the garage door open mean bugs in the garage. So we don't normally do that anyway.

[@boknows8263]

use a clip to tie the ball to a higher position on the fishing line temporarily?

[@bigchungus-oj8zz]

I NeEd the SiRen too! Great sense of humor. Subd 4 life.

[@AtomicDairy]

Everyone needs a light show in their garage when they come home!

[@bigchungus-oj8zz]

@@AtomicDairy you my friend, are a real character, wish you were my neighbor (I'm not saying my current neighbors are bad, I love them).

[@EmmaDee]

So does this REALLY work??

[@AtomicDairy]

Absolutely! We use it for both of our cars every day. Love the docking target lowering into position as I drive in to the garage!

[@EmmaDee]

@@AtomicDairy hello sir!! I’ve talked about your video all day. Mine is about four inches short hitting windshield. What do I do? Make my string longer or adjust the second hook

[@Milosz_Ostrow]

While the retractability feature is nice, in practice such dangling parking targets work poorly with the latest cars that have an extreme windshield rake angle and where there is little tolerance for error, lest the car's hood or plastic non-bumper hits the garage wall. The target is useful for left-right aiming while driving into the parking space, but a parking curb secured to the floor is a much better way of keeping the car from developing a bad case of garage rash. I solved the problem for a friend by getting a 3-ft concrete parking curb from a local builder's supply, drilling a couple of holes in the garage floor at the proper locations and pinning the bumper to the floor with short lengths of rebar so it cannot move when the car tire hits it. She had hit the wall with her old car multiple times over the years while parking. With the parking curb and the ball she now parks her new car accurately every time - no overshoots, no scratches, no dents.

[@AtomicDairy]

Different solutions for different vehicles. Glad you found a solution that works for you!

[@markmarquardt3119]

The windshield rake has nothing to do with it. When the ball hits the windshield right in your line of sight, you stop. Seems a whole lot easier than the process you described above, and no trip hazard when the car is not in the garage.

[@Milosz_Ostrow]

@@markmarquardt3119 - There is no trip hazard. Moreover, people are not machines and sometimes they pull into a garage when they're tired or are a bit slow when hitting the brake pedal. If you insist on believing there is no difference in parking precision due to windshield rake angle, please feel free to post here the next time you have a bad day and cause a $2000 boo-boo to the front end of your car.

[@Milosz_Ostrow]

@@tdginctr -You betcha. Don't make things so complicated in your mind.

[@EmmaDee]

@@markmarquardt3119 EXACTLY!!

[@shannonwalden6721]

did you kill Darth Vader?? Why is his head in your garage? Who are you?

[@AtomicDairy]

Sorry, that information is classified.

[@mikemccarthy1398]

love it

[@Tavbiy]

Someone put a tennis ball, 2 screw eyes, and 20' of fishing string in a box and sell it on Amazon for $9.99. Then send me 5% of the royalties. Your friend throughout space/time, -T

[@AtomicDairy]

That could work!

[@lowlyfe_pops]

Lowkeyfunny

[@AtomicDairy]

We do try. And we are exactly the same on and off camera, so you are seeing us as we really are.

[@skiddy2974]

See cuz what I’m going to do is set this up and pretend it was my idea and show my wife! Ah forget it she’ll never believe me!

[@AtomicDairy]

We'll back you up. Show her this: We totally got this idea from you!

[@housefirecarter7328]

?

[@AtomicDairy]

!

[@jag1963]

Genius. Love it thank you.

[@AtomicDairy]

Glad it was helpful!