47-55.1 garage pics

[leegreen]

I have too much stuff in our attached garage. Tools, materials, camping stuff. I also own a house in one of the worlds most expensive real-estate markets, Upgrading to a larger yard/detached shop is just a pipe dream.

So my garage is about the size of nvrdone's with a vertical beam in the center to further constrain the space.
The door connecting to the house is taped shut to keep smells out. So the outside man door I added is essential, as is having a switch by that door for a light and the overhead door.

I have shelves on the 2 interior walls which helps a bit to keep sound out of the house and some of the horde off the floor - but you will never have enough shelves. My shelves are all fixed to wall. If I did it over I'd build them so I could unload them and move the units around without having to rebuild them.

I have a small workbench next to the man door on exterior wall with a window over it and a big vice that gets used a lot, The workbench is usually covered with stuff for some reason, so making it larger would just make it a larger pile of stuff not put away.

All welding/grinding hot work takes place outside: Welders are on wheels, I have a couple folding bumper stand type tables with small plywood tops that get used as work benches. I need a welder plug in the garage but make do with an extension cord to the dryer outlet on the far side of the house

One of the most used items in the shop is a heavy vice mounted on a heavy steel tripod. The legs have rubber feet cut from a tire and two of them have wheels, when you tip it back you can roll it around. This goes out in the driveway for grinding and such.

English wheel and such are on wheels and get moved when needed. Engine stand and hoist break down and go under a shelf when not being used. Press brake, tube bender also small enough to go under shelf when not in use.

At the possibility of starting a flame war, air tools are a holdover from the days when motors were expensive and shops ran on flat belts.
Now you can buy a $30 110v 4.5" grinder that will run all day, the air tool equivalent will need a 220v30 amp or more compressor running flat out to maybe keep up.
I use AC powered tools. No batteries to go south ( I have a shelf of NiMH powered tool$ that are dead). I can see if I made a living with these tools a few battery powered tools would be a must.
I have a small, reasonably quite 110v compressor for blowing and filling, very occasionally an air tool will get use with it.

[dsraven]

LG, no pics, didn't happen.
lol
ytou have done some nice work with the setup you have. just keep plugging away.

[mr48chev]

I'm like Leegreen in that I do all of my welding outside of my built in the mid 30's one car garage. The main reason is that one spark that goes in the wrong direction could burn that thing down in ten minutes.

His dryer plug and cord for the welde reminds me of when I had to move the stove in the kitchen and unplug the stove and plug in the welder that had and still has a 50 or so (never measured it (4 strand 480 volt ) SO cord that I rescued out of the scrap Metal bin at work. Each strand is equal to a #4 battery cable so it doesn't have an excess of resistance. My stick welder also has a 40ft lead on the stinger that lets me get way out at the back of a truck or trailer. I don't use that one much anymore but may have to drag it out so my son in law can tune up his welding skills. He may havdaughter in law teach him the finer points as she is a former AG teacher.

My vise and grinder are on opposite sides on a stand that has a semi truck brake drum as a base. I cut several inches off the post after my wife took this photo as a super tall guy in Ellensberg Wa must have built it. The Bench grinder is probably one of the least used pieces of equipment that I have. I'm going to have to check Chicago Junk on 3rd avenue in Yakima for a piece of heavy steel plate to put between the grinder and the vise to have something to set something on and beat on.



Side note for Nvrdone: Chicago Junk sells scrap metal by the pound, he selection varies but quite often you can find a cut off piece of new metal about the size you need in their stash be it steel, aluminum or stainless. They are on Third avenue about a block off Yakima avenue. Pacific steel will cut to length but charges accordingly and Morton's supply will cut to length or they have a rem rack that you can poke though for short cut off pieces.

Morton Supply on South first also stocks lengths of tubing and angle and has a rem rack that I dig though a lot to find short pieces of already cut tubing or angle for projects.

[leegreen]

Originally Posted by dsraven

LG, no pics, didn't happen.

Ok, but more as a warning for nvrdone than to be inspirational.

I call this organizational style 'kick that out of the way and set it here'.
The benefit is getting the door to close.
The cons are moving 5 things to hopefully find the one you want.

But I did decide some years ago that I got more enjoyment from the projects than from continuously organizing the space.



the space where my '52 used to sit has been filled with Camaro parts and a 4.8 that I am somewhat foolishly thinking about putting in my current DD Sonoma

now everyone else has to share too. But I don't want to see huge immaculate shops with hoists and epoxy floors, it will make me feel bad.

[dsraven]

that does look like you are having fun, lots of stuff to mess with. I see you make use of the workmate, I have 3 of them so they get used all the time to hold different things.
right now my garage is full of 2 dissassembled lawn tractors for my grandson to help me make into a pedal go cart thingy, 2 treadmills that are getting taken apart to use parts for shop tools, my old truck project that is waiting for some spare time, my bead roller that is also waiting to be used, my cabinet blaster that is usually in the way until I need it, on wheels at least, planishing hammer that needs a stand built, maybe some treadmill steel will get repurposed soon, my road bike that is inmy shop because the attached garage is full of a relatives things while they look for a new home. on and on it goes. I would like to have a super clean, epoxy floor garage but I would likely peel the epoxy off in the first month when doing a brake job or something else that keeps me from doing MY stuff. lol.
now for a few pics of your truck. full frontal, side etc. sounds like you have fun with it while doing small projects to update it.

[vintovka]

Since we're tossing out ideas i would like to add a few more. Cheapest. most secure storage i have ever used is a 40' shipping container. With proper lights, electrical, heating and ventilation they are great. Much care must be taken in selecting one > How the doors close and overall condition are imperatives. Cost runs 2400-3500 plus delivery. Another alternative is a better metal carport. 12 gauge steel and longitudinal ribbed roofs are also important. Can be enclosed but basic open ones run $1600-2400 installed. Both require space and prep, Can PM for details learned the hard way.

[dsraven]

At a shop I worked at I was the guy who was picked for projects. Build this maintain that. Anyway, we needed space to store off shift guys tool boxes. Some are huge. Management went with a container next to the shop and I set it up along with cutting a hole in the wall and a ramp etc. Only bad thing there was shop was heated and container wasn't so moist air from shop in winter (-30C) would condense on the cold steel. Fix was a toolbox cover for everybody. Otherwise it was great.

[vintovka]

I've designed a number of one and 2 story structures made from 20-55' shipping containers. It is fairly easy to control heat, cold, ventilation and humidity issues. In one example was able to keep internal humidity to 35% with 90-100% outside in ocean front locations using just a single portable sub $100 dehumidifier with an exterior drain. The dehumidifier also provided a low but stable heat source plus air movement One good thing about containers is that you can often sell them quickly if needed and often for more than what you originally paid for them.

[e015475]

There's a website devoted to all things about garages where you can look at what people have done with their garages ad nauseum. I've been participating in the forums for about 10 years now, and it has cost me a fair amount of money (but I am very happy with my 3 car garage/workshop)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...age-gallery.7/



It is pretty addictive

[e015475]

There's a website devoted to all things about garages where you can look at what people have done with their garages ad nauseum. I've been participating in the forums for about 10 years now, and it has cost me a fair amount of money (but I am very happy with my 3 car garage/workshop)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...age-gallery.7/



It is pretty addictive

[R&B51]

Lots of really good ideas in thread. I don’t know if you’re interested in this or not but I like the finished wall cabinets for modular fit, good look, and they hold a ton of stuff. They come in various heights and depths. You can see a little bit from the picture. I had a garage cabinet business on the side for years, but now I just put them in my shop and family members. You can order them directly and install yourself from a company called Slide Lok. They go together really easy with dovetail dados and I just hang on the wall. I hang mine about a foot off the floor and allows for sweeping and washing the shop out. There are 110 and 220 receptacles on the wall inside but I mostly use a retractable electric cord from the ceiling and retractable air hose hook to a big compressor in the corner that hangs from the ceiling as well. I just plumbed it inside walls before they finish the walls. I had them put half-inch plywood on on the walls instead of sheet rock, so I can screw things up easier. I’ll try to include a couple of pictures. If you’re interested in how they go up, you can, PM me

[fauXGT]

I'm sorry....just have to add.
Whatever you wish you had, it will never be enough.

[dsraven]

whatever you do there will always be something you wished you would have done. remember you can always change stuff or add stuff when it is completed. look at all the advice and decide what works for you. if you plan to cut, weld, grind etc please don't line your whole garage in plywood or osb, it is very flammable. I am a retired professional structural firefighter and we used to use plywood, osb and particle board in our fire training simulator because it lit quick and burned hot. like melt the visor off your fire helmet kinda hot. it is a great idea to snap a few pics before you sheath the walls so you have an idea of where stuff is behind the cover. if you know you will be hanging cabinets maybe you wanna place some structure where the screws need to be. it worked for my shop.

[vintovka]

Just to add to Dsravens advice want to add how much i like good led fixtures and especially led trouble lights. The only serious engine fires i have either witnessed or been directly involved with were caused by broken incandescent trouble lights and fuel. Leds will also take abuse incandescents cannot dream about.

[dsraven]

I have to agree about the led lights. I have several led lights for trouble lights and use them all at some point or another. the classic handheld non bending style about a foot long, rechargeable, the thinline style about a foot long but bends in the middle and has a magnetic base (my go to lately), the short "big larry" flashlight with a magnetic base (2 of those plus a shorter version) get used a lot for tight spots, a couple of headband style but since I wear a bump cap when working in tight spots they don't get used as often. in the shop I have 4ft led light bars that look like the old fluorescent lights but are a lot brighter and work without an ssue when the shop is cold. a doule long strip above the workbench at the front of the sgop, a string down the middle between the 2 bays and a string down each side wall about the 8 ft mark. my cieling is 10 ft and I have a shelf set up about 18 inched down from that, my light strips are on a 45 degree angle attached to the under side of the shelf on each side wall. same above my workbench except they shine straight down. even at that it seems like when doing brakes etc the area is shadowed and a trouble light is needed. I have a base from an office chair that I extended vertically and have a light that I can hang on that so it is mobile and is at the same level as most work like brakes or stuff that is close to the floor. it is also handy for doing bodywork to check the reflection and see if a panel is straight or not. it does kinda get in the way though.
incandescent lights gat hot, run 110 volts so gotta be a little more aware when doing metal work, have a cord that is always getting snagged or is just a foot short and the darn bulb is always blowing. I worked with a fella who was doing dash work on his mid 90's truck, he used an old fashioned 110v trouble light. he didn't realize how hot it got until he smelled hot plastic from his dash melting.

[vintovka]

Was working on a truck with a fuel leak at carb. Trouble light hit manifold and engine compartment erupted in flame. This was in garage under house. Instinctively grabbed a halogen fire extinguisher and put it out but was "waste productless" for a while. Now use only leds and have a number of rechargeable led headband lights hanging on garage wall right next to my dollar ( and a quarter) store reader/safety glass supply. Adding a central ceiling mounted retractable light with an outlet on it is great. The led will stand up to the abuse while using it as an extension cord. Another thing is adding motion sensor switches that automatically turn on and shut off all garage lights (including the trouble light). Really nice if your in and out of there frequently. Switches with on, off and timed settings are the best!!

[R&B51]

Dsraven, ohboy thanks for heads up on plywood walls. I cut, weld, plasma cut like crazy in there with sparks flying everywhere. I probably been lucky. I do have a little bit of space in there and always working out in the middle of the floor with all that stuff but still the sparks fly a long way.
I bet the reason I got past code on this is it is a detached garage, but I still don’t want it burning up.
I did have them heavily insulate the walls with foam, lay sheet rock up, then heavily caulk it double prime it and double paint it.
That plus the melamine finish on the cabinets maybe help reduce ease of spark combustion? I wonder if that paint film finish provides a little bit of a barrier but I guess a hot spark might burn right through it and hit that wood underneath and I wouldn’t know. This sparks are almost always traveling five or 6 feet before they hit it and I’m not noticing any burn marks.
Comments on avoiding the plywood are wise. At the time, I chose it because builder offered and it was the same price from the builder as the sheet rock and it has been really handy as well. Sure is a lot tougher when you bump into it or hit it and things like that.

[R&B51]

Sorry *sheet plywood up*

[dsraven]

there is also fire resistant paint. I have seen it in use as a sample. a tongue depressor pinted with the stuff over the burner of a gas stove did not ignite. I was impressed but then again it had been dipped into a can of the stuff and allowed to dry so it was pretty thick. still impressive though. paint the plywood with somethng like that maybe?
or just use sheet rock and tin over that in the sparky areas.

[leegreen]

good smoke detectors would also be something to include, and if you have a detached shop with wifi, a smart detector that can send you an alert might be worth the extra bucks

[dsraven]

Yep, and a CO detector. Fire extinguisher that's current hung by the exit door, Jack stands, personal protective equipment, first aid kit