What did you do "IN" your garage today?

[Ultradog MN]

I didn't do it and it's not IN my garage.
The gas company came Friday and upgraded our natural gas service.
New meter outside instead of in the basement. Now I can run a line to the garage for a furnace. I hand dug the trench from the back of the house to the garage.
Gonna finally get some heat in there this year.

 

[Wiz02]

Wish it were that easy for mine. The best I could do was stick a big single breaker at eye level in the hall between the two shops. And sometimes my eyes just dance by it.

However, thinking about your lighted plug have me an idea to have some coil driven devices that would only show their presence when the different machines were energized. Then I could present a status board right near the shop doors. Lots to think about.

I added a suitably sized motor rated 240vac switch and a 240vac rated led next to the man door. As long as I leave by the man door I see it, if I leave by the garage door, not so much.

It's not a perfect solution, but I didn't want to start messing with timers or something more automated that is triggered when all the lights are shut off.

 

[Outlawmws]

then was able to use my miter saw on an appropriate surface for the first time!

Get a workmate - 2XX or bigger, (or a similar older version) this makes portable use a pleasure:






I mount most of my bench tools to a plate with s cleat on it for the WM to grip:

 

[welder4956]

In and out of the detached garage getting tools and parts. Started when I moved the two upright freezers away from the back wall in the basement garage to clean the dust behind them and snowballed from there. When we bought the freezers the closest existing power outlet was in the ceiling above them and the power cords were too short to reach the ceiling outlet, so I had both freezers plugged into one 6 foot extension cord for the last 15 years. Not sure why the outlet was even placed there as it was too close to the back wall to be used for a door opener. So I decided it was about time to relocate the outlet down in the wall and get rid of the extension cord. I already had an old work box, new receptacle and cover, but not enough length on the existing wire to move the box over to the wall and down. I thought about just tying into the existing ceiling receptacle and installing an additional receptacle in the wall, but the old receptacle was back stabbed and the wire was only sticking through the box about 3". So, I made a trip to the box store for a roll of romex to run a longer wire from the upstream existing outlet going up the front wall, across the overhead ceiling joists, then down the back wall behind the freezers. This meant pulling staples on the old wire and removing it before running the new wire and stapling it to the ceiling joists and front wall studs, then fishing it down the drywall on the back wall to the new box. I had to weld 2 pieces of 3/32" tig wire together to use for fishing the wire behind the insulated drywall. Once the new wire was run, I replaced the 40 year old back stabbed receptacle in the front wall with a new one and connected the new receptacle in the back wall. That pretty much ate up my afternoon, so I was done for the day.

 

[cannuck]

@cannuck, if I had come across one of those aluminum V8s in the early 80s my Fiat X1/9 would have had one in that engine compartment behind my ****.

My 215 story has a lot of twists and turns. We moved North into a mining community 3 years into lawfully wedded bliss and I found myself right in the middle of more car, bike, boat, snowmo and airplane crazies than existed probably anywhere else on the planet. I was all over the place working and playing, but sitting abandoned beside a machine shop was a Buick sedan with a 215 and that weirdo variable pitch torque converter (that IIRC did reverse by moving diverter vanes in converter). I yanked the engine and put it aside with the intention of finding an B-GT or failing that a Vega wagon to house it - but no joy in finding a home. I moved over to being GM of the VW/Audi/AMC/Jeep store so no way I could display an off-brand project in my driveway, so the engine sat. We sold out and moved South several years later to raise a family and quickly got deep into the VW restoration business, then added special interest cars when I sold out of the VW car side to build airboats. I found an incredibly talented mechanic who came to work with me and that winter my backyard garage burned - not to ground but a lot of damage to my stuff - including the 215. I built a larger steel building that couldn't burn. A few years later my mechanic friend (who had long ago moved back to his home North of us) showed up with a replacement 215 and a pair of 300 heads (bolt on) since he knew how much I liked that engine. On a trip through TX I brought home a '76 B roadster (factory ready to fit 215) and that sits on farm waiting it's turn. So far, a 51 year long story!

 

[tarmy]

@tarmy, we started out with a bug/pebble screen and after losing a headlight to a rock dad put plastic bubbles over the headlights. This photo of a stop early on the trip shows gumbo mud sticking to our feet. For the next hour or so we dug the mud out of the trailer's wheel wells. When the trailer started fishtailing we thought it was trailer brake failure. We made about four stops that day to clear the wheel wells. The buildup on the Olds was bad but didn't fill the wheel wells enough to stop the tires from turning.

On the way home we stopped in Dawson Creek for a week to replace the hydraulic lifters in the Rocket V8. The job took a half day but the parts delivery truck from Seattle took about four days. We set up camp in the repair shop parking lot (no water or electric but four scissor jacks kept the trailer nice and level).

Great picture there…the kid on the right could be me.

Back then, trips like this were adventures…and you certainly didn’t know how the day nor trip would end. No cell phone. One road, a day at a time. Kids learned from these types of things about self reliance, risk, problem solving and just going with the flow. Not sure kids these days have parents nor adventures like these trips anymore. My mom’s best friend lived in Anchorage which is why we went several times.

i wish I had a pic of our rock contraption. It was about 6’ high rigged from the front frame to cover the entire front of the car. Of course, it didn’t stop all the rocks…chipped the hell out of the windshield and eventually busted the front window on the trailer. We ended up with cardboard and wire holding it to cover the hole!

That Fairlane Was a two tone, white on blue with a little straight 6, three on the tree and overdrive on the dash. Trailer was a 15’ Coastline…we put many tens of thousands of miles on that thing.

 

[GarageHobbyist]

The second project was to build a stand for my benchtop drill press, so it is not taking up space on the friggin bench like it has been. I have had this piece of Ikea table top tucked away in the corner for a long time, now its serving a higher purpose and is no longer cluttering up the place

For future ideas, I like used filing cabinets for equipment with a small footprint. They are pretty sturdy and cheap/free if you ask around, and the large open drawers allow for lots of storage and organization options. May need to throw something on top of them to distribute the weight to the edges/frame. But other than that they are good to go.

 

[glider]

Still working on screens. Down to the slider. Picked up some of the hardware, still need a track.

 

[rd65]

Im confused, is the evidence the car the kids? lol

the kids wouldn't be evidence but trophies

 

[rd65]

Actually the second...

the first being knees, right? The only little blue pill I require these days is Aleve....

 

[rd65]

Drained fuel from the motorbikes, used that fuel to make up more premix for the backpack blower. Moved bikes over to their winter storage areas. Need to drain float bowls before they are completely in storage mode.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I didn't do it and it's not IN my garage.
The gas company came Friday and upgraded our natural gas service.
New meter outside instead of in the basement. Now I can run a line to the garage for a furnace. I hand dug the trench from the back of the house to the garage.
Gonna finally get some heat in there this year.

That's awesome. I'm shocked they used to have the meter inside the house. Strange.

 

[Skyman]

My previous home, built in 1957, had the NG meter in the basement, with a pipe from the PR valve exiting through the basement wall.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Get a workmate - 2XX or bigger, (or a similar older version) this makes portable use a pleasure

That would have been better than the plywood atop sawhorses when I was remodeling a kitchen years ago! Before that it was my tailgate when I was building a barn. If I had a bigger space I would have dedicated areas for certain things, but it has to be available for whatever I am working on at the moment. What's the quote? Specialization is for insects? lol

 

[kaymccampbell]

I didn't do it and it's not IN my garage.
The gas company came Friday and upgraded our natural gas service.
New meter outside instead of in the basement. Now I can run a line to the garage for a furnace. I hand dug the trench from the back of the house to the garage.
Gonna finally get some heat in there this year.

Does your area run really high gas pressure, cause my incoming line is 1 inch.

 

[Fix Until Broke]

I seen 5/16 x 4" TapCon's in the side wall every 12" on each side offset by 6" however I like the suggestion of tying them together side to side.
I also seen adhesion promoter on the side walls which seems to work well to keep it from delaminating.

At the advice and approval of my Plumber, I hired a foundation firm to cut, then break up a trench in my building/garage/office. Spent all week cleaning up the dust then hauling off debris, now starting the grade process for over 70 feet of sewer line and new water lines to two future restrooms for my future office build. Saved abou $3500 by hauling it off myself but man is this a workout. I guess I will chalk it up to good exercise.

That's a job for a man with a strong back and a weak mind as my dad would say.

Build's character he would also say.

When you patch the floor, hammer drill into the side cut walls both sides. Insert #4 rebar into the holes, overlap the separate bars in the middle and wire tie them. Do this about every 16 inches along the trench cut. Wet the cut slab walls with a sprayer before pouring concrete.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Hunted for parts n tools. Dragged them back in and dropped them on the bench.

 

[Wiz02]

Opened garage door, took out gas tank, filled my "Craigslist special" wheeled leaf blower (twice - lots of leaves) and closed up shop.

 

[rktinc]

I seen 5/16 x 4" TapCon's in the side wall every 12" on each side offset by 6" however I like the suggestion of tying them together side to side.
I also seen adhesion promoter on the side walls which seems to work well to keep it from delaminating.

Yes, that sounds like the process my plumber said they use. wire tie the rebar and anchor it to the old concrete floor.

 

[cody1325]

Disassembled, cleaned, lubed, and reassembled a Proto 5249 3/8-drive ratchet . When I found it, it did not ratchet well, and I noticed it was PACKED with a very thick grease mixed with crud. If I'm not mistaken, this beater was given to me by my Granddad as my first ratchet. It took almost two full days of being soaked in Simple Green to loosen up all the crud.

I honestly can't tell you how it ended up in the cellar/pantry (which tends to be damp). Guess my grandmother borrowed it 10+ years ago and stuck it back there.

The cleaning worked--got a little bit confused putting it back together, but a quick web search fixed that.

Gotta go to the mine supply to get a rebuild kit for a 5449 tomorrow, so I might as well get one for the 5249. The anvil is heavily piitted at the top and part where the socket goes on. In addition, I noticed the springs were a little weak.

Because the basic design is almost 80 years old, of course it's only 24 tooth. I'm giving a buddy my cheapos, and some of my oldest are slated to become collection tools, not users. The Proto is pretty old, but will be kept in circulation/use alongside the 5449 due to the fact that as long as I buy it M-F 9-4, I've got easy access to parts.

 

[rktinc]

focused on then exterior painting once the stucco crew finished up. Its a rough building but I hope the patches and repairs hold up for a few years. Repaired, patched, primed, and painted. 52 feet seemed like a big job. Now I start on the "long side" 180 feet!!! and 25 feet tall. Thank goodness for Scissor lifts. Going to take off every sunny day in November till it is done.

 

[RivennHewn]

Played with an old toy.

Ordered some carbide and flint for it.

 

[welder4956]

Flipped the calendar page over to November, turned the clock back one hour, then routed, sanded and stained a piece of wood for a hat rack.

 

[rharman]

Changed the clock on the sprinkler timer. Woo Hoo!

 

[cody1325]

Played with an old toy.

Ordered some carbide and flint for it.

Nice!

Need to see if I can get the one my great-Granddad carried for hunting back in order. I'll need to leak test the battered tank, and of course order carbide and flint.

Lot less of a PITA than Koehler Wheats. My Granddad's was in service from around '74-88 in the mines plus 20 years of service as a household/work light. The original batteries aren't cheap (last time I checked, around $500--$400 for the new Li-Ion pack), and every single cheap one I find has a non-functioning battery. Keep meaning on picking one up and converting it to modern batteries and LED. For the time, money, and effort that would cost me--the latest Koehlers current-day miners have showed me are basically rechargeable headlamps in a case modelled on the classic Wheat. Yet, the old ones are still in use--and were produced until fairly recently.

 

[mikegt4]

Not my garage but one at my son's wife's family were we started to uncover a Fiat 124 that was given to my son from the estate of my DIL's grandfather. It was parked in 1998 and supposedly "ran when parked". We were totally unprepared for the amount of spare parts included, apparently he had bought and stripped another car and kept everything except the body shell. This car appears to be nearly rust free with only a few bubbles around one wheel well. Surprisingly after we aired up one tire the car rolled easily. It's going to take awhile to go through the garage and find all the spare parts. it's about a 30x40 building literally stacked to the ceiling with "stuff" in racks and shelves with only narrow pathways to maneuver through, the Fiat is the only car in the building.

The serial number revealed that the car was the 10th to last Fiat 124 spider built for the 1978 model year. In the one photo you can just see the shift lever atop the spare transmission, it's attached to a spare engine. We also found a new top for the car, still in the box.

 

[bulletpruf]

Moved the 69 Bronco project from storage to the shop!

 

[PhantomEB]

What’s your plans for it?

 

[Slednut]

I’m doing a 67 Fairlane/2016 Mustang fusion. Today I added the Mustangs latch and door handle to the Fairlanes door.

 

[KwikFab]

Wife snuck in to say hi earlier and caught me in action



The neighborhood cat did as well



Finished my weekend worth of work and cleaned up shop



I'd say I've probably got the smallest shop here

 

[Wrench97]

Moved the 69 Bronco project from storage to the shop!

Hey there's a big yellow thing missing in that last picture......

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

~SNIP~

Were you by chance a submarine nuke guy? Not sure what the actual rating is called, I am but a simple Marine! I only ask because of the Navy and the power plant below. Guessing lots of guys get out of the Navy and go to work at the nuclear plants. Got a nephew headed for Great Lakes today actually, tried to talk him into being a seabee but I think the recruiter talked him out of it. He's going to be doing something in the CIC, again I forget the actual rating because my memory is garbage these days.

 

[bulletpruf]

Hey there's a big yellow thing missing in that last picture......

Yep. Sent it down the road last week. Now I have room for the Bronco and my '71 Javelin road race project in the shop, along with the F350.

 

[Maxcustody]

Finished up my pallet racking work benches, I had bought a trailer full of racking and wire decking for $600 when out local bed bath and beyond was closing so I cut up a few of the uprights and made some bench legs, and found a guy selling some 1/8" steel bench tops on CL that were 86" long, spliced the bench tops and added a backsplash with some scrap 4" that was left from lawn edging a coworker had given me. Overall they came out great just have to get the vice mounted..

Love it, great idea and a ton of space for projects!

 

[Maxcustody]

Got a new tool cart to start my next project. Very happy with it... a bit expensive for what it is though....

It looks great. If it is Vyper like your stool, yeah, I bet it's not cheap. I have the Vyper fan, and it is spendy, as are all their products.

 

[bulletpruf]

What’s your plans for it?

Little bit of everything!

First I'd like to get it moving under its own power again. It runs, but something's going on with the front diff. Figure I'll yank the Dana 30 and rebuild it or just build the Dana 44 that I have for it.

I'll keep the 3 speed for now; have a spare that I'll probably build, too. On down the road, I have an NP435 that I may swap in, or I may go with a ZF5.

And I have a non-roller 302 to build; it will likely get the GT40P heads that I have sitting on the shelf.

Tub is solid, but needs a new windshield frame (have one for it) and a hood (have a good one to swap).

Almost forgot, I have 2 or 3 spare Dana 20 transfer cases, so one will get rebuilt and installed.

Will start off with 32 x 11.50 x 15 tires for now.

Below pic is what it looked like when it was pulled out of a barn in Mississippi. Older gentleman used it for deer hunting and when he got too old to hunt, it sat for a decade or two.

 

[welder4956]

Were you by chance a submarine nuke guy? Not sure what the actual rating is called, I am but a simple Marine! I only ask because of the Navy and the power plant below. Guessing lots of guys get out of the Navy and go to work at the nuclear plants. Got a nephew headed for Great Lakes today actually, tried to talk him into being a seabee but I think the recruiter talked him out of it. He's going to be doing something in the CIC, again I forget the actual rating because my memory is garbage these days.

Not a submariner, but I worked on the repair side on a submarine tender. We welded on everything that needed welding on submarines and surface vessels - piping, hull penetrations, sail planes, rudders, steam turbines, pumps, valves, motor shafts, boilers, aluminum boats, etc. Even welded a few aircraft parts while we were deployed in the Indian Ocean during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1981. The nuke ratings I recall on submarines were Machinist Mates and Electronic Technicians, I was a Hull Maintenance Technician.

I think the Navy rating for the guys in the CIC is an Operations Specialist. Should be some good duty.

 

[Maxcustody]

Unloaded some new to me cabinets in the shop and cleaned them up.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Not a submariner, but I worked on the repair side on a submarine tender. We welded on everything that needed welding on submarines and surface vessels - piping, hull penetrations, sail planes, rudders, steam turbines, pumps, valves, motor shafts, boilers, aluminum boats, etc. Even welded a few aircraft parts while we were deployed in the Indian Ocean during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1981. The nuke ratings I recall on submarines were Machinist Mates and Electronic Technicians, I was a Hull Maintenance Technician.

I think the Navy rating for the guys in the CIC is an Operations Specialist. Should be some good duty.

That's it, Operations Specialist.

 

[welder4956]

Unloaded some new to me cabinets in the shop and cleaned them up.

That's a nice looking trailer. The Dodge Dart looks good too. Is that a 69 model?