OP
I've driven a couple of race-prepped Minis. I liked them a lot.
I've never driven one of the old ones, though. One day I hope to.
I've never driven one of the old ones, though. One day I hope to.
Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage
- Thread starter Jack Olsen
- Start date
Workspaces sized between 265 and 485 squarefeet.
Doktor Schnell
Well-known member
The lighting looks particularly great! I like the warehouse style pendant lights and accent lighting on the walls/shelves...looks like it creates a great mood just to hang out in.
The Porsche is beautiful!
The Porsche is beautiful!
OP
Thanks. I have a lot of $5 trouble lights with CFLs in them. But I bounce the light off the ceiling to dissipate it a little more.
The pendants along the garage door opening were made out of cake pans. It's all pretty scrappy, but it does the job and it's a comfortable place to work.
I'm swapping in new rear axles on the Porsche in the spare time I can find this week.
Porsche 911 rear axle nuts require 340 ft-lbs of torque, which means my full weight will have to sit on a breaker bar 25" out from center.
The pendants along the garage door opening were made out of cake pans. It's all pretty scrappy, but it does the job and it's a comfortable place to work.
I'm swapping in new rear axles on the Porsche in the spare time I can find this week.
Porsche 911 rear axle nuts require 340 ft-lbs of torque, which means my full weight will have to sit on a breaker bar 25" out from center.
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OP
That's a cool tool. I used a 3/4" ratchet with a long cheater bar -- and it wasn't easy. It's common to shear 1/2" ratchets on these 32mm nuts.
Beautiful story, Jack. What kind of times were you running that day?
drummingpariah
Well-known member
Jack, would it be possible to see inside your toolboxes, or tool chests, or whatever they're called? You've completely inspired me (I hadn't ever even wanted a garage before, I was always happy with a winterized tent), and I bought my first tool chest but all the organization schemes I've seen are ... well, unsatisfying. Your garage is very purpose-driven, with its separate stations and tool organization, and that's what I want to emulate more than anything.
Boost Creep
Well-known member
that looks like a pita. i prefer this along with a bfh
http://www.appletreeauto.com/hd-36mm-rear-axle-nut-tool-c-4-p-2-pr-835.html
loosens them up pretty easy
Dennis Cavallino
Well-known member
Jack,
Hopefully you'll find some spare time for those axles this week. I like the new look and 'new' stuff in your garage. It still has the same character.
I didn't know you were an instructor as well. Good job
Cheers,
Dennis
Hopefully you'll find some spare time for those axles this week. I like the new look and 'new' stuff in your garage. It still has the same character.
I didn't know you were an instructor as well. Good job
Cheers,
Dennis
OP
Whenever I got an open lap, I'd get a 1:30.** -- which was four full seconds better than the last time I ran the old (tired, limping) motor.) My fastest laps previously (when the engine was on all six cylinders) were 1:29.1x's, and I think the new motor (which has 20 more hp) should get me into the 1:28's when the weather is cooler. But my shocks are all due for rebuilds, which might be slowing me down just a little. (My personal car 'classification,' where I'm pretty hard to beat, is: less-than-300-hp, more-than-2500 lbs, driven to the track and raced on the tires I drive there (and everywhere else).
Thanks. I don't have pictures of what's in the drawers -- because that's one of my future projects. I read your response and thought I'd start a thread on 'driving principles of toolbox organization,' but I did a search and here are six threads I'm going to try and read through:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15375
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6912
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=660
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27041
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26727
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29016
Thanks. It's finally cooling down here, so I used the opportunity of the axles being out to plumb in the ducts from the new heat exchangers to the rest of the heating system. On Wednesday, I hope to install the new axles and be ready to go for my November track day -- with heat.Hopefully you'll find some spare time for those axles this week. I like the new look and 'new' stuff in your garage. It still has the same character.
I didn't know you were an instructor as well. Good job
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Lets see you use that to torque the nut back to the proper torque
OP
This probably won't go in for a while, but I picked it up today. Altogether, it weighs 501 pounds. Getting it into the Jeep by myself was a chore. I took off the doors, unbolted all the sheoves and used a come-along and my 1/2" steel rods for it to roll on.
When it was new, it looked like this:
When it was new, it looked like this:
OP
I was in 'Jack heaven' today -- a warehouse with maybe 200 good used Strong Hold cabinets in it.
Nighttrain
Well-known member
Jack,
I read in another post that you would not consider moving from California, something about it being similar to an Italian chick. I think the real reason is because the hassle it would be to move 50,000 lbs of workbenches and cabinets out of your garage. Can’t wait to see the new one painted “Jack Green”.
It will be interesting to see where you will put it and use it for, wait you can hide the Italian chick in there!
I read in another post that you would not consider moving from California, something about it being similar to an Italian chick. I think the real reason is because the hassle it would be to move 50,000 lbs of workbenches and cabinets out of your garage. Can’t wait to see the new one painted “Jack Green”.
It will be interesting to see where you will put it and use it for, wait you can hide the Italian chick in there!
OP
I feel bad for whoever has to oversee getting rid of my shop when I give up the ghost. We should all have a designated partner to oversee auctioning everything off when we die, assuming there aren't kids who are excited about inheriting it.
But even a move -- yikes -- it'd be a lot of work to move all this stuff.
But even a move -- yikes -- it'd be a lot of work to move all this stuff.
Zengineer
Well-known member
I wish I could get my hands on strong hold cabinets too... checked into shipping some from reliable, $700 for a single 36" or $1500 for 4.
Much envy, but I'm not prepared to pay $1100 per cabinet!
Much envy, but I'm not prepared to pay $1100 per cabinet!markviii
Well-known member
Jack,
In our house, that would be me, the designated NO! partner! I'm usually the one to try to put the brakes on acquisitions at times (vetoed 2 car acquisitions this weekend despite pleas from husband and son) because we're running out of room (is that possible?!). In the meantime, I'm picking up another car of my own - buying my 81-year-old parents' second car ('93 Buick Le Sabre in great condition) to make room in their garage for me and my sister's to sort through and dispose of things from their condo attic. I'll clean up the car and sell it by the end of the year because I certainly don't need it. (It seems that we have a very difficult time getting rid of things around here, so check back to make sure I really follow through on that.)
Chris
In our house, that would be me, the designated NO! partner! I'm usually the one to try to put the brakes on acquisitions at times (vetoed 2 car acquisitions this weekend despite pleas from husband and son) because we're running out of room (is that possible?!). In the meantime, I'm picking up another car of my own - buying my 81-year-old parents' second car ('93 Buick Le Sabre in great condition) to make room in their garage for me and my sister's to sort through and dispose of things from their condo attic. I'll clean up the car and sell it by the end of the year because I certainly don't need it. (It seems that we have a very difficult time getting rid of things around here, so check back to make sure I really follow through on that.)
Chris
993James993
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2008
- Messages
- 524
Since seeing the Strong hold cabinets in your earlier posts here I've started noticing them at customer locations and even in the cafeteria where I work. Do you put any type of adjustable feet or glides on them? I have a metal cabinet with similar mounting points for glides.
racer756
Member
Did you happen to be in Irwindale?
I love your shop/garage.
What kind of paint do you use on these cabinets?
Don
OP
Yeah, you've got to find them locally. Even new, the shipping is outrageous. (Although, having moved four of them now I understand why the charge would be high. They're heavy and big.)I wish I could get my hands on strong hold cabinets too... checked into shipping some from reliable, $700 for a single 36" or $1500 for 4.
I got some looks as today's wind gust blew me around on the freeway, but I was able to go and get them back to my house in less than two hours.
Well, if you're full up you can imagine how out-of-space I am with just a 20x20 garage. But this is going to be a pretty even trade-off. This new cabinet will replace a Lyon cabinet I had that is a few inches shallower and made with 14 gauge instead of 12 gauge steel. To be clear: there is no good reason to replace the old cabinet. It's great -- a cabinet that will still be working in a hundred years. But I got a deal on this one and now I'll be able to have a complete row of one brand of cabinet. (Even as I type that, it sounds like the kind of thing that would irritate me if my neighbor were explaining it to me. But there you have it.)
It's replacing the one that's to the right in this picture:
Now, full disclosure: that one replaced another metal cabinet that I originally had in that same spot. The older one was even thinner -- that 'paper steel' stuff. Even so, it would have done the job fine and lasted for decades. But I'm maybe a little bit crazy.
The old, old one (it had two handles instead of one):
Sharp eyes might notice that the new Strong Hold one will extend out as far as the Strong Hold one under the big piece of steel -- which will mean that in order to fit the new one I'm going to need to bring the soffit cabinets up above out another 3" or so. A lot of work for a very minor change.
I cut the feet off and use shims to level them. I don't have a forklift to move them, and my hope is that they'll never move again.
Thanks. Yes, it was Irwindale. I've got to say, the traffic from the west side was great. One of those days that you're happy to be living in Los Angeles.Did you happen to be in Irwindale?
I love your shop/garage. What kind of paint do you use on these cabinets?
I use ordinary cheap exterior semi-gloss that I apply with a roller. The idea is that it's cheap and simple to touch it up when I hit it with a length of steel or something I'm working on. I'm not a perfectionist when it comes to painting. Or maybe more accurately, I'm not a good enough painter to be able to get obsessive about it.
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drummingpariah
Well-known member
You definitely uncovered a lot more than I had come across. I think I've just figured out my plans for tonight. Digging through those links, then digging through my toolboxes. Thanks.
OP
Let me know what you come up with. It's one of my next projects.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
This probably won't go in for a while, but I picked it up today. Altogether, it weighs 501 pounds. Getting it into the Jeep by myself was a chore. I took off the doors, unbolted all the sheoves and used a come-along and my 1/2" steel rods for it to roll on.
Jack,
What are the dimensions on the cabinet above? I'm interested and instead of paying the shipping might come get them. I have a car hauler trailer that I think has a capacity of 3500 lbs (or is it 5000 lbs???) and I'd need to figure out how many it can carry before thinking too hard about it.
...and of course I have to get it by SWMBFAO. ...but if I could sell a couple and pay for the trip....
OP
Based on how they've been selling so far, it wouldn't be worth your while. Most of the 36" wide ones (mine is 36x25x78) have been selling for $250-$400. The 48"-, 60"- and 72"-wide ones have been selling for more -- some for as much as $900. They're pricey new ($1,300-$8,000), but that's ridiculous.
Here's a link which should show most of what they currently have up for auction. I honestly thought the prices would come down more after the local market got saturated. But it hasn't happened yet.
Here's a link which should show most of what they currently have up for auction. I honestly thought the prices would come down more after the local market got saturated. But it hasn't happened yet.
mdbeck1
Well-known member
They are not that high yet on the bay but.... you might be right. Probably better to buy more local.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for the heads up.
Zengineer
Well-known member
Jack, I think the exposure of your garage (both on the internet and in magazines) is driving up the price.
T.Hadley
Well-known member
Jack your garage is awesome,
It gives me hope that I can make my small garage work better, I'm a car guy who builds hotrods, and it always seem like I never have enough room.
I'm a Ford guy, but I love all performance cars, and the fact that you use your car as it was intended, makes it really cool.
You may have seen this, but if not how would you feel to see this coming up for a pass. I think this thing is cool.
It gives me hope that I can make my small garage work better, I'm a car guy who builds hotrods, and it always seem like I never have enough room.
I'm a Ford guy, but I love all performance cars, and the fact that you use your car as it was intended, makes it really cool.
You may have seen this, but if not how would you feel to see this coming up for a pass. I think this thing is cool.
Jack, I love the way you do heavy research before you commit to solving a problem (witness your response to requests for seeing your tool drawer organization), yet you never seem to be bound by "options paralysis." That in itself is inspiring.
And I'm massively envious of your StrongHold acquisitions. Recently I picked up two Tennsco cabinets from the Global Industrial catalog, the kind that ship knocked-down and need to be bolted together. Compared to my 14-ga Samson cabs, they are quite a disappointment -- and as you pointed out, I now have two different brands of cabinets.
These will do until I get a couple of StrongHolds in there, which I'm not doing until my wife and I build our next home (I don't ever want to have to move them). Besides, they really do fulfill my two requirements for storage: keep dust off of the stored items, and provide lockable security for items that I don't want my (now 2yo) son to get into.
Keep it coming, and kudos to you for taking all of this attention in stride.
And I'm massively envious of your StrongHold acquisitions. Recently I picked up two Tennsco cabinets from the Global Industrial catalog, the kind that ship knocked-down and need to be bolted together. Compared to my 14-ga Samson cabs, they are quite a disappointment -- and as you pointed out, I now have two different brands of cabinets.
These will do until I get a couple of StrongHolds in there, which I'm not doing until my wife and I build our next home (I don't ever want to have to move them). Besides, they really do fulfill my two requirements for storage: keep dust off of the stored items, and provide lockable security for items that I don't want my (now 2yo) son to get into.Keep it coming, and kudos to you for taking all of this attention in stride.
OP
Well, those get the job done like you say. And you've got a lot in there.
I'm busier with work this week, but I did get a chance to hit the shelves and the back of the cabinet with a layer of Rustoleum just to clean it up a little. When I get a few minutes again, I have to use a grinder to take the feet off. It's pretty thick -- 7 gauge.
Quick paint:
Back together:
The exterior has been touched up, but not painted green yet:
I'm a little nervous about raising 500 lbs up like this, but it might be the easiest way to cut off the feet. If I do, I think I'll use a few lines to secure it -- in case the earth shakes or we get hit with a very strong wind.
I'm busier with work this week, but I did get a chance to hit the shelves and the back of the cabinet with a layer of Rustoleum just to clean it up a little. When I get a few minutes again, I have to use a grinder to take the feet off. It's pretty thick -- 7 gauge.
Quick paint:
Back together:
The exterior has been touched up, but not painted green yet:
I'm a little nervous about raising 500 lbs up like this, but it might be the easiest way to cut off the feet. If I do, I think I'll use a few lines to secure it -- in case the earth shakes or we get hit with a very strong wind.
28HopUp
Well-known member
WRONG - WRONG - WRONG!
Jack, you've shown us all how you repurpose things to fit your garage. Now you're trying to repurpose your garage (soffits) to fit your new cabinet? Have you gone mad???
All kidding aside, you don't have to reshape the proverbial square hole to make the round peg fit - instead you can modify the round peg. Did you consider removing a 3" vertical section from the sides of the new cabinet so that it would fit under the existing soffits? That may be too much work, but I wanted to toss the idea out there.
But knowing you (via this forum), you probably have big plans for the new soffit area.
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OP
Back when I was looking to replace the paper-steel cabinet, I thought about that. The Lyon cabinet I put in there was the right depth, but too tall, so I cut a section out.
But if I'd found a Strong Hold back then I would have looked into doing a vertical cut in the same fashion. But it's more complicated with the shelves needing to be shortened as well.
Here's the other factor. I didn't do a great job the first time through on those upper soffit cabinets. Or rather, I didn't realize how much slow movement there was in my 85-year-old garage's frame. The tracks only have a small amount of play in them and there's been shifting and sagging so that the doors don't slide as easily as I'd like. So there's some appeal to going in and doing a better job this time. I might use some old steel and weld together a frame that will be more rigid. In any case, I'll use some beefier materials. Last time I built it out of what I had lying around.
But if I'd found a Strong Hold back then I would have looked into doing a vertical cut in the same fashion. But it's more complicated with the shelves needing to be shortened as well.
Here's the other factor. I didn't do a great job the first time through on those upper soffit cabinets. Or rather, I didn't realize how much slow movement there was in my 85-year-old garage's frame. The tracks only have a small amount of play in them and there's been shifting and sagging so that the doors don't slide as easily as I'd like. So there's some appeal to going in and doing a better job this time. I might use some old steel and weld together a frame that will be more rigid. In any case, I'll use some beefier materials. Last time I built it out of what I had lying around.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Jack, will it look the same on the outside or do you have aesthetic changes in
mind?
mind?
OP
If I do it right, it should look just about exactly the same.
I'm thinking of adding a little ledge for the phone, maybe.
I'm thinking of adding a little ledge for the phone, maybe.
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Not pressing...honest...but since this cabinet is on the same side of the garage as the sink alcove I wondered if you were thinking of somehow tying in the change to the soffit cabinets with the future updating of that area?
(Okay, I'll shut up about the sink area, I promise!!)
(Okay, I'll shut up about the sink area, I promise!!)
Harleyguy
Active member
Awesome thread - Great garage shop - I only wish and old guy like me can live long enough to to do half the stuff you did in that Garage of yours. Absolutely magnificent.
Inky Ford
Well-known member
Jack, I think the exposure of your garage (both on the internet and in magazines) is driving up the price.
If you watch the auctions for Reliabletools closely it appears that there is a systematic bidding going on.
By watching the feedback numbers of the bidders you can identify the same bidder's bids coming across on multiple auctions at the same exact bid amount. Those same bidders have 90% to 100% bid activity with that seller. Those bidders bid over and over again on reliabletools auctions and never seem to win an auction.
Interesting to say the least. I am watching to see if the same cabinets are recycled in the auctions.
Nice garage Jack!
1Garageman
Well-known member
Funny, I could say the same thing about my wife.
Great Garage!
That is hilarious!!!!!!!!
